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 M5 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 other people with this issue, on forums, but a recall has not been issued, I think its important to do this recall because it is not safe for my passanger, in case some sort of accident happens and the airbag does not deploy.
Malfunction in passenger restraint system. Warning message stating "fault in passenger - restraint system affecting airbag, belt tensioner or belt force limiter" is activated every few minutes that car is in drive. Was informed that the passenger airbags will not deploy in the event of a crash. Dealership informed me that this was not covered by warranty and my extended warranty provider (hendricks autoguard) has refused to honor its obligations by claiming the part is a non-covered electrical component.
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.
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.
On June 24, 2006, a-united leased the M5 through BMW of monrovia, formerly assael BMW. During the duration of the lease, a-united incurred less than 1800 miles on the M5 primarily because the M5's safety and reliability had caused serious concerns. From as early as November 2006, a-united began experiencing problems with the M5 when the unusual noise from the engine became louder and louder. Shortly, the M5 began hesitating to accelerate. On October 22, 2007, the M5 was taken to BMW of monrovia for routine service as well as the cautioned service engine light soon alert on the M5. The technician explained that the M5 had a defective brake booster pressure sensor and he discovered a fault memory in the vacuum sensor. He assured that he would take care of the problem and the service light as well as the unusual noise from the engine would no longer occur. …
The passenger restraint system, airbag, seat belt, belt tensioner warning showed up in the car computer. Went to the dealer and dealer said that they will need to replace the passenger seat mat sensor and battery safety terminal. The cost is around $3500. When I searched online I found that the BMW 5 series 2004 - 2006 has a recall on this item already - please link. (http://www-odi.NHTSA.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsummary.cfm?rcl_campaign_id=08V384000&prod_id=113225&moduletype=vehicle&make=BMW&model=5%20series&veh_model_year=2004&searchtype=drilldown). However, my 2006 M5 even though is an e60 and the same chasis and model as the 2004-2006 BMW 5 series is not included in the recall. That's the reason that the dealer is asking me for the full price. This fault which is already a recall for the 5 series car should be added for the BMW M5 model as well. …
Front passenger seat air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, the passenger restraint system malfunction warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 56,000 and the current mileage was 56,200. Passenger air bag light on, showing air bag off. "important safety recall" note: for current recall January 2014, BMW states: "the recall involves the front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, over time, due to the frequency of front passenger seat usage, the sensor can become damaged. If this were to occur, deactivation of the front passenger air bag could result, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. …
Front passenger seat air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, the passenger restraint system malfunction warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. Passenger air bag light on, showing air bag off. "important safety recall" note: for current recall January 2014, BMW states: "the recall involves the front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, over time, due to the frequency of front passenger seat usage, the sensor can become damaged. If this were to occur, deactivation of the front passenger air bag could result, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. …
Front passenger seat air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, the passenger restraint system malfunction warning lamp illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 62,000. Passenger air bag light on, showing air bag off. "important safety recall" note: for current recall January 2014, BMW states: "the recall involves the front passenger air bag seat occupancy sensor mat, over time, due to the frequency of front passenger seat usage, the sensor can become damaged. If this were to occur, deactivation of the front passenger air bag could result, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash. …
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 America. This problem, in itself, can lead to a variety of malfunctions in the event of an accident causing serious injury or death. The problem has also LED to a large market of "dummy sensors" being sold on ebay and similar sites, which trick the computer into thinking the airbag sensor is correctly functioning. These dummy sensors do not remedy the problem and can lead to an increased risk of injury or death. …
Airbag complaints in other M5 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2006 BMW M5?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the air bags of the 2006 BMW M5, 64% of the model year's 39 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 BMW M5 airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2006 BMW M5, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 BMW M5 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires 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.