NHTSA Complaint #11300223 — 2006 BMW Z4

ABOUT 9 YEARS (2015) AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT BEGAN ILLUMINATING CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 55K MILES WHEN ISSUE BEGAN. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN A MINOR OR MAJOR ACCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT DIAGNOSIS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. CONTACTED BMW ABOUT ISSUE, BUT WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY OF THE AIRBAG RECALLS THEY'VE INITIATED. NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BY ME TO DETERMINE ROOT CAUSE AND CONTINUED TO UTILIZE VEHICLE WITH AIR BAG LIGHT ALWAYS ILLUMINATED. IN FEBRUARY 2018, RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BMW REGARDING WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 15 YEARS FOR FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT (OC3) FOR AIR BAG SYSTEM. BELIEVING AIRBAG ISSUE WAS DUE TO OC3 MAT, BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO LOCAL BMW DEALER TO GET REPAIR. BMW DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A "RESTRAINT PASS LOWER BELT UNIT FAULTING" AND NOT OC3 MAT. HAD REPAIR PERFORMED SUCCESSFULLY.