Put a box of moderate weight into the passenger seat (hard drives) - probably 40 lbs. After driving for a few minutes and over a few bumps, the seat belt warning light came on because the seat sensor was tripped by the weight. Put the seat belt on to silence the warning. Shortly thereafter, both the seatbelt and passenger airbag warning lights showed on the dash, regardless of occupancy. Hooked up to scanning tool and cleared the codes but they always return. This is not a rare event from reading the online forums - it is likely due to the sensor mat in the seat for occupancy being defective, or a combination of that and the seat belt pre-tensioner being defective, for the passenger side only. The vehicle operates normally other than the warning lights. Obviously have not tested the airbag, but that is highly unlikely to be the actual problem from my investigation of the symptoms.
NHTSA complaint #11530296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY CAR IS LEAKING GAS AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. I HAD TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE GARAGE BECAUSE OF THE GASOLINE SMELL. MY SEATBELT LIGHT IS ON AND MY MECHANIC SAID THAT I NEED NEW SEATBELTS.
NHTSA complaint #11395176 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM. (FAULT IN PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER, BELT FORCE LIMITER) WHILST DRIVING. AIR BAG RECALLED JUST TWO MONTHS AGO! AND NOW NEW ISSUE. WORRIED FOR SAFETY.
NHTSA complaint #11253563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I AM FRIGHTENED TO DEATH THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED RECALL OF ALMOST THE ENTIRE SRS CONTROLS WAS NOT PROPERLY FIXED. DUPLICATED WARNINGS FOR BOTH HAVE BEEN A DAILY PROBLEM AND AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE SYMPTOMS PRIOR. NO ACCIDENT TO REPORT, YET A COMPLETELY VALID POTENTIAL CAUSE FOR BODILY HARM! MY OTHER CAR IS 16 YEARS OLD AND JUST WAS IN FOR A NEW AND ACTIVE RECALL AS THE BAGS WERE DEPLOYING SHRAPNEL AND PLASTIC....AND SHE'S 16 YEARS OLD! I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND CONSIDERATION! LOOKING FORWARD TO A PROMPT RESPONSE! I'LL BE DRIVING IT TO MY NEPHEW'S WEDDING AT FORT CAMPBELL ARMY BASE.
NHTSA complaint #11099451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. THERE'S A RECALL FOR THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR BUT FOR SOME REASON "MY VIN" DOESN'T FALL INTO THE RECALL.
NHTSA complaint #10883572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.
NHTSA complaint #10865549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BUT ERROR IS SHOWING. ACCORDING TO TBE NHTSA DATA BASE UNDER VEHICLE DESCRIPTION (MAKE MODEL AND YEAR) THERES AN OPEN RECALL FOR MY MODEL.
NHTSA complaint #10862341 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PASS. RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAULT MESSAGE. FEW DAYS WENT BY WITH THIS FAULT MESSAGE COMING ON AND OFF. NOW ITS CURRENTLY STAYING ON. AFTER SEARCHING ON THE WEB, I'VE FOUND MANY OTHER BMW OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE, BUT ONLY A FEW MODELS ARE COVERED UNDER RECALL (08V384000). AFTER SEARCH MY (VIN) SHOW NO CURRENT RECALLS. RECALL (08V384000) STATES 2006 YEAR 3-SERIES. HOW CAN THIS ONLY BE LIMITED TO SOME 2006 ,BUT NOT OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS? VEHICLE HAS AROUND 86K MILES. THANKS
NHTSA complaint #10860293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SEATED IN THE DRIVERS SEAT WITH THE SEAT BELT LATCHED, THE SEAT BELT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHILE THERE WAS NO OTHER OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,000.
