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. | ||||||
| EA08001 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 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. | ||||||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | ||||||
| EA08001 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 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. | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | ||||||
| EA08001 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | 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. | ||||||
| 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 | |||
| 04/12/2011 | 50000 | ||
| The passenger side air bag warning light is on and will not turn off. i have called the bmw dealership and they stated that they would have to run a diagnostics test which will cost over $100 just to find out what is wrong with it. they stated that my vin number was one of the cars that was fixed in a previous recall for the same issue. i told them i do not have the money to pay to see what is wrong it. what if the passenger airbag fails and someone is actually injured do to this issue. the warning notification on the dash has been on for two years. the car currently has 80,000. i don't understand why the same issue happens for a previous recall and they cannot take ownership of the recall. very disappointed. the car has a very high price tag and you would expect some sort of ownership and honesty from the bmw corporation. | |||
| 12/15/2012 | 89000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that after starting the vehicle, an error message appeared on the instrument panel for the front passenger side air bag. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where they advised that the front passenger seat mat sensor failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 08v384000 (air bags:frontal). the failure and current mileages were approximately 89,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 12/15/2012 | 89000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that the after starting his vehicle an error code appeared on his instrumental panel for the front passenger seat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. after diagnosis they advised him that the front passenger mat sensor failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that he was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 08v384000 (air bags:frontal). the failure and current mileages were approximately 89,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 03/01/2012 | 85000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning light remained illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who referred the contact to the manufacturer. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 08v384000 (air bags frontal) the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 85,000 and the approximate current mileage was 91,000. kmj | |||
| 03/01/2012 | 85000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated the passenger air bag light remained illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer advised to contact the manufacturer. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 08v384000 (air bags frontal) the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 85,000 and the approximate current mileage wa 91,000. li | |||
| 05/16/2012 | 105000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, two warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel, indicating that the passenger air bags failed. the dealer and manufacturer were both notified of the failure. the contact was notified of the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 08v384000 (air bags:frontal), however was informed that the vin was not included. the failure and current mileages were 105,000. | |||
| 05/16/2012 | 105000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, two warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel, indicating that the passenger air bags failed. the dealer and manufacturer were both notified of the failure. the contact was notified of the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 08v384000 (air bags:frontal), however was informed that the vin was not included. the failure and current mileages were 105,000. sm. | |||
| 05/16/2012 | 105000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph the vehicle illuminated two different warnings that his passenger airbags had failed. the dealer and manufacturer were both notified of the failure. the contact was notified of a recall however was told his vin was not part of the recall despite experiencing the same failure covered in the recall. the failure and current mileages were 105,000. dt | |||
| 01/02/2012 | 61000 | ||
| Passenger restraint system, right high beam malfunction. bmw dealership denies any responsibility while i referred them to the safety recall. they state that our bmw doesn't have any open items. how do i know that all the 2004 525's were input into the bmw database properly? i can't pay for this $1600 warrany when a safety recall was issued in 2008 (while my car was under an bmw extended warranty. | |||
| 10/24/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was told that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 08v384000 (air bag: frontal). the failure mileage and the current mileage was 100,000. | |||
| 10/24/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was told that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 08v384000 (air bag: frontal). the failure mileage and the current mileage was 100,000. kmj | |||
| 10/24/2011 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated the air bag light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was told the vehicle was not included in nhtsa recall campaign id number: 08v384000 (air bag: frontal). the failure mileage and current mileages were 100,000.rl | |||
| 04/10/2011 | 96000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the contact was informed that the air bag sensor mat was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact called the manufacturer who referenced nhtsa campaign id number:04v575000 (seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler) but was informed that the vehicle had previously been repaired according under the recall. the current mileage was approximately 97,000 and the failure mileage was approximately 96,000. | |||
