2012 BMW 328I Interior & seats Problems

Passenger restraint system malfunction. My vehicle as well as thousands of others have the chronic and unsafe issue of the passenger occupancy sensor malfunctioning. In order to remove warning on dash it’s either a $2,000 repair, or a $40 bypass which basically places the seat as constantly occupied, sticking the passenger airbag in the ‘on’ position. Vehicle is available for inspection. With this malfunction, any person that sits in the passenger front seat is at risk of injury or death in the event of a collision. Malfunction has been confirmed by both a dealer and an independent service center. Vehicle was inspected by the dealer, but no police or insurance company. Vehicle was purchased with the malfunction and the warning lights have been on for several years. With the massive number of vehicles of this make with a range of different mileage, with this issue, a recall is not only needed but warranted and should be mandated with this being a major safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11549720

Incident

Mar 7, 2022

THE SEAT IS ALWAYS MAKING A NOISE THAT I HAVE TO PUT THE SEAT BELT FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO ONE BESIDE ME AND SINCE 2014 I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE TIME CHAIN I WAS WAITING FOR A RECALL THAT BMW NORTH AMERICA AND NO ONE CALLED ME

NHTSA ID

11395466

Incident

Feb 3, 2015

PASSENGER RESTRAINED SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. IT IS SOMETHING VERY COMMON IN VEHICLES LIKE MINE. I HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AS MINE. IT IS VERY UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE BMW SHOULD HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY REGARDING THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11365410

Incident

May 1, 2019

PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION ERROR CODE COMES OFF AND ON WHILE IN MOTION

NHTSA ID

11290334

Incident

Sep 2, 2019

VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 36,000 MILES STARTED EXHIBITING AN INTERMITTENT WARNING FOR PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. BMW OF ONTARIO, CA DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A FAULTY SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR, BUT DECLINED WARRANTY COVERAGE DUE TO VEHICLE AGE AND EXCLUSION FROM 3RD PARTY WARRANTY. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD ISSUE BASED ON: 1) MANY OF THE ONLINE OWNER FORUMS COVER THIS PROBLEM. 2) THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SEVERAL MANUFACTURERS MAKING AND SELLING BYPASS\EMULATOR DEVICES TO CIRCUMVENT THE FAILED SENSOR. A CRITICAL SAFETY DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT SHOULD NOT BE FAILING SO EARLY OR FREQUENTLY.

NHTSA ID

11222111

Incident

Aug 21, 2018

Mileage

36,000 mi

EVERY SO OFTEN I GET AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT SAYS 'PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION'. I KNOW THIS IS A COMMON ERROR MESSAGE FOR BMW VEHICLES & THEIR OWNERS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND BEEN TOLD THAT IT COULD BE REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSES...WHY?! WHEN SO MANY VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND IT'S NOT USER ERROR...TIME FOR A RECALL! COME ON!

NHTSA ID

11163894

Incident

Jun 12, 2017

Mileage

40,000 mi

APRIL 2013, A WARNING SIGNAL ON MY VEHICLE NOTIFIED ME THERE WAS A NEED FOR COOLANT. I SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE FOR 4/18/13. I INFORMED THEM OF THE COOLANT WARNING AND ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT RECALL NOTICES. ON 4/19/13, I CALLED WEBER BMW MYSELF TO CHECK THE STATUS, LOUIE INFORMED ME THERE WERE 3 RECALL NOTICES ON MY CAR THAT WERE APPARENT AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED, AND THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO HOLD MY CAR UNTIL MONDAY 4/22/13.I PICKED UP MY CAR ON 4/23/13 AND LOUIE INFORMED ME ALL THE RECALLS WERE FIXED AND MY CAR WAS GOOD TO TAKE HOME. ON 4/24/13, THE COOLANT WARNING SIGNALED AGAIN. THAT EVENING, MY CAR BEGAN TO EXERT EVEN MORE ISSUES THAN BEFORE! FIRST THE COOLANT WARNING, THEN WARNING TELLING ME TO DRIVE MODERATELY, THEN PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY ENGINE OVERHEATING. I PULLED THE CAR OVER, STOPPED THE ENGINE ALLOWING IT TO COOL DOWN, AND STARTING IT BACK UP, THE CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 17 MPH. I CONTACTED WEBER BMW FOR ANOTHER SERVICE SCHEDULED FOR 4/30/13. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM WEBER BMW CONTACTED ME ON 4/29/13 AND INFORMED ME LOUIE ADVISED I CASUALLY STOP BY TO TOP OFF MY COOLANT,' AND THAT SHOULD RESOLVE MY PROBLEMS. I FOUND THIS RESOLUTION SKEPTICAL, LAZY, AND KNEW IT WOULD NOT BE ADEQUATE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES WITH MY CAR. I STOPPED BY WEBER ON 4/29/13 AND THE SERVICE ADVISER ATTEMPTED TO 'TOP OFF MY COOLANT, WHEN WE BOTH NOTICED THE COOLANT SPILLING OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ENGINE (I EMPHASIZE SPILLING AND NOT LEAKING). I WAS ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. LOUIE CALLED ME ON 4/30/13 TO REPORTED A HOLE IN THE PART THAT WAS REPLACED PER THE RECALL CAUSING THE COOLANT TO SPILL OUT. HE LET ME KNOW THAT THE CAR WOULD BE READY NEXT DAY 5/1/13 FOR PICK UP. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ANY LONGER. I PURCHASED THIS CAR 4/10/12, AND IT BEGAN SHOWING ISSUES OF POOR MANUFACTURING JUST SHY OF A YEAR, I ONLY HAVE 14,000MILES ON THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10510862

Incident

Apr 1, 2013

Mileage

14,000 mi

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DISENGAGES IF PASSENGER SITS ON ANY TYPE CUSHION. PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DISENGAGED LIGHT IS ON IF PASSENGER IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT SITTING ON ANY TYPE OF CUSHION OR PADDING. THE AIR BAG CAN DISENGAGE IF PASSENGER WEARS A PADDED WINTER COAT. THIS BMW 328I ORIGINALLY WAS DELIVERED WITH THE AIR BAG ENGAGED WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DISABLED LIGHT WAS ALWAYS OFF AND THE AIR BAG WAS ENGAGED. BMW WILL NOT RESTORE TO THE ORIGINAL DELIVERED CONDITION. THE PASSENGER SITTING ON ANY CUSHION OR PADDING IS IN DANGER OF INJURY BECAUSE OF A DISENGAGED PASSENGER AIR BAG. THIS WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL DELIVERED CONDITION....UPDATED11/21/12 *BF

NHTSA ID

10484241

Incident

Oct 12, 2012

Mileage

3,828 mi