Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 BMW 545I submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 34 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.
The 25 most recent of 34, in the owner's own words
DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHERE THERE WAS OIL IN ROAD. MY CAR LOST CONTROL AND VEERED INTO A GUARD RAIL ON THE HIGHWAY. MY CAR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOTALED AND NONE OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN THE CRASH.
AS I UNDERSTAND A VEHICLE FOR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IN PASSENGER SIDE FREE STREAM HAS BEEN DEALT WITH ALREADY I JUST RECEIVED THIS VEHICLE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO SO IT IS NEW TO ME AND I HAVE THE SAME ERRORS AS WHICH A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MY CAR 2005 545 I BMW. AS I HAVE READ AFTER X AMOUNT OF YEARS A RECALL IS FINALIZED I JUST RECEIVED THIS VEHICLE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO SO I FEEL I AM STILL ABLE TO SUCCEED FROM THIS SAFETY RECALL FROM THE MANUFACTURE
I AM WRITING TO YOU TO ADDRESS A CURRENT NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) SAFETY RECALL AFFECTING MY VEHICLE (AND PRESUMABLY MANY SIMILAR VEHICLES). I CURRENTLY OWN A 2005 BMW 545I 4-DOOR SEDAN (VIN: [XXX] WITH 84,474 MILES AND HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT MALFUNCTION. THIS SENSOR MALFUNCTION AFFECTS THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. THE ERROR CODES MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING ARE THE SAME AS THOSE ADDRESSED IN THE NHTSA SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V384000, DATED 5 AUG 2008) INDICATING A PASSENGER AIRBAG HAS MALFUNCTIONED, "OFF", AND WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. THE NHTSA RECALL INDICATED BMW IS RECALLING 2004-06 5-SERIES MODELS (INCLUDING THE 545I) EQUIPPED WITH SEAT TYPES THAT MAY PRODUCE SIMILAR ERRORS DUE TO CRACKING THAT DEVELOPS WITH AGE. FRANKLY, I FIND IT RIDICULOUS THAT OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME MALFUNCTIONS AND ERRORS AS MY VEHICLE, HOWEVER, THOSE VEHICLES ARE BEING COVERED UNDER A CURRENT BMW SAFETY RECALL WHILE MY VEHICLE IS NOT. IN THE END, MY PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION FOR THE SAME MALFUNCTIONING SEAT SENSOR, YET, BMW HAS TURNED A BLIND EYE TO MYSELF AND I PRESUME A LARGE NUMBER OF OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. CAN THE NHTSA ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH BMW NA? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION REGARDING THIS MATTER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AT ANY TIME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. HAVE A GREAT DAY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
HELLO SIR OR MA'AM; I AM WRITING TO YOU TO ADDRESS A CURRENT NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) SAFETY RECALL AFFECTING MY VEHICLE (AND PRESUMABLY MANY SIMILAR VEHICLES). I CURRENTLY OWN A 2005 BMW 545I 4-DOOR SEDAN (VIN: [XXX]) AND HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT MALFUNCTION. THIS SENSOR MALFUNCTION AFFECTS THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. THE ERROR CODES MY VEHICLE IS DISPLAYING ARE THE SAME AS THOSE ADDRESSED IN THE NHTSA SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V384000, DATED 5 AUG 2008) INDICATING A PASSENGER AIRBAG HAS MALFUNCTIONED, "OFF", AND WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. THE NHTSA RECALL INDICATED BMW IS RECALLING 2004-06 5-SERIES MODELS (INCLUDING THE 545I) EQUIPPED WITH SEAT TYPES THAT MAY PRODUCE SIMILAR ERRORS DUE TO CRACKING THAT DEVELOPS WITH AGE. FRANKLY, I FIND IT RIDICULOUS THAT OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME MALFUNCTIONS AND ERRORS AS MY VEHICLE, HOWEVER, THOSE VEHICLES ARE BEING COVERED UNDER A CURRENT BMW SAFETY RECALL WHILE MY VEHICLE IS NOT. IN THE END, MY PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION FOR THE SAME MALFUNCTIONING SEAT SENSOR, YET, BMW HAS TURNED A BLIND EYE TO MYSELF AND I PRESUME A LARGE NUMBER OF OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. CAN THE NHTSA ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH BMW NA? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION REGARDING THIS MATTER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AT ANY TIME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. HAVE A GREAT DAY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
MY PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT AND SEAT BELT LIGHT ARE BOTH ON AT ALL TIMES. THE ON BOARD COMPUTER SAYS FAULT IN PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT OR SEAT BELT TENSIONER. ALSO THE BACK BRAKES DON'T WORK AT ALL BUT THE FRONT ONES DO. WAS WONDERING IF THIS WAS A RECALL MATTER BEFORE I SPEND THOUSANDS TO FIX THE PROBLEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 545I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER TWO WEEKS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT ABOUT AN AIR BAG RECALL AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE RECALL DETAILS WERE NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000.
