Vehicle front passenger seat sensor mat (SRS) failure. 2nd time this safety related sensor has failed. First time dealership replaced under warranty. Dealership wants to charge for replacement now. This is a safety related item and it has failed for the second time. I have researched and found that same item has been recalled for prior models and years. I believe this item shall be recalled.
BMW 528I airbag light comes on
10 of the 833 owner complaints about the BMW 528I describe airbag warning light, most of them for the 1998 model year.
- owner complaints
- 10
- worst model year
- 1998
- typical mileage
- 78,000
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20131
- 20111
- 20081
- 19991
- 19985
- 19971
Often reported together
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 bmw 528i. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated five years ago. The contact attempted to use a code reader to diagnose the defect, but no code was discovered. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 bmw 528i. When starting the vehicle, the air bag indicator illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bags failed. The manufacturer stated that there were no air bag recalls for the vehicle. The failure mileage was 75,000. Updated 09/27/17*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 bmw 528i. When the vehicle was turned on, the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. The contact also stated that the driver restraint system malfunction warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to produce a fault code or duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
My airbag light on dash turned on. I read there was a recall on this. Is this true?
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 bmw 528i. The contact stated that after engine start up, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer confirmed that the air bag sensors needed to be reset. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 93,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 bmw 528i. Upon purchasing the vehicle in january of 2006, the contact was informed of issues with the air bag sensor that had been repaired. Sometime later, the SRS air bag warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed that there was an issue with the seat belt system, which was related to the air bag indicator illuminating. The failure was caused by either a defect in the seat belt buckle, tensioner, control module, or wiring harness. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer for repairs. The manufacturer could not assist because there were no recalls for the failure. The air bag indicator continued to illuminate. The dealer sliced and rigged the wiring for the air bag indicator so that it would no longer illuminate. A different authorized dealer stated that the damage to the wiring would cost more to replace than the actual cost of the vehicle. The contact was concerned if the air bags would work properly at the appropriate time. The failure mileage was 62,000 and current mileage was 100,100.
98 528i, airbag light flashed and remained illuminated. Repair made by bmw dealer as per tsb 61-2000. Defective wiring harness. Repair bypassed original configuration. Dealer and bmw n/a declined to cover repair although acknowledging defect in the wiring harness. Stated that there hasn't been a recall even though they have clearly identified a defect in the harness as outlined in the service bulletin 61-20-00 from 2003.
The steering wheel intermittently moves up and down on its own while driving. In addition, the brake lights stay on constantly and the air bag indicator light on the dash comes on intermittently.
Air bag light came on while driving. This occurred because the rear passenger side airbag sensor module malfunctioned. The part was replaced, but the problem recurred.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2015 6 Series Gran Coupe, 2014 5 Series Gran Turismo, 2014 5 Series Sedan, 2015 6 Series Convertible, 2015 6 Series Coupe, 2014 X5, 2013-2014 X3, 2014-2015 3 Series Sedan, 2014 4 Series Coupe, 2014 4 Series Convertible, 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo, and 2015 4 Series Gran Coupe vehicles. Please see the recall report for the complete list of models. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury or death.
- Remedy
- The driver's front air bag will be replaced, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 24V527000 · Recall details
Air bags
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mini 4-Door Cooper, Cooper S, Mini 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and 2016 BMW 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, M5 and 535d vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat- mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.
- Risk
- If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 16V914000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2011 BMW 528i, 528xi, 535i, 535xi, 550i and 550xi vehicles manufactured March 1, 2010, through August 31, 2011. The affected vehicles may have received a replacement Sensor Cluster Unit (SCU) during a service visit. These SCUs have an acceleration sensor that may have been incorrectly programmed and, as a result, the SCU may not accurately determine if activation and deployment of the air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and head restraints is necessary in the event of a crash.
- Risk
- Depending on the severity of the crash, inadequate activation of the driver and/or passenger air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners and active head restraints may increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the SCU, free of charge. The recall began on December 16, 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 16V832000 · Recall details
Questions about the BMW 528I airbag light
Why does the airbag light come on in the BMW 528I?
Owners who report it most often also describe seat belt won't latch or retract.
Which BMW 528I years have airbag warning light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1998 (5 complaints), 1997 (1 complaints) and 1999 (1 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used BMW 528I?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history