NHTSA Complaint #10204242 — 2004 BMW 525I

1) WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED, WITH NO PROBLEMS. WHILE TRAVELING, WE GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN WE GOT IN, WE NOTICED THAT A AIRBAG LIGHT AND SEATBELT LIGHT WERE INDICATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL (RED FAULT LIGHTS). SINCE THE VEHICLE HAS THE BMW I-DRIVE WE ALSO NOTICED THE WARNING THAT "THERE IS A MALFUNCTION IN THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM, KEEP SEATBELT FASTENED, AND SEE BMW SERVICE CENTER" OR VERY CLOSE TO THIS. 2) I ASSUME THAT SINCE THERE IS THIS ERROR, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS DISABLED BY THE ECM. PART OF THE REASON FOR BUYING THE VEHICLE WAS FOR ITS SAFETY, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF US NOT HAVING AN AIRBAG AVAILABLE SHOULD THERE BE A CRASH COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. WE ARE LIVING IN GERMANY SUPPORTING THE US, AND AM NOT SURE OF THE RIGHT WAY TO GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED. 3) I TOOK THE CAR TO A BMW DEALER WHO CHARGED ME 31.00EURO DOLLARS TO RETRIEVE THE TROUBLE CODE, AND TELL ME I HAD A BAD PASSENGER SIDE SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR MAT. I ALSO RECEIVED A QUOTE FOR A NEW ONE OF AROUND 720.00 EURO DOLLARS ($1036 US DOLLARS). THE CAR HAD A ONE YEAR WARRANTY FROM THE DEALER, BUT I HAVE NOT YET FOUND OUT IF THEY WILL COVER THIS. SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I THOUGHT THAT BMW WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE. *TR