NHTSA complaint #10819309 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE PASSENGER SEATBELT/AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ON AND OFF FROM TIME TO TIME AFTER AROUND FOUR YEARS OF MY PURCHASE IN 2005. THE PROBLEM MIGHT HAVE EXISTED EARLIER; HOWEVER, AS MY VEHICLE USUALLY DID NOT CARRY ANY PASSENGERS, I DID NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD. RECENTLY, THE LIGHT WOULD NOT EVEN GO AWAY. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME ABOUT THE RECALL NUMBER 13V564000, STATING THE "OWNERS OF MODEL YEAR 2006-2007 3 SERIES WITH STANDARD SEAT ... WILL RECEIVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THEIR FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT." I HAVE CONTACT BMW, BUT THEY SAID THE RECALL AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT BE APPLICABLE TO MY VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #10806262 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT SENSORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OCCUPANT SENSOR WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161,000.
NHTSA complaint #10787593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY 2006 BMW 325I HAS DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS THAT CONTINUE TO COME UP AFTER MUCH TIME & EFFORT HAS BEEN SPENT TO GET THEM FIXED. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT, THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT, & THE FLAT TIRE MONITOR WARNING LIGHT HAVE CAUSED MUCH STRESS & FRUSTRATION DUE TO THE ISSUES NOT BEING ADDRESSED AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WITH THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS OTHER INDEPENDENT COMPANIES. I AM WORRIED THAT IF AN ACCIDENT DOES OCCUR THAT MY SAFETY WILL BE IN GREAT DANGER & THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY CAR OWNER UNDERSTANDS. I AM AT A LOSS AT THIS POINT & DO NOT WANT TO CONTINUE TO SPEND COUNTLESS DOLLARS WHEN THE ENDS DO NOT JUSTIFY THE MEAN.
NHTSA complaint #10762478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2006 BMW 325I WITH THE INTENTIONS OF LETTING MY DAUGHTER DRIVE IT, DUE TO THE HIGH SAFETY RATINGS OF THESE AUTOMOBILES. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT SOME ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION, AND SOME WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE SEATBELTS AND AIRBAGS. WHEN I INQUIRED ABOUT THE WARNING LIGHTS, THE SERVICE WRITER OF THE DEALERSHIP IN MERIDIAN MS TOLD ME THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SEAT MAT WAS FAULTY. LATER I GOOGLED INFO ABOUT THE SEAT MAT, AND I CAME ACROSS A LINK THAT SHOWS MY SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP BACK AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS CAR. I CALLED NHTSC AND LEFT A MESSAGE ABOUT MY INQUIRY, AND I WAS CALLED BACK PROMPTLY BY MR. NATE HAYES. AFTER I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO MR. HAYES, HE DID SOME CHECKING AND FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH SOME 2006 325I'S WEREN'T RECALLED (THE ONES WITH MANUAL SEATS) MINE HOWEVER SHOULD'VE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO HAVING THE ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTED SPORTS SEATS. MR. HAYES INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF MAYBE THIS WORK HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE ON MY VEHICLE. UPON CALLING THE DEALERSHIP BACK, I WAS TOLD THAT IT HADN'T BEEN DONE, BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WASN'T IN THE RECALL. AFTER QUESTIONING HIM MORE ABOUT IT, HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS ABLE TO FIND THAT BMW HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON MY CAR TO 15 YEARS WITH NO MILEAGE LIMITATIONS, IF THAT IS WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR, BUT IF NOT, I WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE REPAIR. WHAT CONCERNS ME ABOUT THIS, IS THE FACT THAT BMW WAS MANDATED BY THE NHTSC TO RECALL A CERTAIN LIST OF AUTOMOBILES TO PREVENT INJURY, RATHER THAN WAIT TO SEE IF PROBLEMS OCCUR LATER THAT COULD RESULT IN INJURY AND/OR DEATH. I DON'T KNOW IF OTHERS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED WERE PUT OFF BY BMW OR NOT, BUT THIS COULD HAVE SOME DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.
NHTSA complaint #10761737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEATBELT AND AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY WHILE DRIVING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO RESET THE SEATBELT SENSOR BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #10579137 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.