Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | ||||||||||||||||
| 08V384000 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | V (Vehicle) | 200000 | 11/06/2008 | ODI | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 08/05/2008 | 08/05/2008 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Bmw is recalling 200,000 my 2006 3 series sport seat, my 2004-2006 5 series standard and sport seat, and my 2004-2006 x3 passenger vehicles. depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit, small cracks have developed in the mat. if this occurs, the front passenger air bags, with the exception of the head protection system, will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag on-off lamp will be illuminated. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | In this situation the front passenger air bags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system would not be possible. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. the recall began on november 6, 2008. bmw will also extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit. owners may contact bmw at 1-800-525-7417. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Bmw is extending the warranty to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit to the following vehicles:my 2006 6-series, 3-series (standard seat), my 2004-2005 z4, my 2004-2006 7-series, my 2006 x5, and my 2004-2006 5-series (comfort seat).under the extended warranty program, the occupant detection mat in a vehicle that experiences this specific issue will be replaced at no charge to the customer.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||||
| SIB-61-06-12 | 02/01/2012 | 10043714 | Bmw: steering column switch center contains one or more faults: internal control, steering wheel lock range exceeded, wiper angle defective. various check control messages appear with airbag warning lamp illuminated. *pe | 04/23/2012 | |
| SI-B65-75-06 | 04/01/2009 | 10029605 | Bmw: the airbag warning lamp (awl) is illuminated, together with the passenger airbag status lamp (pol). the problem may be intermittent. microcracks in the oc3 seat mat. *pe | 07/13/2009 | |
| 721106 | 07/01/2006 | 10020293 | Airbag warning lamp illuminated, fc 9404. *tt | 09/01/2006 | |
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||||
| 7220005 | 01/01/2006 | 720206 | 10012498 | Airbag warning light is illuminated, and fault code 71 (seat occupancy detector) is stored in mrs4rd. bmw e83 (x3). model year unknown. *tt | 03/03/2005 |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | ||||||
| EA08001 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 01/04/2008 | 12/31/2008 | BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION | 08V384000 | |
| Bmw is conducting a safety recall campaign on approximately 200,000 my04 through my06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05 to correct the front passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat. the specific vehicles included in the recall aremy04- 06/ 5-series with standard and sport seats, my04-06/ x3-series and my06/ 3-series with sport seats. in addition, bmw will extend the warranty coverage of the passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat to 10-year/unlimited mileage on approximately 120,000 remaining my04-06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05. the specific vehicles included in the extended warranty are my 06/ 6 series, my 06/ 3-series with standard seats, my04-05/ z4, my04-06/ 7 series, my 06/ x5, and my04-06/ 5-series with comfort seats.the average frequency of failures among the extended warranty groups was less than 1/7th of the recall vehicle groups.please see bmw's 08v-384 recall notification for further detailsdepending on seat configuration and vehicle geometry, the occupant detection mat can fatigue during use depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit.specifically, over time, micro-cracks could develop in the side flanks of the mat causing a broken circuit.a brokencircuit can lead to the deactivation of the passenger air bag and the illumination of both the air bag warning light and the passenger air bag light. | ||||||
| PE07045 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 09/04/2007 | 01/04/2008 | BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION | ||
| In certain my 2005 through my 2006 bmw vehicles, the occupant classification system (ocs) for the passenger frontal airbag may malfunction and render the passenger airbag inoperative.in june 2006, bmw issued a technical service bulletin (si b 72 02 06) regarding the illumination of the airbag warning light and the passenger airbag status lamp.illumination of these lights warn that an open electrical circuit may be present within the passenger seat mat sensor.when both of the lights are illuminated, the passenger frontal air bag will not deploy in a frontal crash.certain bmw vehicles in addition to the subject vehicles contain the same seat mat sensor.these are the my 2004 5-series, 7-series and x3, the my 2004 through 2006z-4 series and my 2006 3-series, 6-series and x5 vehicles.an improved seat mat sensor was introduced in december 2005 for the mid-my 2006 production.in response to odi's information request letter, bmw provided 1,172 owner reports and 28,238 warranty claims.initial review of the data indicate that 280 non-duplicating owner reports and 13,051 non-duplicating warranty claims may be related the subject defect issue on the subject vehiclesthis preliminary evaluation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-001). | ||||||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | ||||||
| EA08001 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 01/04/2008 | 12/31/2008 | BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION | 08V384000 | |
