BMW 5 Series, 7 Series Recall R/2005/001: Front Seat Back-rest Heater May Overheat, Who Is Affected And What To Do
- Urgent
- How serious
- 23 Dec 2004
- Launched
- 3,009
- vehicles in the UK
- R/2005/001
- DVSA reference
BMW recalled 5 Series, 7 Series vehicles built between 25 September 2002 and 9 June 2004. Mechanical loads exerted on the back-rest heating element of the front seats when persons enter or exit the vehicle may result in damage to the door side contact line in the back-rest padding. The dealer will check condition where necessary fit an additional in-line fuse. You won't usually pay for it.1
What’s Wrong
Mechanical loads exerted on the back-rest heating element of the front seats when persons enter or exit the vehicle may result in damage to the door side contact line in the back-rest padding. In the event that this causes a break of a contact line the damaged area may overheat to unacceptable levels with the heater switched on. It would then not be possible to rule out the risk of minor burns to the occupants clothes and possibly their skin.
DVSA's Original Wording
Concern: FRONT SEAT BACK-REST HEATER MAY OVERHEAT Defect: Mechanical loads exerted on the back-rest heating element of the front seats when persons enter or exit the vehicle may result in damage to the door side contact line in the back-rest padding. In the event that this causes a break of a contact line the damaged area may overheat to unacceptable levels with the heater switched on. It would then not be possible to rule out the risk of minor burns to the occupants clothes and possibly their skin. Remedy: Recall affected vehicles and check condition where necessary fit an additional in-line fuse.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The Risk
If the fault occurs, the recall notice says it could result in damage to the door side contact line in the back-rest padding.
The Fix
The dealer will check condition where necessary fit an additional in-line fuse.
Are You Affected?
5 Series, 7 Series built between 25 September 2002 and 9 June 2004 may be included. BMW estimates 3,009 vehicles in the UK. Enter your registration to check, then confirm by VIN with BMW, because not every car in the date range may be included.
Which Car Is It?
Choose the make and model so we can match recalls to your car.
What To Do Now
- Check your car by registration above, then by VIN with BMW.
- Book with any franchised BMW dealer, quoting the DVSA reference R/2005/001. See how to get a BMW recall fixed.
- Follow the letter's instructions until the repair is done. See can you drive a car with a recall?.
Related Recalls
| Launched | Vehicle and fault | Severity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Series, 5 Series Touring, 7 Series, 7 Series - High Security and 2 moreChecking and re-securing the air-conditioning wiring harness | Urgent | R/2026/092 | |
| 2 Series, 3 Series, 3 Series Touring, 4 Series and 7 moreReplace the engine starter motor | Urgent | R/2026/054 | |
| 1 Series, 1 Series 3 Door Hatch, 1 Series 5 Door Hatch, 2 Series and 22 moreTakata driver and/or passenger airbag recall (Global VINs) | Urgent | R/2025/349 | |
| 5 SeriesProgram control units (CoC documents) | Low | R/2026/075 | |
| 1 Series 3 Door Hatch, 1 Series 5 Door Hatch, 3 Series, 3 Series PHEV and 14 moreReplace the engine starter motor | Urgent | R/2025/405 |
This is one of 275 BMW recalls in DVSA’s data. The BMW recall launched before it was R/2004/172 on 29 Sep 2004, for connections on the control arm to the rear axle may become loose. The one launched after it was R/2005/022 on 8 Feb 2005, for the bearings of the fuel injection pump may fail. You can also see every BMW recall, all recalls launched in 2004 and door and latch recalls across every make.
Source: DVSA recall R/2005/001, launched 23 December 2004. Data updated 15 October 2026. How we grade urgency.
Sources
- The Code does not itself say repairs are free. GOV.UK guidance says "You will not usually have to pay for any repairs or parts under a safety recall." gov.uk Checked 15 Oct 2026.