Upon starting my car, I received an error message " fault in passenger restraint system affecting air bags, belt tensioner or belt force limiter" the message continues to show up every day.. this is the same issue that has a recall in all other 5 series models for this year, 2006 and has a recall for those vehicles. This model should be added since its the same issue. See attached.

- Ridgewood, NJ, USA

The contact owns a 2006 BMW M5. The contact stated that the air bag light remained illuminated while a passenger occupied the seat. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the base of the seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.

- Santa Monica, CA, USA

The car has an issue with passenger airbag occupancy sensor, when someone sits on the passanger seat the airbag turns on, these bmws has many recalls for this issue, for some reason mine does not fall into the recall. I have scanned the computer and confirmed that the sensor is the issue, I would like this issue to be recalled on my car because this a common issue for these, I have read many other people with this issue, on forums, but a recall has not been issued, I think its important to do this recall because it is not safe for my passanger, in case some sort of accident happens and the airbag does not deploy.

- Scarborough, ME, USA

Malfunction in passenger restraint system. Warning message stating "fault in passenger - restraint system affecting airbag, belt tensioner or belt force limiter" is activated every few minutes that car is in drive. Was informed that the passenger airbags will not deploy in the event of a crash. Dealership informed me that this was not covered by warranty and my extended warranty provider (hendricks autoguard) has refused to honor its obligations by claiming the part is a non-covered electrical component.

- Davidson, NC, USA

Well documented (on the internet) problem with the passenger side active restraint system failing, typically due to the passenger side occupancy mat. This problem has been documented in almost every model manufactured since 2000, but has only been addressed in a few, select, vehicles. This is the most common complaint for this model on carsafety.gov and has not been acknowledged by BMW of North America. This problem, in itself, can lead to a variety of malfunctions in the event of an accident causing serious injury or death. The problem has also led to a large market of "dummy sensors" being sold on ebay and similar sites, which trick the computer into thinking the airbag sensor is correctly functioning. These dummy sensors do not remedy the problem and can lead to an increased risk of injury or death. Synopsis: Airbag system warning light and restraint system warning light appear in instrument cluster. Idrive system reads: Passenger restraint system malfunction. Seat sensor mat for the passenger seat air bag disengages when passenger is seated. The disengaging of the passenger air bag poses a great danger for the passenger due to the passenger air bag will not deploy in a accident causing injury or death. BMW is aware of this ongoing problems with the M5 E60 series, but will not address this issue of safety. BMW charges the owner up to $5000 dollars to fix this safety issue.

- Phone Only, FL, USA

Seat sensor mat for the passenger seat air bag disengages when passenger is seated. The disengaging of the passenger air bag poses a great danger for the passenger due to the passenger air bag will not deploy in a accident causing injury or death. BMW is aware of this ongoing problems with the M5 E60 series, but will not address this issue of safety. BMW charges the owner up to $5000 dollars to fix this safety issue. I have a car that's unsafe for my family or any passenger.

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

The vehicle warning system displayed a passenger restraint fault which disables the passenger air bag deployment. The problem was initially intermittent, but within one week is now permanently displayed. A diagnostic scan by my dealer indicates a fault with the passenger seat occupancy sensor(s). This same problem resulted in a recall for other models/years, but apparently not this one for some reason. The dealer quoted $2500 for the required repair/replacement. Meanwhile, any person in the front passenger seat is not protected by the air bag.

- Corvallis, OR, USA

My vehicle is reporting a passenger restraint system malfunction as reported in the NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000. I have contacted BMW na multiple times and the state my VIN is not listed in the recall. I find this very alarming and unsafe. My vehicle fits all parameters as stated by the recall documentation but I am still left in this possibly unsafe situation when a problem has been documented and recalled. Please assist if possible. Thank you in advance for your time.

- Speedway, IN, USA

The dashboard air bag and seat belt warning lights would activate whenever anyone would sit in the front passenger seat. They eventually would go out, but now are permanently on. The central computer display also puts out a similar text warning message whenever I start up the car. It claims that the seat belt and airbag are malfunctioning for the front passenger and I presume are now disabled. Looking into this, it is a faulty sensor mat within the front passenger seat. This particular make and model (E60) is plagued with this issue, and BMW offered a recall on early (2005 build?) cars, but has refused coverage for anyone else although it is the exact same issue. My car is a 04/2006 build. The job has been quoted for some at the dealership up to $3,500 in parts and labor and requires a whole new seat bottom (which contains complicated heating, cooling, adjustment mechanisms, and leather). A friend with a much earlier model (1999 BMW M3 coupe) E36 had the exact same issue in < 100K mi, so this is not new to BMW.

- Seattle, WA, USA

My vehicle has a light on for an air bag having a fault. After visiting the BMW dealership, they have informed me that this is a usual problem on this vehicle. The specific problem is the sensor on the passenger seat. The sensor detects if there is a passenger sitting or the seat is vacant. BMW has informed me that its a simple sensor, and usually would have a minimal cost. But instead BMW wants to charge you for replacing the entire seat. So the $20 sensor turns into a $4000 job. The most interesting thing, is that BMW knows about this problem and does not want to do anything to rectify it.

