2006 Bmw M5 - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

"front passenger seat occupancy detection mat had to be replaced as it was defective. though not in previous recalls in similar bmws and similar years, the error presented a safety issue that would disable the front passenger air bags and increase the risk of injury during a crash. with this error, i was forced to repair the seat mat and expended $1.5k to remedy this safety issue. this seat mat issue is a known bmw problem that bmw and nhtsa have not addressed. vin: [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr"

"upon starting my car, i received an error message " fault in passenger restraint system affecting air bags, belt tensioner or belt force limiter" the message continues to show up every day.. this is the same issue that has a recall in all other 5 series models for this year, 2006 and has a recall for those vehicles. this model should be added since its the same issue. see attached."

"my passenger air bag warning light came on about a month ago for apparent reason and stay on ever since. i contacted the local bmw dealer and was told my vin was not on the recall list. i was very disappointed and dont understand why some cars were on the recall and some were not. apparently this is a common problem with all bmws and a very serious safety issue. this safety issue should be taken care of by the manufacture."

"tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmw m5. the contact stated that the air bag light remained illuminated while a passenger occupied the seat. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the base of the seat needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 35,000."

"the car has an issue with passenger airbag occupancy sensor, when someone sits on the passanger seat the airbag turns on, these bmws has many recalls for this issue, for some reason mine does not fall into the recall. i have scanned the computer and confirmed that the sensor is the issue, i would like this issue to be recalled on my car because this a common issue for these, i have read many other people with this issue, on forums, but a recall has not been issued, i think its important to do this recall because it is not safe for my passanger, in case some sort of accident happens and the airbag does not deploy."

"malfunction in passenger restraint system. warning message stating "fault in passenger - restraint system affecting airbag, belt tensioner or belt force limiter" is activated every few minutes that car is in drive. was informed that the passenger airbags will not deploy in the event of a crash. dealership informed me that this was not covered by warranty and my extended warranty provider (hendricks autoguard) has refused to honor its obligations by claiming the part is a non-covered electrical component. *tr"

"my car is not on the airbag recall list but i have had this error for awhile now & it appears to be related to the airbag issue (not sure if my car has a tekata.) the message comes up on the screen- pass. restraint system- fault in passenger-restraint system affecting airbag, belt tensioner or belt force limiter. continue to wear the safety belt. i also have a picture of the error. *tr"

"seat sensor mat for the passenger seat air bag disengages when passenger is seated. the disengaging of the passenger air bag poses a great danger for the passenger due to the passenger air bag will not deploy in a accident causing injury or death. bmw is aware of this ongoing problems with the m5 e60 series, but will not address this issue of safety. bmw charges the owner up to 5000.00 dollars to fix this safety issue. i have a car that's unsafe for my family or any passenger. *tr"

"my vehicle has a light on for an air bag having a fault. after visiting the bmw dealership, they have informed me that this is a usual problem on this vehicle. the specific problem is the sensor on the passenger seat. the sensor detects if there is a passenger sitting or the seat is vacant. bmw has informed me that its a simple sensor, and usually would have a minimal cost. but instead bmw wants to charge you for replacing the entire seat. so the $20 sensor turns into a $4000 job. the most interesting thing, is that bmw knows about this problem and does not want to do anything to rectify it. *tr"

"front passenger seat air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, the passenger restraint system malfunction warning lamp illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. passenger air bag light on, showing air bag off. "important safety recall" note: for current recall january 2014, bmw states: "the recall involves the front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, over time, due to the frequency of front passenger seat usage, the sensor can become damaged. if this were to occur, deactivation of the front passenger air bag could result, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. if the front passenger air bag became deactivated, the air bag warning lamp on the instrument cluster and the front "passenger air bag off" lamp in the overhead console are illuminated at the same time." note 2: this is exactly what's showing. it was off yesterday and now its on. the 2006 e60 m5 is not included, but the other 2006-2007 5 series are that use the same affected part are, and there are numerous cases of the error occurring with this vehicle. was told by the dealer its a seat sensor and the whole seat would need to be replaced for $2000+. i think bmw should take responsibility, in ensuring the issue is resolved for owners of these other affected vehicles, by this seat sensor issue. car was manufactured on 2/06. *tr"