2004 BMW 7 Series Seats

ON JULY 15, 2015, I WAS DRIVING ON FAR LEFT LANE OF HIGHWAY 65 HEADED TOWARD I80 TO SACRAMENTO WHEN I STARTED SMELLING HAIR BURNING AND FELT INTENSE HEAT ON MY LOWER BACK WHICH WAS PRESSING AGAINST THE DRIVER SEAT BACK. QUICKLY SMOKE STARTED COMING UP BETWEEN BY LEFT ARM AND ACROSS MY BODY. I WAS UNSURE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING SO ATTEMPTED TO MOVE ACROSS HIGHWAY TO FAR RIGHT LANE PULL OVER ONTO HIGHWAY SHOULDER. AS SOON AS I COULD, I PARKED THE CAR JUMPED OUT OF THE DRIVER SEAT AND SAW THE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK, I GRABBED MY BOTTLE OF WATER AND POURED IT ONTO THE SEAT WHERE AN APPARENT HOLE HAD BURNED THRU. WHEN SAFE, DROVE HOME AND CALLED BMW DEALERSHIP IN ROSEVILLE, CA TO REPORT THE INCIDENT. THE CAR WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON 7/16. THEY HAVE REPORTED IT AS A FAULTY HEATING MECHANISM TO BMW CORPORATE OFFICE. HOWEVER, THERE IS YET NO RESPONSE FROM CORPORATE AND NO RESOLUTION. BMW CORPORATE APPEARS TO BE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE US/OWNERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS. IT HAS BEEN 22 DAYS SINCE THE INCIDENT AND DESPITE MULTIPLE CALLS, EMAILS AND COMMUNICATIONS, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS THE FAULTY HEATING MECHANISM. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GET ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. BY THE GRACE OF GOD MY WIFE WAS NOT DRIVING AND I WAS ABLE TO GET ACROSS THE FREEWAY SAFELY BEFORE ANY HARM OR DAMAGE WAS DONE. WE DON'T WANT OTHERS TO SUFFER ANY CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE OF FURTHER DELAYS AND LACK OF ATTENTION TO THIS CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE.

I STARTED MY BMW 745I TO WARM IT UP ALONG WITH THE HEATED SEATS. CAME OUT OF MY HOUSE THREE MINUTES LATER TO LEAVE AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. I LOOKED AROUND BUT DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING OUTRIGHT OBVIOUS. I STARTED TO DRIVE AWAY WHEN I FELT BURNING SENSATION TO MY LEFT SIDE. I TURNED TO LOOK AND SAW THAT SEAT HEATER WAS BURNING THROUGH THE LEATHER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BACK OF THE SEAT. I MADE LEFT A MESSAGE WITH A SERVICE REP AT "NEW COUNTRY BMW" OF HARTFORD,CT WITH NO RETURN CALL WITHIN 24 HOURS AS THERE ANSWERING SERVICE PROMISES. I THEN BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO "NEW COUNTRY BMW" OF HARTFORD, CT WHERE THE SERVICE REP TOLD MYSELF HE HAD "NEVER HEARD OF THERE BEING A SEAT HEATER RECALL". *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 745LI. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHICH INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE OCCUPANT DETENTION SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE DETENTION SYSTEM WAS RESET; HOWEVER, THE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PURCHASING THE REPAIR PART THAT WILL PROGRAM THE COMPUTER. RECALL 04V379000 FOR THE SEATS IS RELATED TO THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,000. UPDATED 12/22/09. *LJ THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT DID NOT DETECT A PERSON SITTING IN THE SEAT. UPDATED 12/29/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A WARNING FROM THE COMPUTER TO ENGAGE HIS SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELTS WERE ALREADY ENGAGED, HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE THE MESSAGE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A GLITCH IN THE PROGRAM AND THEY WOULD NEED TO SERVICE THE COMPUTER. APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS LATER, THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE DEALER DID NOT PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE LEATHER AND WIRING IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,200.

DRIVER'S SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION SENSOR MALFUNCTION. THERE WERE NO UNTOWARD INCIDENTS EXCEPT THAT I HAD TO DRIVE ABT. 65 MILES, MISS MY OFFICE HOURS, UNABLE TO USE THE CAR FEARLESSLY, AND PUT MYSELF IN DANGER.THE RECALL IN YOUR REPORT DID NOT INCLUDE MY CHASSIS NUMBER(DS54945), WHICH I PURCHASED 23 NOV 2004.