The lawsuit stems from the broader Takata airbag crisis, in which certain airbag inflators were found to risk rupturing during deployment and sending metal fragments into the cabin—an issue that triggered one of the largest automotive safety recall waves in U.S. history. In this BMW-specific settlement, the focus is not on individual drivers but on automotive salvage and recycling businesses that bought certain BMW models and, before April 3, 2023, removed, refurbished, recycled, or resold Takata inflators or related parts. Because recyclers often process large volumes of vehicles and components, they can end up holding recalled inflators in inventory—or having handled them historically—creating costs and potential liability tied to parts that later become effectively unsellable or tightly restricted. The class action alleged BMW equipped certain vehicles with Takata inflators later recalled for safety defects, causing economic harm; BMW denied wrongdoing but agreed to settle to avoid ongoing litigation risk and expense. Eligible businesses can claim a set payment per inflator—$40.25 for current inventory and $28.75 for historic inventory—by certifying detailed vehicle and inflator information (including VIN and driver/passenger side) by December 6, 2025, with payments issued after claim review following the deadline. The settlement is significant because it recognizes downstream impacts of recalls on the recycling supply chain, not just automakers and consumers, and it sets a structured reimbursement mechanism for recalled components that passed through legitimate salvage channels. More broadly, this case fits a pattern of litigation and settlements arising from Takata-related recalls across multiple automakers, reflecting how a single component defect can generate ripple effects across manufacturing, resale, and end-of-life vehicle processing. It also sits within the regulatory framework of U.S. vehicle safety oversight—where defects leading to unreasonable safety risks can prompt mandatory recalls and strict handling rules for recalled parts—leaving recyclers navigating compliance, inventory controls, and documentation burdens. By tying compensation to inflator certification and excluding units already paid under other BMW programs, the settlement also mirrors an industry trend toward traceability and targeted remediation rather than open-ended damages awards.