Table 1 shows one common seats related problems of the 2010 Mini Cooper.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seats problems |
Passenger seat occupancy sensor failure. This is a very common fault in the r56 series Mini Cooper. The manufacture has not initiated a recall. There are vendors selling "bypass" kits which will cause unsafe air bag deployment in an infant is in the seat.
Passenger seat occupancy sensor has failed, rendering the airbag system permanently turned off until it is replaced. This is an issue that is so common that people are purchasing bypass units off of ebay to trick the computer into thinking the passenger is there. A quick google search will confirm this. It cannot be condoned that a company as large as BMW gets a free pass on refusing to fix this while companies on ebay profit on a device that is clearly not safe to use.
The airbag occupancy detection switch in the passenger seat is defective. This is occurring so often on Mini Coopers (r56 models from 2007-2013) that a passenger occupancy defeat switch is being openly sold and youtube videos are available showing how to fit this device. This disables the occupancy detector switch, causing grave danger of death to infants or children seated in the passenger seat during a collision. