2007 BMW X3 Seats

I was driving my daughter to school this morning and turned on the seat warmers/heaters. After a few minutes on the road, I started to smell something burning. I couldn’t identify the smell and wondered if it was coming from the heater. I touched the left edge of the driver seat and was immediately burned on my hand. I quickly turned off the seat heaters and noticed that the left edge of the seat was burning. Yes, the safety of me and my daughter was at risk. I swerved when it burned me. No accident, fortunately. This is a known issue from what I’ve researched and it seems a recall was issued in 2006. So why not for this year. Same seat. Very dangerous. Could have been much worse.No, it has not been inspected. The damage is obvious and the only solution is to disable/not use it until a recall is issued. There were no warning lamps, etc. And the fuse didn’t blow, either. Problem has been reproduced.

The contact owns a 2007 BMW X3. The contact stated that while the heated seat was in the on position the driver's side seat became extremely hot and caught fire. The fire burnt through the seat and left a hole. There were no reported injuries. The driver was able to extinguish the fire. The contact called the local dealer and left a message but, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

WHILE DRIVING, I TURNED ON THE SEAT WARMER. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, I SMELLED BURNING AND MY LEFT THIGH FELT HOT. I TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER AND THE SMELL ABATED. THE RESULTING BURN MARK WAS LEFT IN THE SEAT.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HEATER GOT EXCESSIVLY HOT AND ALMOST BURNT MY SIDE. I COULD SMELL A BURNING SMELL SO I TURNED IT OFF. NOW YOU CAN SEE THE IMPRINT OF THE COIL THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT. I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MICHAEL PIGONCELLI AT BMW NORTH AMERICA AND HE SUGGESTED I FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA. YOU ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM IN 2004 WITH THE BMW 5 & 7 SERIES. I FEEL THE ISSUE NEVER GOT RESOLVED AND IT IS STILL A PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD NEVER BE AN INTERIOR PART OF A CAR THAT COULD CATCH ON FIRE AND BURN SOMEONE REGARLESS OF THE AGE OF THE CAR. I TRIED TO GET UNITED BMW TO DO A "GOODWILL" FIX, BUT THEY WOULDN'T. MR. PIGONCELLI IS REACHING OUT TO UNITED BMW TO HAVE A FREE DIAGNOSTIC TEST RUN ON THE SEAT HEATER TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AND ESTIMATE TO FIX IT, BUT I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ENTIRE REPAIR COST.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT SKI RESORT SINCE ABOUT NOON/12PM. OUTSIDE TEMPURATURE BETWEEN 24F & 35F. STARTED VEHICLE ABOUT 4:20PM. WARMED UP ENGINE TO JUST UNDER NORMAL OPERATING TEMPURATURE. PROCEEDED TO PUT VEHICLE IN GEAR & TURNED ON VEHICLE HEATER TO 91F FULL SPEED (AUTO)CIRCULATE, FOLLOWED BY BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT HEATERS (TO LEVEL 3 OF 3 GREEN LIGHTS ON BUTTON). DROVE 15MPH SPEED LIMIT & AFTER ABOUT 3 MINUTES, LESS THAN 1/4 OF A MILE. SMOKE BEGAN FILLING THE CABIN, MEANWHILE PASSENGER PANICED SCREAMING I'M BURNING, I'M ON FIRE. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER & TURNED OFF VEHICLE, AIRED OUT VEHICLE BY OPENING DOORS, & INVESTED CAUSE. FOUND BURN ON RIGHT SIDE OF PASSENGER SEAT. PASSENGER RIGHT LEG THIGH WAS BURNED THROUGH SEAT & CLOTHING. VEHICLE HAS 230K ACTUAL OEM MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW X3. WHEN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER WAS ACTIVATED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A SMOKE ODOR AND IMMEDIATELY SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE SIDE OF THE SEAT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER AND OPENED THE WINDOW. THERE WAS NO INJURY. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT PART OF THE SEAT WAS BURNED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 124,000.

THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE DRIVERS HEATED SEAT BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT AND AND BURNED ME. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS CAR. IT ALSO HAPPENED 4 YEARS AGO. THE SEAT WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER FAULTY SEAT, OBVIOUSLY. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS BURN MARK ON THE SEAT. VEHICLE WAS MOVING, I WAS 2 BLOCKS FROM MY SUBURBAN HOUSE, FIRST TIME USING IT THIS FALL

WHEN DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER WAS TURNED ON THIS MONTH, MY WIFE COULD SMELL "BURNING" MATERIAL ORDER. SHE TURNED IT OFF AND REPORTED HER PROBLEM TO ME. I TOOK THE CAR OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE, ACTIVATING THE PASSENGER SEAT HEATER AND NOTED NO ODOR. I THEN ACTIVATED THE DRIVER SEAT AND COULD SMELL "WIRE BURNING ORDER" I LEFT THE SWITCH ON FOR ANOTHER 30 SECONDS AND COULD FEEL THE SEAT GETTING ABNORMALLY WARM. TURNED IT OFF AND WILL NOT USE UNTIL TROUBLE SHOOTING COMPLETED BY BMW SERVICE TECHS, IN BOTH INSTANCES, WE WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE.

THE INTERIOR OF THE BMW X3 HAS AN UNFAMILIAR ODOR THAT HAS GIVEN ME ITCHINESS IN THE EYES AND MAKES ALL THE PASSENGERS SICK TO THE STOMACH

2007 BMW X3 WITH JUST UNDER 80,000 MILES. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BOTTOM BURNED THROUGH THE UPHOLSTERY AND BURNED THE THIGH OF THE DRIVER WHILE THE SEAT HEATER WAS IN USE APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE ON PAVED CITY STREETS. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF BEFORE THE UPHOLSTERY ACTUALLY CAUGHT FIRE.

HEATED DRIVERS SEAT STARTED TO BURN ME LEFT SIDE OF SEAT. BURNING SMELL. I SHUT IT OFF, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO BURN THROUGH SEAT IF I HAD NOT. CAN FEEL THE WIRE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT. CALLED BMW AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD "HELP" WITH THE COST OF REPAIR, BUT I HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE FIRST. WILL TAKE THIS TO ME REGULAR MECHANIC FIRST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BWM X3 SAV. WHILE DRIVING, THE SEAT WARMER WAS ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT FELT A STING AND SMELLED AN ABNORMAL ODOR. THE CONTACT NOTICED A HOLE IN THE SEAT. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE SEAT WARMER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY X3 AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS, I ACTIVATED THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER. APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE MINUTES LATER, MY UPPER LEG BEGAN FEELING VERY HOT AND IT STARTED SMELLING LIKE SOMETHING WAS BURNING. I LOWERED THE SEAT HEATER TEMPERATURE FROM THE HOTTEST SETTING TO THE LOWEST/COOLEST SETTING, AND THE TEMPERATURE REMAINED THE SAME - WAS EXTREMELY HOT. A SHORT TIME LATER, I ALSO SAW SMOKE. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, I SAW A HOLE ON THE SEAT WHERE THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED THROUGH. IT HAD ALSO BURNED THROUGH THE COAT I WAS WEARING CREATING A HOLE. CALLED THE BMW DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPAIR AND/OR REPLACE THE SEAT HEATER AND SEAT, AND THEY REFUSED SAYING THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR SINCE THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT. CALLED BMW NA AND RECEIVED A SIMILAR RESPONSE.

MY PASSENGER SEATS SEATBELT LIGHT COMES ON AND AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THERE IS JUST A PURSE IN THE SEAT. IT BEEPS OVER AND OVER UNTIL YOU CLICK THE SEATBELT WHEN NO ONE IS IN IT. I KNOW THAT IT FEELS WEIGHT. BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AROUND 45 LBS. NOT 10LBS. I WILL KEEP A WATCH ON THIS TO SEE IF ITS HAVING AIRBAG ISSUES WITH A ADULT SITTING IN IT. JUST LIKE THE RECALL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AS WELL, ALREADY .WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMETHING HAPPENS BEFORE THE NEW PARTS ARE OUT TO FIX THIS RECALL?? LITTLE TO LATE.

MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HAS MANY TIMES STARTED OVER HEATING AND YOU CAN SMELL THE ELECTRICAL BURNING. GETS REAL HOT. I HAVE HAD TO TURN IT OFF IT GETS SO HOT AND I ALWAYS AM LOOKING FOR ELECTRICAL FIRE WHEN I SMELL IT. ITS REAL STRONG. THIS IS DANGEROUS, COULD START A FIRE WHILE MY CAR IS WARMING UP IN THE SNOWY WINTERS. WHAT IF THIS CAUGHT FIRE UNDER ME AND BURNT MY LEGS OR BODY BEFORE I COULD GET PULLED OVER. REGARDLESS ITS FAULTY AND DANGEROUS.