PASSENGER AIRBAG RESTRAIN SYSTEM, STATIONARY CITY STREET
THE FRONT AIRBAG SENSOR HAS MALFUNCTIONED, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD THAT HAD A RECALL AND SHAME ON BMW FOR NOT COVERING THIS FOR THE LIFE OF THEIR VEHICLES. GOD FORBID SOMEONE GETS HURT BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT AFFORD TO PONY UP THE $1300 TO FIX THIS SHODDY PART
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON AND WHILE DRIVING, IT SAYS PASSENGER AIR BAG MALFUNCTION BECAUSE OF SEAT BELT TENSIONER OR SOMETHING ELSE. AND WON'T TURN OFF
MY CAR HAS THE LIGHT ON FOR AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT DO TO MALFUNCTION OF SEAT PAD SENSOR IN PASSENGER SEAT.CALLED BMW OF AMERICA, AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL.WOULD APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING INTO THE MATTER .THANKS IN ADVANCE.
2005 BMW 545I E60 FAULT IN PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM: THIS MODEL BMW HAS EXPERIENCED A FAULT IN THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND IS NOT LISTED IN THE PAST RECALL WHICH CAN LEAD TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS AND THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE MAT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT AND UPON A PASSENGER GETTING INTO MY CAR ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I RECEIVED THE ERROR MESSAGE. I SPOKE WITH VARYING BMW DEALERSHIPS (IN DIFFERENT STATES) AND RECEIVED MIXED INFORMATION FROM THE RECALL WASN'T APPROVED YET TO THE CURRENT VERSION OF NO RECALL AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE FULL REPAIR COSTS. SPEAKING WITH BMW OF USA, THERE WAS APPARENTLY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE DEALERSHIP NEVER MENTIONED THIS POSSIBILITY TO ME WHEN SPEAKING WITH THEM. AS OF NOW, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IS EXPIRED SO SHOULD THIS ISSUE OCCUR ON YOUR CAR TODAY - YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FULL COST OF THE REPAIR WHICH IS IN EXCESS OF $1000 AND ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTIC FEES. THERE IS A VAST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON THE POOR QUALITY OF THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT USED BY BMW IN THESE MODELS LEADING TO THIS MALFUNCTION. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY THE E60 BMW MODELS WERE NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL WHEN THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE AS OTHER MODELS THAT WERE COVERED? THIS CAN GET SOMEONE SERIOUSLY HURT AND BMW IS PLACING THIS RESPONSIBILITY BACK ON THE CONSUMER WHEN THEY ARE AT FAULT. THIS ISSUE CLEARLY SPANS MANY MORE BMW MODELS THAT WERE LISTED IN THE RECALL AND CONSUMERS ARE BEING FORCED TO PAY THE BILL FOR POOR DECISIONS ON BMW'S PART. IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE MORE ACTION AND ATTENTION PLACED ON THIS ISSUE BY THE NHTSA. RELATED INSTANCES OF THE SAME ISSUE: NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000
FRONT OCCUPANCY SEAT SENSOR MAT. THIS IS UNDER CAMPAIGN ID 08V384000. MY MAKE AND MODEL PLUS YEAR IS INCLUDED IN THIS. A CALL TO BMW STATES THAT MY CAR IS NOT IN THIS RECALL.
