2006 BMW X5 Seats
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
When I switch on my driver seat for the heated seat it became so hot that the coils burned through my seat and make two round burn holes in the seat and burned my leg
MY HEATED SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED ME AND MY COAT. I VERY RARELY USED IT AT ALL. I STARTED USING IT AND IT WAS PROBABLY THE 10TH TIME I USED IT WHEN IT OCCURRED.
WHEN USING THE HEATED DRIVER SEAT, IT BEGINS TO SMOKE AND GIVE OFF A BURNING SMELL. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD CATCH ON FIRE, I TURNED IT OFF AS SOON AS I REALIZED IT WAS THE SEAT BURNING AND SMOKING. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED AND JUST THOUGHT THE SEAT WAS A BIT WORN IN THAT SPOT. I CHECKED FOR RECALLS ON THIS YEAR AND THERE AREN'T ANY. MY CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN THIS OCCURRED, PARKED IN A PARKING LOT.
THE DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT OVERHEATS AND BECOMES TOO HOT TO TOUCH. I HAVE EXPERIENCE DISCOLORATION IN SOME OF MY CLOTHING DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT, AND I EXPERIENCED A SLIGHT BURNED ON MY THIGH WHEN THE HEATED SEAT IS TURNED ON. THE ISSUE OCCURS WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY. THE LEATHER MOST AFFECTED BY THE HEATED SEAT MALFUNCTION IS THINNING. I HAVE CONTACTED THE LOCAL BMW DEALERSHIP TWICE ABOUT THE ISSUES, AND I HAVE BEEN IGNORED WHEN I REQUESTED A QUOTE ON THE REPAIR AND WHY THE SAFETY ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED.
WHEN PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED A BURNING SENSATION ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY BUTT BURNING MY COAT. I STOPPED THE BMW AND JUMPED OUT . WITH THE COURTESY LIGHT ON I COULD SEE THAT THE LEATHER SEAT HAD A BURN HOLE WHERE I COULD SEE THE ELECTRICITY LIKE MINI LIGHTENING. WHEN I TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER AND THE BURNING STOPPED. HAD I BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY, SERIOUS INJURY COULD HAD OCCURRED. BMW REFERRED ME TO HAVE THE PROBLEM EVALUATED AND DETERMINED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE AND REPAIR WOULD COST ABOUT $1400. BMW IS AWARE OF THEIR SEAT HEATER PROBLEM AS SEE BY NUMEROUS BLOGS ONLINE BUT REFUSES TO RECALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. I HAVE NOT YET CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY.
THE HEATERS IN BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND FRONT PASSENGER SEATS OVERHEATED TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH AND MELTED THE LEATHER SEATS. WE ARE NOT SURE IF THE HEATERS WERE EVEN ENGAGED AT THE TIME. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE LOCAL BMW SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WERE DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE OR WARRANTY COVERAGE. WE THEN CALLED THE NATIONAL BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER AND WERE ALSO TURNED DOWN. THE COSTS TO FIX THIS VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE WOULD BE CLOSE TO THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. WE ARE STILL PURSUING THIS WITH LOCAL MANAGEMENT BUT AT THIS TIME, DESPITE RECALLS IN PREVIOUS YEARS FOR THIS SAME SAFETY PROBLEM, WE HAVE BEEN DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE OR RELIEF.
WHILE DRIVING I TURNED ON MY HEATED SEATS AND ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER MY DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BECAME VERY HOT AND STARTED TO BURN ME. I PULLED OVER ABRUPTLY, JUMPED OUT OF MY CAR AND NOTICED THAT MY PANTS WAS DISCOLORED/BURNED AND MY SEAT WAS BURNED AND HAD A BURN HOLE (ABOUT 3.5 INCHES) IN IT., THE CAR HAD A PLASTIC TYPE BURN SMELL IN IT. I AM TERRIFIED TO TURN ON THE HEATED SEATS AGAIN.
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT HEATING ELEMENT ELECTRICAL SHORT, BURNED HOLE THROUGH LEATHER SEAT WHEN HEATED SEAT IS TURNED ON. *TR
2006 BMW X5. SEAT HEATER TURNED ON. SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER IN CABIN. SMOKE. BURN TO DRIVER BACK LEG. *TR
I HAVE A 2006 BMW X5 WITH APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES. WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, I TURNED ON THE HEATED SEAT. MINUTES LATER, I FELT A BURNING ON MY LEFT LEG HALFWAY BETWEEN MY KNEE AND HIP AND BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE. I PULLED OVER AND EXITED THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE SEAT, THE LEATHER WAS VISIBLY BURNT AND WAS EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH. HAD I STAYED IN THE VEHICLE ANY LONGER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN BURNED BY THE SEAT AND INJURED. WE ARE CURRENTLY TEACHING MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IF SHE HAD BEEN BEHIND THE WHEEL, DISTRACTING HER FROM DRIVING AND INJURING HER LEG POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THE BURNING NOW HAPPENS EVERY TIME I TURN ON THE HEATED SEAT. AFTER LOOKING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS ISSUE, MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE LOCAL BMW DEALER QUOTED ME A PRICE OF AROUND $700 TO FIX THE HEATING ELEMENT. I HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM YET AND DO HAVE THE OLD MALFUNCTIONING PART. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! *TR UPDATED 12/20/10 *BF RECEIVED INVOICES. UPDATED 12/21/10
WE OWN A 2006 BMW X5. WITHIN THE LAST WEEK WHEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT WARMER WAS TURNED ON, THE LEFT SIDE OF HE SEAT HEATED UP ALMOST INSTANTLY, AND BURNS THE LEFT THIGH AND BUTTOCKS AREA OF THE DRIVER. MY HUSBAND RECEIVED A 3 INCH BURN ON MAY 15,2010. FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO THIS I WAS AWARE THAT AN AREA OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS BURNING ME, AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE WARMER OFF. THE WARRANTY EXPIRED ON OUR CAR IN DECEMBER. *TR
I'VE RECENTLY (LESS THAN 24 HOURS AGO), PURCHASED A 2006 BMW X5 WITH HEATED SEATS. JUST THIS MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK, WITH THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE LESS THAN 30F, I TURN ON THE HEATED SEATS TO THE NUMBER II POSITION AND AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES, I START SEEING SMOKE/STEAM RISING UP FROM MY PELVIC AREA. I COULD SMELL IT WAS ALMOST LIKE PLASTIC BURNING. I TURNED OFF THE HEATED SEATS AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY AND AFTER INSPECTION, THE LOWER SEAT LEFT SIDE BOLSTER HAD A BURN MARK IN IT. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. ALTHOUGH THE CAR COMES WITH ONLY A 90DAY/3000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY FROM THE PURCHASING DEALER, I HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED THEM ABOUT IT BUT I CERTAINLY PLAN TO BUT WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL DENY COVERAGE FOR ANY REPAIRS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW X5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRIC SEAT HEATER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE CAUGHT FIRE. WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT, HE NOTICED THAT THE SEAT WAS SMOKING AND HIS LEG WAS BURNED. THE SEAT HEATER WAS ACTIVATED PRIOR TO NOTICING THE FAILURE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT CURRENTLY REMAINS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE ISSUE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF THE RISK OF HAVING SEAT HEATERS. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR FREE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 27,000.
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Quick Summary
The 2006 BMW X5 has 13 Seats complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.