2004 BMW 530I

I AM WRITING TO SEE IF I CAN OBTAIN SOME ASSISTANCE WITH A PROBLEM I HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON MY 530I, SPECIFICALLY THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. EARLY IN 2012 I NOTICED THAT WHEN MY WIFE SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD LIGHT UNIT WOULD OCCASIONALLY COME ON. IT WOULD NOT STAY ON FOR LONG BUT WOULD COME ON AND OFF PERIODICALLY. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH BMW ON MAY 12 TO HAVE THE ISSUE LOOKED INTO. THE CAR HAD 87437 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM AS NO CODES WERE STORED FOR A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG. THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THIS WAS OCCURRING. SINCE THIS TIME THE FREQUENCY OF THE LIGHT COMING ON HAS INCREASED. I RETURNED TO CONCOURS BMW ON MARCH 24, 2014 FOR THE SAME ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR BAG MAY NOT WORK AND TO FIX IT WOULD COST $1724.00. BMW SAID THE SAFETY INFORMATION MODULE WAS BAD. *JS

I PURCHASED A 2004 BMW 530I CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WITH 29,000 MILES ON IT. IT CAME WITH A AUTOMATIC TIPTRONIC TRANSMISSION. I DROVE IT FOR APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED ACTING UP. I NOTICED WHEN I USED THE SPORT MODE AND DOWN SHIFTED INTO FIRST WHILE COMING TO A STOP THE CAR WOULD JERK OR SLAM INTO 1ST GEAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (LAUDERDALE BMW OF PEMBROKE PINES) BUT THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I DROVE FOR ANOTHER 50 MILES OR SO AND THE CAR DIDN'T WANT TO SHIFT AND IT GAVE AN ERROR ON THE MAIN SCREEN THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD A FAULT DRIVE MODERATELY. IT ALSO STATED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE CHECKED AT THE DEALER. SO I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND AGAIN THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I WAS GETTING ANNOYED. I DROVE THE CAR FOR ANOTHER 30 MILES AND THE FAULT CAME BACK BUT THIS TIME IT THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT AT ALL AND I COULDN'T DRIVE OVER 35 MPH. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. I WAS SHOCKED BECAUSE THE CAR WAS FAIRLY NEW. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION WITH A BRAND NEW FACTORY ONE AND IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY THE SAME SENARIO AS ABOVE HAPPENED ALL OVER AGAIN, I HAD ABOUT 85,000 MILES ON THE NEW TRANSMISSION AND I NOTICED THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS. I WAS ABLE TO RESET THE CAR AFTER EACH ERROR UNTIL LAST WEEK. THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY FAILED AND WENT INTO THE FAIL SAFE MODE AND YOU CAN'T DRIVE OVER 35 MPH. THE DEALER STATED THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. I AM NOW OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE COST WILL BE AROUND $6,000 TO REPLACE. I FEEL THESE TRANSMISSIONS FAIL BECAUSE THEY ARE NEVER SERVICED AT 50,000 LIKE ALL OTHER TRANSMISSIONS. BMW CLAIMS THAT THE FLUID INSIDE IS A LIFE TIME FLUID THAT NEVER NEEDS CHANGING. *TR

MY VEHICLE IS A 530I WITH A PRODUCTION DATE IN MARCH 2004, IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO RECALL RCDNN-04V575. DESPITE THE DECEMBER 2004 NOTICE TO NTSHA INDICATING THAT 100% OF VEHICLES WITH THE SEAT HEATING OPTION PRODUCED BETWEEN JUNE 17TH 2003 AND APRIL 30TH 2004. BMW INSISTS THAT MY VEHICLE (PRODUCTION DATE IN MARCH 2004 AND CONTAINING THE SEAT HEATER IN QUESTION) IS, ACCORDING TO INTERNAL DOCUMENTS WHICH THEY WILL NOT RELEASE TO ME, NOT IN FACT SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. THE MALFUNCTION DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE HAPPENED EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED, BURNING A HOLE THROUGH MY DRIVER SEAT SIDE BOLSTER. DESPITE AGREEING TO REMEDY THE DRIVER SIDE DAMAGE TO MY SATISFACTION, BMW CONTENDS THAT THEY ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO REPAIR OR EVEN INSPECT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BOLSTER, WHICH I CONTEND IS DEFECTIVE AND WAS SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. I HAVE EMAILS FROM BMW STATING MY VEHICLE IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE RECALL AND ACKNOWLEDGING THAT NO RECALL REPAIRS HAD OCCURRED THEY ARE CLAIMING I AM NOT ENTITLED TO VIEW THE INTERNAL DOCUMENTATION THAT ALLEGEDLY SHOWS THAT THE DEFECT WAS REMEDIED BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE. WHAT I FIND INEXPLICABLE AND BEYOND BELIEF, IS THAT THEY WOULD ISSUE A NOTIFICATION TO NTSHA IN NOVEMBER 2004, A FULL SIX MONTHS AFTER ALLEGEDLY REMEDYING DEFECTS IN CARS PRODUCED FROM MID-MARCH 2004 THROUGH APRIL 30TH 2004 WITHOUT CORRECTING THOSE DATES IN THE NOTIFICATION LETTER. BMW REFUSES TO REPAIR OR EVEN INSPECT MY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BOLSTER HEATING ELEMENT DESPITE CLEAR EVIDENCE THAT IT IS IN FACT DEFECTIVE AND SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. I WOULD LIKE THAT PROBLEM REMEDIED AS PRESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE OR DEFINITIVE PROOF PRODUCED THAT THE REPAIR WAS CONDUCTED OR ALTERNATIVELY THAT THE REDESIGN WAS IN PLACE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BOLSTER BEFORE DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE.. *TR

