2002 BMW 3 Series Air Bags

THE BMW DEALERSHIP IN SAN FRANCISCO KEEPS CANCELLING MY APPOINTMENTS FOR MY AIRBAGS TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE JUNE. THEY CANNOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE TO HELPING ME GET MY AIRBAGS REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2002 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG AND THE ROOF AIR BAG DEPLOYED ERRONEOUSLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF IMPACT MADE WITH THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH TRIGGERED THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR OUR CAR AND FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS IN THE LETTER. THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. TOLD US TO BRING THE CAR IN AT 9:30 AM LAST SATURDAY. WHEN WE GOT THERE, THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED US THAT A POLICY CHANGE OCCURRED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND INSTEAD, THEY WANTED US TO LEAVE THE CAR AFTER THE INSPECTION SO THEY COULD ORDER THE VIN SPECIFIC PART WHICH WOULD MEAN LEAVING OUR CAR DISMANTLED AT THE DEALER FOR A "FEW DAYS". WE DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER CAR AVAILABLE. I ASKED FOR A LOANER VEHICLE; THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T HELP. I TOLD THEM WE NEEDED OUR CAR AND COULD NOT BE WITHOUT FOR THE FEW DAYS THEY REQUIRED. I CALLED CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS FROM THE PARKING LOT AND SHE CALLED BACK TO THE DEALER AND CONFIRMED THAT THE POLICY HAD BEEN CHANGED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO INSPECT THE CAR AND REASSEMBLE IT SO WE COULD USE IT WHILE THEY WAITED FOR THE PART. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT I DIDN'T FEEL SAFE IN THE CAR SINCE SHRAPNEL WAS IN THE AIRBAGS AND HE TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY, NO ONE HAD EVER BEEN INJURED. I AM PRETTY ANGRY ABOUT THE ENTIRE MATTER. BMW'S COMPLIANCE WITH THIS RECALL IS A FARCE. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS. BMW PENSACOLA AND CENTURY BMW GREENVILLE, SC HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AFTER MANY VISITS AND $1000. IN REPAIR CHARGES. BMW PENSACOLA SAID THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO AND WOULD NOT REFUND MY CHARGES. CENTURY BMW WANTED ME TO PAY $775. TO TRY TO CHANGE A COMPUTER PART THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WOULD FIX IT. THEY REFUSE TO SAY IF THE AIRBAGS WILL WORK DURING AN ACCIDENT. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA SAYS IT IS A DEALER PROBLEM.

MY AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. I KNOW SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAS THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR AS I DO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEIR AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AS WELL. I AM AFRAID THAT IF I WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT MY AIR BAG WILL NOT WORK. I FEEL THAT THIS COULD DEFINITELY BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION IN GETTING THIS ISSUE RESOLVED. *TR

TL*THE DRIVER OWNED A 2002 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE WAS FATALLY INJURED AND DIED ON THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 330CI. THE CONTACT STATED SHE CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A TRAILER AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED FROM ITS HOUSING BUT DID NOT INFLATE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BUT WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 325I. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE DEPLOYMENT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000.

ON 12/21/06, I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO-LANE ROAD WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF HIS TRUCK, HIS BACKEND SLID OFF THE ROAD AND WHEN THE BACK TIRES GAINED TRACTION, IT SHOT HIS TRUCK ACROSS HIS LANE AND INTO THE SIDE OF MY CAR WITH THE FRONT OF HIS TRUCK. HIS TRUCK ENDED UP DAMAGING MY CAR DOWN THE ENTIRE DRIVER SIDE (FRONT TO REAR). MY SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. MY SIDE MIRROR CAME THROUGH MY WINDOW AND STRUCK ME IN THE ARM WITH GLASS IMPACTING MY LEFT EAR, EYE AND CHEEK AS WELL AS MY MOUTH. THE COLLISION CENTER CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE COLLISION CENTER WITH $10,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE. *NM

A FRIEND SAT IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT OF MY CAR AND PULLED THE SEAT BELT OUT - A BIT FURTHER THAN NORMAL, BUT NOT THAT FAR (SHE WEIGHS ABOUT 65KG, SO SHE IS NOT OBESE IN ANY WAY). THE AIR BAG LIGHT SUBSEQUENTLY CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ($510) IN ORDER TO REPAIR. THIS WAS DONE AND THE LIGHT WENT "OFF" ONCE MORE - FOR THREE MONTHS. THE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT AS LONG AS THE LIGHT IS ON, THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. I MAINTAIN THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT NEEDS ATTENTION AS IT IMPACTS SAFETY.

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON A STREET THE CONSUMER NOTICED A SMALL POTHOLE AND THE CONSUMER COULD NOT REMEMBER IF SHE STRUCK THE POTHOLE OR NOT. INSTANTLY, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S AIR BAG AS WELL AS THE SIDE/CURTAIN PASSENGER'S AIRBAG PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. THE CONSUMER WAS ON HER WAY TO THE DEALER WHEN THIS OCCURRED TO TRADE IN ON A NEW VEHICLE AND DECIDED TO JOURNEY TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE AIRBAGS PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. THE CONSUMER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, NO VISIBLE DAMAGE OR IMPACT WAS NOTICED. THE DEALER HAS MADE NO CORRECTIONS. THE DEALER WAS AWAITING AN INSPECTION FROM A BMW REPRESENTATIVE. THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY INCIDENT WITH THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYING. *AK

T-BONED AN EIGHTEEN WHEELER GOING 55 MPH AFTER HE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME TO MAKE A LEFT-HAND TURN ON A HIGHWAY. THE AIRBAG OF MY BMW 325I FAILED TO DEPLOY RESULTING IN INJURY.

INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS. I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH (DUE TO RAIN) AND MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. TIRE WAS BLOWN OUT AND THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO BOTTOM OF CAR FROM DEBRIS, BUT IT IS UNCLEAR IF BLOWOUT AND DEBRIS DAMAGE HAPPENED BEFORE OR AFTER AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. EITHER WAY, THERE WAS NO IMPACT WITH ANY OBJECT THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS DEPLOYMENT. MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR NEARLY 4 WEEKS NOW AND IT SHOULD HAVE ONLY NEEDED A TIRE REPLACEMENT. ANY OTHER DAMAGES COULD HAVE BEEN FIXED IN MY OWN TIME, BUT CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE B/C OF AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AND REPAIR COSTS ARE VERY HIGH. *NM

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH DRIVER RAN OVER PIECES OF DEBRIS ON THE HIGHWAY AND BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS WENT OFF INADVERTENTLY. DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD AND BACK INJURIES , AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. *AK

RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED SEVERE EYE INJURY AS A RESULT OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE RIGHT FRONT AIRBAG IN A CRASH. PASSENGER SUFFERS PARTIAL BLINDNESS. UNDERGONE SEVERAL SURGERIES. PASSENGER WAS FEMALE AND SMALLER IN STATURE. *JB

THE CONSUMER REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT AN ESTIMATED SPEED OF 5 MPH. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO BODY DAMAGE TO EITHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER WAS INJURED DUE TO THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, CONSUMER HIT AN 80 POUND PIECE OF IRON THAT WAS LYING IN THE ROAD, WHICH RESULTED IN 2 BLOWN TIRES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT AND REAR, BOTH RIMS BENT, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND PULL OVER, CONSUMERS CONCERN IS THAT THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR AIR BAG DEPLOYED EVEN THOUGH THE IMPACT WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, CONSUMERS WIFE SUFFERED A BRUISE FROM THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG, THERE IS ALSO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.*JB