NHTSA Complaint #10453246 — 2003 BMW X5

STARTING SMELLING A BURNING ODOR IN CAR. SHORTLY AFTER, NOTICED (FELT) A "HOT SPOT" ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT SO I TURNED THE HEATER OFF. I HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE SEAT - THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE LEATHER HAD WORN THEREFORE I WAS FEELING A LITTLE MORE WARMTH IN THAT SPOT (AT THE TIME I TOOK THE CAR IN, I MUST HAVE HAD ONLY 40-50,000 MILES ON IT AS I ONLY PUT AN AVERAGE OF 8,000-10,000 MILES PER YEAR ON THE CAR. IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS TO ME THAT THE LEATHER WOULD WEAR THAT MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM OF SLIGHT BUILD). I ADVISED THAT IT SMELLED LIKE BURNING AND THE SPOT WAS SO HOT THAT IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HEATER; IT WAS SIMPLY ME FEELING MORE HEAT DUE TO THE THINNING LEATHER. SHORTLY AFTER, SINCE THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HEATER, I TRIED IT AGAIN. THIS TIME THOUGH, A HOLE ACTUALLY BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER (ENOUGH THAT I FELT THE BURN). I HAVEN'T USED THE SEAT HEATER SINCE. I'M TOLD THE ENTIRE SEAT BOTTOM MUST BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS ABOUT $2400. THE COST OF THE SEAT IS HIGH AND LABOR IS VERY HIGH SINCE THE ENTIRE SEAT MUST BE TAKEN OUT. *TR