2006 BMW 3 Series Air Bags
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND MAKING A U- TURN WHEN A SECOND VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V564000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE AIR BAG FAILURE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED WITH AND WITHOUT A PERSON OCCUPYING THE SEAT. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 149,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 151,100. UPDATED 8/14/14*CN UPDATED 8/26/2014 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. DR
PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING AND THE SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT IS COMING UP WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 13V564000 (AIR BAGS). THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330I. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V564000 (AIR BAGS) IN JANUARY. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED IN MARCH. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND WAS EXPERIENCING THE DEFECT LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
THE IDRIVE CONTROL PANEL IS SHOWING AN ALERT THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG HAS FAILED. I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAY MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V564000 (AIR BAGS) EVEN THOUGH THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM MATCHES MY PROBLEM EXACTLY. I HAVE A 2006 BMW 325XI WITH STANDARD SEATS AND ACCORDING TO 13V564000 I SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. BMW IS TELLING ME I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 330XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE SENSOR INDICATED THAT THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND TO PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 9/4/14*CN
TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED IN THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAY BE DEFECTIVE. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAG). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN AN OCCUPANT WAS PRESENT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT. ADDITIONALLY, THE SEAT BELT WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 13V564000 (AIR BAGS), HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,500.
SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THAT BY AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT FLICKERING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. AT THIS SAME TIME THE OVERHEAD LIGHT PASSENGER AIRBAG DISABLED WOULD FLICKER OFF AND ON. SINCE THEN IT IS CURRENTLY ON THE WHOLE TIME, EVEN IF SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THUS MY PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT. I READ THIS RECALL AND ASSUMED THAT MY CAR WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL SINCE THE RECALL LISTS MY MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR AS BEING COVERED. HOWEVER, THE WHEN I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THAT MY VIN IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. SO I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE RECALL LISTS MY MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR AS BEING COVERED (PLUS I HAVE THE EXACT FAULTS LISTED AS TO WHY THIS RECALL IS OCCURRING) BUT THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT THEIR RECORDS SHOW I AM NOT COVERED. I DO NOT BELIEVE BMW IS BEING HONEST ABOUT ALL THE CARS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. *TT
BMW 2006 325I . DRIVER'S AND/OR FRONT PASSENGER'S AIRBAGS MALFUNCTIONING LIGHT IN RED I HAVE CONTACTED PERFORMANCE BMW(919-942-3191) IN CHAPEL HILL, NC WHO STATES MY VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL. I HAVE ASKED THE SERVICE PERSON THAT I SPOKE WITH (MONICA) TO HELP WITH CONTACTING BMW AND THEY REFUSED, STATING THEY DID HAVE THE PHONE NUMBER. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT BMW USA PLEASE INCLUDE MY VEHICLE IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE SAFETY THAT IS INVOLVED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING IF THE VEHICLE WERE TO BE HIT OR INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 COMPONENT(S): AIR BAGS POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 76,565 MANUFACTURER: BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM I'M MY BMW FAILED TO WORK AND HAD NUMEROUS REPAIRS MADE. AIRBAGS STILL DISABLED, BMW WON'T FIX THE ISSUE. *TR
STARTED CAR APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS AGO AND THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL BMW DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A DEFECTIVE SEAT SENSOR. WHILE THE CURRENT RECALL DESCRIBES THE SAME ISSUES, THE VIN # WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL. THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED UNDER THIS CAMPAIGN . *TR
MY VEHICLE APPEARS TO BE PART OF RECALL ON MAT SENSOR FOR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEFECT, BUT WHEN I CALLED DEALER THEY SAID MY VIN # NOT IN RECALL.. HOWEVER, I HAVE HAD A WARNING MESSAGE THAT MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG AND OR MY SEAT BELT TENSIONER WERE MALFUNCTIONING SINCE LAST JUNE, 2013.. WARNING IS STILL PRESENT, SO I FIGURE MY CAR MUST BE ONE THAT IS IN FACT EFFECTED AND SHOULD BE IN THE RECALL.. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR
RECALL SUBJECT: FRONT SEAT OCCUPANT PROTECTION MAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 COMPONENT(S): AIR BAGS I WENT TO THE LOCAL BMW SHOP TO HAVE THEM CHECK WHY MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. THEY CHECKED A LIST OF SOME SORT IN THEIR SYSTEM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR (A 2006 BMW 325I) SHOULD BE RECALLED AND BROUGHT IN TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. THEY ADVISED ME TO CONTACT BMW NORTH AMERICA REGARDING A POSSIBLE RECALL FOR MY BMW. I CONTACTED BMW OF NORTH AMERICA LLC AND THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS THE SECOND OWNER AND HAD NOT BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A BMW DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THAT IS WHY I HAD NOT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR MY CAR. THEY ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) TO HELP OBTAIN A RECALL NOTICE. INFORMATION FROM A PUBLISHED SOURCE STATES THAT A CONSEQUENCE OF THE DEFECT IS, SHOULD THE SYSTEM FAIL, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG WOULD BE DEACTIVATED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY. I NEED AND ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING A RECALL LETTER FROM BMW. THANK YOU,
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325I. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 13V564000 (AIR BAG) WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE MAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND THAT IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. COST WAS OVER $1,100 PLUS TAX. I NOW SEE THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR 2006 325XI MODELS WITH SPORT SEATS -- MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE SPORT SEATS, BUT HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THAT ALL MODELS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 325XI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS SPORADICALLY ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG WOULD NOT ACTIVATE WHEN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V564000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT IN THE EVEN OF A CRASH, THE AIR BAGS WOULD POSSIBLY NOT DEPLOY. THE MANUFACTURE CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AND DECLINED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 3 SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING FOR THREE WEEKS. THERE WAS A RECALL NOTIFICATION RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V384000(AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. IT WAS NOT CONFIRMED IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114, 000. ,,UPDATED 04-23-14 *BF
FAULT LIGHT FOR AIR BAG & SEATBELT ON DASH LGHTED, HAD SCAN DONE IT SHOWS A FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE THE AIR BAG FOR THE PASSENGER IS NOT WORKING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW 3 SERIES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 13V564000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE SERVICED UNDER THE RECALL DUE TO THE UNAVAILABILITY OF THE PART. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPECTED DATE FOR THE PART TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 05/19/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST TIME THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WAS IN 2009. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSED ACKNOWLEDGE A SAFETY ISSUE. PASSENGERS HAVE NOT BEEN PERMITTED TO RIDE IN THE FRONT SEATING AREA. UPDATED 05/28/2014 *JS
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2006 BMW 3 Series has 495 Air Bags complaints on file. 9 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.