WASHINGTON — NHTSA mentioned Thursday it recognized the 18th U.S. demise tied to a Takata airbag inflator rupture after the overview of a latest BMW crash.

The protection company mentioned it had concluded a Takata airbag inflator rupture throughout a September crash in Arizona had led to deadly accidents of the motive force.

This was the primary reported Takata demise in a BMW automobiles after 15 U.S. deaths in Honda Motor Co. automobiles and two in Ford Motor Co. automobiles since 2009. BMW didn’t instantly remark.

The defect, which leads in uncommon situations to airbag inflators rupturing and sending steel fragments flying, prompted the most important automotive recall in U.S. historical past of about 100 million inflators by 19 main automakers worldwide.

Greater than 290 U.S. accidents are additionally tied to defective Takata inflators and no less than 27 deaths worldwide. The problems particularly impacts older automobiles with long-term publicity to scorching, humid circumstances.

NHTSA mentioned in a press release Thursday the “incident underscores the significance of changing each recalled Takata air bag. When notified of a security defect, we urge automobile house owners to right away contact their automaker’s native supplier to schedule a free restore.”