WHILE DRIVING I TURNED ON DRIVER SEAT HEATER. IT SMELLED LIKE IT WAS BURNING SO I TURNED IT OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT SOMETIMES IT BURNS A HOLE IN THE SEAT. I TURNED MINE OFF BEFORE IT COULD DO THAT. THEY UNHOOKED IT SO THAT I CAN'T ACCIDENTALLY TURN IT ON.

WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 5 MINUTES WITH DRIVER SEAT HEATER ON, SMELLED ELECTRICAL SMELL, FELT PAIN IN LEG, THEN FELT SHOCK/BURN. NOT SURE WHICH. TURNED OFF SEAT HEATER. ELECTRICAL SMELL COMES AND GOES. SMALL BURN HOLE IN SEAT. NOT ABLE TO USE SEAT HEATER ANYMORE.

DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT SWITCH WAS TURNED ON WHILE DRIVING. FEW MINUTES AFTER SWITCH TURNED-ON, BURNING SMELL WAS FELT INSIDE THE CAR. STOPPED THE CAR AND CHECKED THE ENGINE (FIRST GUESS). IT WAS NOT FROM THE ENGINE. SAT ON THE SEAT AND THEN REALIZED THE FUME WAS COMING FROM THE SEAT. THE DRIVER SEAT WAS BURNED, MY PANT BOTTOM WAS BURNED AND MY BUTT WAS ALSO BURNED (NOT SERIOUS). *TR

WHILE IDLING FOR LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES WITH THE SEAT HEAT TURNED ON, I SMELLED SMOKE BUT WASN'T SURE WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM AND IGNORED IT. AFTER DRIVING HOME I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A HOLE BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER DRIVER'S SEAT AND AN EXPOSED WIRE WAS SHOWING THROUGH THE HOLE. LUCKILY MY JACKET DIDN'T CATCH ON FIRE. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MID 20S AT THE TIME. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HAS 2 BURN HOLES WHERE THE HEATER HAS BURNED THROUGH. OFTEN THERE HAS BEEN A BURNING SENSATION WHERE THE HOLES ARE. UNTIL IT ACTUALLY BURNED THROUGH WE JUST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS OVERLY HOT. WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. I AM SURPRISED THAT BMW HAS NOT RECALLED THIS ITEM ALREADY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WITH THE DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT ACTIVATED, THE DRIVER SEAT CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BURN INJURY THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000.

THE HEATER ELEMENT IN THE HEATED SEATS DRIVER'S SIDE BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER AND MY CLOTHES. *TR

WHILE RIDING IN CAR, PASSENGER (MY WIFE) TURNED ON SEAT HEAT AND IT GOT VERY HOT, BEGAN TO SMOKE AND BURNED 2 HOLES IN VINYL SEAT BACK NEAR RIGHT BOLSTER. IT BURNED A HOLE IN HER SWEATER, BUT WE REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING, PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF SEAT HEAT IMMEDIATELY AVOIDING A BURN TO HER SKIN. HOPING IT WAS A FLUKE, I ATTEMPTED A VINYL UPHOLSTERY REPAIR WITH A KIT, BUT IT TOO MELTED AWAY WHEN I TESTED THE SEAT HEATER. I WILL NOT RUN THE SEAT HEATER AGAIN ON EITHER THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE UNTIL THIS CAN BE ADDRESSED BY BMWNA. THIS IS VERY CLEARLY A SERIOUS AND WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN FIRE AND/OR INJURY. *TR

THE PASSENGER SEAT HEATING ELEMENT GOT SO HOT THAT IT STARTED TO SMOKE, BURNT THROUGH THE LEATHER AND BURNT MY WIFE'S COAT AND LEG. *TR

HEATED SEAT WAS ON "MEDIUM" SETTING, WITHIN ONE MINUTE I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL THEN FELT PAIN IN LEFT LEG. HEATED SEAT ELEMENT BURNED THROUGH SEAT MATERIAL AND BURNED PANTS! NO REAL INJURY BUT SEAT WAS HOT ENOUGH TO BURN THROUGH THE LEATHER AND MY PANTS. SEEMS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR