1. The front passenger airbag light is continuously on. 2. Fasten seat belt audible alarm, and fasten seat belt dash light are continuously on when front passenger seat is NOT occupied.
2006 BMW X3 airbags problems
76 complaints (53% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 80,000. 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 76
- of this car's complaints
- 53%
- typical mileage
- 80,000
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Frontal12
- Sensor: occupant classification3
- Sensor: occupant classification: front passenger2
- Frontal: passenger side: inflator module1
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 2006 BMW X3 airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2010 BMW X3 2.5i, X3 3.0i and X3 xDrive30i Sports Activity Vehicles. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if, and how, the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
- Risk
- Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. A second notification letter will be sent when parts are available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑800‑525‑7417.
Recall number 17V605000 · Recall details
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
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 2006 BMW X3 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Dealer states my occupancy detection mat was already reworked, however the original mat is still in the seat and no evidence exists to show what was done to prevent future fatigue of the mat. The date code on the mat is 2005 and the dealer stated it only needed replacing if it showed visible cracking during inspection. They stated it wasn't required to replace it but the date of warranty started from date of inspection.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X3. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the front passenger's side air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V605000 (Air Bags) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
The contact owns a 2006 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the contact rear-ended another vehicle. All the air bags except for the passenger’s side air bag deployed upon impact. The contact suffered a migraine from the collision but did not receive medical attention but planned to go to urgent care afterward. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. Prior to the failure, the dealer serviced the recall under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V605000 (Air Bags). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Faulty clock spring bmw airbag light on horn doesn't work bmw steering wheel buttons don't work, paddle shifter not working, fault code: driver squib circuit open or high resistance, code b1049 and b1054.
The federal safety agency website claims that my vehicle has had an unrepaired recall. The recall is for: front passenger seat occupant detection mat: this safety recall involves the front passenger seat occupant detection mat. Depending on seat configuration and vehicle geometry, the mat can fatigue during field usage 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. If a micro-crack leads to a break of a conductive path, the system will recognize a failure. Consequently, the front passenger air bags with the exception of the head protection system will be deactivated.
Bmw of dallas ,tx said passenger seat sensor mat back ordered, it has been over 6 months. We need to be able to use this seat safely. They said they would call when avail.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw x3. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v605000 (air bags). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Bmw concord (1967 market st, concord, ca 94520, (925) 682-3577) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that the parts were available. While driving various speeds, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer a second time and the air bag mats were replaced; however, the air bag warning indicator illuminated again. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the recall repair was completed; therefore, any further repairs would not be covered. The failure mileage was approximately 127,609. Parts distribution disconnect.
When a person is sitting in the front passenger seat the "passenger airbag off" light comes on and the airbag light shows on the dash like the sensor isn't registering that someone is sitting there, then after a few minutes it goes off again and does this frequently.
On april 15 the vehicle was in a collision with severe front end damage. The tear down estimate was over $10,000. Funny thing was the air bag did not deploy.
Questions about the 2006 BMW X3 airbags
Does the 2006 BMW X3 have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 76 complaints about the airbags of the 2006 BMW X3, 53% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2006 BMW X3 airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 80,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2006 BMW X3 airbags?
Yes, 2 recalls: 17V605000, 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 2006 BMW X3 problems
Seats 42Electrical 13Engine 10Body 5Fuel system 5Acceleration 3Driver assistance 2Lights 2Seat belts 2Brakes 1Transmission 1Visibility 1
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