Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: crankcase (PCV)
Manufacturer
BMW of North America, LLC
Vehicles affected
184,505
Reported to NHTSA
2019-04-04
Owners notified
2019-05-30
Defect description
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 530xi Sports Wagon, 325i, 325xi, 325xi Sports Wagon, 330i, 330xi, Z4 3.0i and Z4 3.0si vehicles. The heater for the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve may short circuit.
Safety risk
An electrical short can cause the parts within the PCV valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire, even when the vehicle is not in use.
Manufacturer remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the PCV valve heater, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall is an expansion to recall 17V-683.
BMW of North America, Inc. (BMW) is recalling certain 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, and 550i vehicles equipped with the Sport Seat option and certain 2006 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i vehicles with standard seats. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if, and how, the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Safety risk
Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Manufacturer remedy
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 1, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
BMW of North America LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2006 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi sedans and 325xi sports wagons, model year 2007 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi sedans and 328i and 328xi sports wagons, model year 2006-2007 525i, 525xi, 530i, 530xi, 550i sedans and 530xi sports wagons, model year 2006 760i sedans, model year 2006-2007 750i, 750Li, and 760Li sedans, and model year 2006 X5 sports activity vehicles, equipped with certain seat types. The front passenger seat occupant detection mat that determines if and how the passenger frontal air bag should deploy in a crash may fatigue and develop cracks which could lead to a system failure.
Safety risk
Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Manufacturer remedy
BMW will notify owners with an interim notification letter in January 2014 since parts are not currently available. When parts are available, BMW sent a second letter in August and dealers will repair the occupant detection mat to eliminate the possibility that it may crack, free of charge. Additionally, owners of model year 2006-2007 3 Series with standard seats, 5 Series with comfort seats, and Z4 models, will receive an extended warranty on their front passenger seat occupant detection mat. Owners may contact BMW customer relations at 1-800-525-7417 or email BMW at [email protected].
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Air bags
42
99,500 mi
Service brakes
8
125,000 mi
Electrical system
7
105,000 mi
Seat belts
6
99,500 mi
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
5
126,525 mi
Exterior lighting
5
78,000 mi
Air bags: frontal
3
75,000 mi
Engine
3
92,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling
3
135,000 mi
Unknown or other
3
92,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
2
78,500 mi
Seats
2
95,500 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
98,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
2
150,000 mi
Steering
2
40,000 mi
Structure: body
2
33,000 mi
Tires
2
160,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
2
40,000 mi
Visibility/wiper
2
78,000 mi
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module
1
75,000 mi
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger
1
—
Back over prevention: warnings: external/pedestrian alert
1
34,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
170,000 mi
Firerelated
1
—
Fuel system, gasoline
1
188,318 mi
Power train
1
92,000 mi
Seat belts: front: warning light/devices
1
75,000 mi
The 2005 model has 2 times as many complaints as this one. The 2007 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.