2004 BMW 530I: airbag warning light

Filed Dec 28, 2016 · Airbags, Electrical · OR

The vehicle airbag system is malfunctioning. There were recalls related to the bmw but my vehicle doesn't appear to be included in this recall when I search by VIN number. I contacted the dealer and they said my vehicle isn't covered. The airbag light and restraint light is on and my head unit says there is a fault in my passenger restraint system.

Filed Jan 5, 2016 · Airbags, Seat belts · OH

Restrain system error message in my radio screen also air bag light came on, this message came on sudendly for no reason, car never envolved in a accident,

Filed Mar 4, 2015 · Airbags, Seats · 124,000 miles · CA

While driving my car, with my wife as a passenger, I've noticed that the "passenger airbag off" light is still on (even though there is a passenger in the seat). I went to the stevens creek bmw dealership to diagnose the issue and they said that the reason the passenger airbag light is on is because the sensor is not sensing a passenger due to cable corrosion. That seems odd, given I keep my car in the garage and it never had any water damage. Also, I believe that it is a poor engineering on bmw's side, since in case of corroded cable or faulty sensor the default behavior should be to always keep the airbag "on". It is better be safe than sorry and (in case of accident) deploying an airbag when there is no passenger is better than not deploying an airbag when there is a passenger... This is a case of "potentially saving someone's life" vs "potentially saving a few dollars"...

Filed Nov 24, 2014 · Airbags, Seat belts · 82,000 miles · VA

My 2004 bmw 530i has both the seatbelt and airbag light on display at all times on my dashboard. These lights on are caused by a faulty front passenger seat occupant detection mat which bmw has an extended warranty on. After dropping my car to the bmw dealership to get this repaired, I was informed my extended warranty expired roughly 2 months prior and I cannot have this work performed under warranty. They charged me $140 for the diagnostics and said I would have to pay $1050 out of pocket to get repaired. I immediately reached out to bmw of north america and informed them of my situation as this occurred while my vehicle was still under warranty. I was hoping they could fix my car in good faith as this is a known issue or even provide me with a discounted repair. Unfortunately two months went by with no response. When I reached out again they said no this is not their headache and I am responsible for all costs and repairs related to this. This is a serious malfunction which I am surprised is not considered a recall. In the safety recall notice it specifically states if both warning lamps are illuminated simultaneously, bmw recommends not to use the front passenger seat until the vehicle has been serviced. Also, the safety recall notice says that the front passenger airbags will not deploy even if a sufficiently severe accident would occur and occupant protection provided by the system will not be possible. Obviously this is a huge safety issue which bmw needs to address. An extended warranty on such a sensitive matter is not sufficient and a recall should be issued.

Filed May 12, 2014 · Airbags · 66,200 miles · CA

The airbag light is on in my car, as well as seat belt light. It appears the after doing some research that the pad in the passenger seat has failed with very low miles, and very little use. All of these cars with these pads in the passenger seats should be replaced under recall. There was a previous recall to reposition the pad or something to avoid cracking, but these safety related parts are clearly junk that were installed when new weather they were reworked, or repositioned in the seat. Bmw should be replacing all these seat sensor pads under recall and soon, many of these cars now have non working airbags due to this issue, and it affects the safety and functionality of the car all together. Model years affected are 2004 2005 2006 2007 at the very least it seams after reading extensively on the issue.

Filed Apr 29, 2014 · Airbags · 87,437 miles · WI

I am writing to see if I can obtain some assistance with a problem I have been having with the safety equipment on my 530i, specifically the passenger side airbag. Early in 2012 I noticed that when my wife sat in the passenger seat the air bag light on the overhead light unit would occasionally come on. It would not stay on for long but would come on and off periodically. I made an appointment with bmw on may 12 to have the issue looked into. The car had 87437 miles on it at this time. They told me there was no problem with the system as no codes were stored for a problem with the airbag. They could not explain why this was occurring. Since this time the frequency of the light coming on has increased. I returned to concours bmw on march 24, 2014 for the same issue. I was told that the air bag may not work and to fix it would cost $1724.00. Bmw said the safety information module was bad.

Filed Dec 26, 2013 · Airbags, Seat belts · 180,000 miles · FL

I am afraid to have anyone sit in my car because the airbag might not work! I work with the united methodist church and I often transport children. Bmw issued the below recall but they did not include my VIN...but I am having the same issue. This is a safety issue!!!!! --------------------------------- statement on voluntary recall involving front passenger seat sensor mat on u.s.a. Model bmws - august 13, 2008 today, bmw announced a voluntary recall regarding the front passenger air bag seat sensor mat involving approximately 200,000 model year 2004-06 vehicles. Affected are certain model year 2006 3-series, model year 2004-06 5-series, and model year 2004-06 x3 vehicles, depending upon seat type. Bmw has found that the sensor mat may become damaged during vehicle usage depending upon the manner and frequency of the front passenger's entry and exit. Bmw will begin sending customer letters in late september 2008. Affected owners may continue to drive their vehicles; however, customers should contact their bmw center if the air bag warning lamp, and the passenger air bag ''on-off'' lamp are illuminated simultaneously. In this situation, bmw recommends customers not to use the front passenger seat and have the vehicle serviced immediately. At the present time, we are unaware of any accidents or injuries as a result of this issue.

Filed Aug 5, 2013 · Airbags · 170,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw 530i. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

Filed Jun 27, 2013 · Airbags · 111,000 miles · GA

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw 530i. The contact stated that the passenger's side front air bag warning light remained illuminated. The dealer advised that the vehicle was not included in the manufacturer's seat mat sensor extended warranty repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 111,000 and the current mileage was 123,000. ...updated 07-24-13

Filed May 17, 2013 · Airbags · 125,000 miles · CA

Turn on car and was warming up when airbag light when on and a error code said faulty passenger airbag restraints.

Filed Mar 7, 2013 · Airbags · 98,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw 530i. The contact stated that the air bag light illuminated constantly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the mat sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 98,000.

Filed Jul 19, 2012 · Airbags · 61,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw 530i. While parked, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The technician stated that the air bag mat sensor would have to be replaced. There was a recall under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 08v384000 (air bags:frontal) that may be related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.