Air Bag Not Deploy problems of the 2006 BMW X5

Occupancy seat sensor failure after recall campaign 17v-605 completed. The sensor mat failed within 16 months of the repair which means the parts used for the campaign are faulty as well. BMW refuses to fix the issue. This failure will result in the passenger front air bag to not deploy as so stated in the original recall campaign.

Passenger occupancy sensor fails, causing air bag to become inoperative and airbag light to appear on dash. In case of accident, the airbag will not deploy. Dealer wants nearly 2000 dollars to fix, though they say it had "already been repaired in 2008" when the vehicle was two years old; dealer confirmed that they hear this complaint all of the time. Recall campaign 08v384000 addresses this issue for some BMW models/seats, but does not adequately address all models and years that have the problem. For the X5 model, for example, the "comfort seat" is covered, but the standard seat, which has the very same problem (not related to the comfort system) is not. Please widen the coverage of the campaign to include all models and years affected by this widespread problem.

Passenger side seat sensor has failed, leaving airbag in permanently deactivated state. This defect was previously subject of recall in other vehicles in same model year, but not particular month of manufacture of mine according to VIN. Have reported to BMW dealer and BMW na; customer service agent at BMW na initially indicated they might cover it but then request was denied by management. I have requested they simply deactivate the sensor and leave the airbag on, which would seem to be a low-cost repair. They have stated there is no safety issue in doing so. The stated purpose of the sensor is to prevent unnecessary cost for airbag replacement after an accident. This seems to be a clear design defect: if the sensor fails, the airbag should be left in the active condition, not a disabled condition. The dealer is requesting $1276 to replace the defective seat sensor. BMW knows they are making money off this repair and has no incentive to find a low cost repair that would save lives. Software deactivation of the sensor would increase safety since some will be unable to afford a repair of this expense and driving without a passenger side srs puts occupants at significant risk. I am a university professor and I have notified BMW na of this and if BMW continues to refuse to provide a low-cost repair for this condition I will be willing to testify at trial attesting to the fact that BMW was informed of this issue and advised of their possible liability if anyone has an accident in a 2006 X5 and the passenger airbag does not deploy resulting in increased passenger injury; contact me at [xxx]. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vehicles seat occupancy sensor is malfunctioning for no particular reason which will prevent for passenger airbag to deploy when it is suppose to in the event of an accident, my vehicle is not that old and has not been abused but yet this issue occurred since about less than a year ago, when someone sits in the passenger seat the warning light comes on that indicates that the air bag is off and the airbag warning light comes on as well. I have tried to get the manufacturer to take responsibility with no luck, they want over a $1000 plus to replace the sensor, my issue remains unresolved; I ran a check for this issue online and found that almost every BMW owner experiences the same issue and almost every BMW in different range of recent years and different models has the same problem and this is a mass-produced manufacturer defect that has gone unnoticed. This is a safety issue, if I had been in an accident my passenger airbag would not deploy, this issue still remains unresolved as of this date. This problem began about a year ago when my vehicle was only about 3 years old and 45000 miles and has been getting worst with time, before it was occasional but now it is all the time, the repair would consist of taking the entire passenger seat out and apart and replace the sensor-pad that is connected to the vehicles safety system computer placed inside the seat pads, this is not an easy task or a repair that is accessible. Most definitely there should be a safety recall on this item. Most people don't know that they can file a complaint and request recalls on their vehicle issues and that is why you may not see many complaints about this issue.

The contact owns a 2006 BMW X5. While driving 30 mph, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle. The bumper, muffler, and trunk were damaged. The driver's seat belt failed and released prematurely. The front air bags failed to deploy. The contact was uninjured. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and repaired. The contact has a copy of the police report. The manufacturer could not provide an explanation for the failures. The failure mileage was 56,000 and current mileage was 56,500.

The contact owns a 2006 BMW X5. While driving 3 mph, another vehicle crashed into the front side quarter panel of the contact's vehicle. The other vehicle was driving approximately 20 mph. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle came equipped with side air bags. There were no warning indicator lights present. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene and has not yet been inspected. The driver was taken to the emergency room in an ambulance because her head hit the door window. The current and failure mileages were 19,000.