"?SI B01 09 14 September 2014 WarrantiesWarranties This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B01 09 14 dated August 2014. Please read this Service Information bulletin in its entirety, the content has been completely updated. designates changes to this revision SUBJECT Front Passenger Air Bag Seat Occupancy Sensor (OC3) Mat: Limited Warranty Extension to 15 years Without Mileage Limitation. INFORMATION BMW of North America, LLC (""BMW NA"") is extending the limited warranty for the Supplemental Restraint System's (SRS) front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor (OC3) mat on certain model BMW vehicles to: 15 years without mileage limitation as determined by the vehicle's original in-
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2006 BMW M5 airbags problems
moderate 23 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
23
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
When does it fail?
Of the 23 airbags complaints filed for the 2006 BMW M5, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 75,000-100,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
How fast does it fail?
Cumulative share of the 12 mileage-bearing airbags complaints filed against the 2006 BMW M5 by each odometer reading. Median failure: 75,000 mi.
10% have failed by38,000 mi
Half the fleet by75,000 mi
90% have failed by90,000 mi
Curve based on owner-reported odometer mileage at the time of complaint. Reflects when owners filed, not when symptoms first appeared. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve.
What stands out
Airbags accounts for 61% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 3 categories tracked.
Reported failure mileage clusters in the 75,000-100,000 mi band — 5 of 12 complaints with an odometer reading on file land there.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2006 M5 suffers from a failing front passenger seat occupancy sensor mat that degrades from normal use. When the sensor fails—typically between 35,000 and 80,000 miles—the passenger airbag is disabled, even when someone is sitting in the seat. Owners report the passenger airbag warning light and a restraint system malfunction message appearing on the dashboard and iDrive display, sometimes intermittently at first, then permanently.
The critical safety issue: if the sensor fails and the airbag is disabled, it will not deploy in a crash, leaving the passenger unprotected. Multiple owners have confirmed this with dealers who state the airbag will not function in an accident.
BMW issued recalls for the same sensor defect in 2006–2007 5 Series models, but the M5 was excluded despite using the identical part and experiencing the same failure. Repair costs run $2,000–$5,000 because the entire seat base must be replaced (including heated/cooled leather and mechanisms). Some owners mention "dummy sensors" sold online that trick the warning system but do not fix the underlying problem.
Owners report BMW declined warranty coverage or recall extension for the M5. Extended warranty providers have also denied claims, citing this as an excluded electrical component.
Failure modes owners describe
Front passenger occupancy sensor mat failure
The seat occupancy sensor mat under the front passenger seat degrades from normal use, triggering warning lamps and disabling the passenger airbag. The sensor fails to detect occupancy reliably, causing the restraint system to deactivate the airbag even when a passenger is seated.
When: Typically between 35,000 and 78,000 miles; some failures reported around 54,000 to 62,000 miles. Most narrative subjects built November 2005 or early 2006.
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger airbag warning light illuminated on instrument cluster; Passenger restraint system malfunction warning message on display console; "Passenger airbag off" lamp in overhead console remains on; Dashboard airbag and seatbelt warning lights activate or remain permanently on; iDrive/central display shows text warning: 'Fault in passenger restraint system affecting airbag, belt tensioner or belt force limiter'; Warnings may be intermittent initially, then become permanent; Airbag remains disabled even when passenger is seated
Codes mentioned: OC3 (occupancy sensor code mentioned in #23), Campaign ID 08V384000 referenced
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers quote $2,000–$5,000 to replace entire seat base assembly (including heating, cooling, adjustment mechanisms, and leather). Owner narratives report quotes from $2,000–$5,000 depending on dealer; one owner reports being told a simple $20 sensor becomes a $4,000 job because the whole seat must be replaced. Multiple owners report repair was not completed due to cost or lack of warranty coverage.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: BMW issued recall(s) for some 2006–2007 5 Series models (referenced in #1, #6: March 2009 recall, and #7: August 2008 recall with campaign ID 08V384000), but the 2006 M5 (E60) was excluded from these recalls despite having identical sensor and the same failure mode. BMW has not offered assistance or extended coverage to M5 owners falling outside the recall parameters. Extended warranty providers (e.g., Hendricks Autoguard in #11) have refused coverage, citing the sensor as a non-covered electrical component.
Synthesized from 23 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 13 most recent
Well documented (on the internet) problem with the passenger side active restraint system failing, typically due to the passenger side occupancy mat. This problem has been documented in almost every model manufactured since 2000, but has only been addressed in a few, select, vehicles. This is the most common complaint for this model on carsafety.gov and has not been acknowledged by BMW of north…
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 BMW m5. The contact stated that the air bag light remained illuminated while a passenger occupied the seat. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the base of the seat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
Seat sensor mat for the passenger seat air bag disengages when passenger is seated. The disengaging of the passenger air bag poses a great danger for the passenger due to the passenger air bag will not deploy in a accident causing injury or death. BMW is aware of this ongoing problems with the m5 e60 series, but will not address this issue of safety. BMW charges the owner up to 5000.00 dollars to…
Error code pass. Restraint system. Description from dealer is that the oc3 under the passenger seat is worn from use. This disables the airbag in the event of a crash. *tr
Passenger occupancy sensor is bad. This causes a warning message to occur that states that the restraint system is malfunctioning. After further research, if this message is displayed, the airbags will not deploy in the event of a crash. *tr
The car has an issue with passenger airbag occupancy sensor, when someone sits on the passanger seat the airbag turns on, these bmws has many recalls for this issue, for some reason mine does not fall into the recall. I have scanned the computer and confirmed that the sensor is the issue, I would like this issue to be recalled on my car because this a common issue for these, I have read many…
Upon starting my car, I received an error message " fault in passenger restraint system affecting air bags, belt tensioner or belt force limiter" the message continues to show up every day.. This is the same issue that has a recall in all other 5 series models for this year, 2006 and has a recall for those vehicles. This model should be added since its the same issue. See attached.
The vehicle warning system displayed a passenger restraint fault which disables the passenger air bag deployment. The problem was initially intermittent, but within one week is now permanently displayed. A diagnostic scan by my dealer indicates a fault with the passenger seat occupancy sensor(s). This same problem resulted in a recall for other models/years, but apparently not this one for some…
This vehicle make/model/year has a known problem with the front passenger seat occupancy sensor failing. This sensor fails shortly after the warranty period expires and prevents the passenger front seat airbag from deploying in the event of a collision, thereby increasing the likelihood of serious bodily injury to, or death of, the front seat passenger. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 bmn m5. The contact stated that the air bag and seatbelt warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer stated that the air bag senor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileage was 38,000...updated 08-10-12 *bf updated 08/16/2012 *js
Had airbags trouble with your 2006 BMW M5?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2006 BMW M5?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 23 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $1,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Across the 22 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most airbags failures cluster between 51,115 and 77,000 miles, with the median around 63,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 51,115; a quarter make it past 77,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2006/BMW/M5.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.