2004 BMW X3
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Decode a VIN1 recall and 219 owner complaints on record for this model year.
Almost all of this describes the model year, not the individual car. Nothing here can tell you about this vehicle’s mileage, accidents or ownership — no identifier encodes those.
NEW DEFECTIVE BRAKE PADS CAUSED A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WITH TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLES INVOLVED. BRAKE PADS ARE CONTAMINATED AND EMBEDDED WITH A SLIPPERY SUBSTANCE. PADS ARE FROM PRIME CHOICE AUTO PARTS 42832 STATE ROUTE 12, ALEXANDRIA BAY, NY, 13607-2216 CAN YOU INVESTIGATE AND ANALYZE THE BRAKE PADS IN ORDER TO STOP THE SELLING OF DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS BRAKE PADS? I AM ABLE TO SHIP TO YOU A BRAKE PAD SAMPLE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, BUT UNABLE TO STOP BEFORE TURNING ON A CITY STREET.
MY VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY STARTED ON FIRE AS MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING TO SCHOOL. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, AND RESULTED IN THE CAR BEING TOTALED. THE 2004 MODELS NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL (NOT THAT IT WILL HELP WITH THE LOSS OF MY CAR).
FELT A BURNING UNDER MY LEG AND SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC. PARKED THE CAR AND MY SCARF WAS MELTED TO THE SEAT AND SMOKE WAS COMING FROM IT. PULLED ON MY SCARF TO GET IT OFF AND NOTICED A HOLE BURNT IN THE SEAT FROM THE HEATED SEAT ELEMENT. PARTS OF THE SEAT WERE STUCK TO MY SCARF AND PANTS. MADE SURE THE SEAT STOPPED SMOKING AND WONT USE THE HEATED SEATS ANYMORE. *TR
DRIVER'S SEAT BACK HEATER GRID SHORTED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE INSULATION AND LEATHER SEAT COVER. IT WAS HOT ENOUGH TO CAUSE PHYSICAL BURNS. *TR
AS I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 BMW X3 DURING COLD WEATHER, I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. I PULLED MY CAR OVER, TURNED OFF THE HEAT AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. THE SMELL HAD DISSIPATED AND I COULD SEE NO SMOKE OR ANY EVIDENCE OF FIRE. I RESTARTED THE CAR WITH THE HEATER TURNED OFF, AND SHORTLY AFTER, FELT A STRONG BURNING SENSATION ON MY HIP AND REALIZED THAT MY COAT WAS ON FIRE. I STOPPED THE CAR AND JUMPED OUT AND USED A LARGE BOOK TO SMOTHER THE FIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT. FIELD'S BMW IN NORTHBROOK, IL TOOK THE CAR BACK THAT SAME DAY, AND THE NEXT DAY CONFIRMED A SEAT HEATER FIRE. I WENT TO MY DOCTOR TO CONFIRM THE BURN ON MY LEG. AS OF TODAY, FEB. 1, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY OFFER, SETTLEMENT, OR SATISFACTION FROM BMW. I CALLED BMW NORTH AMERICA MYSELF, AND RECEIVED A RETURN CALL FROM JAY HANSEN, WHO SEEMED RESPONSIVE, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM SINCE. AMAZINGLY, SINCE THE DAY AFTER THE FIRE, WHEN THEY CALLED TO CONFIRM THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE SEAT HEATER, I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE DEALERSHIP. *JB
TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILED DRIVING ON THE MORNING OF 01/17/06, THE THERMOSTAT ON HER SEATS TURNED ON HIGH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE THEN TURNED OFF THE HEATER IN THE VEHICLE AND OPENED THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE FOUND NOTHING WRONG. SHE GOT BACK IN THE VEHICLE AND STARTED DRIVING WITHOUT THE CAR HEATER ON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ABOUT 1/2 MILE LATER SHE FELT BURNING ON HER LEGS. SHE JUMPED OUT THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE DRIVER SEAT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE BMW DEALERSHIP AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE WIRES IN THE SEAT HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE OR END THE LEASE ON HER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAS OFFERED TO TAKE CARE OF ANY MEDICAL EXPENSES AND REPLACE HER CLOTHING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP DID INFORM HER THAT THIS FAILURE HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. *JB
The contact ownd a 2004 BMW X3. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, she dozed off behind the wheel when the vehicle crashed into the rear of a tow truck. As a result, the front end of the vehicle was damaged. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained an injury to the head and bodily soreness. Medical attention was required. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard however, the vehicle was then towed to the contact’s residence. The vehicle was diagnosed by an air bag specialist and it was determined that the air bag was not connected. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the air bags failed to deploy due to minimal impact. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number 08V384000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, the contact had not received a response back. The failure mileage was unknown.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 BMW X3. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE REVERSE GEAR, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED RAPIDLY AND CRASHED INTO FIVE OTHER VEHICLES. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, BACK, AND CHEST. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.
TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 BMW X3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED AND THE ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE DRIVER SIDE NOR PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, HEAD AND UPPER BACK. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE IS 68000. JP UPDATED 10/14/08. *LJ THE RIGHT REAR POWER WINDOW WOULD NOT ROLL UP. UPDATED 10/16/08. *JB
AIR BAG WARNINGS IN 2004 BMW. BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE TWICE AND WAS INGORNED. THEN, HAD ACCIDENT AND COMPLAINED AGAIN TO BMW CUSTOMER SERVICE. RESULT-THEY COULD CARE LESS. SENT AT LEAST THREE EMAILS-NO ACTION, LITTLE RESPONSE . *AK
WHEN DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO PARK VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE. VEHICLE SELF ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY AND CRASHED THROUGH THE WALL.MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WAS CONTACTED THE NEXT MORNING, MANUFACTURER PROMISED TO INVESTIGATE.MESSAGE LEFT WITH DEALER'S ASS'T SHOP MANAGER FOR INSTRUCTION, STILL WAITING FOR CALL BACK.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT WARMER BURNED SKIN AND SCORCHED LEATHER SEAT COVER WHEN TURNED ON.
WHILE I DRIVE MY CAR , I TURNED ON MY SEAT HEAT , I START FEELING BURNING PAIN WHILE AM DRIVING ON HIGHWAY , THE SECOND TIME WHEN I FINISHED MY WORK AND I START MY CAR TO HEAD HOME , I START SMELLING BURNING AND MY LEG WAS BURNING SO BAD , I GOT OUT OF THE CAR , AND MY SEAT LEATHER WAS BURNING , I SAW HOLE IN MY SEAT AND THE WIRES INSIDE WAS BURNED AND SMELLED TERRIBLE , THAT IS SAFETY ISSUE , IF IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY , I WOULD GET IN AN ACCIDENT
DRIVER SIDE SEAT WARMER WAS SET ON THE MEDIUM SETTING, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND THEN STARTED TO FEEL PAIN IN MY LEG, BECAUSE THE HEATED SEATS HAD MELTED THE LEATHER AND BURNED MY PANTS AND MY LEG. *TR
AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT ON THE LOW SETTING, I FELT A SUDDEN BURNING SENSATION ON MY BACK OF MY UPPER LEFT THIGH AND SHIFTED SLIGHTLY, PUTTING MY HAND UNDER THE AREA TO SEE WHAT WAS THE MATTER. THE REAR AREA OF THE LEFT SIDE SEAT BOLSTER HAD GOTTEN SO HOT I HAD TO TURN OFF THE SEAT HEATER IMMEDIATELY. I DECIDED NOT TO TURN IT ON AGAIN UNTIL ANOTHER TIME IN LATE MARCH WHEN I AGAIN TURNED ON THE SEAT HEATER. THE SAME SUDDEN FEELING OF "OVERHEATING" WAS IMMEDIATELY FELT IN THE SAME AREA, I TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER, AND I HAVEN'T USED IT SINCE THEN. WHEN MY CAR WAS IN FOR SERVICE FOR ANOTHER ISSUE, I MENTIONED IT TO MY SERVICE ADVISOR AND ASKED WHETHER HE KNEW OF OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS OR WHETHER THERE WAS A BMW RECALL FOR THE ISSUE. HE SAID NO TO BOTH QUESTIONS. *TR
Filed by owners of this model year and unverified by NHTSA — one person’s account, not an established fact.
BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM, WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REWORK THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAT SO THAT EXTERNAL FORCE APPLICATION TO THE SEAT DOES NOT CAUSE A CRACK TO THE MAT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008. BMW WILL ALSO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THESE VEHICLES TO 10 YEARS FROM FIRST REGISTRATION WITHOUT ANY MILEAGE LIMIT. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-525-7417.
