2006 BMW M5

I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY WHEN MY CAR HAD A SMELL OF BURNING OIL SO I STOPPED, AS I STOPPED MY CAR BEGAN SMOKING FROM THE HOOD. I LOST OIL ALL DOWN THE STREET AND MY DRIVEWAY, AFTER,I STOPPED MY CAR AND PUSHED IT INTO MY GARAGE AND I SAW WERE IT WAS DRIPPING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR SO I TOOK OFF THE UNDER PANEL AND SAW A HOLE IN THE PRESSURE HOSE(VANOS PRESSURE HOSE ASSEMBLY). THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL WHEN THE CAR FIRST CAME OUT ON THE LINES BUT MY CAR WAS A MONTH OUT OF THE RECALL RANGE. MY CAR IS AN 06 WITH JUST AT 40K MILES...THE CAR IS USED BY THE WAY. *TR

HEADLIGHT WENT OFF WHILE DRIVING, WHEN I WENT TO REPLACE THE BULB DISCOVERED THAT ALL THE WIRING INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE THE INSULATION CRUMBLING OFF CAUSING EXPOSED BARE WIRES TO SHORT TOGETHER. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE ON A CAR THAT IS ONLY 7 YEARS OLD. I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON BMWS. IF YOUR WARRANTY EXPIRED BMW WILL NOT FIX IT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT WENT THE HEADLIGHT START TO FLICKER ON AND OFF. *TR

THE AIRBAG SENSOR MAT UNDER THE OCCUPANTS SEAT MALFUNCTIONS MAKING THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATE. ACCORDING TO WHAT I HAVE READ REGARDING THIS, THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT EVEN IF SOMEBODY IS OCCUPYING THAT SEAT. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED BY BMW FOR THIS ISSUE IN MARCH OF 2009, BUT MY VIN WAS NOT LISTED. MY MANUFACTURE DATE ON THE CAR SAYS DEC/2005, BUT WHEN I ENTER THE VIN ON BMW'S WEBSITE IT STATES NOV/2005. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE BULLETINS FROM BMW THEY STATE THAT THE 5 SERIES 2006 WITH A BUILD DATE OF NOVEMBER 2005 AND PRIOR ARE AFFECTED WITH THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR MAT. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. IF YOU GOOGLE THIS ISSUE FOR BMW, YOU WILL FIND THAT MANY BMW OWNERS HAVE THIS EXACT SAME SAFETY ISSUE AND HAVE BEEN OMITTED FROM THE RECALL. THIS RECALL NEEDS TO BE REOPENED AS BMW IS TAKING A NEGATIVE STANCE TOWARDS THE OWNERS THAT WERE OMITTED FROM THE RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW M5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT AND PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. A DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT WHILE IT WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT, THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW M5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION 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 ON ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

ENROUTE FROM PALO ALTO TO MOUNTAIN VIEW AND WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT ON A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE (CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY) WHEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING. CARS BEHIND ME PROCEEDED TO PASS ME TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN WHILE MY CAR WAS SHUT DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE CAR AFTER ~5 - 10 MINUTES AND DRIVE ANOTHER 1000 FEET WHEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING AGAIN. PRIOR TO BOTH INCIDENTS THE PANEL INDICATED AN ALERT "TRANSMISSION FAIL" AND A "CHECK ENGINE" ALERT. THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP AND HAD TO BE PUSHED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TO A STREET WHERE IT COULD BE PARKED SAFELY. INITIAL AUTOBODY ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS RELATED TO BATTERY REPLACEMENT, HOWEVER, TRANSMISSION RELATED FAULT CODES STILL SHOWED UP. FORTES BROTHERS AUTOBODY DISCOVERED "SAFETY" RELATED NOTIFICATIONS ISSUED BY BMW AND THEREFORE RECOMMENDED TAKING CAR TO BMW. CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO BMW MOUNTAIN VIEW DEALERSHIP WHERE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSED AND THEN REPLACED BOTH HYDRAULIC PUMP AND CLUTCH. BASED ON SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE REFERENCES TO HYDRAULIC PUMP RECALLS BY BMW FOR BMW M5 2005 MODEL. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS A BMW M5 2006 I AM REQUESTING FOLLOW UP TO CONFIRM THAT THE HYDRAULIC PUMP IS MANUFACTURED TO ALL REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS AND DOES NOT POSE A SAFETY RISK. *TR

THIS VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL/YEAR HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR FAILING. THIS SENSOR FAILS SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRES AND PREVENTS THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THEREBY INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF SERIOUS BODILY INJURY TO, OR DEATH OF, THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMN M5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG AND SEATBELT WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,000...UPDATED 08-10-12 *BF UPDATED 08/16/2012 *JS

THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM, AIRBAG, SEAT BELT, BELT TENSIONER WARNING SHOWED UP IN THE CAR COMPUTER. WENT TO THE DEALER AND DEALER SAID THAT THEY WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR AND BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL. THE COST IS AROUND $3500. WHEN I SEARCHED ONLINE I FOUND THAT THE BMW 5 SERIES 2004 - 2006 HAS A RECALL ON THIS ITEM ALREADY - PLEASE LINK. (HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/CARS/PROBLEMS/RECALLS/RECALLSUMMARY.CFM?RCL_CAMPAIGN_ID=08V384000&PROD_ID=113225&MODULETYPE=VEHICLE&MAKE=BMW&MODEL=5%20SERIES&VEH_MODEL_YEAR=2004&SEARCHTYPE=DRILLDOWN). HOWEVER, MY 2006 M5 EVEN THOUGH IS AN E60 AND THE SAME CHASIS AND MODEL AS THE 2004-2006 BMW 5 SERIES IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THAT'S THE REASON THAT THE DEALER IS ASKING ME FOR THE FULL PRICE. THIS FAULT WHICH IS ALREADY A RECALL FOR THE 5 SERIES CAR SHOULD BE ADDED FOR THE BMW M5 MODEL AS WELL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AS THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WON'T DEPLOY UNLESS THIS IS FIXED. ON TOP OF THIS, BMW HAS THIS PART IN BACK ORDER AND THE PART WON'T BE AVAILABLE UNTIL 11/5/2012. I FIND THIS RIDICULOUS AS I AM SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING AROUND A CAR WITH A FAULTY PASSENGER AIR BAG FOR OVER 8 MONTHS!! *TR