I TURNED ON MY CAR AND A NOTIFICATION APPEARED ON THE IDRIVE THAT THERE WAS A PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE. I READ THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS AND CALLED MY LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP TO GIVE THEM MY VIN TO SEE IF MY VEHICLE WOULD BE ON THE RECALL. I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS NOT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT FITS THE CRITERIA FOR THE RECALL AND IF THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 545I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT CENTRAL MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V384000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE VIN NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 545I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG WAS OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
AS SOON AS I STARTED THE CAR, THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT RESTRAINT AND AIRBAG LIGHT SHOWED UP AS A MALFUNCTION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I NOTICE THAT BMW HAD A RECALL ON A SEAT MAT SENSOR ON 200,000 5 SERIES. I ALSO DID SOME RESEARCH AND NOTICE THAT THERE IS A GREAT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN BECAUSE THE SEAT MAT SENSOR IS BAD THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IF I GET INTO A CAR ACCIDENT. *TR
I BOUGHT MY 2005 BMW 545I AFTER A WEEK MY SEATBELT AND AND AIRBAG LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OUT, EVEN WITH SEATBELT LOCKED IN, IS THERE A RECALL SO I CAN GET THIS FIX AND FEEL SAFE WHEN DRIVING MY CAR. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 545I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN RECALL NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE NOTICE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE RECALL REPAIR WOULD BE PERFORMED. THERE WERE NO FAILURES AT THIS TIME.
PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG FAULT LIGHT STAYS ON. DEALER SAID PROBLEM WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY. INFORMATION I FOUND ON THE INTERNET AND BMW SITES SAY IT IS UNDER WARRANTY. I AM AFRAID IF I'M IN AN ACCIDENT, MY PASSENGER COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED, OR KILLED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 545I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO HIS DRIVEWAY AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
MY CAR HAVE AN OVERHEATED CABLE CONNECTION AND IS CAUSING INCREASED ELECTRIC RESISTANCE, WHICH IS A RECALL AND ALSO THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND BMW REFUSE TO FIX THE ISSUES.. THEY SAY MY VIN WASN'T ONE OF THE CAR THAT'S IN THEIR DATABASE FOR THE RECALLS........ *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 545I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE WAS 99,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW 545I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ENTRY MAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) THAT HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.
UPON TURNING ON VEHICLE I DRIVE SAID PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. I CALLED BMWNA AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL, SO I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS WEBSITE HTTPS://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/VEHICLECOMPLAINT/INDEX.XHTML STATING THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE COVERED AND I AGREE SINCE THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
GOT INDICATION PASSENGER AIR BAG/ RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION ON IDRIVE. TOOK CAR TO REPAIR SHOP AND I WAS TOLD OCCUPANCY SENSOR IN PASSENGER SEAT WAS BAD. I CHECKED FOR A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE WITH BMW. I WAS TOLD NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE WAS COVERED. I CHECKED WITH THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS ONLY ONE SENSOR FOR THIS CAR. IF THAT'S THE CASE HOW CAN BMW ONLY COVER 200,00 OF THE DEFECTIVE UNITS AND NOT ALL THAT WERE MADE DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. FURTHER, ON THE ONES THEY DID COVER THEY INCREASED THE WARRANTY PERIOD TO 10 YEARS FROM DATE OF ORIGINAL SALE WITH NO MILEAGE RESTRICTIONS? IT SEEMS TO ME A DEAL WAS MADE WITH THE NTSB TO COVER AT LEAST SOME OF THE DEFECTIVE UNITS BUT NOT ALL. BY EXTENDING THE WARRANTY PERIOD TO 10 YEARS ON THE SAME PART THAT IS USED IN ALL VEHICLES ON THIS CLASS, INDICATES BMW HAS ADMITTED ALL THE PARTS ARE FAULTY. BMW SHOULD INCLUDE ALL VEHICLES THAT USE THIS PART IN THE RECALL, RECALL #08V384000 NOT JUST A LIMITED NUMBER. ACCORDING TO MY RECORDS THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE, AND WELL BEFORE 2015 WHEN THE 10 YEAR WARRANTY EXTENSION WOULD HAVE EXPIRED. ALSO THIS INDICATES THE REPLACEMENT SENSOR ARE NOT HOLDING UP WELL. IT IS MY OPINION A PROGRAMMING CHANGE SHOULD BE MADE, WHERE THE ONBOARD COMPUTER, CONTROLLING THE AIR BAG, USES A INPUT FROM A SEAT BELT CONNECT SENSOR TO DETERMINE IF THE PASSENGER SEAT IS OCCUPIED? NOT THE FAULTY MAT IN THE SEAT. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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