10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
65,635 miles

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problem #66

Sep 012011

330

  • 60,000 miles
The air bag and passenger seat belt restraint warning lamps illuminated randomly. Now both lamps remain on continually when vehicle is on. The overhead light indicating that the passenger air bag is off is also illuminated. This is a known safety recall for other BMW vehicles. However, according to BMW of North America my particular VIN is not part of the recall. Now, when I am driving with a passenger I am putting their lives at risk because of this defect.

- Bremen, IN, USA

problem #65

Sep 012011

330 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
The airbag warning lamp came on and stayed on. At the same time the overhead warning light came on indicating that the passenger side airbag was deactivated. These warning lights have been on continually for over a year. There has been a recall for this situation for other 2006 BMW 3-series but according to BMW my VIN is not part of the recall as of 11/20/2012L. I find it hard to believe that my car being affected by this known issue is just a coincidence.

- Bremen, IN, USA

problem #64

Nov 012012

330 6-cyl

  • 58,040 miles
My airbag light kept beeping at me every few minutes. It did not matter whether I had a passenger or not. I looked the issue up online and came across a recall that my car was known for. The mat under the passenger seat had malfunctioned and kept throwing off my airbag light. This would not allow my airbag to deploy in an accident.I was notified that the fix was going to be $$$. I had to have it fixed since its my only car and needed it in working order. BMW was contacted 3 different times about my problem and they acknowledged that it infact was a recall but all 3 times they said my VIN number did not qualify. When will my car qualify? I just spent 900 dollars to get the issue fixed and would like to be reimbursed.

- Pasco, WA, USA

problem #63

Mar 162011

330 6-cyl

  • 82,000 miles
My passenger airbag sensor light went off, and after running $125 worth of diagnostics, BMW determined that my front passenger seat occupant detection mat, has failed and it would cost $987 to repair. After looking online I found that there was a recall on this part for 2006 3 series, however for some reason my VIN number was not included in the recall. I have the exact same part number installed in my car as the recalled part number, however by some glitch, my car is not covered since it is VIN specific, and not year/model specific. This is incredibly disheartening, and my passenger's safety are in jeopardy due to a VIN# loophole. I looked online and there is a flood of people with the same issue on the same vehicle, not covered due to a crafty loophole.

- Clemmons, NC, USA

problem #62

Nov 012012

330 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
To whom it may concern, my passenger airbag sensor light and passenger seat belt light came on unexpectedly while driving. After doing a bit of research on the internet I found that there was a similar issue others were having with the same model car 2006 BMW 325I sedan E90 series and there is an ongoing recall 08V384000. So I decided to contact my local BMW dealership to see if my car was covered in the recall they said no and quoted me a price of well over 1400 dollars to fix. I have since found out that in the event of a collision that my passenger airbag will not deploy. After, further research I feel that my model is also an affected in this recall (08V384000). I hope that this submission will not fall on deaf ears. I am doing this for all the others like me affected by this issue and demand service to fix a known safety issue for us and for our passengers. Regards

- Saugus , CA, USA

problem #61

Oct 012011

330

  • 75,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330I. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle, the air bag warning light erroneously illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the issue and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 08V384000 (air bags:frontal). The failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 125,000.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #60

Oct 312012

330 6-cyl

  • 61,500 miles
Air bag warning lamp and passenger air bag "on-off" light remains on. According to an nbc news story on 8/13/2008, the NHTSA opened an investigation into this and BMW later announced recall of the 2006 3-series BMW for this problem. When I contacted BMW regarding this exact same problem in my 2006 BMW 330I, they say it is not included in the recall. I took the car to the BMW dealer, and they verified the problem (faulty seat occupancy detector) but said they would charge me $1,090 to fix it.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #59

Oct 022012

330 6-cyl

  • 135,000 miles
The passenger occupancy mat sensor is faulty.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #58

Sep 212012

330

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 3 series. While parked, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000 (air bags:frontal) that could have been related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised that the VIN was not included in the recall campaign. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Vernon, NY, USA

problem #57

Mar 012012

330

  • 118,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330 xi. The contact stated that while the front passenger seat was occupied, the air bag warning light illuminated erroneously. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the weight sensor for the front passenger seat had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000 (air bags:frontal). The failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage was 125,000. The VIN was not available.

