2004 BMW X3 seats problems

Filed Jul 25, 2023 · Airbags, Electrical · HI

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.

Filed Nov 24, 2018 · Seats · 78,000 miles · MD · 1 injury

Driver's side seat warmer burned skin and scorched leather seat cover when turned on.

Filed Jan 23, 2018 · Seats · 5 miles · VA

Seat heater on drivers side is burning through. If left on it would burn through clothes and burn skin.

Filed Jan 9, 2018 · Seats · 116,491 miles · OR

Driver's seat heating unit overheats when on high setting, to the point of burning skin through the seat and clothing. Lower left lumbar and seat bottom appear to be impacted. Per service shop, the seat heater grid is broken, causing 40 degree higher temperatures than normal in the left leg area. Ongoing issue, not a single occurrence.

Filed Dec 28, 2016 · Electrical, Seats · 5 miles · MD

Driver's side seat burned through the seat and burned the jacket when the seat heater was turned on while my wife was driving. This is the second time it happened in this car. First time it happened while the car was under warranty, and the dealership (silver spring bmw of md) replaced the seat under warranty. In this case got lucky it did not catch fire or cause any injury to us. This situation easily could have ended up in a car fire. I was stunned to hear how lithely bmw na approach towards my concern when I called to lodge a complaint. At highway speed this could have been a fatal situation due to distraction this burn created worst car on fire.

Filed Feb 17, 2016 · Seats · 109,000 miles · WI · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 bmw x3. While driving 45 MPH, the contact noticed that the heated seats became hotter than normal. The contact pulled over, exited the vehicle, and noticed that the heated seat coils burned holes through the leather seats and the seat covers. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.

Filed Jan 29, 2016 · Seats · 86,003 miles · CA

I turned on my seat heaters to the lowest setting (1out of 3) just as I left work. After about 20 seconds as I drove down the road, I felt a sharp burning through my wool jacket in my left thigh/butt area. I turned it off immediately. When I got home and looked at the seat, it had left a burn area in the leather. After looking at different websites and forums online, it seems to be a very common problem with this model. However, based on owner's comments, the dealers aren't taking responsibility.

Filed Sep 9, 2015 · Seats · 156,000 miles · NY · 1 injury

While I drive my car , I turned on my seat heat , I start feeling burning pain while am driving on highway , the second time when I finished my work and I start my car to head home , I start smelling burning and my leg was burning so bad , I got out of the car , and my seat leather was burning , I saw hole in my seat and the wires inside was burned and smelled terrible , that is safety issue , if it happened while I was driving on highway , I would get in an accident

Filed Feb 24, 2015 · Seats · 144,870 miles · IL · fire

For some time we had to keep the driver side seat heater no higher than "1". At level 2 & 3 it burned you or felt like you were being stuck with something. On the date in question, I drove about 2 miles, went into a store, came back out, started the car, turned the heater on again (level 2 for about 2 seconds then back to level 1. I smelled a strong burning odor, then a smell almost like cigar smoke. Then immediately turned off the heater. The smell subsided within 3-4 minutes. However, it left a black burn mark on the leather seat about the size of a pencil eraser. Obviously, continued use will cause a full out fire rather than just burning the leather.

Filed Feb 19, 2015 · Seats · 98,000 miles · WI · 1 injury

Driver side seat warmer was set on the medium setting, smelled something burning and then started to feel pain in my leg, because the heated seats had melted the leather and burned my pants and my leg.