2008 BMW 7 Series Air Bags

A WARNING LIGHT IS ON IN THE DASH SAYING DEFAULT AIRBAG. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS THIS SOME BMW IS RESPONSIBLE FOR?

GETTING ERROR "FAULT IN PASS.-RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER. FASTEN AND CONTINUE TO WEAR BELTS. PLEASE CONTACT THE NEAREST BMW CENTER." IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FIXED ON 06 07 BMW 750LI BY RECALL WHAT MAKES 08 DIFFERENT?

AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF.

PASSENGER RESTRAINT WARNING - APPARENTLY THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR HAS FAILED AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS HAVE BEEN AUTOMATICALLY DISABLED. A QUICK SEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH BMW PASSENGER SEAT SENSORS. THERE WAS EVEN A RECALL FOR THE ISSUE, BUT THE DEALER CLAIMS MY 2008 BMW 750LI WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL (ONLY 2006-2007 BMW 750LI'S). THIS CAR WAS BUILT USING THE SAME PARTS. SHOULDN'T IT BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL LIST? APPARENTLY THE PROBLEM IS SO COMMON THAT PEOPLE ARE BUILDING "SENSOR BYPASS" DEVICES AND SELLING THEM ON AMAZON/EBAY TO PLACE THE PASSENGER AIRBAGS INTO "ALWAYS ON" MODE. THIS KLUGE DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A VERY SAFE SOLUTION, SINCE SMALL CHILDREN COULD BE INJURED BY THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IF IT DEPLOYED UNNECESSARILY. DEALER HAS QUOTED NEARLY $1,400 FOR A FIX. BYPASS SOLUTION LESS THAN $100. SEEMS ONE HAS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN RELATIVE SAFETY OR NOT BLOWING THE SAVINGS FUND. ALL TO REPAIR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW.

MY CAR HAS HAD THE AIR BAG LIGHT ON SEVERAL TIMES AND THE DEALER WOULD JUST RESET THE LIGHT AS THE CAR WAS STILL IN WARRANTY, ONCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THERE IS A SHORT AND THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE AIRBAG AND THE DETECTION MAT. THIS ISSUE WAS THERE ON 2006 AND 2007, 750I MODELS AND THERE WAS A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V564000. NOW THE DEALER WANTS ME TO PAY THEM $165 TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND $1500 TO FIX THE PROBLEM ELSE RISK THE AIRBAGS NOT GETTING DEPLOYED IN EVENT OF CRASH. I AM SURE THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE BEEN FIXED IN WARRANTY BUT WAS NOT ON PURPOSE. THIS ISSUE IS WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR AND NHTSA SHOULD EVALUATE THIS MODEL FOR THIS ISSUE AS THERE ARE MUCH OLDER CARS WHICH NEVER GET THIS TYPE OF ISSUE EVER AND WHEREAS MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN GOING ON EVERY 2 MONTHS AND THEY KEPT RESETTING THE SENSOR. *TR

2008 BMW 750I. CONSUMER STATES AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A COLLISION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS T-BONED AT AN INTERSECTION BY A CAR WHO RAN A RED LIGHT AT OVER 45 MPH. *JB THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A FROM THE SPECIAL PRODUCT INVESTIGATION WHICH STATED THE IMPACT WAS A RELATIVELY LIGHT SIDE-SWIPE TYPE OF COLLISION IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE LETTER ALSO STATED THE IMPACT ENERGY WAS NOT ONLY TOO LOW TO WARRANT DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG, IT WAS TOO LOW TO DEPLOY OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM DEVICES THAT HAD A LOWER THRESHOLD. UPDATED 10/04/10*JB