2006 BMW X3 Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW X3. WHILE PARKED AND SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE CONTACT NOTICED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V384000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000. AIRBAG INDICATOR COMES ON WHEN A PASSENGER SITS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT USUALLY STAYS ON TIL THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING FOR SEVERAL DAYS WITHOUT A PASSENGER AND ONCE A BUMP IS HIT. UPDATED 11/03/2011 *LN *TR

BMW HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR MY 2006 BMW X3 EVEN THOUGH IT HAS THE SAME SYMPTOMS IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V384000. THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE AIRBAG PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MECHANISM! I AM NOW FACED WITH PAYING AN EXORBITANT CHARGE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. THE PROBLEM CAUSES THE FORWARD PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG TO NOT WORK IN A COLLISION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO ADVISED HER THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE SEAT UPHOLSTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 66,000.

AIR CONDITIONER TEMPERATURE BEGAN TO WARM JUST ON DRIVERS SIDE BUT REMAINED COOL ON DRIVERS SIDE. BASED UPON MY MANY YEARS OR WORKING WITH CARS, I ASSUMED THIS WAS A MALFUNCTION OF SOME OF THE "DOORS" IN THE AIR ROUTING SYSTEM HAD FAILED NOT ALLOWING SUFFICIENT COOL AIR ON DRIVERS SIDE. TAKEN TO REGULAR BMW DEALER (HE HAS SERVICED ALL 6 BMW'S I HAVE OWNED) AND WAS TOLD AC CONDENSER NEEDED REPLACEMENT. CAR WAS 4 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY ALTHOUGH MILEAGE WAS LOWER THAN WARRANTY LIMIT. DEALER STATED THEY CONTACTED BMW AND TOLD ME THAT BMW REFUSED TO COVER REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. THE REPAIR WAS APPROXIMATELY $2200. HAVING BEEN THE DIRECTOR OF A COUNTY CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY IN TAMPA, FL, I FOLLOWED THE PATH OF DIRECTIONS WE GIVE TO OUR OWN CONSUMERS BEFORE WE (AS AN ENFORCEMENT AGENCY) WILL NORMALLY INITIATE A COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION. I WROTE A LETTER TO BMW OUTLINING MY PROBLEM.WITHIN THREE WEEKS MY DEALER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT BMW HAD CONTACTED THEM, VERIFIED THE REPAIR AND THAT I HAD PAID FOR IT. THEY THEN TOLD THE DEALER TO CONTACT ME AND TELL ME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PARTIALLY REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR. ABOUT A WEEK LATER I RECEIVED A CHECK FROM BMW FOR A LITTLE LESS THAN HALF OF THE REPAIR COST AND NO EXPLANATION. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW OR WHY THEY CHOOSE TO PAY A PORTION VERSUS ALL OR NOTHING. HOWEVER, SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, I CONSIDERED THIS A FAIR SETTLEMENT FOR THE BILL. HOWEVER, I STILL BELIEVE THAT THE FAILURE OF THE A/C CONDENSER IN FIVE YEARS OF FULL TIME USE WAS UNACCEPTABLE PERFORMANCE FOR THIS PART. *TR

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR FAILED IN FEBRUARY. AS A RESULT, PASSENGER AIR BAGS WILL NO LONGER DEPLOY UNTIL THE SENSOR IS REPLACED. COST TO REPLACE IS ABOUT $1,300--MAINLY LABOR. *TR

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT AND DASHBOARD AIRBAG LIGHT BOTH TURNED ON SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING OUR PRE-OWNED 2006 BMW X3. THIS MEANS THAT OUR PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE BMW DEALERSHIP HAS DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT. I SAW THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON SOME 2006 X3 SEAT MATS, BUT WAS INFORMED BY BMW THAT MY VIN NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. IT SEEMS VERY ODD THAT OUR CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, YET THE EXACT SAME PART IS FAULTY. *TR

2006 BMW X3 HEATER ON THE DRIVERS SEAT MALFUNCTIONED AND BURNED A HOLE IN THE SEAT AND MY COAT. *TR

I STARTED MY 06 BMW X3 IN MY DRIVEWAY TO WARM IT UP PRIOR TO DRIVING. IT APPEARED TO BE FINE, I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND NOTICED IT WAS SMOKING FROM THE EXHAUST. I DROVE ABOUT 100FT TO THE END OF MY STREET AND THE SMOKING WORSENED SO I DECIDED TO RETURN HOME. I TURNED ONTO THE MAIN STREET AND DROVE AT MOST 20MPH FOR A FEW BLOCKS TO GET BACK HOME. THE SMOKE WAS POURING OUT OF THE EXHAUST SO BADLY THAT I COULDN'T SEE OUT MY BACK WINDOW. IT WAS BLUE/GREY COLORED. THE CAR WAS PUTTING AND CHUGGING. I DID NOT MAKE IT HOME. EVENTUALLY THE CAR CHUGGED A FEW TIMES AND COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THE WARNING LIGHTS ALL LIT UP AND I LOST ALL POWER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING. IT WAS STRANDED ACROSS A DRIVEWAY AND WOULD NOT START. I HAVE FOLLOWED ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE, DRIVE LOCALLY AND USE PREMIUM GAS. THERE WAS NO REASONABLE EXPLANATION TO THIS FAILURE. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL BMW REPAIR SHOP AND FOUND THAT IT WAS THE "OIL SEPARATOR" THAT FAILED. MY INVOICE STATES THAT IT WAS AN "ENGINE HYDRAULIC LOCK". THE FAILURE OF THE "OIL SEPARATOR", WHICH IS CALLED A CYCLONE SEPARATOR ON MY INVOICE, CAUSED THE CAR TO FLOOD WITH OIL. THE CYCLONE SEPARATOR AND CRANKCASE VENT HOSES WERE REPLACED. RESEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH BMW, MOSTLY THE X5 MODELS. BMW N.A. REFUSED TO ASSIST ME, MY WARRANTY EXPIRED 3 MONTHS PRIOR DUE TO THE YEAR OF THE CAR, BUT HAD NOT MET THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT. THE REPAIR COST $1100 AND I WAS WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR 3 DAYS. I ALSO HAD TO PAY $70 FOR A TOW AS BMW WOULD NOT HONOR THE ROAD ASSISTANCE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AS THE FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO RECALL 08V384000 (AIR BAGS: FRONTAL). THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 BMW X3. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE HEATER ON THE DRIVERS SEAT MALFUNCTIONED AND BURNED A HOLE IN THE SEAT. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER WAS INJURED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR COST BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.