2003 BMW 525I User Comment / Complaint

On 8 march 2005 at approximately 3:20pm, kari kawakami (spouse) and sydney kawakami (4 year old child) were heading westbound on grand river ave. in novi michigan. sydney was secured in a graco booster seat in the subject vehicle in the rear passenger side. the graco booster seat was tethered to the rear bench seat per manufacturers instructions while sydney kawakami was held in the booster seat by bmw's shoulder restraint belt and secured into the oem latch. upon turning southbound onto taft road, the subject 525i bmw (vin wbadt43483gy99228) was struck in the rear passaenger side by a eastbound (grand river ave.) vehicle. the collision resulted in sydney kawakami becoming a projectile in the vehicle because the oem shoulder belt latch and clasp gave way not holding the child in the booster seat. the booster seat was still secured to the bmw rear bench seat. kari kawakami did confirm that upon initially securing sydney kawakami at the inception on the trip, she had latched the shoulder belt across sydney kawakami and the booster seat and tugged upon it as a force of habit to insure a proper latching action.