I have a 2004 BMW that has a serious safety issue. The driver's seat has a seat warmer that burns through the leather and scorches through clothing. This is a danger to anyone driving this vehicle with the seat heater activated. It has caused near misses with other vehicles on the road with both my wife and I driving. Our vehicle is out of warranty and I doubt if the dealership will replace the seat. There are scorch marks on the seat where it overheats as well as burn marks on our clothes. We have stopped using the seat heater on the driver's side to avoid any further incidents. We have called BMW headquarters on many other issues and they refused help with anything concerning this vehicle. The issue list for this vehicle is a long one as you may know. We thank you for any help that you can offer.

- Silver Spring , MD, USA

I had just started driving, had turned the driver front seat heater to low, and only went about half a mile when I felt a burning sensation under left buttock/thigh area. Turned off seat heater quickly and pulled over - leather was puckered and discolored in one concentrated spot. It is apparent if it was left on for any length of time it would have burned right through and possibly caused a fire or injury.

- Gettysburg, PA, USA

While driving down the road in the morning, I had the driver seat heater on and felt it get very hot on one spot on the left side of the seat. It was so hot that it hurt and I turned it right off. I noticed this a week before also. The next night we went out and I looked down at the driver seat and there was an actual hole that was burned right through the leather!

- New Hartford, CT, USA

BMW 2004 X3 seat heater element burned through leather causing burning and dangerous driving condition or fire possibility.

- Springfield, MO, USA

Left side of heated drivers side seat got really hot while driving and burned the leather on the seat and also my left leg. Leg felt extremely hot and I smelt something burning so I immediately pulled over and turned car off. When I got out of the vehicle the seat was smoking in the area of the burn. I plan to take this car into fields BMW of northbrook, il (where I purchased the vehicle) to determine how they plan to fix this defect.

- Evanston, IL, USA

BMW X3 heated seat burned foam & leather and caused minor burn to left leg of driver.

- Newton, MA, USA

Heated driver seat started burning my leg/buttock and smelled electrical burning smell. Turned off heated seat.

- Chester, VA, USA

My 2004 BMW X3 has heated seats which burned a hole through the seat and almost burned a hole through my pants. I was driving and almost wrecked from the pain. After I pulled over and jumped out I saw a burn in the seat that looked like a cigarette burn. BMW wants to make $700 to replace the heater and another $700 to replace the leather. Took it to charleston, SC dealership.

- Mount Pleasant, SC, USA