RoadVitals

2005 BMW Z4 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.
9
Latest May 13, 2024
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.
5%
of 190 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.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

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 2005 BMW Z4 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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 May 13, 2024

The passenger air bag suddenly deployed while the car was parked in my driveway, braking the dashboard and the windshield.

NHTSA ID
11588461
Incident
May 12, 2024
Airbags
Filed Aug 13, 2023

Passenger airbag dash deploys while car is parked. It’s deploy from nothing.

NHTSA ID
11538263
Incident
Aug 12, 2023
Airbags
Filed Jun 15, 2020

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. FACTS: VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT RUNNING. KEY WAS NOT IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED NO IMPACT ' NO COLLISION. *TR

NHTSA ID
11328841
Incident
Jun 4, 2020
Airbags
Filed Jan 3, 2019

6/25/18 BMW WORKED ON MY CAR AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM (KNEE AIR BAG R & R , RESISTANCE TOO LOW IN AIRBAG, REPLACED AIRBAG, INTERNAL MODULE FAILURE, SRS B PILLAR RIGHT MODULE) . 12/31/18 AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON CONSISTENTLY WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ID
11165667
Incident
Jan 3, 2019
Mileage
84,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 11, 2018

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON WHEN CAR IS RUNNING.

NHTSA ID
11101072
Incident
Oct 14, 2016
Mileage
45,764 mi
Airbags
Filed Nov 30, 2017
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 BMW Z4. WHILE THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE HYDROPLANED AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITH METAL SHARDS AND A METAL ROD GOING THROUGH THE HAND OF THE DRIVER. THE CONTACT ALSO SUSTAINED MINOR BURNS ON THE HAND AND FEET FROM THE GASES WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS SOUGHT SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

NHTSA ID
11051451
Incident
Jul 17, 2017
Mileage
54,000 mi
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Mar 11, 2015

FIRST THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, I WENT TO HOUSTON MOMENTUM BMW DEALER TO CHECK AND THEY FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY SIGNAL FROM SOMEWHERE THEY WERE NOT SURE ABOUT. THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE FOR THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIND IT AND REPAIR IT. IT WOULD COST MORE IF THEY FOUND OUT THE REAL PROBLEM. I TOLD THEM THIS SHOULD BE UNDER BMW WARRANTY, BUT THEY SAID IT WASN'T. I REFUSED THE WORK. THIS CASE HAPPENED FEW YEARS AGO. NOW I HAVE AIR BAG LIGHT ON, I DON'T KNOW WHY. I DON'T DARE TO GO BACK TO DEALER TO CHECK BECAUSE I'M AFRAID THEY WILL RIP ME OFF AGAIN AND AGAIN. I HOPE ONE DAY I CAN GET RID OF BMW AND FIND A MORE RELIABLE CAR TO DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10693675
Incident
Jan 1, 2011
Airbags
Filed Feb 27, 2014

2005 BMW Z4 ROADSTER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIR BAG SYSTEM ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE RECENTLY DROVE THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM, BMW HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD TO 10 YEARS. THE CONSUMER ASSUMED, THE AIR BAG ISSUE WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, HE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALER, STATING THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM IN THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, WHICH WAS A WIRE, BUT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE DEALER STATED THE COST TO REPLACE THE WIRE WAS $ 1,056.82, PLUS A CHARGE OF $ 141.88 JUST TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID
10566151
Incident
Feb 6, 2014
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Aug 29, 2008

ON AUGUST 7, 2007 I TOOK MY CAR TO STERLING BMW IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA BECAUSE I NOTICED THE AIRBAG MALFUNCTION LIGHTS WERE ON ALONG WITH OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES. AFTER THEY HAD INSPECTED MY VEHICLE FOR THREE DAYS I WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIRBAG/ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE BMW FACTORY WARRANTY, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDED THAT I FILE A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE CARRIER. OBVIOUSLY MY INSURANCE COMPANY DENIED THE CLAIM, BECAUSE AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER LOSS DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR, MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN/FAILURE. IN ADDITION, STERLING BMW CHARGED ME $260.00 FOR THE LOANER CAR THEY PROVIDED FOR THE THREE DAYS WHILE MY CAR WAS BEING INSPECTED. STERLING BMW GAVE ME A VERBAL ESTIMATE OF APPROXIMATELY $10,000.00 IN ADDITIONAL WORK NEEDED TO REPAIR ALL THE ELECTRICAL/AIRBAG ISSUES. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO IRVINE BMW FOR ANOTHER ESTIMATE, THEY ADVISED ME THAT THEY COULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER AFTER THREE DAYS I WAS AGAIN INFORMED THAT THEY THE AIRBAG/ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. I MOVED TO CALIFORNIA ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO AND PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ON FROM EXCALIBUR IMPORTS IN STUDIO CITY, CA ON MARCH 28, 2006. ALTHOUGH MY PREVIOUS VEHICLE WAS A MERCEDES BENZ, I DECIDED TO PURCHASE A BMW AND BENEFIT FROM THE EXTRAORDINARY CUSTOMER SERVICE OF BMW. THIS IS, IN FACT, MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH BMW. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF MY CAR; IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED, AND MAINTAINED BY BMW DEALERS. I HAVE ALWAYS USE PREMIUM GAS TO ENSURE QUALITY OF PERFORMANCE AND MAINTENANCE. TO MY REGRET, I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR FOR OVER A YEAR WITHOUT AIRBAG PROTECTION. THE NATURE OF MY JOB REQUIRES ME TO COMMUTE OVER 100 MILES PER DAY ON THE FREEWAY. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT MY FAMILY AND I ARE EXTREMELY WORRIED ABOUT THE RISKS THAT I AM TAKING BECAUSE OF BMW'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN MY VEHICLE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF THREE AND FIND I AM NOW AFRAID OF DRIVING BECAUSE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN ACID. *TR

NHTSA ID
10240250
Incident
Aug 7, 2007
Mileage
24,994 mi

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 .