| Bmw is conducting a safety recall campaign on approximately 200,000 my04 through my06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05 to correct the front passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat. the specific vehicles included in the recall aremy04- 06/ 5-series with standard and sport seats, my04-06/ x3-series and my06/ 3-series with sport seats. in addition, bmw will extend the warranty coverage of the passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat to 10-year/unlimited mileage on approximately 120,000 remaining my04-06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05. the specific vehicles included in the extended warranty are my 06/ 6 series, my 06/ 3-series with standard seats, my04-05/ z4, my04-06/ 7 series, my 06/ x5, and my04-06/ 5-series with comfort seats.the average frequency of failures among the extended warranty groups was less than 1/7th of the recall vehicle groups.please see bmw's 08v-384 recall notification for further detailsdepending on seat configuration and vehicle geometry, the occupant detection mat can fatigue during use depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit.specifically, over time, micro-cracks could develop in the side flanks of the mat causing a broken circuit.a brokencircuit can lead to the deactivation of the passenger air bag and the illumination of both the air bag warning light and the passenger air bag light. | ||||||
| PE07045 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 09/04/2007 | 01/04/2008 | BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION | ||
| In certain my 2005 through my 2006 bmw vehicles, the occupant classification system (ocs) for the passenger frontal airbag may malfunction and render the passenger airbag inoperative.in june 2006, bmw issued a technical service bulletin (si b 72 02 06) regarding the illumination of the airbag warning light and the passenger airbag status lamp.illumination of these lights warn that an open electrical circuit may be present within the passenger seat mat sensor.when both of the lights are illuminated, the passenger frontal air bag will not deploy in a frontal crash.certain bmw vehicles in addition to the subject vehicles contain the same seat mat sensor.these are the my 2004 5-series, 7-series and x3, the my 2004 through 2006z-4 series and my 2006 3-series, 6-series and x5 vehicles.an improved seat mat sensor was introduced in december 2005 for the mid-my 2006 production.in response to odi's information request letter, bmw provided 1,172 owner reports and 28,238 warranty claims.initial review of the data indicate that 280 non-duplicating owner reports and 13,051 non-duplicating warranty claims may be related the subject defect issue on the subject vehiclesthis preliminary evaluation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-001). | ||||||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | ||||||
| PE07045 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 09/04/2007 | 01/04/2008 | BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION | ||
| In certain my 2005 through my 2006 bmw vehicles, the occupant classification system (ocs) for the passenger frontal airbag may malfunction and render the passenger airbag inoperative.in june 2006, bmw issued a technical service bulletin (si b 72 02 06) regarding the illumination of the airbag warning light and the passenger airbag status lamp.illumination of these lights warn that an open electrical circuit may be present within the passenger seat mat sensor.when both of the lights are illuminated, the passenger frontal air bag will not deploy in a frontal crash.certain bmw vehicles in addition to the subject vehicles contain the same seat mat sensor.these are the my 2004 5-series, 7-series and x3, the my 2004 through 2006z-4 series and my 2006 3-series, 6-series and x5 vehicles.an improved seat mat sensor was introduced in december 2005 for the mid-my 2006 production.in response to odi's information request letter, bmw provided 1,172 owner reports and 28,238 warranty claims.initial review of the data indicate that 280 non-duplicating owner reports and 13,051 non-duplicating warranty claims may be related the subject defect issue on the subject vehiclesthis preliminary evaluation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-001). | ||||||
| EA08001 | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 01/04/2008 | 12/31/2008 | BMW AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATION | 08V384000 | |
| Bmw is conducting a safety recall campaign on approximately 200,000 my04 through my06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05 to correct the front passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat. the specific vehicles included in the recall aremy04- 06/ 5-series with standard and sport seats, my04-06/ x3-series and my06/ 3-series with sport seats. in addition, bmw will extend the warranty coverage of the passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat to 10-year/unlimited mileage on approximately 120,000 remaining my04-06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05. the specific vehicles included in the extended warranty are my 06/ 6 series, my 06/ 3-series with standard seats, my04-05/ z4, my04-06/ 7 series, my 06/ x5, and my04-06/ 5-series with comfort seats.the average frequency of failures among the extended warranty groups was less than 1/7th of the recall vehicle groups.please see bmw's 08v-384 recall notification for further detailsdepending on seat configuration and vehicle geometry, the occupant detection mat can fatigue during use depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit.specifically, over time, micro-cracks could develop in the side flanks of the mat causing a broken circuit.a brokencircuit can lead to the deactivation of the passenger air bag and the illumination of both the air bag warning light and the passenger air bag light. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 65007 | 1 | |
| On 12/5/2011 - when i started the car, i noticed the message on my dashboard indicating a fault on passenger restraint system. there was not any incident that i can recall that would result in the error message. after further research, i discovered that the error message was a common fault on these type of cars due to a faulty mat sensor located under the front passenger seat. i also found out that there was a recall for some bmw cars of the same model (dependent of vin). my husband immediately called bmw of fremont (northern ca) to inquire about the recall and i was told by the service advisor that he was not aware of such recall. i use this car daily to drop off our kids to school. i honestly think the issue really poses a serious threat on my kids safety since there is a high possibility that the air bags will not deploy in case of an accident. lastly, i also think that bmw na should fix this issue free of charge since it is becoming to be a common problem to bmw cars (especially the model series that i have). it would be greatly appreciated if you can assist me resolve the issue with bmw na. *tr | |||
