BMW X3 Owners Manual: Protective action

Airbags are not triggered in every impact situation, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end collisions.

Information on how to ensure the optimal protective effect of the airbags

• Keep at a distance from the airbags.
• Always grasp the steering wheel on the steering wheel rim, holding your hands at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to keep the risk of injury to your hands or arms as low as possible when the airbag is triggered.
• There should be no person, animals, or objects between an airbag and a person.
• Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the front passenger side as a storage area.
• Dashboard and windshield on the front passenger side must stay clear - do not attach adhesive labels or coverings and do not attach brackets or cables, e. g., for GPS devices or' mobile phones.
• Make sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly, i.e., keeps his or her feet and legs in the footwell; otherwise, leg injuries might occur when front airbag is activated.
• Do not place slip covers, seat cushions or other objects on the front passenger seat that are not approved specifically for seats with integrated side airbags.
• Do not hang pieces of clothing, such as jackets, over the backrests.
• Make sure that occupants keep their heads away from the side airbag and do not rest against the head airbag; otherwise, injuries might occur when airbag is activated.
• Do not remove the airbag system.
• Do not remove the steering wheel.
• Do not apply adhesive materials to the airbag cover panels, do not cover them or modify them in any way.
• Never modify either the individual components or the wiring in the airbag system.

  This also applies to steering wheel covers, the dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars and the sides of the roofliner.

Even when you follow all instructions very closely, injury from contact with the airbags cannot be ruled out in certain situations.

The ignition and inflation noise may lead to short-term and, in most cases, temporary hearing impairment in sensitive individuals.

Malfunction, deactivation and after deploying the airbags

Do not touch the individual components immediately after the system has been triggered; otherwise, you may risk burns.

Non-professional attempts to service the system could lead to failure in an emergency or unintentional activation of the airbag - both may lead to injury.

Warnings and information on the airbags are also found on the sun visors.