2006 BMW 530I

I WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET WITH MY MUSIC IN LOW WHEN I NOTICED THE DRIVER CAR SEAT GETTING HOT. I HADN'T TURNED ON THE HEATED SEATS AND I TOUCHED THE PASSENGERS SEAT AND IT WAS COOL. IT WAS TO HIT FOR ME TO DRIVE I HAD TO SIT COWARD SO MY BACK WOULDN'T TOUCH THE SEAT. IT WAS SO UNCOMFORTABLE AND DANGEROUS. I'VE READ A LOT OF COMMENTS OF PEOPLE HAVING THIS HAPPEN TO THEM. I HAVE A 2006 BMW 530I

PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR FAULTY, AIRBAG DISABLED. FAULTS ARE SHOWING, AND WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER AND BMW USA, BOTH ACKNOWLEDGE AN ISSUE BUT INSIST MY CAR IS NOT COVERED. THE VIN IS NOT ON THEIR ROSTER. BMW RECALLED 200,000 CARS FOR THIS PROBLEM, IN THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL. I NOW HAVE THE ISSUE, AND IT IS A CLEAR SAFETY CONCERN FOR ANY WHO MIGHT RIDE IN THE CAR.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY 2006 530I. THE AIRBAG INDICATOR SHOWED A DEFAULT SO I TOOK IT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A DEFAULT IN THE MAT SENSOR AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $781.72. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE FOR MY MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS BMW NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WAS TOLD BY BOTH THAT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SO THE REPAIR IS ON ME. I ALSO SEE THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. CLEARLY THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT BMW NEEDS TO CORRECT.

I HAVE A 2006 BMW 530I (MAKE: 03/05). TWO DAYS BACK, WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK (HIGHWAY), SUDDENLY THE MESSAGE, "PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION" CAME UP AND WHEN I RESEARCHED ABOUT THIS, I FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE 2006 BMW 530I'S FOR THIS ISSUE (RECALL SUBJECT : FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT PROTECTION MAT, NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000) . BUT, WHEN I EMAILED BMW REGARDING THE ISSUE, THEY SAID MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL LIST. I AM NOT SURE WHY ALL THE CARS ARE NOT INCLUDED WHEN THEY ARE MADE IN SAME YEAR AND SAME MODEL. I AM ATTACHING THE SCREENSHOT OF THE EMAIL THAT BMW CUSTOMER CARE HAS SENT ME AND ALSO OF THE ERROR MESSAGE IN THE CAR. THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY CAR NOW. SO, COULD YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND RESOLVE THIS FOR ME. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR.....UPDATED 12/03/15 *BF UPDATED 05/21/18*JB

AFTER TRAVELING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, MY 2006 BMW 530I WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVE WAY. WHEN I RETURNED HOME, I OPENED BY DOOR TO FIND MOLD GROWING ALL OVER THE SEATS , INTERIORS SURFACES, AND A BAD ODOR. I OPENED THE BACK DOOR AND FOUND 4 INCHES OF WATER STANDING IN THE FLOOR BOARD. I IMMEDIATELY USED MY WET/DRY VAC TO SUCK ALL THE STANDING WATER OUT. AS I LOOKED AROUND MOLD HAD GROWN ALL OVER THE LEATHER SEATS, INTERIOR TRIM ,AND CARPET. I STARTED TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON BIMMER FORUMS TO SEE WHAT MIGHT THE CULPRIT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY BMW SUNROOFS OF THIS VINTAGE. I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE BACK SEAT AND I FOUND THAT THE CLOTH BETWEEN TRUNK AND REAR SEAT WAS ALSO SATURATES WITH WATER, MOLD, MOISTURE. I HAD READ TO PULL BACK THE CARPET AND I FOUND AT LEASE 2 INCHES OF STANDING WATER IN BOTH REAR FLOOR BOARD AREAS. I ALSO NOTICED MANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE UNDER WATER. MY ALARM WAS CONSTANTLY GOING OFF. I WOULD RESET IT FROM THE KEY REMOTE AND IT WOULD STARTING SOUNDING OFF LIKE THE ALARM WAS SET OFF. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TERMINAL TO GET THIS TO STOP. SO IT IS CLEARLY A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I AM JUST RETURNING FORM A BUSINESS TRIP AND PLAN TO GET IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP TO GET AN ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE CARPET, DEAL WITH THE MOLD THAT I AM NOT SURE HOW WILL BE TREATED. AND ADDRESS ALL THE ELECTRICAL ISSUES SINCE I DO NOT HAVE A WAY TO DRIVE IT NOW. I HAVE OWNED 6 OTHER BMW AND THIS ONE FOR 5 YEARS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY KIND OF FLOODING LIKE THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WAS A DELAY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN HE TURNED THE HEAT ON HE SMELLED A BURNING ODOR IN THE SEATS. THE AIR BAG LIGHT SENSOR ILLUMINATED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR HIS VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

