NHTSA Complaint #10450469 — 2006 BMW 3 SERIES

WHEN A PASSENGER SITS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THE AIRBAG FAILURE LIGHT ILLUMINATES, THE SEAT BELT LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND REMAINS LIT, AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THIS IS APPARENTLY DUE TO MICRO-CRACKING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION MAT, HOWEVER BMW ONLY INCLUDES A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF AFFECTED CARS IN THE 2008 RECALL. BMW NA REFUSES TO FIX THIS SAFETY DEFECT FOR ALL 2006 BUILD YEAR 330I MODELS WITH SPORT SEATS. THE SAME SEATS WHICH ARE AFFECTED BY THE IDENTICAL ISSUE FOR 2005 BUILD YEAR. IT SEEMS GIVEN THE NUMBER OF CARS AFFECTED BY THE SAME ISSUE THAT THE DEFECT WAS NOT CORRECTED FOR THE 2006 BUILD YEAR. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE PASSENGER AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING IN A COLLISION WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR