Airbag lamp remians on due to failed passenger seat occupancy detection mat. Honolulu bmw dealer claims recall 08v384000 was performed july 18, 2008- which is the exact same date listed in the recall as bmw's report date to the federal safety agency. The recall campaign and procedure did not get published or begin for nearly a year later. The recall campaign asks that a small sticker be affixed adjacent to the VIN tag- there is no sticker, nor is there evidence of a sticker ever having been there ( I know what it should look like). The vehicle has not been repainted.
2004 BMW X3 airbags problems
32 complaints (23% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 65,000. 6 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 32
- of this car's complaints
- 23%
- typical mileage
- 65,000
- crashes
- 6
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Frontal11
- Frontal: sensor/control module3
- Sensor: occupant classification: front passenger1
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 X3 airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2004 BMW X3 airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
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
What 2004 BMW X3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact ownd a 2004 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, she dozed off behind the wheel when the vehicle crashed into the rear of a tow truck. As a result, the front end of the vehicle was damaged. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained an injury to the head and bodily soreness. Medical attention was required. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard however, the vehicle was then towed to the contact’s residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by an air bag specialist and it was determined that the air bag was not connected. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the air bags failed to deploy due to minimal impact. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number 08V384000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, the contact had not received a response back. The failure mileage was unknown.
The airbag light is on our BMW and my 16 years daughter is driving this car. I cannot believe that BMW did not issue a recall. According to Repair Pal: "What are the symptoms of a bad Air Bag Occupant Sensor? Failing occupant sensors can show one of two symptoms. They may stay on at all times, causing the passenger airbags to stay active even when a passenger is not present. Also, they may not operate at all, which prevents the airbags from activating when a passenger is seated in that seating position. Also, for most systems, the airbag or SRS warning light will illuminate on the instrument cluster, prompting the driver to service the system.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 bmw x3. The contact stated while she fell asleep behind the wheel while driving at unknown speed, the vehicle crashed into a tow truck. The contact stated she pulled over after the impact woke her up. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was towed to a lot and a police report was not filed. The crash was a front end collision. The dealer was not notified of the crash. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The vehicle was previously serviced under the federal safety agency campaign number: 08v384000 (air bags). *dt
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 bmw x3. While the vehicle was stationary in the reverse gear, the vehicle independently accelerated rapidly and crashed into five other vehicles. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck, back, and chest. Medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the crash. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Bmw unable and unwilling to complete recall no. 08v384: front passenger seat occupant detection mat recall and warranty coverage extension. No parts available, parts not on order, bmw USA not ordering parts for recall. No timeline given, told to call back in two months.
The airbag light remains on at all times.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 bmw x3. The contact stated that the front passenger air bag warning light flashed and remained illuminated. The dealer and manufacturer stated that the vehicle was excluded from the federal safety agency campaign number: 08v384000 (air bags). The failure mileage was not available.
The vehicle in front of me came to a stop with a defective brake light, so we were in traffic so I wasn't going more than 5 MPH, so applied the brakes. Unfortunately I still bumped the bumper of the vehicle in front of me which caused the air bag to deploy. When the air bag deployed it caused damage to my arm and face loosening 6 teeth which has since had to be pulled out. There was nothing with the accident that should have caused the windshield to be completely smashed, but it was completely shattered. The emt kept asking me if I hit my head on the windshield and I repeatedly said "no". I can only eat soft food or smoothies now since losing my teeth. I don't remember anything once the air bag deployed leading the emt personnel to feel I lost consciousness. Due to the damage the air bag caused to my vehicle along with accelerating once the air bag hit me in the face casued my vehicle to be a total loss by my insurance adjustor usaa.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw x3. The contact stated that the air bag indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer stated that the front passenger seat sensor needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. Two years later, the contact brought the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 08v384000 (air bags); however it had expired. The contact was never notified. The vehicle was not repaired according to the recall. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Questions about the 2004 BMW X3 airbags
Does the 2004 BMW X3 have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 32 complaints about the airbags of the 2004 BMW X3, 23% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2004 BMW X3 airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 65,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 BMW X3 airbags?
Yes, 1 recall: 08V384000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the BMW X3 have bad airbags?
The BMW X3 model years with the most airbags complaints are 2006 (76 complaints), 2007 (37 complaints) and 2004 (32 complaints).
Other 2004 BMW X3 problems
Seats 33Electrical 18Engine 17Transmission 11Acceleration 8Body 8Visibility 8Fuel system 7Lights 6Steering 5Suspension 5Tires 4Brakes 3Locks 2Wheels 2
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