| 09/11/2012 | 57900 | ||
| The passenger restraint system malfunction alarm came on the idrive. the dealer says that the vehicle is not covered under recall. however, the recall id #73368 exactly matches the description of my problem. therefore, we believe that our vehicle should be covered. please advise how to get this resolved as soon as possible so that i can get the car fixed. we are concerned because it's a serious safety issue when the front air bags will not come on in case of an accident | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 65007 | 1 | |
| On 12/5/2011 - when i started the car, i noticed the message on my dashboard indicating a fault on passenger restraint system. there was not any incident that i can recall that would result in the error message. after further research, i discovered that the error message was a common fault on these type of cars due to a faulty mat sensor located under the front passenger seat. i also found out that there was a recall for some bmw cars of the same model (dependent of vin). my husband immediately called bmw of fremont (northern ca) to inquire about the recall and i was told by the service advisor that he was not aware of such recall. i use this car daily to drop off our kids to school. i honestly think the issue really poses a serious threat on my kids safety since there is a high possibility that the air bags will not deploy in case of an accident. lastly, i also think that bmw na should fix this issue free of charge since it is becoming to be a common problem to bmw cars (especially the model series that i have). it would be greatly appreciated if you can assist me resolve the issue with bmw na. *tr | |||
| 09/11/2012 | 57900 | ||
| The passenger restraint system malfunction alarm came on the idrive. the dealer says that the vehicle is not covered under recall. however, the recall id #73368 exactly matches the description of my problem. therefore, we believe that our vehicle should be covered. please advise how to get this resolved as soon as possible so that i can get the car fixed. we are concerned because it's a serious safety issue when the front air bags will not come on in case of an accident | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 65007 | ||
| On 12/5/2011 - when i started the car, i noticed the message on my dashboard indicating a fault on passenger restraint system. there was not any incident that i can recall that would result in the error message. after further research, i discovered that the error message was a common fault on these type of cars due to a faulty mat sensor located under the front passenger seat. i also found out that there was a recall for some bmw cars of the same model (dependent of vin). my husband immediately called bmw of fremont (northern ca) to inquire about the recall and i was told by the service advisor that he was not aware of such recall. i use this car daily to drop off our kids to school. i honestly think the issue really poses a serious threat on my kids safety since there is a high possibility that the air bags will not deploy in case of an accident. lastly, i also think that bmw na should fix this issue free of charge since it is becoming to be a common problem to bmw cars (especially the model series that i have). it would be greatly appreciated if you can assist me resolve the issue with bmw na. | |||
| 06/08/2012 | 100000 | ||
| While driving with my family over the weekend, i noticed the passenger air bag and seat belt light illuminate on the dash. the idrive stated there was a malfunction in the pass air bag. i took my car to the nearest dealer the next morning after finding that this is an ongoing/ common issue with the 5 series. but what i don't get is why is my vehicles vin not included?? it's obvious this is a defect with the production of these vehicles so why should myself or any other owner be responsible for this expensive repair? why are there only certain vehicles included? then i find out that if i'm in a crash, my passenger will not be protected!! this is not fair to owners and bmw should be held fully responsible. another thing i don't understand is that i have a recall on the battery cables and that's covered! i read online that certain vehicles depending on the production date (thru 11/2005) are covered under the airbag recall. well my bmw was manufactured in 11/2004! again, i dont understand why my vin isnt covered. not fair!! please help..... | |||
| 12/23/2011 | 34000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2005 bmw 5 series. the contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning lamp illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the sensor pressure mat on the passenger side seat was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 34,000. kmj | |||
| 12/23/2011 | 34000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2005 bmw 5 series. the contact stated that the passenger air bag lamp illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the sensor pressure mat on the passenger seat was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 34,000. pm | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 09/30/2008 | 1 | ||
| The passenger side airbag is deactivated lamp stays on constantly and the warning lamp on the communication system tells me i have a fault in the passenger side airbag. i was told by a bmw rep that this would be a safety recall eventually if i wanted to wait or i could pay $1400 now out of pocket and have it fixed. the bmw rep told me just not to let anyone ride in the front seat with me. that is very awkward as i am in sales and occassionally must transport customers. *tr | |||