What 105 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 BMW X3 Xdrive28i

Front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor (OC3) mat. The air bag is on for a while "passenger restrain system", nothing really happened it appear one day and never left.

NHTSA ODI 11611345

Intermittent, but frequent failure of seat occupancy sensor on front passenger seat. Appears to be related to occupancy weight sensor. As sensor is not functioning properly, passenger airbag is being unsafely deactivated, leading to lack of airbag deployment if a front end collision were to occur. Problem is reproducible, but has not been taken to dealer, nor has it been inspected. Warning alert displays, then turns off, then returns frequently while the front passenger seat is occupied.

NHTSA ODI 11610935

I continue to get airbag warning light and front passenger seat occupant detection malfunction. I was told by local mechanic that ACSM fault codes are 930A60 and 930A1C.

NHTSA ODI 11552082

Problem is that the display says "passenger restraint malfunction" -- which brings safety concern. Upon online search, it is likely caused by design flaw of passenger occupancy detector. Here are some reasons why it is design flaw (i.e. not just individual failure) 1. There has been a recall for the same problem for earlier year models (2006-2007 etc). It seems the other years have the same problem (previous recall wasn't a complete fix) 2. There is actually a third party electrical device online that bypass passenger occupancy detector (so that the car thinks passenger seat is occupied all the time) -- which indicates the commonality of the problem because it even became a profitable market.

NHTSA ODI 11479644

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 BMW X3. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE PASSENGER RESTRAINT MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, "AIR BAG OFF" ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE AIR BAG MIGHT NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11242290

BMW WAS REAR-ENDED WHEN VEHICLES WERE SLOWING DOWN AT SIGNAL. THE IMPACT FORCED MY CAR TO IT THE VEHICLE AT FRONT. BMW HAD GOOD IMPACT BOTH AT REAR AND FRONT PORTION. THE FRONT DRIVER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY FOR THE FORCE OF IMPACT MY VEHICLE HAD.

NHTSA ODI 11190602

PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SENSOR FAILURE. REPORTED UNDER WARRANTY WHEN PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT, WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. PROBLEM NOW PERSISTENT AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED AND FAILED STATE INSPECTION, CAN'T DRIVE UNTIL IT'S FIXED. THIS WAS A RECALL ITEM ON 2005-2010 X3'S AND SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY MODELS AND YEARS OF BMW. CAR WARNS ABOUT PASSENGER RESTRAINT SYSTEM FAILURE, RED AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON. CONSTANTLY CHIMES WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI 11100106

PASSENGER SIDE 'AIRBAG OFF' WARNING LIGHT COMES ON ON INITIAL START, GOES OFF MOMENTARILY AND COMES BACK ON WITH ADULT MALE SEATED IN PASSENGER SEAT OR SEAT EMPTY. PAST MODELS SUFFERED FROM PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR CRACKING. IS THIS A PROBLEM WITH 2015 X3?

NHTSA ODI 11072439

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 BMW X3. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V683000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ODI 10925076

AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY IN HIGH-IMPACT FRONT END CRASH. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 30-35 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.

NHTSA ODI 10875452