On the morning of 3/18/2015 at 8 am. I started the car and received a passenger restraint system warning on the display. The car was parked in the garage.
2005 BMW 5 Series airbags problems
10 complaints (48% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 72,025.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 48%
- typical mileage
- 72,025
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Frontal2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
BMW 5 Series airbags problems in other years
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Bmw is recalling 200,000 my 2006 3 series sport seat, my 2004-2006 5 series standard and sport seat, and my 2004-2006 x3 passenger vehicles. Depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit, small cracks have developed in the mat. If this occurs, the front passenger air bags, with the exception of the head protection system, will be deactivated and the air bag warning lamp as well as the passenger air bag "on-off" lamp will be illuminated.
- Risk
- In this situation the front passenger air bags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system would not be possible.
- Remedy
- Dealers will rework the front passenger seat sensor mat so that external force application to the seat does not cause a crack to the mat. The recall began on november 6, 2008. Bmw will also extend the warranty on these vehicles to 10 years from first registration without any mileage limit. Owners may contact bmw at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 08V384000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Bmw airbag light illumination
Bmw is conducting a safety recall campaign on approximately 200,000 my04 through my06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05 to correct the front passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat. The specific vehicles included in the recall aremy04- 06/ 5-series with standard and sport seats, my04-06/ x3-series and my06/ 3-series with sport seats. In addition, bmw will extend the warranty coverage of the passenger seat air bag occupant detection mat to 10-year/unlimited mileage on approximately 120,000 remaining my04-06 subject vehicles built through 11/30/05. The specific vehicles included in the extended warranty are my 06/ 6 series, my 06/ 3-series with standard seats, my04-05/ z4, my04-06/ 7 series, my 06/ x5, and my04-06/ 5-series with comfort seats.the average frequency of failures among the extended warranty groups was less than 1/7th of the recall vehicle groups.please see bmw's 08v‑384 recall notification for further detailsdepending on seat configuration and vehicle geometry, the occupant detection mat can fatigue during use depending on the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit.specifically, over time, micro-cracks could develop in the side flanks of the mat causing a broken circuit.a brokencircuit can lead to the deactivation of the passenger air bag and the illumination of both the air bag warning light and the passenger air bag light.
EA08001
Bmw airbag light illumination
In certain my 2005 through my 2006 bmw vehicles, the occupant classification system (ocs) for the passenger frontal airbag may malfunction and render the passenger airbag inoperative.in june 2006, bmw issued a technical service bulletin (si b 72 02 06) regarding the illumination of the airbag warning light and the passenger airbag status lamp.illumination of these lights warn that an open electrical circuit may be present within the passenger seat mat sensor.when both of the lights are illuminated, the passenger frontal air bag will not deploy in a frontal crash.certain bmw vehicles in addition to the subject vehicles contain the same seat mat sensor.these are the my 2004 5-series, 7-series and x3, the my 2004 through 2006z-4 series and my 2006 3-series, 6-series and x5 vehicles.an improved seat mat sensor was introduced in december 2005 for the mid-my 2006 production.in response to odi's information request letter, bmw provided 1,172 owner reports and 28,238 warranty claims.initial review of the data indicate that 280 non-duplicating owner reports and 13,051 non-duplicating warranty claims may be related the subject defect issue on the subject vehiclesthis preliminary evaluation is being upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea08-001).
PE07045
What 2005 BMW 5 Series owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 bmw 5-series. The contact stated that the air bag and seat belt warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the front passenger seat sensor mat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 08v384000 (air bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 71,000.
Hello, I've got an airbag light on the dashboard about two months ago on my bmw e60 530i 2005. The board computer it says: "passenger restraint system" malfunction. I went to the dealer in vegas and he took the light off, after one week it came out again. I'm wondering about myself safety and my passengers as well. I'm asking you to help me to fix that problem as sooner as possible. Thank you
2005 bmw 525i. Passenger seat air bag malfunction light illuminated. Took vehicle to independent mechanic for diagnosis. Conclusion from mechanic was that passenger air bag seat mat was broken per the federal safety agency action number ea08001. Took vehicle to irvine bmw for repair under extended seat mat warranty. Irvine bmw said that passenger seat mat did not cause malfunction. Repairs would cost $1,075. Repairs were declined because independent mechanic would charge $400. Irvine bmw charged a $170 diagnosis fee.