THIS AN UPDATE OF NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10557262. I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALER IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT MY CAR DID HAVE A FAULTY FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT THAT WAS COVERED BY RECALL FOR SOME CARS MY MODEL YEAR BUT NOT MINE. WHAT WAS UPSETTING IS THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS PART WAS REPLACED IN 2007. THE RECALLED WAS ISSUED IN 2008 BUT DID NOT INCLUDE MY VIN. NOW, THE SENSOR MAT IS BAD AGAIN...YET MY VIN DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME RECALL PROBLEM? I UNDERSTAND BMW NA COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THIS COST AND AFTER OWNING 4 BMW(S) THIS MAY BE MY LAST. I SPOKE TO BMW ON THE PHONE...AND I MIGHT AS WELL BEEN TALKING TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER. THEY OFFERED NO HELP WITH COST OR SERVICE...FOR AN AIR-BAG MALFUNCTION. IF THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT MY PASSENGER'S LIFE.....I DO CARE ENOUGH TO LET THEM KNOW HOW UPSET I AM WITH THEM. *TR

I AM AFRAID TO HAVE ANYONE SIT IN MY CAR BECAUSE THE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT WORK! I WORK WITH THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH AND I OFTEN TRANSPORT CHILDREN. BMW ISSUED THE BELOW RECALL BUT THEY DID NOT INCLUDE MY VIN...BUT I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE!!!!! --------------------------------- STATEMENT ON VOLUNTARY RECALL INVOLVING FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT ON U.S.A. MODEL BMWS - AUGUST 13, 2008 TODAY, BMW ANNOUNCED A VOLUNTARY RECALL REGARDING THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR MAT INVOLVING APPROXIMATELY 200,000 MODEL YEAR 2004-06 VEHICLES. AFFECTED ARE CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 3-SERIES, MODEL YEAR 2004-06 5-SERIES, AND MODEL YEAR 2004-06 X3 VEHICLES, DEPENDING UPON SEAT TYPE. BMW HAS FOUND THAT THE SENSOR MAT MAY BECOME DAMAGED DURING VEHICLE USAGE DEPENDING UPON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT. BMW WILL BEGIN SENDING CUSTOMER LETTERS IN LATE SEPTEMBER 2008. AFFECTED OWNERS MAY CONTINUE TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES; HOWEVER, CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT THEIR BMW CENTER IF THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP, AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG ''ON-OFF'' LAMP ARE ILLUMINATED SIMULTANEOUSLY. IN THIS SITUATION, BMW RECOMMENDS CUSTOMERS NOT TO USE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED IMMEDIATELY. AT THE PRESENT TIME, WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN HE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 65 WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO SWITCH LANES AND THE TRANSMISSION FAUT CAME ON AND IT ALSO STATED TO DRIVE MODERATELY. THE CAR ALSO WENT INTO A SAFE MODE TO WERE I COULDN'T ACCELERATE AND IT WOULDN'T SWITCH OUT OF THIRD GEAR. CAR THEN WAS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON AND CODE FAULT WENT ALWAYS , TWO WEEKS LATER SAME THING POPPED UP TRYING TO GET ON HIGHWAY AND NOW WON'T GO AWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MANUFACTURER'S SEAT MAT SENSOR EXTENDED WARRANTY REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,000. ...UPDATED 07-24-13 *BF