Published by model year, not by VIN — may not apply to this vehicle, or may already have been done. Confirm with a dealer.
Water may come into contact with the starter relay and gradually cause corrosion. This could affect the electrical connection inside the relay and make the engine difficult to start. It may also result in a short circuit and could cause the starter to overheat leading to a fire when the vehicle is in motion or when it is parked with the ignition off. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Due to a manufacturing failure, the protection of the two outer headrests in the second row is reduced. In the event of a collision or accident, passengers could be injured. In addition, headrest parts may become exposed and also cause serious injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The RSW22 starter with reinforced water tightness (RWT) may experience increased abrasion of the magnetic contact, causing deposits to build up at the lowest point inside the relay. These deposits may increase relay contact resistance, leading to starting failures or short circuits. If a short circuit occurs, either when attempting to start the vehicle or while driving due to vibration-related movement of the deposits, it could cause a thermal event and increase the risk of fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Damaged brake discs may have been fitted to the front axle. This can lead the brakes to fail when a heavy load is placed on the wheel concerned, increasing the risk of accident and injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Failure to bolt the plus voltage (B+) cable tightly enough to the starter generator may result in contact problems and an increase in contact resistance at the bolted connection. This may in turn lead to local overheating and the vehicle catching fire or to the engine stalling while the vehicle is coasting. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The positive battery cable of the starter-generator may not have been manufactured correctly. This could result in a loose electrical connection, leading to excessive contact resistance. The vehicle cannot charge or start. Contact points in the starter-generator could overheat and cause a vehicle fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The propellant in the inflator of the driver airbag may deteriorate over time. If the airbags deploy, it could result in fragments of the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The driver airbag inflator may malfunction due to long-term degradation. In this case, if the airbag is deployed in an accident, the internal pressure in the inflator may be too high. The inflator could burst. Metal fragments may cause injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The failure concerns the RSW22 starter, type RWT (reinforced for watertightness). Increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can lead to the formation of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn can increase the resistance of the relay contact, causing accidental ignition or even short circuits, possibly leading to a thermal reaction and fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The failure concerns the RSW22 starter, type RWT (reinforced for watertightness). Increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can lead to the formation of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn can increase the resistance of the relay contact, causing accidental ignition or even short circuits, possibly leading to a thermal reaction and fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The failure concerns the RSW22 starter, type RWT (reinforced for watertightness). Increased abrasion of the magnetic contact can lead to the formation of deposits at the lowest point of the relay interior. This in turn can increase the resistance of the relay contact, causing accidental ignition or even short circuits, possibly leading to a thermal reaction and fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The steering system sensor may malfunction causing an unintended steering movement of the vehicle. This increases the risk of accidents and injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The screw connection of the servo unit on the gear rack casing of the steering system may be faulty. This could cause the steering system to fail and become blocked, increasing the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Due to faulty rear-most screws, the screw fixings of the boot's lashing rails can fail in the event of a rear-end collision with heavy intrusion and penetrate the backs of the rear seats. This increases the risk of injury to the occupants of the rear seats. The vehicles concerned have already been modified in connection with the recall code 0051960500. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The propellant within the integrated inflator of driver airbags can deteriorate during time. If the airbag deploys, it could result in fragments from the inflator casing injuring the vehicle’s occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of Motor Vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time. If the airbags deploy, it could result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time. If the airbags deploy, it could result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Due to faulty rear-most screws, the screw fixings of the boot's lashing rails can fail in the event of a rear-end collision with heavy intrusion, and penetrate the backs of the rear seats. This increases the risk of injury to the occupants of the rear seats. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time. If the airbags deploy, it could result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
A seam on the inflator housing of the driver airbag may not have been correctly welded. In case of accident, when the airbag is deployed, the inflator can burst, releasing metal parts which could cause injuries. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The driver's airbag inflator propellant may deteriorate over time. If activated during an accident, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to burst, and metal fragments could pass through the cushion material causing injury to occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Due to a manufacturing error, the weld seam of the integrated transmission control unit (ITCU) may not have been correctly executed. As a result, transmission oil could leak into the ITCU, causing it to fail. This may lead to transmission seizure, increasing the risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
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