RoadVitals

2009 BMW M3 Airbags Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Airbags 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.
8
Latest Mar 17, 2020
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.
18%
of 45 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 the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 BMW M3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 airbag

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

Airbags
Filed Mar 17, 2020

I RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THE AIRBAG ON MY CAR. I CONTACTED BMW TO REPLACE BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLACE AT THAT TIME. I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT THEM SINCE TO ARRANGE REPLACEMENT AND THEY HAVE NOT RETURNED MY CALLS.

NHTSA ID
11318530
Incident
Mar 13, 2020
Mileage
45,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jan 5, 2018

TAKATA RECALL - I HAVE BEEN WAITING 2 YEARS TO HAVE THIS RECALL DONE. I WAS ONCE SCHEDULED TO GET THE SERVICE AND THEN AFTER I DROPPED OFF THE CAR THEY CALLED ME BACK AND STATED THAT THEY DIDNT HAVE THE PART IN.

NHTSA ID
11060803
Incident
Feb 5, 2016
Airbags
Filed Apr 5, 2017

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER ONE YEAR FOR MY RECALL TO BE PERFORMED BY MY LOCAL BMW SERVICE CENTER. I RECEIVED A LETTER STATING IT WAS GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IN MAY OF 2016 (LETTER WAS DATED MARCH OF 2016). I DRIVE MY CAR ON A DAILY BASIS AND RUN THE RISK OF INJURY DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE AIRBAG. I WILL NOT ALLOW FAMILY MEMBERS TO DRIVE MY DANGEROUS VEHICLE AND NOW WORRIED I HAVE TO SELL MY CAR. IF I SELL MY CAR I SHALL DIVULGE THAT THERE IS A RECALL BY BMW AND THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. I CANNOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ANYLONGER.

NHTSA ID
10970756
Incident
Jan 1, 2016
Airbags
Filed Dec 13, 2016

TAKATA RECALL - I RECEIVED NOTICE OF MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR BUT THE BMW STILL DOES NOT HAVE THE PART. THIS CAR IS MY DAILY DRIVER AND I DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY TO HAVE A SECOND CAR. I AM DRIVING A CAR THAT IS PUTTING MY LIFE AT RISK. BMW STATES THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH, YET THEY HAVE PLENTY TO SELL MILLIONS OF NEW CARS. I FIND THIS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! MY WIFE'S TOYOTA WAS ALSO RECALLED AND IT TOOK A FEW MONTHS TO GET REPLACED, BUT NOT BMW. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST A CHANGE TO RECALLS WHERE MANUFACTURES WOULD HAVE TO STOP OR REDUCE THE PRODUCTION NUMBERS OF NEW CARS FOR UNTIL ALL RECALLS HAVE BEEN SATISFIED FOR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS RECALLS. MAYBE THEN WE CAN HAVE MANUFACTURES TAKE THE ISSUE SERIOUSLY.

NHTSA ID
10935144
Incident
Feb 2, 2016
Airbags
Filed Dec 9, 2016

TAKATA RECALL HASN'T HAPPENED. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM. I GUESS IF YOU WAIT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO COMPLAIN AFTER IT KILLS US IN AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID
10934034
Incident
Dec 9, 2016
Mileage
65,000 mi
Airbags
Filed May 4, 2016

TAKATA RECALL, REPLACEMENT AIR BAGS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. BMW HAS NO IDEA WHEN THEY WILL BE. THIS IS NOT RIGHT, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DRIVE THIS CAR WITH THIS DEFECT.

NHTSA ID
10863153
Incident
Apr 6, 2016
Airbags
Filed May 4, 2016

TAKATA RECALL HELLO MADAM/ SIR, I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE - 16V-071 REGARDING FAULTY DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAGS IN MY 2009 BMW M3. THE NOTICE (ATTACHED) CLEARLY STATES THAT IN AN EVENT OF AIRBAG GETTING DEPLOYED, THE AIRBAG MIGHT EXPLODE CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.BMW SAYS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION OF WHEN NEW PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. TO AVOID ANY POTENTIAL ISSUE OF SOMETHING HAPPENING, I HAVE BEEN RENTING A CAR FOR A WHILE. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED BMW AND HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL SO FAR TO RECEIVE ANY HELP. BMW TOLD ME THAT BMW DEALERSHIP OF ANN ARBOR WILL CONTACT ME FOR ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AND THEN BMW OF ANN ARBOR TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE NOT SUPPORTING THIS RECALL. I HAVE JUST BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH BMW AND THE DEALERSHIP WITHOUT ANY ASSISTANCE. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DRIVE A VEHICLE WHEN THE RECALL CLEARLY STATES THAT EXPLOSION OF AIRBAG MIGHT EVEN CAUSE DEATH? I CAN'T JUST AFFORD TO CONTINUE RENTING A CAR. ANY HELP FROM NHTSA WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. I AM HAPPY TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. KIND REGARDS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10863062
Incident
Mar 24, 2016
Mileage
47,500 mi
AirbagsInterior & seats
Filed Feb 27, 2016

ERROR MESSAGE: FAULT IN - PASSENGER RESTRAIN SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER, OR BELT FORCE LIMITER. THIS IS CAUSED BY FAULT SEAT MAT SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, WHICH MAY CAUSE THE AIRBAG NOT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID
10838738
Incident
Feb 15, 2016

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 .