| 04/10/2011 | 96000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact stated that the air bag light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the contact was informed that the air bag sensor mat was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the contact called the manufacturer who referenced recall 04v575000 (seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler) but was informed that the vehicle had previously been repaired according to it. the current mileage was approximately 97,000. the current mileage was approximately 96,000-bk | |||
| 02/10/2006 | 14791 | 1 | |
| Since i have purchased the car in 2005 (with only 14,000) i am having problems with the passenger air bag and seat belt mat sensor of my bmw 2004. i brought it to the dealer for service. it was serviced. right after the warranty expires with over 50,000 miles, i have the same problem. i went online to the bmw of north america website and there's a recall for car (same model and year as mine) but, they said mine is not included. i went to this bmw forums and i realized i am not the only one suffering this consequences. (go to google and type e60 bmw recall ) some of them recalled having reported this issue to you guys before. this is a safety device that goes inside the passenger seat and senses by weight activate or deactivate the airbags in the event of an accident. *tr | |||
| 10/18/2004 | 35600 | 1 | |
| Airbag and seat belt restraint icons remain on vehicle display when seat belts are engaged/fastened. *tr | |||
| 05/18/2004 | 1 | ||
| Faulty air bag system.*mr the passenger restraint light illuminated on the dash. the consumer contacted the dealer who indicated that the first available appointment wa a month from that date. *nm | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 01/17/2011 | 2 | ||
| Consumer is the owner of a 1997 328i and a 2004 525i bmw. consumer writes in regards to airbag system failure message in vehicle and seat sensor mat. consumer expressed discontent concerning payment for repairs *tgw while exiting the front passenger seat, the air bag warning light illuminated and a message passenger airbag system failure appeared as on several other occasions. after several weeks, the warning light and message remained illuminated. while doing some research , the consumer discovered a recall identifying the front passenger seat sensor mats in bmw model years 2004-2006. it also stated bmw extending the warranty to 10 years without any mileage limit to several models including the consumers 2004 model. the consumer made an appointment at the dealer. the next the day, the consumer was informed that the sensor mat in the vehicle was already an updated seat mat and therefore, he did not qualify for the extended warranty extension and the cost would be $1,242.78. the consumer believed the updated sensor mat was just as faulty as the non-updated mat and failed after 6 years under normal usage. *jb | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 62000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. while driving approximately 50 mph, the contact noticed that the passenger restraint system warning light illuminated on the dashboard, without a passenger seated in the seat, similar to nhtsa campaign id number: 08v384000 ( air bags:frontal). the dealer was notified who quoted her a price for repairs. the contact notified the manufacturer who informed the contact that her vehcile had not been included in the previous recall and offered her a fifty percent discount towards repairs. the current mileages were 63,805 and the failure mileages were 62,000. bw | |||
| 03/28/2008 | 3 | ||
| 2004 bmw 525i airbag light was on*cw the consumer stated 7 to 8 months later, the air bag light had illuminated again. several days later, the consumer received a recall letter in the mail. the consumer went back to the dealer and they replaced the sensor again and said every thing was ok. the consumer stated the air bag light is on again. *jb | |||
| 02/15/2010 | 79000 | 1 | |
| I was driving my car and had a passenger sitting next to me when the airbag light came on. the light has stayed on and will not go away. the message on the screen says that the passenger airbag will not go off in an accident. *tr | |||
| 12/21/2008 | 67000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 bmw 525i. the contact noticed that the air bag warning indicator consistently illuminates on the instrument control panel, which indicates that the passenger air bag is inoperative. as a consequence, the front passenger side air bag would not deploy evenly in the event of a serious crash. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 08v384000 (air bags:frontal); therefore, he is not entitled to a free remedy as referenced in the recall. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 67,000. updated 2/23/09 *cn the consumer stated the dealer fixed the vehicle as a goodwill gesture. updated 02/25/09. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 09/15/2007 | 35600 | 1 | 08/03/2007 |
| 1) we purchased the vehicle used, with no problems. while traveling, we got out of the vehicle and when we got in, we noticed that a airbag light and seatbelt light were indicated on the instrument panel (red fault lights). since the vehicle has the bmw i-drive we also noticed the warning that there is a malfunction in the passenger restraint system, keep seatbelt fastened, and see bmw service center or very close to this. 2) i assume that since there is this error, the passenger side airbag is disabled by the ecm. part of the reason for buying the vehicle was for its safety, and the consequences of us not having an airbag available should there be a crash could be catastrophic. we are living in germany supporting the us, and am not sure of the right way to get this issue resolved. 3) i took the car to a bmw dealer who charged me 31.00euro dollars to retrieve the trouble code, and tell me i had a bad passenger side seat airbag sensor mat. i also received a quote for a new one of around 720.00 euro dollars ($1036 us dollars). the car had a one year warranty from the dealer, but i have not yet found out if they will cover this. since it is a safety issue, i thought that bmw would have to repair this problem at no charge. *tr | |||