This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The red passenger-side air bag and seat belt lights come on and stay on, whether or not anyone is sitting in the passenger seat. My BMW dealer has told me this means the passenger airbags are deactivated and this is a common occurrence caused by a faulty sensor.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle was started, the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The failure also occurred when driving at various speeds. There was a recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 08V384000 ( front seat occupant detection mat) but the contact's VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
The red passenger-side air bag and seat belt lights come on and stay on, whether or not anyone is sitting in the passenger seat. BMW has told me it will cost $1,300 to replace, yet it seems from other complaints here and from other online forums that the mat sensor causing this problem was defectively manufactured.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 328I. The contact stated that the air bag light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact found NHTSA recall campaign id number: 08V384000 (air bags) and was told by the manufacturer that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure and current mileages were 66,100.
I was backing up at 4 mph and pressed the brake to stop. The airbag and seatbelt warning light went on. It continued to stay on and has not turned off since. There was no one in the car other than myself as the driver. I have had the car into the mechanic twice now to fix the issue and the lights and warnings still come on. I called the dealership and they say my VIN is not on the recall list. I have researched the issue and found that many owners of the same year, make, and model are having the same issues. Is there any way to get my car VIN added to the recall list?
- Aloha, OR, USA
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1. seat occupancy sensors are broken. The indicator shows up on the dashboard even when the driver and the passenger have their seat belts fasten. 2. oil leaks from pan gasket due to the aluminum bolts and etc.
When an adult is seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, the air bag service indicator, no seatbelt indicator, and "passenger airbag is disabled" indicator are all illuminated. In my vehicle's current state, if I were to get in an accident with a passenger present, the passenger airbag would not deploy, significantly reducing the effectiveness of the vehicles airbag safety system. A faulty occupant sensor mat is suspected. This issue matches the BMW recall listed as: NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000. According to BMW North America & local BMW dealer, this specific vehicle does not fall under the VIN number or production date ranges that were initially sanctioned under the recall. In the official recall details, the make, model, year, and seat type all match the specifications of my vehicle. After discovering the recall information, I contacted BMW representative by telephone. I was told that because my vehicle VIN is not on the recall list, the repair must be done at an out of pocket expense. This vehicle's production date is listed as 03/2006. BMW states that the affected 3-series standard seat vehicles were produced between Feb 1, 2005 - Nov 30, 2005. I am filing this complaint because the defective seat sensor significantly reduces the safety of the vehicle passengers, as well as violates vehicle air bag regulations established by the NHTSA. Since this is a design defect, the cost should be covered 100% by the manufacturer, BMW. BMW needs to extend this recall to all model production dates that are exhibiting this failure.
I'm getting this message "restraint system malfunction, fault in passenger restraint system affecting airbag, belt tensioner, or belt force limiter. Continue to wear the safety belt, have the system checked by the nearest BMW center." Usually I have this msg when I have a passenger, but now even with empty seat it pops up and together with the passenger airbag lights. I have contacted the bmwusa about this issue and the( NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000) but they stated that my vehicle does not fall under that category according to the VIN #. hope someone can help, because I have found a lots of complaints about similar issues online. Thank you for your consideration..
For no reason the passenger and rear driver side seatbelt and airbag light came on while driving and stayed on forever. My 2006 BMW 325I has standard seat.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated that the passenger's side air bag warning indicator illuminated continuously with the passenger's seat occupied. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the front seat occupancy senor was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.....updated 05/08/13 updated 05/20/2013
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated that while parked, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000 (air bags) but was advised by the manufacturer was that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
I started my car that morning and the airbag/seatbelt sensor light came on even though my seatbelt was fastened. I fastened the passenger seat belt to see if that was it but it stayed on. I took the car to the BMW dealership in augusta, ga and they charged me $120 to check it. They stated it would cost $530 to repair it. I decided to check if there was a recall and I see that this is a common complaint about these vehicles. Other vehicles within the year model have been included in a recall but 325xi have been excluded. Since the same malfunction of the same item is happening, it should be recalled on 325xi as well.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated that the passenger air bag warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in the manufacturer's recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were approximately 91,000.
Passenger side air bag. Issue with airbag and seatbelt light coming on intermittently. But now it started to stay on and currently my passenger seat airbag is disabled. The mat sensors fail to function.
No accident ever occurred, but the vehicle developed a passenger airbag problem. I eventually had it fixed for about $1100 -- the sensor in the passenger seat had to be replaced, or else the passenger airbag would not deploy in an accident. Other 3-series in that year received free replacements of the defect, but when they ran my VIN, they said my car didn't qualify. Seeing as it apparently has the same problem as these other cars, I'm not sure what the distinction is, as it is a serious safety issue.
I have a 2006 325I. For the past few weeks has been having an issue with airbag and seatbelt light coming on intermittently. But now it started to stay on and currently my passenger seat airbag is disabled. The mat sensors fail to function. I called bmwna and my VIN number was not in the list of VIN numbers that were recalled for this issue. It is very common (%75 of this model) to get this problem on this year of 3 series. It was obviously in defected parts list and caused the issue and I am not covered. This is not a wear and tear. This is totally cheap quality part that was put in the car.why? because BMW does not want to cover even it is their fault. I am seriously considering to buy a Benz after this kind of cheaply handled issues.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325I. The contact stated that the air bag and passenger restraint system warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician verified that the vehicle was not included in recall NHTSA campaign number: 08V384000 (air bags). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 79,000 and the current mileage was 79,150.
Small crack has developed in the mat on the passenger side of vehicle and the air bag warning lamp is on. NHTSA recall bulletin indicated there was a recall (reference number 08V384000) on the frontal air bags; however, the dealership said my VIN number was not listed. Called BMW North America customer relations and they said the same thing. I believe BMW should assume responsibility for this repair since they have a recall on over 200,000 vehicles and I am experiencing the exact same problem. Estimated repair is $1,500. Thank you for your consideration.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 325xi. The contact stated that the passenger air bag seat mat sensor was defective. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the occupant air sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to pay for the defective part. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 70,000. Updated 03/20/13 updated 04/12/2013
The passenger side occupancy seat mat for the airbag failed. BMW has bulletin sib 65 75 06, airbag warning lamp for OC3 seat mat fault, that covers my cars build date, but BMW states my VIN is not covered. There is also a current recall, NHTSA campaign number: 08V384000 but BMW states my car is not covered and refuses to honor the 10 year extended warranty. My car is experiencing this same issue, as diagnosed by a local BMW dealers, but they have failed to cover it. This is a major safety issue that is affecting many cars outside of the recall. They are many people posting on various BMW forums that are experiencing the same issue. BMW should be held accountable to fix all the vehicles experiencing this problem.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- San Jose, CA, USA