NHTSA Complaint #11702674 — 2019 BMW 430I

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the seatbelt, airbag, and occupant detection system in my 2019 BMW 430i. At the time of purchase, the vehicle’s software had not been updated since 2018. Because the software was so outdated, multiple safety-related fault codes did not appear during the dealer’s pre-sale inspection or during initial diagnostic checks. During a later service appointment, the dealership informed me that they were unable to perform accurate diagnostics because the software was old and could interfere with sensor readings. After I paid for the software update, several safety-related codes appeared, including faults connected to the seatbelt/occupant classification system. None of these safety defects were disclosed to me prior to the sale. This raises concern that the vehicle had an existing safety defect at the time of sale, but the outdated software prevented the detection and reporting of these faults. If other vehicles are being sold without current software, this may result in safety-critical issues being hidden from consumers and inspectors. A malfunctioning seatbelt or occupant detection system significantly increases injury risk in a crash. If outdated vehicle software suppresses or fails to display safety-critical faults, consumers may unknowingly be operating unsafe vehicles.