Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 BMW Z3 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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
MY 1997 BMW Z3 HAD THE AIRBAG LIGHT COME ON 2 YEARS AGO. THE TECHNICIAN SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY THE SEATBELT TENSIONER. HE REPLACED IT AND ALL WAS FINE. IT'S BACK ON AGAIN. IF THIS IS AS COMMON TO THESE MODELS AS I'VE HEARD WHY HASN'T BMW HAD A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS GETTING EXPENSIVE. *TR
THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LOCKS UP MORE OFTEN THAN NORMAL AND AT UN-NEEDED TIMES. THIS CAUSES PAIN TO THE USER WITH THE END RESULT BEING THAT THE USER TENDS TO REMOVE THE SEAT BELT, OR IS FORCED TO SIT THERE IN PAIN WITH THE SEAT BELT ON AND LOCKED UP. *NLM
BOTH SEAT BELTS WILL NOT LATCH PROPERLY. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE DRIVING, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATEED ON THE DASHBOARD, THE AIRBAG SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *AK. CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELT TENSIONER AND HARNESS WAS CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON, THE HOOD SENSOR FOR THE ALARM WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A FAULTY THERMOSTAT THAT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RADIATOR, THE GLOVE BOX WAS REPLACED AND THE SEAT CAME OUT OF PLACE WHEN STOPPING. *YD
AIRBAG LIGHT IN DASBOARD REMAINS ILLUMINATED. SEATBELTS APPEAR TO WORK, BUT I HAVE HAD THE CAR INSPECTED BY 2 DIFFERENT SERVICE SHOPS (DAVE WALTER BMW AND AUTOBAHN - BOTH IN AKRON, OH) AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CAUSE IS A FAULTY SEATBELT LOCK ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT.
AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME IN NOVEMBER 1999. DEALERSHIP ANALYZED THE FAULT ON THEIR COMPUTER AND SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT RECEPTICLE. THIS WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. IN JUNE OF 2001, AIRBAG LITE CAME ON AGAIN. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A SHORT IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT RECEPTACLE. REPLACEMENT COST IS $266.00. I SAID THEY REPLACED THE SAME PART A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. THE SAID THE WARRANTY ON PARTS IS ONE YEAR. I CALLED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA AND REQUESTED HELP WITH THE REPAIR. THEY SAID THE PARTS WARRANTY IS ONE YEAR. I SAID IT'S A MAJOR SAFETY COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE AND ITS BEEN REPLACED ONCE ALREADY. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE PART THEY MANUFACTURE. WITHOUT THE SENSOR IN THE SEATBELT RECEPTACLE FUNCTIONING, THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. THEY REPLIED, PARTS WARRANTY IS ONE YEAR.*AK
THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BELT LOCK PERIODICALLY. YH
SEAT BELT LOCKING DEVICE FAILED, STICKING, NEW UNIT PERFORMS THE SAME. YH
PASSENGER'S SID ESEAT BELT LOCKS UP WHEN EXTENDED OUT ABOUT 8-9 FEET FOR A LARGE PERSON. ONCE LOCKED, IT WILL NOT UNLOCK EVEN WHEN VEHICLE IS AT COMPLETE STOP. *AK
SEAT BELT DESIGN CAUSING BELT TO PULL AND LOCK UP DURING NORMAL OPERATION, CAUSING COMFORT PROBLEMS.
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
Data on this page last refreshed .