- Creston, IA, USA

problem #56

Oct 102012

330 6-cyl

  • 86,000 miles
Sitting in parking lot, engine off, key in ign (listening to radio). Air-bag warning lamp lights and has been on steady ever since. Passenger air bag disabled indicator also on. Called dealer to make appointment. I inquired about the recall and service advisor says no active recalls on my car. Seems that this is the exact fault identified in NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000. This car has the "sport seats" which are specifically identified in the recall.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #55

Jul 152012

330 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330I. The contact stated that while parked the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The light remained on constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnose that the air bag sensor in the front passenger side seat needed to be replaced. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000 (air bags: Frontal) that may be related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000..updated 11/05/12 updated 11/07/2012

- Odenton, MD, USA

problem #54

Oct 012012

330 6-cyl

  • 69,000 miles
I am the 2nd owner of my 2006 BMW 3 series. I've driven it for about 4 months and one day I go to start my car to go to work and I noticed that the air bag indicator came on and it says passenger restraint malfunction. I have no idea why or what caused this!? I don't mess with my car, it just randomly did it once I tried to start it.'ve done some research and I seen an article from nbc news that says "BMW ag said Wednesday it was recalling 200,000 vehicles over concerns that the front passenger air bag may not deploy in a crash." Now that really concerns me! I need to get this fixed as soon as possible. Please help!

- Yuba City, CA, USA

problem #53

Sep 052012

330 6-cyl

  • miles
A warning indicator light came on telling me that the passenger restraint system was malfunctioning. At first it was occasional. Now the warning is on every time I get in the car with or without a passenger. I would like to have the car included in recall 08V384000.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #52

Aug 172012

330 6-cyl

  • 97,500 miles
The two issues are (1) airbag malfunction and (2) steering wheel malfunction. (1) the first issue occurred while I was driving on ca I-80 towards berkley from davis on 8/17/2012. As I was driving, the car displayed a notification that the passenger air bag was experiencing a problem and shut off. There was a passenger in the car. As of this date, the airbag is still shut off. (2) the second issue occurred while I was driving on ca I-280 from burlingame towards millbrae on 8/30/2012. As I was driving, I noticed a steering wheel lock notification. Luckily, I was at my exit and near home so I drove slowly home. After turning the car off, the steering wheel locked up. Restarting and turning the car off causes the steering wheel to randomly lock/unlock. I have not driven the car after the incident.

- Millbrae, CA, USA

problem #51

Nov 012011

330 6-cyl

  • 95,000 miles
Randomly while there is either weight from a bag or a person in the front passenger seat, the seatbelt light will appear on the dash and the passenger airbag off light will light up on the roof. This tells me that the airbag will not deploy even though there is someone in the seat in the event of an accident.

- Paducah, KY, USA

problem #50

Jun 202012

330

  • 110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330I. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning lamp illuminated with the passenger seat occupied. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 115,000.

- Edmond , OK, USA

problem #49

Jul 262012

330 6-cyl

  • 86,000 miles
For the listed 2006 BMW E90 330I, the following error message was displayed in the idrive interface. "pass. Restraint system: Fault in passenger-restraint system affecting airbag, belt tensioner or belt-force limiter. Restraint system malfunction!" the failure occurred with nothing occupying the passenger seat while travelling approximately 35 mph. The seatbelt, airbag, and passenger airbag warning lights remain illuminated with and without a person occupying the passenger seat and cannot be cleared. BMW was contacted and stated the VIN did not qualify for a recall of NHTSA campaign id number 08V384000 (air bags: Frontal). The vehicle has not been repaired. This defect causes a severe safety risk due to possible seatbelt and airbag system failures resulting in potential fatality. Since the make, model, year, and equipment match the recall specifications; this vehicle should be included in the recall and repaired at no cost to the owner. The mileage at which the failure occurred and current mileage are approximately 86,000.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #48

Jul 012012

330 6-cyl

  • 93,000 miles
Passenger seat occupant sensor fault.

- Bay Minette, AL, USA

problem #47

Aug 112011

330

  • 108,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330xi. The contact stated that while driving 42 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer replaced the mat in the passenger seat and the connectors. After the repair the light illuminated the following day. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who advised that the connectors were bent after previously stating that they had replaced them. The dealer then replaced the connectors. Eight months later the air bag warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the failure was caused by a fuse which needed to be replaced. After the repairs, the contact drove 10 miles and the light illuminated again. The dealer then advised that the failure was caused by the control module. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 108,000 and the current mileage was 125,000.

- Lakeville, MN, USA

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