2004 BMW 530I

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 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.

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. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT MAT SENSOR ON MARCH 15, 2006 BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE FAILURE RECURRED IN JULY 2010. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT HE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WAS NO LONGER WORKING PROPERLY. THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED ONE QUARTER OF A TANK AND A HALF OF TANK; HOWEVER, THE FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,474 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UPDATED 03/02/11 *BF UPDATED 04/29/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY CRACKS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, WHICH COULD ALSO CAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO COME ON AND PREVENT AIR BAG FROM DEPLOYING IN A CRASH. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL CAMPAIGN 08V384000, AIR BAGS, FRONTAL WHICH WAS RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 90,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE MAT WHICH HOLDS THE SENSOR CRACKED. THIS WAS A KNOWN FAILURE WITH THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A RECALL REGARDING THE AIR BAGS:FRONTAL (08V384000) BUT THE VIN WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. PREVIOUSLY THE CONTACT HAD THE AIR BAG SENSOR REPLACED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IN 2006 AT 33,000 MILES BUT THE SEAT HAD MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IF THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT LIGHTS WERE LIT ON MY 2004 BMW 530I. THIS IS THE SAME SYMPTOM AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V384000 / NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA08001. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM BMW. I LEARNED ABOUT THE RECALL IN FEB / 2010 AND TOOK THE CAR TO BMW DEALER. I WAS TOLD MY CAR IS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL AND I WAS CHARGED FOR LABOR TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR MAT (PART # 52-10-9-142-348). I BELIEVE MY CAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE BMW RECALL CAMPAIGN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 530I. THE DRIVER STATES FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS HE HAS BEEN HAVING AIR BAG PROBLEMS. THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 45MPH WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR REPAIRS AND THE OWNER WAS CHARGED $100.00. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS TURNED OFF BUT IT TURNED BACK ON A COUPLE DAYS LATER AND IT HAS REMAINED ON. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 90,000. AR