NHTSA Complaint #10810681 — 2007 BMW X3 SAV

THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH SEAT HEATERS. ONE OF THE HEATING ELEMENTS FAILED, OVERHEATED AND BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT SURFACE. IN DOING RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLES. BMW DID DO A RECALL ON THE X5, BUT DOES NOT SHOW A RECALL ON THE X3. ON VARIOUS SITES, THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES WITH OWNERS, SOME WITH THE VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE. I FOUND COMPLAINTS ON THE FOLLOWING SITES; CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, BIMMERFEST.COM AND ARFC.ORG. JUST ON CARCOMPLAINTS, THIS COMPLAINT IS SHOWN 23 TIMES; MADBURY, NH, PORTLAND, OR, WESTFIELD, IN, DERWOOD, MD, TAMPA, FL, ANNAPOLIS, MD, LOUISVILLE, KY, BERGENFIELD, NJ, HOLDERNESS, NH, LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, OH, LAUREL, MD, NOVI, MI, CROMWELL, CT, PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS, HILLSBOROUGH, NC, DALY CITY, CA, ALEXANDRIA, VA, SAGINAW, TX, BETHESDA. MD, PITTSBURG, PA, SELAH, WA. SAME ISSUE WITH EACH. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA WAS CONTACTED AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS "IT'S A PART OF WEAR AND TEAR....NO OFFER TO ASSIST" FROM BMW NA. YET, THE ISSUE HAS CONTINUED TO ARISE AND BMW NA DID REPLACE THE HEATER ELEMENT AND SEAT SURFACE IN SOME INSTANCES, MAKING THE REPLACEMENT A MATTER OF PREFERENCE OR DISCRIMINATION, OR DEALER'S OPINION OF THE CAR OWNER VERSUS CORRECTING THE MANUFACTURING/DESIGN DEFECT PROBLEM. I WOULD REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF NHTSA TO REVIEW THIS MATTER AND PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM HAZARDOUS OVER-HEATING/ FIRE THREATS. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN JUST GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE AND SMELL THE BURNING LEATHER AND TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATING SYSTEM BEFORE A FIRE COULD OCCUR.