2004 BMW 5 Series

PASSENGER SEAT/AIRBAG WARNING MALFUNCTION. THIS WARNING HAS BEEN ON SINCE I PURCHASED VEHICLE. IT IS OBVIOUSLY THE COMMON SEAT MAT SENSOR FAILURE. AND IT WOULD APPEAR THAT EITHER MY VIN ISN'T ON THE PREVIOUS RECALL OR IT HAS EXPIRED FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL. BUT MY WIFE SITS IN THAT SEAT AND IF WE HAVE AN ACCIDENT AND HER AIRBAGS DO NOT DEPLOY WHOSE FAULT WILL THAT BE?

BMW RECALLED 2004 BMW 525I AND OTHERS FOR THE SEAT MAT SENSOR. I HAD CALLED THEM (2012-13) AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE (BASED ON VIN) WASN'T PART OF THE RECALL. I INFORMED THEM THAT MY VEHICLE'S MAT SENSOR WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THEM. THEY, BMW USA TOLD ME THAT MINE WAS NOT DEFECTIVE. I STILL CANT UNDERSTAND IF THE REST ARE DEFECTIVE, HOW COME MINE IS CONSIDERED NOT DEFECTIVE WHEN ITS INOPERATIVE AND SAME PROBLEM AS THOUSANDS OF OTHER 2004 525I. *TR

MY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT HAS CRACKS IN IT AND DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. MY FRONT AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR THAT PART FOR MY MAKE MODEL AND YEAR BUT BMW NORTH AMERICA CLAIMS THAT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT ON THE LIST EVEN THOUGHT MY MAKE MODEL AND YEAR IS A PART OF THE RECALL. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL OTHER RECALLS FOR THIS PARTICULAR CAR AND AGAIN MY VIN IS NOT ON THE LIST BUT I HAVE THE ISSUES LISTED IN THE RECALL. *TR

MY CAR HAS THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION MESSAGE ON THE NAVIGATION SCREEN AND ALSO THE SEATBELT LIGHT AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT ARE ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THERE IS A RECALL FOR SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR BELOW AND AS YOU CAN SEE MY CAR FALLS WITHIN THE CRITERIA AS THE CARS AFFECTED BY THE RECALL BUT A VISIT TO MY LOCAL BMW DEALER REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO ACTIVE RECALLS UNDER MY VIN NUMBER. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY AND THE RISK OF BEING SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT BMW SHOULD REPLACE IN MY CAR UNDER THE RECALL AS IT HAS THE SAME MALFUNCTIONING PART SUCH AS THE CARS LISTED BELOW. RECALL ID # 57362 - AIR BAGS:FRONTAL RECALL DATE AUG 05, 2008 RECALL DATE: AUG 05, 2008 MODEL AFFECTED: 2006 BMW 3-SERIES SUMMARY: BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM, WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED. CONSEQUENCES: 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. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL REWORK THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT SO THAT EXTERNAL FORCE APPLICATION TO THE SEAT DOES NOT CAUSE A CRACK TO THE MAT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008. BMW WILL ALSO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES TO 10 YEARS FROM FIRST REGISTRATION WITHOUT ANY MILEAGE LIMIT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417. POTENTIAL UNITS AFFECTED: 200000 NOTES: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 5 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE SMELLED SMOKE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25-35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT WARMER BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE SEAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS LATER CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE SEAT WARMER WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INJURIES. THE HEATED SEAT WARMER WAS DISENGAGED AS A TEMPORARY REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR TRIGGERS THE SAFETY WARNING LIGHT ON ALL THE TIME. IT MAY AFFECT THE AIRBAG OPERABLE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND WAS SUBJECT OF A VOLUNTARY RECALL PROGRAM IN 2008 BY BMW. DESPITE MANY OTHER CAR OWNERS (AS EVIDENCED BY COMPLAINTS TO NHTSA AND ONLINE CAR FORUMS), INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVING THIS ISSUE AS DESCRIBED WITHIN THE RECALL PROGRAM FOR CARS OF THE MAKE AND YEAR OF THE PRODUCTION, ONLY 200K WITHIN A SPECIFIC VIN RANGE WERE RECALLED. *TR

SEAT-WARMER OVERHEATED, BURNING HOLES THROUGH THE LEATHER DRIVER'S SEAT, CAUSING MINOR SKIN BURNS BEFORE TERMINATING USE OF UNIT. OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS, I HAD NOTICED A BURNING ODOR IN THE CAR PERIODICALLY, BUT NEITHER I NOR MY MECHANIC HAD BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR. ON 1/27/12, I FELT THE EXTREME HEAT IN MY SEAT WHILE DRIVING, AND FOUND TWO CHARRED HOLES IN THE LEATHER SEAT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS NOT A FIRE PER SE, BUT IN ORDER TO REGISTER THE FACT THAT THERE WAS (MINOR) INJURY ATTRIBUTED TO ONE PERSON, THIS FORM REQUIRED STATING "YES" TO THE QUESTION REGARDING FIRE. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS FAILURE COULD CERTAINLY LEAD TO FIRE IF CONTINUED USE OF THE UNIT HAD OCCURRED. *TR

FIRE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 545I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WITH THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER ENGAGED, THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SMELL AN ABNORMAL BURNING ODOR AND THE SEAT BEGAN SMOKING. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE HEATER AND NOTICED A BURNED HOLE IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V575000 (SEATS: FRONT ASSEMBLY: SEAT HEATER/COOLER) HE THEN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 66,600.

WE JUST PURCHASED OUR BMW 545I IN MID OCTOBER. ON NOVEMBER 13TH WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM OUR SON'S HOME WE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. MY HUSBAND SOON REALIZED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND HIS PANTS WERE ON FIRE. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATERS AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED, AND WHILE A PAIR OF PANTS WERE RUINED, MY HUSBAND DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY BURNS. OUR DEALER IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FURNISHED ME WITH ANOTHER CAR TO DRIVE. I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT THE SEAT HEATERS ARE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND DO NOT KNOW WHEN MY CAR WILL BE FIXED. I DO NOT BLAME THE DEALER, BUT HAVE TO QUESTION IF BMW IS AWARE OF A PROBLEM. *JB