2006 BMW X5 AIR BAGS,SEATS

This car has relatively few miles (85k), and has always been operated by a single person. The passenger seat cushion has a sensor mat that activates the passenger airbag. With relatively fewer miles and very few passengers, the passenger seat didn't experience the normal use as likely modeled by BMW. However, during the fall of 2020, (during the height of covid), a warning light stating the passenger air bag had a malfunction. We were in the midst of nursing and the warning light then went out during the first three months of 2021. When it came on again in May, 2021, I asked BMW about it as was told, "That's Campaign 13V-564. The front passenger airbag seat occupancy sensor mat isn't working. This means, if there's an accident, the airbag protecting the passenger won't deploy." Apparently there as a "safety check" on this in 2014 and the recall closed as of January 2021....so, I was four months past the expiration date of their safety check for this important malfunctioning seat cushion. As advised by a BMW representative, I requested "goodwill assistance" with covering all or some of this repair (estimated at approx $2k). I was just told that BMW will not provide any goodwill assistance with this and there is apparently no one within BMW Customer Relations I can escalate this to. So, I am reaching-out to the NHTSA in hopes someone can assist me in navigating this. It seems to me, an important safety item such as a passenger sensor for airbag deployment on a car with fewer miles (and passengers) than average, experiencing a brief warning that didn't repeat during covid when we were unable to get to a BMW dealership, and for a "safety check" issue that just ended prior to us contacting BMW to repair is something I don't think BMW should be able to dodge.

Airbag light on, passenger airbag off light illuminated. Diagnostic scan showed faulty Front Passenger seat occupancy detector. BMW Issued recall campaign 13V-564 for vehicles manufactured from DEC 05 to sept 06. My vehicle was manufactured 06/06 and is displaying all the symptoms from recall 13v-564 yet BMW USA claims my vehicle is not effected.

OCCUPANCY SEAT SENSOR FAILURE AFTER RECALL CAMPAIGN 17V-605 COMPLETED. THE SENSOR MAT FAILED WITHIN 16 MONTHS OF THE REPAIR WHICH MEANS THE PARTS USED FOR THE CAMPAIGN ARE FAULTY AS WELL. BMW REFUSES TO FIX THE ISSUE. THIS FAILURE WILL RESULT IN THE PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG TO NOT DEPLOY AS SO STATED IN THE ORIGINAL RECALL CAMPAIGN.

WE RECEIVED AN IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL FROM BMW IN JUNE 2016 THAT WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIR BAG IMMEDIATELY AS THE AIR BAG DOES NOT WORK AS PART OF THE "RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. 13V-564: FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT." WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE PERILLO BMW DEALERSHIP IN CHICAGO (1035 NORTH CLARK STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60610, (312) 981-0000) WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR. OVER THE FOLLOWING SIX MONTHS, WE CALLED MONTHLY TO INQUIRE ABOUT WHETHER THEY HAD THE REPLACEMENT SEAT TO FIX THE CAR. PERILLO ACTUALLY HAD US BRING THE CAR IN TWO SEPARATE TIMES ONLY TO TELL US EACH TIME THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PART NEEDED FOR OUR TYPE OF REPAIR. WE HAPPENED TO HAVE THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME WHERE THE SENSOR MAT IS BROKEN AND THE AIR BAG IS DISABLED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONDITION OF THE CAR MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE TO SIT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. WE LIVE IN CHICAGO AND THEREFORE DRIVE ON HIGHWAYS AND IN HEAVY TRAFFIC FREQUENTLY. I AM NOW PREGNANT WITH OUR SECOND CHILD SO WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE THIS FIXED BEFORE THE NEW BABY COMES IN APRIL 2015. SINCE WE LAST BROUGHT THE CAR IN THIS FALL, WE HAVE CALLED PERILLO NON STOP TO INQUIRE AND EACH TIME THEY SAY THEY DON'T HAVE THE PART. IT IS NOT ONLY A TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE BUT IT PUTS OUR FAMILY AT RISK EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE CAR. PERILLO REMAINS UNHELPFUL AND UNRESPONSIVE SO WE ARE FILING A REPORT NATIONALLY. *TR

THE AIRBAG INDICATOR ON DASH CAME ON INITIALLY AND THEN AFTER ABOUT A MONTH THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" LIGHT CAME ON. BOTH LIGHTS CAME ON EVER SINCE AND 2 ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CLEAR CODE BY PROFESSIONAL AND SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER SENSOR MAT BEING FAULTY. MY VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SPORT SEATS FROM MANUFACTURER AND ESTIMATED COST WAS FROM $800-$1200 FOR THAT SENSOR. I HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FOR THIS RECALL SHOWING MY VIN AS AN AFFECTED VEHICLE IN 12/2013, HOWEVER, IT'S NOW 6/2014 AND STILL NO FEEDBACK FROM NHTSA OR BMW NA. *TR

PRODUCTION DATE 03/2006 FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT MALFUNCTION. VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO INDEPENDENT SHOP FOR CODE READING TO VERIFY THAT 'AIRBAG LIGHT OFF' ILLUMINATED WAS TRIGGERED FROM SEAT SENSOR. LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED (INDICATING AIRBAG IS OFF) WITH ADULT OCCUPANT ON PASSENGER SEAT,APPROXIMATELY LESS THAN 1,000-MILES AFTER, DRIVER DASH AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED PERMANENTLY ALSO. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AS A CPO. AIRBAG/SEAT SENSOR CODE BEGAN AFTER CPO WARRANTY EXPIRED. DURING THE PERIOD OF MY OWNERSHIP, VEHICLE WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN ANY COLLISIONS. VEHICLE WAS LAST BROUGHT IN FOR BRAKE AND OIL SERVICE AT BMW DEALERSHIP. SOME RESEARCH SEEM TO INDICATE A RECALL REGARDING VERY SIMILAR SITUATION (NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 08V384000) WAS AVAILABLE FOR CERTAIN MODEL BMW. SUMMARY OF THE CAMPAIGN LETTER DOES NOT INCLUDE 2006 X5, HOWEVER, EXTRA NOTES DOES STATE THAT IT INCLUDES "MY 2006 X5." BOTH BMW DEALERSHIP AND BMW OF NA WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH MY VIN. THERE WERE MADE AWARE OF THE LETTER AND WERE FIRM THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND REPAIR/REPLACEMENT COST AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *TR