2006 BMW 530I

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 142,000. UPDATED 12/30/13*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 530I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG AND SAFETY RESTRAINT LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

MY VEHICLE, A 2006 BMW 530I SHOWED A MESSAGE ON THE DISPLAY MENU STATING THAT I HAD AN ISSUE WITH "THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM". IT STATED THAT IN THE EVEN OF AN ACCIDENT, MY AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. I AM CONCERNED WITH THIS ISSUE AS IT IS SAFETY RELATED. BMW TOOK CARE OF IT IN 2009, AND I RECALL THE SERVICE ADVISOR STATING THAT THE MAT WAS "PATCHED UP", NEVER REPLACED. BUT DID MENTION THAT IF I HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THIS SYSTEM, THAT I HAD A 10YEAR WARRANTY WITH NO LIMIT ON MILES AS IT IS A SAFETY RECALL. TODAY, I'VE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE YET AGAIN. SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A TEMPORARY FIX. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE HAS A SALVAGE TITLE, I HAVE NO WARRANTY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY TRIED TO FIX THE ISSUE INITIALLY, THEN DECLINE THE PROMISED WARRANTY (WHICH I HAVE A LETTER FOR). ANY HELP TO RESOLVE MY ISSUE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. BEST REGARDS. *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

MY WIFE STARTED THE CAR UP AND THE AIRBAG AND SAFETY RESTRAINT LIGHTS NEVER TURNED OFF. I LOOKED ON LINE AND SAW THERE WAS A RECALL THAT LISTED THIS YEARS MODEL NUMBER BUT AFTER CALLING BMW THEY SAID MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT LISTED IN THE AFFECTED NUMBERS. IT LOOKS LIKE BMW IS ONLY TRYING TO FIX A FEW CARS TO SAY THEY HAVE DONE SOMETHING BUT THIS PROBLEM IS IN ALL THEIR CARS MADE IN THAT YEAR. MY CAR HAS THE SPORTS SEATS. *TR

MY 2006 BMW 530I HAS JUST EXPERIENCED A MALFUNCTION OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG / SEATBELT SENSOR, AND I TOOK IT TO THE BMW OF STERLING SERVICE CENTER, WHICH CONFIRMED THAT THE OCCUPANCY SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT HAS FAILED. THIS IS EXACTLY THE CAUSE FOR THE AUGUST 5 2008 BMW RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V384000), AND ACCORDING TO THE RECALL DESCRIPTION, MY CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AT THAT TIME. HOWEVER, BMW OF STERLING TOLD ME THAT MY VIN DOES NOT SHOW UP IN THE RECALL DATABASE. I HOPE THIS IS NOT A SCAM THAT BMW OF STERLING (VIRGINIA) IS RUNNING, AS THEY ASKED FOR $1400 TO REPLACE THE SENSE, THAN AFTER ONE MORE DAYS THEY SAID THEY CONTACTED BMW WHICH AGREED TO PAY 50% OF THE BILL. I REFUSED THE OFFER, AS IT SEEMS LIKE A SCAM TO ME. WHY MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL RECALL, WHICH STATES THAT ALL MY 2004-2006 BMW 5-SERIES (LIKE MINE) ARE RECALLED FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE, AND THAT BMW WILL EVEN OFFER A 10-YEAR WARRANTY ON THIS EXACT SENSOR? IS BMW ONLY RECALLING SELECTIVE CARS, AND NOT ALL OF THEM, TO SAVE SOME EXTRA MONEY????? *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

I WENT TO GET INTO MY CAR YESTERDAY AND STARTED IT UP AND THEN I HAVE THIS PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION APPEARS ON MY IDRIVE COMPUTER. I HAVEN'T CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AS OF YET SINCE I HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND IT HAS BECOME EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE IN THESE CARS. THROUGH MY RESEARCH ONLINE I HAVE FOUND THAT SOME DEALERSHIP WILL FIX IT AND SOME WON'T AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY. I THINK THAT SINCE THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM IT SHOULD BE FIXED BY BMW WITH NO QUESTIONS SINCE AIR BAG MALFUNCTION IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I AM HOPING TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECALL CAMPAIGN THAT I'VE BRIEFLY READ ABOUT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CARS. *TR