WE WERE DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER AND ACTIVATED THE SEAT WARMERS ON THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDES WHEN WE DETECTED AN ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING AND SMOKING. WE STOPPED AND GOT OUT OF OUR SUV AND DISCOVERED A BURNT HOLE/SPOT ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT, LOWER LEFT SEAT BACK BOLSTER. ON TAKING IT OUR BMW DEALER FOR REPAIR, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE SEAT WARMER WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT IS WHAT CAUSED THE BURNT HOLE/SPOT ON THE SEAT BACK, I.E., "FAILED COMPONENT 3". FURTHER WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR SUV WAS TWO MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THAT THE COST OF REPAIR WOULD COST $2,900. WE HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED SIMILAR MALFUNCTIONS ON BMWS EQUIPPED WITH SEAT WARMERS. FURTHER, WE HAD TO REPLACE THE SEAT WARMER SYSTEM ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO BECAUSE IT TOO BECAME INOPERATIVE. THIS IS A CLEAR CASE FOR BMW TO ABSORB THE COST OF REPAIR, SINCE THIS SEAT WARMER MALFUNCTION HAS A HISTORY OF OCCURRENCES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION REGARDING THIS CASE.WV
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation