2004 BMW 530I

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, AN AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 01/03/12*LJ UPDATED 01/09/12

A DASH WARNING LIGHT, ON MY 2004 BMW 530I APPEARED LAST WEEK WHILE REGULAR DRIVING. THE WARNING LIGHT STATES "MALFUNCTION WITH FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG, NOT WORKING PROPERLY, WEAR SEAT BELT AND HAVE YOUR CAR SERVICED". I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG MALFUNCTION IN 2008. I CONTACTED MY BMW SERVICE CENTER AND THEY STATED THAT MY VEHICLE DID NOT QUALIFY FOR THE REPAIR OF THE DEFAULT AIRBAG BECAUSE MY VEHICLE VIN#. THE SAFETY RECALL IS ON 5 SERIES BMW FOR THE YEAR 2004 AND 2005. MY VEHICLE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG IS DEFINITELY MALFUNCTIONING AND ALL I REQUEST IS FOR THE REPAIRS TO BE MADE AT NO COST TO ME FROM THE BMW CENTER. I HOPE THAT A SEVERE INCIDENT DOES NOT HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE SOMEONE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY AND CORRECT WHAT IS WRONG., I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME OUT IN EACH AND EVERY WAY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT TURNED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WARMER AND BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED THAT THE SEAT HAD BURNED THROUGH A JACKET THAT WAS ON THE SEAT. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED FOR BOTH THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER TO INSPECT THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,030.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V384000 (AIR BAGS: FRONTAL), BUT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 96,000.

ACTIVE STEERING FAILURE: HI, I'VE A 2004 BMW 530I AND MY ACTIVE STEERING KEEPS FAILING AND DEALER IS ASKING FOR $4,000 PLUS. I CHECKED ON INTERNET AND FOUND THIS TO A COMMON ISSUE WITH MOST OF THE BMWS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AS IT IS A SERIOUS FLAW IN DESIGN AND CONSUMERS HAVE TO SHED $4K PLUS AND ITS STILL NOT A GUARANTEED FIX. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE RESTRAINT SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE YET NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

ON FEB 8/9, 2011,MY WIFE WAS COMING BACK FROM WORK IN 2004 BMW 530 WHEN SHE SMELL SOMETHING BURNING AND A TINGED ON HER LEG, SHE GOT OUT FROM THE CAR AND SAW A SMOKE AND A BURNING MARK ON THE DRIVER SEAT. I CALLED THE BMW ON 2-10-2011, AND TALKED TO THE REP ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE REP TOLD ME THAT I WILL CALL BACK IN 3/5 DAYS BUT CALLED ME BACK AFTER 4 WEEK AND REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE SITUATION.I TOLD THE REP THAT BMW IS A REPUTABLE COMPANY, AND THEY SHOULD FIX IT, AND I WILL REPORT TO THE SAFETY DEPT AS SOMEBODY COULD GET HURT. *TR

AFTER TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT, I SLOWLY TURNED RIGHT ONTO A TWO-WAY DRIVEWAY WITHOUT LANE MARKERS. TO MY RIGHT WAS A CURB. TO MY LEFT WAS OPPOSING TRAFFIC. MOVING VERY SLOWLY WHILE WAITING FOR THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC TO PASS SO I COULD SELECT A PARKING SPACE, I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL A BIT TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO MANEUVER AROUND A LARGE VEHICLE TO MY LEFT, AND THEN A BIT TO THE LEFT IN ANTICIPATION OF PARKING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC. I FELT A BUMP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR, AND DAMAGE THERE SUGGESTS THAT THE BODY MOMENTARILY RESTED ON THE CURB AND THAT THE TIRE WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. AT THIS POINT, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT MOVE ANY CONTROLS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY, SURGING FORWARD AND TO THE LEFT: 'I HEARD THE ENGINE REVVING VERY LOUDLY, WITH MORE POWER THAN I HAD EVER HEARD IN NEARLY SEVEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE. 'I FELT A VERY BUMPY RIDE, AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. 'WITH THE CAR ACCELERATING AT A TREMENDOUS RATE, I SAW THE PARKED CARS GETTING CLOSE INCREDIBLY QUICKLY. THERE WAS NO TIME TO REACT. I NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO USE THE BRAKES. IN A DISTANCE OF 23 PACES, THE CAR WENT FROM BARELY MOVING TO SLAMMING INTO A PARKED CAR WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO PUSH THAT CAR SIDEWAYS INTO A SECOND PARKED CAR AND TO PUSH THE SECOND PARKED CAR SIDEWAYS INTO A THIRD PARKED CAR. TWO PARKED CARS WERE TOTALED. IT WAS ONLY BY CHANCE THAT NOBODY WAS BETWEEN THE CARS THAT WERE HIT. MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I ASKED BMW TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR EXCEPT THE FLOOR MATS. I ASKED BMW ABOUT NHTSA INCIDENTS: 10102759, 10357973, 10344193, AND 10323285. BMW'S RESPONSE WAS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER ASKED THEM TO INVESTIGATE THOSE INCIDENTS. THERE IS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF WARNING MESSAGES FROM MY DSC/DTC SYSTEM. BMW ADMITTED IN WRITING THAT THERE ARE CASES IN WHICH THIS SYSTEM CAN CAUSE THE WHEELS TO ACCELERATE, BUT INSISTED THAT IT'S "IMPOSSIBLE" TO ACCELERATE SO MUCH. *TR

I HAVE MY CAR ROUTINELY SERVICED WITH A CERTIFIED BMW TECHNICIAN AT A BMW SERVICE CENTER. RECENTLY MY TECHNICIAN TOLD ME MY CAR GAVE A CODE FOR PASSENGER AIRBAG FAILURE. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN NO ACCIDENTS. CURRENTLY I HAVE A "FAULT DETECTION" OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR. IF SOMEONE WERE TO SIT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND IF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED ANY FRONT END DAMAGE, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY. AS OF NOW THE VEHICLE CANNOT DETERMINE IF SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OR NOT. THIS FAILURE WILL NOT ALLOW THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG TO DEPLOY IF THE VEHICLE WERE IN A COLLISION. BMW IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. INFACT, THEY HAVE STATED THAT CRACKS ARE CAUSED DUE TO GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, AS A RESULT, THE AIRBAG SENSOR FAILS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS CODE HOWEVER, BMW CLAIMS MY CAR IS NOT COVERED. THE YEAR, MAKE, MODEL AND SEAT ALL QUALIFY FOR THIS RECALL. SAFETY IS A VERY SERIOUS CONCERN AND I CANNOT SEE HOW THIS CANNOT BE COVERED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEATED SEAT TEMPERATURES WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE HEATING MAT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V575000 (SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER) AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 92,000.