Air bag problem prompts massive BMW recall

DETROIT - BMW is expanding a recall of its most popular models to fix a growing air bag problem that is hitting much of the auto industry.

The German automaker says it will recall 1.6 million 3-Series cars from model years 2000 to 2006 across the world, including 574,000 in the U.S.

The company says it's a precaution because other automakers using similar systems have reported problems.

Air bag inflators in systems made by Takata Corp. can rupture. If that happens, the bags might not work properly, and shards could fly out and cause injury.

BMW says it has no reports of problems in its vehicles. Dealers will replace the passenger-side front air bags.

Last year, the automaker recalled more than 40,000 3 series sedans for the same problem. That recall affected 2002 and 2003 models years.

This latest recall excludes last year's recall.