Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 BMW 330i owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was getting ready to leave my home and both front airbags deployed on me, which also resulted in my windshield breaking. I did not hit anything with the vehicle. I then looked up the VIN and noticed the 2 open recalls one is for the airbags, I contacted BMW left the service manager numerous voicemails he never returned any of my calls. Then I contacted BMW North America, I got the vehicle towed to BMW of Carslbad just before Thanksgiving 2024 I just picked up my vehicle on January 6 2025 and they did not fix the recalls on the vehicle. I have been without a vehicle since before Thanksgiving!! I have health issues and I am missing appointments. I am on a fixed income my husband just passed away. I need someone to help me I keep getting the run around. If there are open recalls they need to be fixed I don't understand.
My airbag light is on. I checked the website, and realize that there is a recall for Takata airbags, however, when I input my VIN#, my vehicle does not show the active recall. There is an alert on the website that says "DO NOT DRIVE"....I cannot get any assistance from Takata when I call; they keep telling me that my car is not included. I don't believe it is safe to drive my car, and can't get any help.
Pass nger seat occupancy seat mat has failed and passenger air bag system does not work. Diagnosed recently- repair scheduled soon for cost of $1588.35 It looks like there may have been a recall in 2017 but I don't have any record of being notified or having it fixed.
Front passenger seat caught fire and burnt a hole from bottom up, took to the mechanic and he said it was from the airbag sensor that caught it fire, I was getting hair done at6 pm in evening, came out I hour later and smelt fire, looked and there was hole in seat, turned on air and rolled down windows, waived a magazine over it and made sure it was out. Drove home about 10 minutes away and air bag light came on. Tried to call BMW they were closed, went to my mechanic next morning he told me it was faulty to call BMW, I called BMW plaza and they told me tough they wouldnt do anything. I hated the hole so went to autozone to get something to repair it which made it look worse...been looking on line for seats very expensive. My boss told me as well that should be directed to attorney general which I messaged from missouri and us attorney general. …
The vehicle has an unexplained and unrepairable defect related to the main airbag control unit module, BMW part number 65779184432 (current version); believe part 65770394017 applied to my vehicle as-built. The control module generates internal control unit fault code 93d7. Both the airbag warning light and seatbelt light are continuously illuminated. According to dealer technician, the code is locked in and cannot be cleared. Advice provided was that the unit can be replaced and then recoded at estimated cost of approximately $2,000. If a repair can be effectuated with an updated part, then it appears that my car and perhaps all other similarly aged vehicles have a defective main airbag control unit module. A faulty airbag module would be a defect in a critical defect in a safety system's performance that unreasonably increases risk of death or serious injury in an accident. …
About June 1, 2011, my 2006 BMW 330i (sport seats) had a red airbag light illuminate. I took the car to the local BMW dealership and was told it would cost me a couple hundred dollars to diagnose the problem. The service manager asked if I recently changed batteries and I said that I did. He said sometimes the airbag light comes on if the battery wasn't installed properly. In 2014, I did some research and found that BMW knew of a problem with airbags in their 2006 330i vehicles- especially those with sport seats. The report I read stated that there would be a voluntary recall by the end of 2014. I contacted BMW and they confirmed, by email, there would be a recall for specific 2006 330i vehicles with sport seats. Upon checking a recall website, my vehicle was not included in the recall despite the fact that my vehicle suffers from the problem that initiated the recall. …
I had a full sized adult passenger in the front seat. While driving the airbag light went off as well as the " passenger airbag off" light and seat belt light. The passenger was heavy enough for airbag deployment. After the passenger got out of the vehicle the light stayed on for about 15 minutes before turning off randomly. Before this incident the light would come on briefly by itself with no one in the seat but this is the first time it really acted up. I checked the VIN to see if it had any recalls and it showed 0. I checked online for recalls in general and did see one for this issue same model and year but standard seats now I have the upgraded seats but the issue is still the same. This recall should be for all seat types if the issue is present! I can't believe this isn't a more concerning matter, these our suppose to be life safety devices! I don't feel safe!
I had both air bags replaced under the Takata recall and now I'm getting a "passenger restraint system malfunction" error on my display. There is an open recall NHTSA campaign id number: 08V384000 that is for the same issue and for my model and year but the VIN is not showing that recall. The error happened just when the car was started and it shows whether someone is sitting in the passenger with the seatbelt on or if the seat is empty. I am worried that the airbag won't deploy in the case of an emergency. Please let me know if this would be included in the recall as well for a safety issue. I've called BMW and was told this would not be covered either.
Air bag and seat belt warning lights (red) came on indicating restraint systemn failure. Batter changed three months ago. Car taken in to shop and system "reset" thinking it was due to the battery being replaced. Both air bag and seat belt warning lights have come back on. My mechanic told me there had been a recall for this problem and suggested I contact dealer. Called BMW of monrovia, ca and was informed that my vehicle id number was not listed for the recall. Since there have been so many complaints listed, should BMW issue a recall before someone is killed and not after a death as usually happens?
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 BMW 330i. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V071000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer (BMW of springfield, 391 us-22, springfield township, nj 07081) was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was included in the recall. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Related recalls
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2006-2011 3 Series Sedan (324i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi), 2006-2012 3 Series Sportswagon (325xi, 328i, 328xi), and 2009-2011 3 Series Sedan (335d) vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver's air bag module as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2013 128i and 135i Convertibles, 128i, 135i, and M Coupes, 2007-2010 X3 30si and X3 xDrive30i, 2013-2015 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i and X1 xDrive35i, 2007-2013 328i, 328i xDrive, 335i, 335is, 335i xDrive and M3 Coupes, 2006-2011 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 325i, 325xi,…
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver air bag. On X5 and X6 vehicles, only the inflator will be replaced. All repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began March 11, 2020.
Air bags
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2000 323i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sports Wagons; 2000 328i sedans and coupes; 2001-2005 325i sedans, coupes, convertibles, and Sport Wagons; 2001-2005 325xi sedans and Sports Wagons; 2006 325i coupes and convertibles; 2001-2006 330i sedans, coupes, and…
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until they have been repaired. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side frontal air bag, free of charge.
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
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.
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.
Show 1 more recall
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
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…
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…
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Airbag complaints in other 330i years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2006 BMW 330i?
NHTSA has 133 complaints about the air bags of the 2006 BMW 330i, 61% of the model year's 219 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 BMW 330i airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 24V-513 (inflator module, Jul 3, 2024); NHTSA recall 20V-017 (inflator module, Jan 15, 2020); NHTSA recall 14V-428 (air bags, Jun 11, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 BMW 330i airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.