RoadVitals

2008 BMW 328I Seat belts Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Seat belts reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Feb 17, 2022
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 239 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 BMW 328I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming seat belt

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Feb 17, 2022

UNKNOWN since I have bought my 2008 bmw 328i I had one recalled fixed on my dash I have the air bag light and the brake light tire light service engine soon light on my door locks would work some times and then I had to open my car from the driver side manually then my drivers side window won't roll all the way up only half way then my car just wouldn't start out of the blue replace the starter ran for three weeks and wouldn't start again and has been sitting for a month now my passenger seat belt won't click in sometimes and my warranty is out but the recalls I have read are just what my car is doing I would like this matter to be looked in to and my car repaired at no cost its a safety issue an inconvenience and has cost me money wise extremely .

NHTSA ID
11452648
Incident
Feb 17, 2022
AirbagsInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Dec 25, 2019

AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE IS STARTED A WARNING WILL POP UP FOR 'PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION' CAUSED BY THE SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR FAILING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE WARNING WILL STAY ON AND NOT GO AWAY. A PREVIOUS RECALL FOR SIMILAR YEAR MODELS HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED BUT IT DIDN'T COVER ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES DUE TO SIMILAR SENSORS BEING USED ACROSS ALL THESE YEAR MODELS. BMW WANTS TO CHARGE 1000+ DOLLARS FOR THIS SENSOR REPAIR DUE TO THEM SAYING THIS IS AN 'UNAFFECTED VEHICLE'. WITHOUT THIS SENSOR WORKING PROPERLY, IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG COULD NOT DEPLOY WHICH CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. BMW REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS WITHOUT A RECALL ANNOUNCED, OR WITHOUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BEING SPENT JUST FOR THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS.

NHTSA ID
11291193
Incident
Mar 1, 2019
Mileage
100,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Nov 16, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW 328I CONVERTIBLE. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE MESSAGE "PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" DISPLAYED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER (BMW OF GWINNETT PLACE (3264 COMMERCE AVE, DULUTH, GA) WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000. *TT*JB

NHTSA ID
11151909
Incident
Jun 1, 2018
Mileage
175,000 mi
AirbagsInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Jun 4, 2018

PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION.

NHTSA ID
11099820
Incident
May 30, 2018
AirbagsInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Oct 13, 2017

SEAT SENSOR MALFUNCTIONING SHOWING NO PASSENGER WHEN PASSENGER IS SEATED. THIS MAY PREVENT SEAT BELTS FROM FUNCTIONING AND AIR BAG DEPLOYING IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT AND INCREASING INJURIES

NHTSA ID
11033190
Incident
Oct 9, 2017
Mileage
70,000 mi
AirbagsInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed Aug 15, 2017

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT SENSOR BROKEN. PROBLEM STARTED, 5 YEARS AGO. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM AFFECTING MANY DIFFERENT BMW MODELS/YEARS. BMW WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SITUATION. PLEASE HELP.

NHTSA ID
11015296
Incident
Aug 1, 2012
Mileage
12,000 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Aug 30, 2016

TAKATA RECALL PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF STAYS ILLUMINATED EVEN WHILE PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT WITH SEAT BELT ON! NOT SAFE!!!!

NHTSA ID
10899400
Incident
Mar 16, 2016
Mileage
85,000 mi
AirbagsElectricalSeat belts
Filed Jul 5, 2016

THE CAR'S AIRBAG FAILURE WARNING LIGHT, AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT STARTED GOING OFF WHENEVER SOMEONE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, INDICATING THAT THERE IS NO AIRBAG/PASSENGER SEAT BELT FUNCTION IN THE CAR. DEALER HAS DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT AND INDICATES THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. CARS UP UNTIL THE 2007 MODEL YEAR HAVE BEEN RECALLED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT BMW HAS YET TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO THE 2008 MODEL YEAR. BMW STILL HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, AND I WOULD LIKE NHTSA TO PERFORM AN INVESTIGATION AS THIS LOOKS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM AS NHTSA CAMPAIGN 13V-564. THE LIGHTS COME ON WHETHER STATIONARY OR IN MOTION, WHETHER A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT OR THE SEAT IS EMPTY.

NHTSA ID
10882525
Incident
Jan 6, 2016
Mileage
45,000 mi
AirbagsInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed May 27, 2016

SEAT BELT AND AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS GO ON WHEN THERE'S NO ONE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WAS TOLD THIS IS LIKELY A SEAT SENSOR ISSUE. I HAVE THE SPORT PACKAGE AND HAVE READ THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE SEAT SENSOR ISSUE WITH SPORT SEATS. ALSO THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR ALMOST EVERY YEAR MODEL FOR THE BMW 3-SERIES UP TO 2007 FOR SEAT SENSOR RECALL. THE LIGHT IS ON CONSTANTLY NOW WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON, WHETHER IT IS DRIVING OR STATIONARY. THE LIGHTS USED TO GO INTERMITTENTLY ON OR OFF BUT NOW THEY ARE STAYING ON. THIS MAKES QUESTIONABLE WHETHER THE SEAT BELTS ARE WORKING OR IF THE AIR BAGS WILL DEPLOY.

NHTSA ID
10871168
Incident
May 30, 2014
Mileage
35,000 mi
AirbagsDriver assistanceElectrical+1 more
Filed Nov 28, 2014

ON THE AFTERNOON OF NOVEMBER 10TH, WHILE DRIVING, A RED LIGHT WITH A PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION MESSAGE LIT UP ON THE DASHBOARD. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND THEY SAID THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART. THEY WERE UNABLE TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF, WHICH AFFECTED MY ABILITY TO RETRIEVE TIME AND TEMPERATURE ON THE DASHBOARD READER. THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART, WHICH WAS REPLACED ON NOVEMBER 26TH. THE PART IS CALLED SOP BATTERY SAFETY TERMINAL (BATTERY CABLE PLUS POLE). I WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRES TESTED AS "BROKEN INTERMITTENTLY." I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THIS BATTERY CABLE WORKS CORRECTLY IT WILL SHUT OFF THE GAS PUMP SO THAT THERE WAS NO DANGER OF FIRE. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR EVEN WHEN THE DRIVER SIDE SEEMED TO BE ALL RIGHT, BECAUSE IF GAS LEAKED THE WHOLE CAR WOULD BE ON FIRE, NOT JUST THE PASSENGER SIDE. SINCE THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE ALSO RELATED. THE DEALER SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE ON OTHER CARS BUT HE COULD NOT SAY HOW MANY. I AM GRATEFUL THAT THIS COULD BE FIXED BEFORE ANY ACCIDENT OCCURRED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10661172
Incident
Nov 10, 2014
Mileage
44,900 mi
AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Aug 23, 2012

SINCE PURCHASING THIS BMW IN FEB 2012, I HAVE HAD THIS CAR AT THE DEALER 4 TIMES ( AND ITS ONLY AUG. 2012) DUE TO AIR BAG & SEATBELT LIGHTS ON, BOTH FRONT SEATS HAVE HAD SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS REPLACED, & VARIOUS OTHER AIRBAG WORK, FRAYED WIRES UNDER SEAT. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE UNSTOPPABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROX 104K MILES. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY ON ITS WAY TO THE DEALER TODAY 08/23/2012 FOR ITS 4TH TRIP -FOR THE UN-STOPPABLE AIRBAG & SEAT BELT LIGHT THAT IT SEEMS TO BE DOOMED WITH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10471987
Incident
Feb 28, 2012
Mileage
92,400 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .