BMW recalls 200,000 vehicles over issue with front passenger air bag
BMW is recalling 200,000 units of its 3 Series, 5 Series and X3 SUVs to repair potentially faulty air bag sensors. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website says the recall campaign covers 2004-2006 5 Series, 2004-2006 X3 and 2006 3 Series vehicles, though only those equipped with sport seats.
Apparently the problem is with the front passenger sport seat that, over time, develops cracks in its covering. An air bag sensor beneath the area can then be damaged so that the car no longer senses the weight of a passenger. That means, of course, the passenger airbag might not be deployed in an accident.
BMW is doing the right thing by quickly addressing the issue even though no accidents or incidents have been reported in relation to the problem. Also, according to NHTSA, the company will extend the warranties of several of BMW models to cover the issue for 10 years with no mileage restriction. A summary of the recall No. 08V384000 is available here from NHTSA.
[Source: Associated Press via CNN]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Zane 4:03PM (8/13/2008)
Nothing seems to be going right for owners of the '06 3xx. First BMW stiffed them with the 328 and 335 in '07 and now this.
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Ligor 9:40AM (8/14/2008)
Here is some more accurate info on this from:
AUTOTECH DAILY
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Bill Hampton, Publisher
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BMW AG is recalling 200,000 vehicles due to a faulty seat position sensor that could
crack, causing the front passenger airbag to be disabled when it shouldn’t.
BMW had maintained the situation
didn’t warrant a recall
because a warning light notifies
motorists when the airbag is disabled.
But it has now agreed to
notify owners and plans to reconfigure
the mat on affected models
and extend the warranty on
another 120,000 vehicles to 10
years to cover potential problems
with the system.
The campaign includes the 2006 3 Series, 2004-2006 5 Series and the 2004-2006
X3 compact SUV. No related accidents or injuries have been reported.
b0nesc 4:10PM (8/13/2008)
And if this were happening with an American company, they would have waited till several people got killed and their family sued them to even start recalling.
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oZ 4:17PM (8/13/2008)
Doing a search on recall at Autoblog doesn't show one manufacturer in the last year or so that hasn't recalled before injuries occurred. Imagine that.
AkulaX1 4:38PM (8/13/2008)
b0nesc more like every time there is a recall in American company you have like 30 replies in 10 second saying ohhhh how typical it is for American company to make sht cars but when it's Japanese or European car recall then everyone understands the issue and says well at least they are fixing the problem.
Ligor 5:55PM (8/13/2008)
carefull
don't taking a passanger with you when going for the recall, the poor guy doesn't deserve to get hurt when you crash
BMW is not know for reliability, it's how it is.
G-Meister 4:12PM (8/13/2008)
This is the 2nd recall this year that the vendor of these sensors is involved in. Not good for a relatively small company.
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paul34 6:50PM (8/13/2008)
I don't see what that has to do with anything. The flaw is in the seat material design, not the sensors themselves.
Obviously when the sensor gets exposed to extreme conditions beyond its design (like direct, uneven, and full body force in a non-squishy enviornment) it is going to react unpredictably, probably in a destructive manner.
G-Meister 8:23PM (8/13/2008)
Paul34- lets just say that engineering practices at the sensor vendor may not be enough to cover all variances in certain models. These sensors came on-line in the last 7 years (required starting 06) and there is still some adjustment. Seat designs have to be locked in much earlier with this type of sensor, and any material change requires more testing to ensure the sensor will function properly. Other sensing methods are more robust to trim changes, but have drawbacks in their sensing ability. Of course, if people could just manage to stick their offspring in the back seat, we wouldn't have this problem.
John 4:15PM (8/13/2008)
I had a m3 2003 coupe and I had a lemon law on that issue. I think it goes back ALOT more then 2004. I hate BMW. Freaken horrible Service techs there. Thats why they have the longer warranty. So after the warranty runs out they figure most would trade in there car for a new one. And they fix the problem like it was nothing and resell it. Thats how BMW makes there kick back money. F-ERS! DOWN WITH THE GERMAN CARS!!!!!
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MikeofLA 4:28PM (8/13/2008)
Wow... seems like you had more of a problem with a crappy dealership then with the car. I had a lemon 335i and have never experienced a better, more attentive customer service center. Both my sales rep and my service rep were extremely attentive and concerned to the point where they initiated the Lemon Law process (of course after a few attempts at repairing the car). All the service techs at my dealership are BMW Master Technicians, so maybe that helped.
Matt 4:34PM (8/13/2008)
Mike, was it the water pump, overheating transmission, or neither?
MikeofLA 6:02PM (8/13/2008)
Hey Matt,
It was the waterpump at one time, then it was an exhaust, turbo and vanos issue that did her in. I had several "Engine Malfunction, Reduced Power" warnings. Not to mention a few random problems like the right head light pointing skyward, HVAC freaking out, iDrive failure and an incessant squeak from the rear brakes.
No transmission problems, it was a 6MT :D
paul34 6:52PM (8/13/2008)
Turbo?
Maybe your problems were due to a crappy install, or maybe those particular motors aren't too boost-friendly?
71cuda 4:16PM (8/13/2008)
Wow, so the covering of the passenger seat in cracking in two years time?
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John 4:20PM (8/13/2008)
Sorry correction 2000! Not 2003
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MikeofLA 4:33PM (8/13/2008)
So, you had a 2000 E46 M3 Coupe? If that's the case, you got the first generation of an entirely new body, new engine and all around new car, not to mention, it was a performance version. Good luck NOT having issues with that.
Zane 4:39PM (8/13/2008)
Laguna Seca Blue? That's one of my favorite colors of all time along with IL Blue and Avus Blue.
John 6:51PM (8/13/2008)
It was the coupe 2003 M3. The like the Z. But it was the hatch back. I loved the car. But They had the BMW headquarters look at it from I believe it was NC. And STILL the Air bag light came on. EVERY time. I had brought that car for in warranty service 13 times in 1 year. 13 TIMES!!! Crapy! I had a Subaru WRX after that LOVED IT! NO ISSUES WHAT SO EVER! And Now I have a honda and I couldn't ask for a better car. I expected what I got from a Honda. But BMW! No way! Even my father has a 745il and has just started having issues. Ands its funny. Right when its getting close to the end of the warranty live.
Please don't get me wrong MikeofLA. I love well made autos. But for that kidna crap from BMW. I rather stick to nice looken well built always going to start and have NO major issues I can trust kinda auto. PERIOD! No offence to any one out there! Just hate german cars now.
BGJ 4:50PM (8/13/2008)
Chris, your title really should reflect that the recall is the sensor in the seat, not the airbag. There is no problem with the airbag.
It's not an airbag sensor either, it is an occupant classification sensor that decides if the airbag is armed or disarmed.
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