# 2000 BMW 740IL — SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
> NHTSA complaint `577413` · 2006-03-29 · BMW of North America, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** BMW
- **Model:** 740IL
- **Year:** 2000
- **Manufacturer:** BMW of North America, LLC
- **Component:** SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
- **Miles at failure:** 45,678
- **Speed:** 5 mph
## Narrative
TWO DAYS AFTER PURCHASING A 2000 BMW 740IL WITH 45,000 MILES ON IT FROM A FRIEND, I LEFT MY DRIVEWAY AND ACTIVATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT.  AFTER DRIVING SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS, I BEGAN TO SMELL SMOKE.  I STOPPED THE VEHICLE TO TRY TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.  MY WIFE WAS FOLLOWING IN ANOTHER VEHICLE AND PULLED ALONG SIDE ME.  I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW AND WIFE SAID "THERE IS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE WINDOW!". I TURNED OFF THE SEAT AND OPENED THE DOOR AND LOOKED AT THE SEAT.  THERE WAS A BURNT SPOT APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF A DIME HIGH ON THE OUTBOARD BOLSTER OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT.  I TOUCHED THE SPOT AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH.  MY ONE AND A HALF YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS STRAPPED IN HER CAR SEAT IN THE BACK.  BEFORE EXITING THE VEHICLE, I UNLOCKED ALL THE DOORS IN CASE I HAD TO GO AROUND AND PULL HER FROM THE CAR.  AFTER TURNING OFF THE SEAT, THE FIRE STOPPED.  I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON SEVERAL BMW E38 WEBSITES AND HAVE FOUND SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS OCCURRENCE.  ONE INDIVIDUAL SAID THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN HAD BEEN SENT TO BMW DEALERS TO ALERT THEM OF THIS PROBLEM IN SEVERAL LINES OF BMW CARS, INCLUDING SOME NEWER MODELS.  FORTUNATELY, I HAD NOT YET UTILIZED THE AUXILIARY CLIMATE CONTROL TIMER FUNCTION THAT ALLOWS THE OWNER TO HAVE THE CAR TURN ON IT'S HEATED SEATS AND STEERING WHEEL AT A PRE-SET TIME BEFORE THE OWNER ENTERS THE CAR.  SEEING HOW QUICKLY THE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT IF THIS FUNCTION HAD BEEN USED, IT WOULD HA
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*