2006 BMW 3 Series

WHEN A PASSENGER SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THE AIRBAG FAILURE LIGHT ILLUMINATES, THE SEAT BELT LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND REMAINS LIT, AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THIS IS APPARENTLY DUE TO MICRO-CRACKING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION MAT, HOWEVER BMW ONLY INCLUDES A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF AFFECTED CARS IN THE 2008 RECALL. BMW NA REFUSES TO FIX THIS SAFETY DEFECT FOR ALL 2006 BUILD YEAR 330I MODELS WITH SPORT SEATS. THE SAME SEATS WHICH ARE AFFECTED BY THE IDENTICAL ISSUE FOR 2005 BUILD YEAR. IT SEEMS GIVEN THE NUMBER OF CARS AFFECTED BY THE SAME ISSUE THAT THE DEFECT WAS NOT CORRECTED FOR THE 2006 BUILD YEAR. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PASSENGER AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING IN A COLLISION WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

THE OC3 MAT (PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT) HAS FAILED. THIS ISSUE, AS DESCRIBED IN MORE DETAIL BELOW (4.), INVOLVES THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT OF CERTAIN BMW VEHICLES, AND HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF NHTSA PE07-045 AND EA08-001. IN SHORT, A FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE MAT CAN OCCUR AND WOULD CONSEQUENTLY LEAD TO THE DEACTIVATION OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WITH EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM. THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WOULD ILLUMINATE IN SUCH CASE. BMW STATES THAT MY VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL UNDER THIS RECALL SINCE IT WAS PRODUCED AFTER 11/2005. YET, THE PROGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS OF THE RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 3 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I'M THE OWNER OF A 2006 SERIES 3 BMW. . THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUED CONCERNING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000 FOR THE RECALL OF THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT DEFECT. "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". A PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION IS DISPLAYED ON MY VEHICLE DASHBOARD. TODAY BMW AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THIS PART AT NOT COST. ACCORDING TO BMW ONLY A SELECTED NUMBER OF VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. AFTER READING REVIEWS , BLOGS AND PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS IT IS CLEAR THAT BMW IS REFUSING TO SERVICE MY CAR OR ANY OTHER OF A POTENTIAL ROAD HAZARD WITH FATAL CONSEQUENCES. THE COST OF OVER $1,300 SHOULD BE CARRIED BY THE COMPANY AND NOT BY THEIR CUSTOMERS. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS CLEAR THAT THE AIRBAG MALFUNCTION PROBLEMS WAS A PROBLEM AFFECTING MORE THAN THE SELECTED NUMBER OF VEHICLES. BMW SHOULD STOP PROMOTING VEHICLES WITH HIGH SAFETY RATINGS WHEN IS CLEAR THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCTS USED FOR THIS MATTER DO NOT MEET THE EXPECTED STANDARDS. *TR

I BROUGHT MY 2006 BMW 325I TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE AIR BAG PASSENGER WARNING LIGHT AND SEAT BELT INDICATOR LIGHT. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE PASSENGER SENSOR MAT UNDERNEATH THE SEAT THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $900 TO FIX IT. I ASKED TO CHECK IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY RECALLS ON AIR BAGS FOR MY VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD YES THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL BUT MY VIN# WAS NOT ON THE LIST. I ASKED WHY AND HE SAID BECAUSE BMW ONLY RECALLED SO MANY OF THE 2006 325I VEHICLES TO FIX. I SAID THIS IS A VEHICLE DEFECT AND BMW ONLY RECALLED CERTAIN ONES? THE ANSWER WAS YES. I DECIDED TO FOLLOW UP WITH BMW USA WHO CONFIRMED A RECALL FOR THE 2006 325I BMW SENSOR MAT AND ONCE AGAIN SAID THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE MY VIN#. I DID FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE ONLINE AND FOUND OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PASSENGER SENSOR MAT WARNING LIGHT AND VEHICLE VIN#S WHO ARE NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I WOULD ASK THAT YOU TAKE THIS MATTER INTO CONSIDERATION VERY SERIOUSLY. *TR

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS AND SEATBELT WARNING LIGHTS ARE LIT IN RED. AFTER DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE SENSOR EMBEDDED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE IS MALFUNCTIONING AND MUST BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2008 FOR THE SAME MODEL YEAR WITH A SIMILAR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRBAG SENSOR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000) ALSO, IN THAT RECALL IT STATES: " 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" HOWEVER, THE LOCAL BMW DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT HONOR THAT WARRANTY. *TR