BMW X3 (2010) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury if Front Passenger Air Bag Fails
BMW is recalling certain 2006-2010 X3 models due to potential front passenger air bag failure in crashes, increasing injury risk. Owners must have the seat occupant detection mat replaced free of charge.
Use caution until it’s fixed
Should the system fail, in the event of a crash, the front passenger air bag would be deactivated, increasing the risk of personal injury.
What happened, in plain English
BMW is recalling certain 2006-2010 X3 models because the front passenger air bag might not deploy properly in a crash, increasing injury risk. Owners must have the seat occupant detection mat replaced at no cost to fix the issue. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/1253148-bmw-x3-2010-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-if.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/1253148-bmw-x3-2010-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-if · Updated October 7, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #17V605000
Cite this page
“BMW X3 (2010) Air Bag Recall: Risk of Injury if Front Passenger Air Bag Fails.” GovInfoNow, updated October 7, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/1253148-bmw-x3-2010-air-bag-recall-risk-of-injury-if. Based on NHTSA recall #17V605000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=17V605000).
Why it’s dangerous
The front passenger seat occupant detection mat can develop cracks over time, causing the air bag to deactivate during a crash. This increases the risk of injury to the front passenger because the air bag won't deploy to protect them.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2006-2010 BMW X3 2.5i, X3 3.0i, and X3 xDrive30i models are affected. Front passenger air bag users face the highest risk of injury if the system fails during a crash.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your BMW X3 was manufactured between 2006 and 2010 and has a 2.5i, 3.0i, or xDrive30i model. The recall covers specific trim levels that use the seat occupant detection mat.
- Brand
BMW- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact BMW Customer Service
Call 1-800-525-7417 to confirm your vehicle is affected and schedule a replacement for the seat occupant detection mat.
Replace Seat Occupant Detection Mat
BMW will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat at no cost once parts are available.
What NHTSA says to do
BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on November 27, 2017. A second notification letter will be sent when parts are available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
How this recall unfolded
Recall timeline
2 dated steps over 2 months.
- NHTSA received the defect report
- Interim owner letters mailed
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
Keep exploring
Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #17V605000 (September 28, 2017)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 7, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.