Two airbag explosions, different times w/o accident or any impact to vehicle. '02 E46

[tcornsimp]

Over a year ago when my car was parked, engine on, was sitting there and passenger curtain airbag exploded (again I'm not driving and car wasn't moving). Car has never been in any accident. Immediately took it to Santa Monica BMW dealership they had for days and couldn't diagnose why airbag deployed.

BMW NA got involved, and after their senior tech inspected car for an entire day, they also couldn't diagnose any issue (said system worked as it should have), again they are claiming my airbag went off as it should when my car was parked, not moving and nothing impacted my car. They tried to claim it might be my radar that is hardwired into an empty fuse simply for power. So they denied it was a defect despite my explaining the airbag system (main module and sensors) are independent of other electrical systems and there should be no interference (this explained to me by my mechanic, the guys who installed the radar power cord, and a collision expert SM BMW sends their customers to), all saying the same thing that the airbag system is built NOT to interfere with other electronics in the car (radio, seat heaters, AC, ETC.)

Flash forward two months ago. I was driving 10-15 m.p.h. on a flat road and passenger door airbag explodes (hitting my GFs arm who was in passenger seat). I immediately took to dealership to document again, (took pictures, videos, etc.) and contacted BMW NA. I didn't allow them to inspect car again bc they failed the first time and have lied to me ever since I've been fighting them. They once again said they never found any faults in the airbag system after they inspected from first explosion. They wanted to dismantle the airbag main module and sensors and send back to Germany for testing. I've refused bc I don't want them doing anything to my car as I'm planning legal action for breach of contract and fraud (among other actions accordingly).

Has anyone had this happen to them, airbags deploying 1. when car isn't even moving and nothing hit it, 2. slowly driving on a flat road and no impact? Again, car to this day has never been involved in an accident, there's no damage to exterior as BMW NA knows from their inspection and SM BMW's inspection.

Any advice on this? Anyone know of people who have sued BMW NA for this obvious defect?

PS - both driver steering wheel airbag, and passenger dash airbag were replaced bc of the Takata recall. These two airbag explosions in passenger curtain and passenger door happened AFTER those replacements, so other possibility is dealership screwed something up with the main module and/or sensors' sensitivity when they replaced those other airbags.

It's either dealership's fault if they screwed up something when they replaced other airbags, or a manufacturer's defect.

Would appreciate any advice! THANKS!

[Onizukachan]

Talk to your lawyer.
and check your grounds.
Two false deployments? Something is awry with your particular car.

[e47]

old wires.

[yjsaabman]

Takata airbag recalls should have no impact on anything else in the system. Both replacements take about 20 min each for an experienced tech and only involve unplugging and plugging back the airbag being replaced.

Personally? I would not be driving the car at this point. I would be talking to my lawyer. I would be demanding they provide a vehicle for me to drive. And depending on what the lawyer said, probably letting them disassemble and inspect the airbag module.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[ekjdm14]

I've heard of this one other time, with a friend's 2002 (IIRC) Euro spec (England) X5 3.0d. The vehicle was stationary, ignition on but engine off as his partner was waiting to pick kids up from school. In that instance ALL airbags and pretensioners were deployed resulting in no injury fortunately but one very shaken up driver.

The only thing else I recall about the incident that could have any significance (this was a good 10-15 years ago, car was fairly new but high mileage) was that he noted the battery was completely drained when he collected the car, it would not crank or light the dash lights. This could have been due to things being left on/inadvertently activated but seems strange as he was on-scene within half an hour of the call from his distraught partner.

[ConvGeorge]

I've read this a few times and wonder if it's been far too long past the warranty for anything to happen. I mean, they don't guarantee the car forever. Things going bad on a 19 year old car happen. I know there is an airbag recall, but that's because they expel a potentially lethal object when they explode as designed, and that's due to a manufacturer other than BMW (Takata.) Intermittent electrical problems are among the most difficult to diagnose, as everything appears OK until the problem is happening. As to fraud, how were you defrauded? Do you think BMW knowingly put a bad Airbag system in your car, planning on it failing after 18 years?