WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE OBSERVED SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF DRIVER SEAT. SLOWLY FELT THE HEAT SENSATION GROWING STRONGER IN THE AREA. ALMOST IN A PANIC, AND AT GREAT RISK TO MYSELF AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD, TRIED TO NAVIGATE THROUGH TRAFFIC ON THE BUSY STREET, TO THE RIGHT HAND TURN LANE, WHILE TRYING TO AVOID WHAT WAS OBVIOUSLY GROWING INTO A FIRE IN THE SEAT. HAD TO AVOID SITTING IN THAT AREA OF THE SEAT, WHILE KEEPING THE SEAT BELT ON IN CASE THERE WAS A CRASH. FINALLY MADE IT TO A PARKING LOT AND JUMPED OUT. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE LEATHER SEAT THAT WAS SMOLDERING. THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT. TRIED TO FIND SOMETHING TO DOUSE IT OUT WITH BEFORE IT SPREAD TO OTHER PARTS OF THE SEAT. ALSO, DISCOVERED THAT MY PANTS WERE STILL SMOLDERING ON THE REAR LEFT LEG TOWARDS THE HIP AREA. THERE WERE TWO HOLES BURNED INTO THE PANTS FROM CONTACT WITH THE BURNING SEAT. CALLED THE DEALER AND SCHEDULED A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. CALLED BMW NA, WHO SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER SUCH INCIDENTS AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER. THEIR ATTITUDE ALSO SEEMED VERY LAISSEZ-FAIRE ABOUT THE WHOLE THING, SEEMINGLY NOT TO CARE SINCE I WASN'T REPORTING ANY INJURIES. JUST THE FACT THAT MY SEAT WAS ON FIRE AND I BARELY AVOIDED GETTING IN A CRASH AND GETTING BURNED, WHILE MY PANTS ACTUALLY DID GET BURNED! MEANWHILE RESEARCHED THE INCIDENT AND FOUND ONE CASE REPORTED ON THIS VERY NHTSA WEBSITE, SEVERAL OTHERS ON THE X5 ON VARIOUS FORUMS AND A DOCUMENTED RECALL ON THE 5 SERIES FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE SEAT HEATER. NOW BMW WANTS TO COVER ONLY THE COST OF THE PARTS AND NOT EVEN THE LABOR TO GET IT INSTALLED? FORGET ABOUT MY PANTS, OR THE TIME/EFFORT AND STRESS ALL THIS HAS CAUSED, THAT I DIDN'T EVEN ASK TO BE COMPENSATED FOR. NHTSA - WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THE BMW X5 FOR THIS ISSUE AS YET? IS IT NECESSARY TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS OR GETS BURNED? *TR
2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER FORCING ME TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS OCCURRED 3 OTHER TIMES IN THE PAST 4 MONTHS , THE OTHER INCIDENTS WERE IN THE PARKING LOT. THE CAR STARTS UP AND RUNS PERFECTLY BEFORE AND AFTER. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY. SEARCHING FOR A SOLUTION, I FOUND THAT BMW HAS SERVICE BULLETIN TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I AM SURPRISED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS SINCE IT IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. *TR