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 2003 BMW M3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
The contact owns a 2003 BMW M3. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V018000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.
TAKATA RECALL. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET TO MY 2003 BMW M3, BUT READING ABOUT THE TAKATA RECALL AND WHAT THE AIRBAGS ARE CAPABLE IS SCARING ME TO DEATH. MY 5 YEAR NEPHEW LOVES RIDING AROUND TOWN IN HIS UNCLE'S "RACE CAR". EVEN THOUGH I RARELY GO FASTER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT, YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW BY THE LOOK ON HIS FACE AS THE AIR WASHES ACROSS HIS FACE. IT HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT AND HAVE ONLY PUT 5K MILES ON IT IN THIS 4 YEARS I HAVE OWNED IT. THE FACT THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD GO WRONG DESPITE MY METICULOUS CARE TAKEN OF THE CAR IS REALLY CAUSING ME PANIC. SHOULD I QUIT DRIVING THE CAR AND LEAVE IT IN THE GARAGE ASAP UNTIL THINGS GET FIGURED OUT? PLEASE INFORM ME ON WHAT I SHOULD DO.
TAKATA RECALL - THIS IS A 2003 CAR I USED TO LEASE. BMW STILL HAS ME AS THE LESSEE OF THIS VEHICLE WHICH WAS TURNED IN TO BMW IN 2006. SOMEONE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WILL NOT GET THIS RECALL BECAUSE OF POOR RECORD KEEPING. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY INCIDENCE. I HAVE OTHER LEASED BMW'S THAT STILL HAD ME AS THE LESSEE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU.
DRIVING VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED RAN OVER SMALL/MINOR POTHOLE RESULTING IN PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN/HEAD AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. NO PASSENGER WAS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. NO WEIGHTED OBJECT WAS IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT FROM VEHICLE START TO TIME OF INCIDENT. MOVED VEHICLE TO SIDE OF ROAD TO INSPECT. NO TIRE DAMAGE. NO BODY DAMAGE. NO EVIDENCE OF RIDE HEIGHT CHANGE (TO SUGGEST SUSPENSION COMPROMISE). I WAS IRONICALLY ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL WORK AND THEY DID A CURSORY INSPECTION WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE RACK. NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE WAS IDENTIFIED. CAR WAS MECHANICALLY SOUND AFTER INCIDENT ON THE WAY TO DEALERSHIP AND HOME ~30 MILES DRIVEN. NO RATTLES. NO DRIFTING. NO CHANGE IN HANDLING. CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY BE A PHANTOM DEPLOYMENT OR MALADJUSTED SENSOR / SRS SOFTWARE ISSUE. THIS IS SIMILAR TO OTHER INCIDENTS REPORTED ON VARIOUS ONLINE DISCUSSIONS FOR THIS BODY STYLE (E46). BMW NA HAS BEEN CONTACTED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. I AM AWAITING A REPLY FROM THEM (ESTIMATED IN A FEW DAYS PER THEIR REPRESENTATIVE).
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW M3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW M3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS) IN JULY OF 2015. THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT ANOTHER NOTIFICATION WOULD BE SENT WHEN THE PARTS BECAME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BASED ON THE LOCATION, THE HIGH HUMIDITY LOCATIONS WERE THEIR PRIORITY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW M3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. .....UPDATED 08/11/16 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. UPDATED 08/17/16.*JB
TAKATA RECALL I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BMW NOTIFYING ME OF THE RECALL IN JULY 2015. IT IS MAY 2, 2016 AND MY DEALER (BMW OF SILVER SPRING, MD) AND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA LLC STILL DO NOT HAVE THE PART(S) TO IMPLEMENT THE RECALL. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IF NHTSA IS ALLOWING BMW TO CONTINUE TO MANUFACTURE AND SELL CARS IN NORTH AMERICA WITH INFLATORS THAT SHOULD BE INSTALLED IN CARS ALREADY IN SERVICE. IT SEEMS THAT MONEY IS THE ISSUE RATHER THAN PARTS SUPPLY FOR CARS IN SERVICE.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW M3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW M3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V318000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
I WAS IN A SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT INVOLVING A 2003 BMW M3. I SUSTAINED SERIOUS FACIAL TRAUMA THAT RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF VISION IN MY LEFT EYE. I HAD FACIAL STITCHES AS WELL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT DEBRIS WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. 2 SURGERIES WERE REQUIRED AFTER THE ACCIDENT TO REPAIR DAMAGES WITH NO VISION RESTORED IN MY LEFT EYE. IT WAS A FRONTAL IMPACT WITH A SOLID OBJECT. *TR
MY CAR WAS IN A COLLISION WHERE THE DRIVER OF CAR 1 WAS MAKING A TURN INTO THE MAIN STREET , SHE TURNED TOO WIDE AND COULD NOT COMPLETE THE TURN AND DECIDED TO BACK UP..SHE SLAMMED INTO MY CAR ,DAMAGE WAS LEFT FRONT BUMPER ,BROKEN PARKING LIGHT, DAMAGE LEFT FRONT FENDER , XENON HEADLIGHT MODULE,(CAUSES THE LEFT HEAD LIGHT TO TURN OF SOMETIMES) AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON , DIAGNOSIS FOUND DRIVERS SEAT BELT TENSIONER FAULT ,SINCE THERE WAS THE IMPACT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE DRIVER OF CAR 1 WAS CITED FOR HE INCIDENT AND ALSO FOR DRIVING ON A LEARNERS PERMIT ALONE. STATE FARM ONLY COVERED THE BODY REPAIR AND DECLINED THE REPAIR OF THE AIR BAG AND THE HEAD LIGHT. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ANY ONE INSIDE THIS CAR IF THERE WAS ANY REASON FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG AND IT DID NOT DEPLOY AT THE TIME. MY CAR WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION BEFORE THIS ACCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY CAR REPAIRED AND FEEL SAFE DRIVING. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW M3. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT A CRASH OR IMPACT OCCURRING. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF, BUT WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURES TO HIS LEFT ARM DUE TO THE DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. AS A RESULT OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, THE CD PLAYER STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TURN SIGNAL LENS WAS DAMAGED. THE AIR BAG IS BEING REPAIRED FOR FREE, BUT THE CD AND LENS FAILURE WILL NOT BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT AN INSPECTOR WOULD COME OUT AND VIEW THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD ONLY COVER THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.
MY CAR WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER SIDE RESULTING IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR BEING INDENTED 11" FROM IT'S NORMAL POSITION. THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR WAS ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. BMW INVESTIGATED THE CAR AND SAID THAT THE ANGLE ON IMPACT WAS FROM BACK TO FRONT WHICH DID NOT TRIGGER THE AIR BAG. THE BODY SHOP, THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER AND THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR ALL SAID THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. *JB
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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