REF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V384000 WHILE MY VEHICLE IS THE SAME MODEL YEAR, MODEL AND SPECIFICATION LISTED IN THE RECALL, MY VEHICLE'S VIN IS NOT "INCLUDED" IN THE LIST OF RECALLED VEHICLES. I HAVE AND AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING THIS EXACT SEAT SENSOR MAT PROBLEM. BMW IS UNWILLING TO COVER ANY WARRANTY WORK AS THE SPECIFIC VIN IS APPARENTLY NOT AFFECTED DESPITE THE FACT THAT CLEARLY IT IS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE OCCUPANTS OF MY VEHICLE BASED ON THE UNRELIABILITY OF THIS COMPONENT AND FEEL THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE I WAS DRIVING, I RECEIVED AN ERROR MESSAGE ON MY COMPUTER DISPLAY. THE ERROR MESSAGE READ: "PASSENGER SEAT RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION", THEN A PICTURE OF MY PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH A LINE THROUGH IT. I CALLED BMW( MCKENNA, NORWALK, CA) ON 07/02/2013 AND THEY STATED PER MY VIN NUMBER THIS IS NOT A RECALL PART, YET MAYBE FOR SOME VEHICLES IT WAS. *TR

HELLO NHTSA, RECALL REGARDING MY ISSUE HAS ALREADY BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED / INVESTIGATED WITH BOTH NHTSA AND BMW. TO SUMMARIZE THE ISSUE IS ABOUT A "PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION" SPECIFICALLY THE OC3 SEAT SENSOR MAT FAULTY UNIT, WHICH CONTROLS THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAGS. WHEN FAULTY, THE AIRBAGS ARE DEACTIVATED, WHICH RAISES A SAFETY CONCERN. I HAD CALLED BMW NA AND HAD MY VIN PULLED AND UNFORTUNATELY WAS NOT INCLUDED WITHIN THE RECALL CUT OFF DATE UP UNTIL 11/2005, MY PARTICULAR MODEL WAS MADE 12/2005. I REQUESTED BMW NA TO OPEN UP AN INVESTIGATION FOR RE-CONSIDERATION TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE UNDER THERECALL LIST, CONSIDERING THE TIME FRAME OF CUTOFF DATE AND MY VEHICLE MANUFACTURED PRODUCTION DATE. I WAS TOLD THIS WOULD BE HANDLED INTERNALLY WHICH IS FINE, HOWEVER SENSE CONSIDERATION WILL NOT BE EXTENDED AND WANTED TO REACH OUT TO NHTSA. MY QUESTION TO BMW NA WAS, "WHAT WERE THE ENHANCEMENTS MADE TO MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE IN IMPROVING SAFETY, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY DETAILS REGARDING THIS. WOULD YOU HAVE SOMETHING DOCUMENTED EXPLAINING THE SPECIFICS REPAIRS/ IMPROVEMENTS/ OR COMPONENT ENHANCEMENTS MADE FOR MODELS FOLLOWING AFTER 11/2005 CUT OFF DATE? *TR