WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY CRASH OR ANY OBVIOUS REASON. WE DROVE THROUGH SOME ROCKS & DEBRIS ON THE SHOULDER GETTING THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND STOPPED. THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE PUNCTURED AND LEAKING AIR (APPARENTLY FROM THE DEBRIS) AND SUBSEQUENTLY WENT FLAT A WEEK LATER. WE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM BMW REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY OF INADVERTANT SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. EVEN IN LIGHT OF THE RECALL, BMW IS INSISTING THAT WE WERE "INVOLVED IN AN UNDER-BODY CRASH" AND THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE A WARRANTY REPAIR. THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO HAVE OCCURRED ONLY *AFTER* THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DT