- San Pablo, CA, USA

Front passenger seat air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, the passenger restraint system malfunction warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 62,000. Passenger air bag light on, showing air bag off. "important safety recall" note: For current recall January 2014, BMW states: "the recall involves the front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, over time, due to the frequency of front passenger seat usage, the sensor can become damaged. If this were to occur, deactivation of the front passenger air bag could result, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. If the front passenger air bag became deactivated, the air bag warning lamp on the instrument cluster and the front "passenger air bag off" lamp in the overhead console are illuminated at the same time." Note 2: this is exactly what's showing. It was off yesterday and now its on. The 2006 E60 M5 is not included, but the other 2006-2007 5 series are, and there are numerous cases of the error occurring with this vehicle. Was told by the dealer its a seat sensor and the whole seat would need to be replaced for $2000+. I think BMW should take responsibility, in ensuring the issue is resolved for owners of these other affected vehicles, by this seat sensor issue. Car was manufactured prior on or before Nov/2005.

- Hampton, VA, USA

Front passenger seat air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, the passenger restraint system malfunction warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. Passenger air bag light on, showing air bag off. "important safety recall" note: For current recall January 2014, BMW states: "the recall involves the front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, over time, due to the frequency of front passenger seat usage, the sensor can become damaged. If this were to occur, deactivation of the front passenger air bag could result, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. If the front passenger air bag became deactivated, the air bag warning lamp on the instrument cluster and the front "passenger air bag off" lamp in the overhead console are illuminated at the same time." Note 2: this is exactly what's showing. It was off yesterday and now its on. The 2006 E60 M5 is not included, but the other 2006-2007 5 series are that use the same affected part are, and there are numerous cases of the error occurring with this vehicle. Was told by the dealer its a seat sensor and the whole seat would need to be replaced for $2000+. I think BMW should take responsibility, in ensuring the issue is resolved for owners of these other affected vehicles, by this seat sensor issue. Car was manufactured on 2/06.

- Hoffman Estates, IL, USA

Front passenger seat air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, the passenger restraint system malfunction warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 56,000 and the current mileage was 56,200. Passenger air bag light on, showing air bag off. "important safety recall" note: For current recall January 2014, BMW states: "the recall involves the front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, over time, due to the frequency of front passenger seat usage, the sensor can become damaged. If this were to occur, deactivation of the front passenger air bag could result, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. If the front passenger air bag became deactivated, the air bag warning lamp on the instrument cluster and the front "passenger air bag off" lamp in the overhead console are illuminated at the same time." Note 2: this is exactly what's showing. It was off yesterday and now its on. The 2006 E60 M5 is not included, but the other 2006-2007 5 series are, and there are numerous cases of the error occurring with this vehicle. Was told by the dealer its a seat sensor and the whole seat would need to be replaced for $2000+. I think BMW should take responsibility, in ensuring the issue is resolved for owners of these other affected vehicles, by this seat sensor issue. Car was manufactured prior on or before Nov/2005.

- Gilbert, AZ, USA

The airbag sensor mat under the occupants seat malfunctions making the airbag light illuminate. According to what I have read regarding this, the airbag will not deploy in an accident even if somebody is occupying that seat. There was a recall issued by BMW for this issue in March of 2009, but my VIN was not listed. My manufacture date on the car says Dec/2005, but when I enter the VIN on BMW's website it states Nov/2005. According to the service bulletins from BMW they state that the 5 series 2006 with a build date of November 2005 and prior are affected with the defective sensor mat. This is an expensive repair. If you google this issue for BMW, you will find that many BMW owners have this exact same safety issue and have been omitted from the recall. This recall needs to be reopened as BMW is taking a negative stance towards the owners that were omitted from the recall.

- Galena, OH, USA

The contact owns a 2006 BMW M5. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the passenger seat belt and passenger air bag warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the failure recurred several times. A dealer was notified and stated that while it was a common complaint, there was no recall. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileage was 63,000.

- Canoga Park, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2006 BMW M5. The contact stated that the passenger restraint system malfunction warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage was 88,000.

- Austin , TX, USA

Passenger occupancy sensor is bad. This causes a warning message to occur that states that the restraint system is malfunctioning. After further research, if this message is displayed, the airbags will not deploy in the event of a crash.

- Fairview, OR, USA

This vehicle make/model/year has a known problem with the front passenger seat occupancy sensor failing. This sensor fails shortly after the warranty period expires and prevents the passenger front seat airbag from deploying in the event of a collision, thereby increasing the likelihood of serious bodily injury to, or death of, the front seat passenger.

- Green Bay, WI, USA

The contact owns a 2006 bmn M5. The contact stated that the air bag and seatbelt warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer stated that the air bag senor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileage was 38,000...updated 08-10-12 updated 08/16/2012

- Fairfax , VA, USA

The passenger restraint system, airbag, seat belt, belt tensioner warning showed up in the car computer. Went to the dealer and dealer said that they will need to replace the passenger seat mat sensor and battery safety terminal. The cost is around $3500. When I searched online I found that the BMW 5 series 2004 - 2006 has a recall on this item already - please link. (www-ODI.NHTSA.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsummary.cfm?rcl_campaign_id=08V384000&prod_id=113225&moduletype=vehicle&make=BMW&model=5%20series&veh_model_year=2004&searchtype=drilldown). However, my 2006 M5 even though is an E60 and the same chasis and model as the 2004-2006 BMW 5 series is not included in the recall. That's the reason that the dealer is asking me for the full price. This fault which is already a recall for the 5 series car should be added for the BMW M5 model as well. This is a huge safety issue as the passenger side air bag won't deploy unless this is fixed. On top of this, BMW has this part in back order and the part won't be available until 11/5/2012. I find this ridiculous as I am supposed to be driving around a car with a faulty passenger air bag for over 8 months!!

- Jacksonville, FL, USA