2006 BMW 530XI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 530XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE, INDICATING THE SEAT WAS NOT OCCUPIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT SEAT SENSOR MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 535XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER LEAKED THROUGH THE SUNROOF AND CAUSED THE ELECTRONICS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO BLINK AND NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT WATER HAD LEAKED INTO THE VEHICLE FROM A CLOGGED DRAIN THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE SUNROOF. THE DEALER CLEANED THE DRAIN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 48,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 530XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2006 BMW 530XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN A PASSENGER WAS OCCUPYING THE PASSENGER'S SEAT, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD NOT DEPLOY DURING A CRASH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL). THE CONTACT THEN CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

WHILE DRIVING ALONE THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT ABOVE THE PASSENGER SEAT WENT OFF INDICATING THE AIRBAG WAS ON, BUT NO ONE WAS RIDING WITH ME. ALSO, THE SEATBELT LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ALARM SOUNDED BUT NO ONE WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. AFTER PICKING UP A FRIEND, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHTS WERE GONE UNTIL I HAD DROVE ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND THEN THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS BEGAN TO ACT UP AGAIN. I CALLED BMW AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE AIRBAG RECALL AND I COULD GET THE REPAIRS DONE AND SAVE MY BMW DEALER RECEIPTS IN CASE ONE DAY IT WOULD BE COVERED. I COULDN'T AFFORD THE $1200 SO MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN FIXED YET. *TR

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. I HAVE CONTACTED BMW AND THEY SAY MY VIN IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL, HOWEVER I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE AS THE RECALLED VEHICLES. I AM WORRIED ABOUT PASSENGER SAFETY! PLEASE HELP! *TR

I CONTACTED BMW NORTH AMERICA BY PHONE REGARDING A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY 2006 BMW 530XI WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. YET, MY CAR EXHIBITS THE EXACT PROBLEMS OUTLINED IN THE RECALL. THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP, AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED. THIS INCLUDES A WARNING IN IDRIVE SYSTEM STATING "PASSENGER RESTRAINT" SYSTEM ISSUE. HOW IS IT THAT OTHER 2006 5 SERIES VEHICLES WERE INCLUDED AND MY CAR WAS NOT? THE LOCAL DEALER IS SAYING THIS IS MORE THAN $1000 TO REPAIR, NOT SURE HOW THEY WOULD KNOW THAT WITHOUT SEEING THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 530XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE WARNING MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE DRAIN IN THE SUNROOF FAILED, CAUSING MOISTURE TO REACH THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000.

A RECENT RAIN STORM FLOODED THE SPARE TIRE WELL COMPARTMENT AND FRIED ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS STORED UNDERNEATH THE TIRE. LUCKILY I WASN'T DRIVING THE WAGON THAT DAY AND THE CAR WAS PARKED ON THE DRIVEWAY. OTHERWISE, THE CAR WOULD HAD SHUT DOWN IF IT WAS MOVING AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT (HAPPENED TO SOMEONE AS DISCUSSED IN THE BIMMER FORUM). APPARENTLY, BMW HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS THE SUNROOF DRAINAGE & TIRE WELL DESIGN DEFECTS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. THEY EVEN GENERATED A TECHNICAL SERVICE/SERVICE INFORMATION BULLETIN (SIB54-06-06 & 61-13-06 ON SPECIAL ROOFS) FOR THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO USE. HOWEVER, BMW KEEPS DENYING ANY DAMAGE LIABILITY AND REFUSING TO ADMIT ANY DESIGN DEFECTS. BMW NA, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE SF BMW DEALERSHIP RESPONDED TO ME THAT IT IS DUE TO "EXTERNAL FACTORS" (RAINS) AND THEREBY THEY HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY TO THE DAMAGED VEHICLE. THE SERVICE ADVISER TOLD ME THAT THE REPAIR COST WOULD RUN INTO $15K. I AM FILING THE SAID COMPLAINT AND AM SEEKING AN ATTORNEY FOR A POSSIBLE CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST BMW NA. *TR