Same issue as every other 2005 530i owner has had. My battery was low and needed replaced and after a new battery was purchased and installed the fault light came on the I-drive system for the airbag. Bmw dealer refuses to do anything about it as my vehicle is not included in the recall.. I don't understand why when there are numerous complaints on a faulty system why this should not be repaired, obviously they know that the issue is there but do not want to spend the money to fix their issue. So much for the german engineered ultimate driving machine. With all of the technology comes all of the issues it would be nice to see a manufacturer stand behind their car for a change.......if I failed to make a payment they would have surely repossessed it......funny how we cannot get something from them when they fail.
On 12/5/2011 - when I started the car, I noticed the message on my dashboard indicating a fault on passenger restraint system. There was not any incident that I can recall that would result in the error message. After further research, I discovered that the error message was a common fault on these type of cars due to a faulty mat sensor located under the front passenger seat. I also found out that there was a recall for some bmw cars of the same model (dependent of VIN). My husband immediately called bmw of fremont (northern ca) to inquire about the recall and I was told by the service advisor that he was not aware of such recall. I use this car daily to drop off our kids to school. I honestly think the issue really poses a serious threat on my kids safety since there is a high possibility that the air bags will not deploy in case of an accident. Lastly, I also think that bmw na should fix this issue free of charge since it is becoming to be a common problem to bmw cars (especially the model series that I have). It would be greatly appreciated if you can assist me resolve the issue with bmw na.
While driving with my family over the weekend, I noticed the passenger air bag and seat belt light illuminate on the dash. The idrive stated there was a malfunction in the pass air bag. I took my car to the nearest dealer the next morning after finding that this is an ongoing/ common issue with the 5 series. But what I don't get is why is my vehicles VIN not included?? It's obvious this is a defect with the production of these vehicles so why should myself or any other owner be responsible for this expensive repair? Why are there only certain vehicles included? Then I find out that if I'm in a crash, my passenger will not be protected!! This is not fair to owners and bmw should be held fully responsible. Another thing I don't understand is that I have a recall on the battery cables and that's covered! I read online that certain vehicles depending on the production date (thru 11/2005) are covered under the airbag recall. Well my bmw was manufactured in 11/2004! Again, I don't understand why my VIN isn't covered. Not fair!! Please help.....
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw 5 series. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the sensor pressure mat on the passenger side seat was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 34,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 bmw 5 series. The frontal air bag lights remained illuminated at all times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer previously and was repaired. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in the recall and the warranty was not valid. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure and current mileages were 78,000.
The passenger side "airbag is deactivated" lamp stays on constantly and the warning lamp on the communication system tells me I have a fault in the passenger side airbag. I was told by a bmw rep that this would be a safety recall eventually if I wanted to wait or I could pay $1400 now out of pocket and have it fixed. The bmw rep told me just not to let anyone ride in the front seat with me. That is very awkward as I am in sales and occassionally must transport customers.
Questions about the 2005 BMW 5 Series airbags
Does the 2005 BMW 5 Series have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the airbags of the 2005 BMW 5 Series, 48% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2005 BMW 5 Series airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 72,025 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2005 BMW 5 Series airbags?
Yes, 1 recall: 08V384000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the BMW 5 Series have bad airbags?
The BMW 5 Series model years with the most airbags complaints are 2006 (36 complaints), 2004 (29 complaints) and 2005 (10 complaints).
Other 2005 BMW 5 Series problems
Electrical 4Brakes 3Transmission 2Locks 1Seat belts 1Seats 1Steering 1Suspension 1Tires 1Visibility 1
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