After having an independent mechanic scan my vehicle with an advanced scan tool, the error that came up was for the "passenger seat occupancy sensor". This fault has caused both the airbag and seatbelt light to reman illuminated continuously. The first time it happened, I had the code reset. But after a person sat in the passenger seat, the error code came back with the same fault code.
2005 BMW 525I airbags problems
22 complaints (63% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 86,000.
- owner complaints
- 22
- of this car's complaints
- 63%
- typical mileage
- 86,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Frontal5
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 525I airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2005 BMW 525I airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
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 525I owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Front passenger seat occupancy sensor has failed. Rear left hand brake/backup light is problematic and intermittently works, usually only shows up on car's dashboard while in reverse, but sometimes will stay on-screen during driving. Front ashtray outlet/cigarette lighter doesn't work.
Passenger restraint system fault.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw 525i. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated independently while being operated at low speeds. The air bag warning indicator and service transmission warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. Updated 02/16/17
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw 525i. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the fault in passenger restraint system displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passenger side air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 08v384000 (air bags). The failure mileage was 115,712. Updated 04/22/16*lj
When the battery was changed in the car, the passenger restraint system failure light came on. The vehicle was not in motion, nor has it been in any kind of wreck. An airbag light and passenger restraint light is now on. Bmw says it is not under recall.
While driving with a passenger, the passenger warning sensor illuminated. An independent mechanic verified that the sensor is bad. I called bmw north america concerning the voluntary recall campaign #08v384000, but they said my specific VIN was not included in this recall that covered my model, manufacture date and this specific issue. The car has not been fixed. Failure mileage was at 94,400 miles.
I own a 2005 bmw 525i. While driving at an unknown speed, the passenger side air bag and passenger side seat belt warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the passenger side occupancy seat sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure which said it was not covered under a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 bmw 525i. While driving at an unknown speed, the passenger side air bag and passenger side seat belt warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the passenger side occupancy seat sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.
The first day I got my brand new 2005 bmw 525i was in december of 2004 and I was driving it and a emergency warning light came on telling me that something was wrong with the transmission, to pull over and have it towed to the nearest bmw dealership. I had to get my brand new car towed back to the dealership where they replaced the transmission. This was only the beginning of a cycle of events that never happened with my honda accord, mercedes, acura, blazer or saturn. My screen lights up like a christmas tree all the time with all kinds of strange warnings that unless you are an engineer might as well be in swahili. I have had a problem with the passenger restraint system failure light staying on and no one can figure that one out. I have had a flat tire light come on (it's on right now) when there is no flat tire. The wood paneling on the passenger's side above the glove compartment has 3 huge cracks that go all the way through it. My glove compartment won't open because the handle broke off. My sunroof cover flies back into the back of the top of the car and gets lost back there and there is no way to reach it. The lighter (which I need for a charger for my phone) malfunctions and the wooden panel cover disappeared into the interior component of the car as I watched helpless leaving a big ugly gaping hole. I am so careful with my car and can't believe this is what I got for $50,000. These are problems that a 1972 volvo might deal with but my 2005 bmw? The repairs and service are outlandishly expensive and to have these problems is simply unacceptable. The front driver floor mat gets stuck under the pedals almost making me wreck! I'm embarrassed with how my brand new bmw has turned into a "ghetto" ride.
Questions about the 2005 BMW 525I airbags
Does the 2005 BMW 525I have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 22 complaints about the airbags of the 2005 BMW 525I, 63% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2005 BMW 525I airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 86,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2005 BMW 525I airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the BMW 525I have bad airbags?
The BMW 525I model years with the most airbags complaints are 2006 (44 complaints), 2004 (33 complaints) and 2007 (25 complaints).
Other 2005 BMW 525I problems
Seat belts 7Seats 6Electrical 4Transmission 4Brakes 1Engine 1Fuel system 1Lights 1Steering 1
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