NHTSA Complaint #10364971 — 2006 BMW X5

THE VEHICLES SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR IS MALFUNCTIONING FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON WHICH WILL PREVENT FOR PASSENGER AIRBAG TO DEPLOY WHEN IT IS SUPPOSE TO IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, MY VEHICLE IS NOT THAT OLD AND HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED BUT YET THIS ISSUE OCCURRED SINCE ABOUT LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, WHEN SOMEONE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON THAT INDICATES THAT THE AIR BAG IS OFF AND THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AS WELL. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THE MANUFACTURER TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY WITH NO LUCK, THEY WANT OVER A $1000 PLUS TO REPLACE THE SENSOR, MY ISSUE REMAINS UNRESOLVED; I RAN A CHECK FOR THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THAT ALMOST EVERY BMW OWNER EXPERIENCES THE SAME ISSUE AND ALMOST EVERY BMW IN DIFFERENT RANGE OF RECENT YEARS AND DIFFERENT MODELS HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND THIS IS A MASS-PRODUCED MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT HAS GONE UNNOTICED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, IF I HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT MY PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY, THIS ISSUE STILL REMAINS UNRESOLVED AS OF THIS DATE. THIS PROBLEM BEGAN ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS ONLY ABOUT 3 YEARS OLD AND 45000 MILES AND HAS BEEN GETTING WORST WITH TIME, BEFORE IT WAS OCCASIONAL BUT NOW IT IS ALL THE TIME, THE REPAIR WOULD CONSIST OF TAKING THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT OUT AND APART AND REPLACE THE SENSOR-PAD THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE VEHICLES SAFETY SYSTEM COMPUTER PLACED INSIDE THE SEAT PADS, THIS IS NOT AN EASY TASK OR A REPAIR THAT IS ACCESSIBLE. MOST DEFINITELY THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS ITEM. MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CAN FILE A COMPLAINT AND REQUEST RECALLS ON THEIR VEHICLE ISSUES AND THAT IS WHY YOU MAY NOT SEE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. *TR