2007 BMW M5 Problems & Complaints

A MESSAGE FLASHED ON THE SCREEN STATING THAT THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST RESULTS SHOWED THAT A SEAT MAT SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST OVER 3000 DOLLARS ASKING BMW TO AUTHORIZE UNDER SIMILAR RECALL REPAIR. BMW ISSUED 10 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY ON SIMILAR 5 SERIES. BMW PLEASE CONTACT ME CURRENTLY TRAVELING IN EUROPE WITH MY CAR. NEED REPLACEMENT IN UKRAINE OFFICIAL DEALERSHIP MY DIRECT LINE +[XXX] THANK YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SEAT MAT IS FAULTY. ITS AN KNOWN ONGOING ISSUE WITH MANY MANY BMW M5 OWNERS, AND A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE! NOW THE AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY. BMW REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND IS OVER $2000 TO FIX. THEY HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME EXACT ISSUE BUT ONLY UNTIL MID-2005 MODELS. THIS ISSUE IS GOING ON WELL PAST VEHICLES BUILT IN 2005. *TR

I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE CAR HAD NUMEROUS SAFETY MALFUNCTIONS ON AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE I-DRIVE SCREEN PROMPT ADVISED TO DRIVE IN A CAUTIOUS MANNER. WHILE STATIONARY AT THE RED LIGHT THE CARS REV COUNTER WAS BOUNCING UP AND DOWN FROM 500RPM-1500RPM. MY DESTINATION WAS ROUGHLY ONE MILE AWAY. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I GAVE THE CAR THROTTLE, BUT THERE WAS NO FORWARD MOVEMENT, THE CAR REMAINED STATIONARY (THE REVS ALSO REMAINED BELOW 900RPM). I GAVE THE CAR A BIT MORE THROTTLE ROUGHLY 30% (THE REVS REMAINED BELOW 900RPM AND THEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE THROTTLE), AS I DID THIS THE CAR JUMPED FORWARD AND BUCKED VIOLENTLY WITH THE THROTTLE BEING ULTRA SENSITIVE. I PROCEEDED TO MANUALLY ENGAGE SECOND GEAR AND LUCKILY THE BUCKING MOTION STOPPED. I AM UNSURE IF THE ISSUE IS A SOFTWARE OR MECHANICAL ISSUE. THIS HAS ALSO OCCURRED A FEW TIMES AFTER THIS FIRST INCIDENT. THE DEALER FOUND SEVERAL SPORADIC DSC FAULTS IN THE CAR, BUT COULDN'T TRACE IT TO A MECHANICAL CAUSE. I RESET THE SMG ADAPTATION, BUT THIS HAS DONE NOTHING TO CURE THE ISSUE. IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS SUCH AS HEAVY TRAFFIC THIS COULD CAUSE THE CAR TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CAR BECAME UNPREDICTABLE TO DRIVE AND THE FAULTS COME AND GO RANDOMLY. THE CAR CAN BE PERFECT TO DRIVE ONE MINUTE, AND THE NEXT MINUTE ITS LIKE A WILD BUCKING BRONCO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 BMW M5. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A MESSAGE FLASHED ON THE SCREEN STATING THAT THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST RESULTS SHOWED THAT A SEAT MAT SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE SENSOR REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

BMW CONTINUES TO DENY THAT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO DISABLE THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WHEN OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT. THE FOLLOWING RECALL WAS ISSUED IN 2008 FOR 2004-2006 MODEL 5-SERIES VEHICLES WITH THE SAME EXACT PASSENGER SEAT MAT. HTTP://WWW.BMWUSA.COM/STANDARD/CONTENT/CONTACTUS/VOLUNTARYRECALL.ASPX THERE ARE COUNTLESS CLAIMS AND VIDEOS OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO THE 2007 MODELS AND LATER. IF A SEAT MAT SENSOR SHOULD EVER GO OUT, THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME IT WOULD BE ON THE DRIVER SIDE SINCE IT'S THE MOST USED. IN EVERY CASE IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE PASSENGER SEAT SIDE. THIS FLAW IN THE SEAT MAT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS OWNERS ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY $1,700 FOR A NEW SEAT MAT (WHICH IS A NEW DESIGN). THEY'RE INSTEAD PURCHASING AN OVERRIDE SWITCH SOLD ONLINE (HTTP://WWW.XENONPLANET.COM/BMW-AIRBAG-SEAT-OCCUPANCY-SENSOR-E36-E46-E38-E39-E53-X5-Z3) TO RE-ENABLE THE AIRBAG, SO THEY CAN SAFELY DRIVE WITH A PASSENGER. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS SOLUTION IS THE CAR CAN NO LONGER DETERMINE THE PASSENGERS WEIGHT (IE. CHILDREN) WHICH COULD BECOME DEADLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. EVEN BMW SERVICE MECHANICS KNOW ITS A POOR DESIGN IN THE MAT BUT CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THIS NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. *TR

SPEEDOMETER ON MY NEW CAR IS NOT CALIBRATED CORRECTLY. IT CONSTANTLY REGISTERS ABOUT 8% TOO HIGH. DOES DOT REGULATE THIS CALIBRATION? IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THAT ODOMETER COULD ALSO BE INCORRECT. BMW SAYS THAT THEIR ALLOWABLE TOLERANCE IS 10%. CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE ALLOWABLE IN THE US? THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. *JB