IllustrationI PLACED AN ITEM IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WITHOUT FASTENING THE SEATBELT AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON... THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY BUT THE ENGIN WAS RUNNING.
2005 BMW 645CI
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 645CI years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
125–50K
850–75K
675–100K
5100–150K
1150K+
23 reports with mileage · 10 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports4 fire reports0 injury reports
Air Bags complaints
10 reportsWHILE DRIVING, A SYMBOL ON THE DASBOARD DISPLAYED THE FOLLOWING ALERT MESSAGE "FAULT IN PASSENGER-RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER." THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY DURING THIS OCCURANCE.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE AUTOBAHN AND MY BMW 645 AND ALL FAULT MESSAGE WERE DISPLAYED. AFTER THAT, THE CAR SPEED ABRUPTLY,THEN JUST CUT OFF!I IT RESTARTED WITH CODES AND ALL THEN SHUT OFF AGAIN. THIS CONTINUED FIVE TIMES UNTIL I REACHED MY DESTINATION. I RESTART THE CAR,AND IT STARTED, BUT THE RADIO AND DOOR SIREN WAS NOT WORKING W…
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I WAS DRIVING ON THE AUTOBAHN AND MY BMW 645 AND ALL FAULT MESSAGE WERE DISPLAYED. AFTER THAT, THE CAR SPEED ABRUPTLY,THEN JUST CUT OFF!I IT RESTARTED WITH CODES AND ALL THEN SHUT OFF AGAIN. THIS CONTINUED FIVE TIMES UNTIL I REACHED MY DESTINATION. I RESTART THE CAR,AND IT STARTED, BUT THE RADIO AND DOOR SIREN WAS NOT WORKING WITH NO FAULT MESSAGES;NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT; AND DROVE FINE FOR A FEW MIN. AND THEN DID THE SAME THING AGAIN!! I TOOK THE CAR TO A BMW REPAIR SHOPPED TO HAVE THE FAULT CODES READ, WHICH END UP BEING A LONG LIST OF CODES.
WHILE DRIVING, A SYMBOL ON THE DASBOARD DISPLAYED THE FOLLOWING ALERT MESSAGE "FAULT IN PASSENGER-RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER." *JS
THIS VEHICLE WAS ONLY 31,000 MILES ON IT. HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT SINCE BRINGING HOME 9 YEARS AGO. I WAS JUST INFORMED TODAY THAT THE ENTIRE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS ALL AIR BAGS IS DEFECTIVE. THIS CAR HARDLY GETS DRIVEN.. HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT.. NEVER DRIVEN IN SNOW.. ONLY A HANDFUL OF RAIN STORMS AND THAT WAS BECAUSE I GOT…
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THIS VEHICLE WAS ONLY 31,000 MILES ON IT. HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT SINCE BRINGING HOME 9 YEARS AGO. I WAS JUST INFORMED TODAY THAT THE ENTIRE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS ALL AIR BAGS IS DEFECTIVE. THIS CAR HARDLY GETS DRIVEN.. HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT.. NEVER DRIVEN IN SNOW.. ONLY A HANDFUL OF RAIN STORMS AND THAT WAS BECAUSE I GOT CAUGHT IN ONE. IT IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION!! I JUST CALLED AN INDEPENDENT BMW SUPPLIER WHO HAS HEARD OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS SUPPLIED MANY REPAIR FACILITIES WITH THIS COMPONENT. THE COST OF THE COMPUTER IS $1,200.00. *TR
PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE - BEEN DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS LIKE BUNCH OF PPL GET THIS ERROR. I DON'T THINK IS NORMAL BECAUSE MY PASSENGER SEAT IS RARELY USED AND YET I'M GETTING THAT ERROR. MY CAR IS IN MINT CONDITION, NEVER ABUSED AND ALWAYS TAKEN CARED OF. LAST TIME I WAS AT THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT THE…
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PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE - BEEN DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH AND IT SEEMS LIKE BUNCH OF PPL GET THIS ERROR. I DON'T THINK IS NORMAL BECAUSE MY PASSENGER SEAT IS RARELY USED AND YET I'M GETTING THAT ERROR. MY CAR IS IN MINT CONDITION, NEVER ABUSED AND ALWAYS TAKEN CARED OF. LAST TIME I WAS AT THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT THE ALTERNATOR MAKES THE COMPUTER GIVE OUT THAT ERROR SO I CHANGED THE ALTERNATOR AND THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE ERROR IS STILL THERE. I BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE 6SERIES MODELS CONSIDERING THAT BMW HAD SIMILAR RECALLS FOR THEIR 3, 5 AND X SERIES MODELS. *TR
THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT LIGHT CAME ON DEALER AND WARRANTY DIDN'T COVER CHARGE ME $1000.00 AND IT IS STILL ON WHAT TO DO IT'S NOT RIGHT IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE PLEASE HELP AND THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY OF THIS CARS. *TR
RECEIVED INDICATION THAT PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM ON CAR HAD FAILED. REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT CAR OWNERS EXPENSE. BMW REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 645CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 645CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WAS 65,000.
THE MODULE THAT CONTROLS THE ACTIVATION OF AIRBAGS IS DEFECTIVE. THIS RESULTS IN A POTENTIALLY SEVERE AND LIFE THREATENING CONDITION! *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.