Front Seat Power Adjust Problems of BMW M5

While moving the seat forward (valet moved it back) we found that the seats twisted; in our case, the outer side of the seat bottom moved further than the inner side, causing the seats to twist towards the center of the car and leaving them uneven with the dash and front of the car. Attempts to correct the seat positioning by moving the seat backwards via power switch caused the inner bottom portion of the seat (around the thigh bolsters) to bind and jamb against the center console. We found that the power passenger seat had the same problem. We researched the issue on BMW-related websites (in particular, M5board. Com) and found that each seat has three separate motors that are supposed to move in unison with the control switch via one cable. As designed and built, these power cables leading to each motor are twisted to fit within the confines of the under seat design. The cable end adjacent to each motor makes contact during normal seat movement with other under-seat components. After some unknown number of movements the cable end(s) fail rendering its seat motor inoperable (these components are inaccessible so the operator cannot in any way contribute to the product failure). We believe that BMW is aware of the problem and made design and material changes in subsequent model years to correct this problem. The only way to repair this problem is to remove the affected seats entirely from the vehicle so that the technicians can access and replace the broken defective components (cost per seat in excess of $1000). While the defect often occurs during the warranty coverage period, the problem often is not be readily apparent to drivers). This defect presents a clear danger to vehicle occupants, occupants of other vehicles, and to BMW drivers or front seat passengers who suffer from spinal or other health problems.

See all problems of the 2002 BMW M5 🔎.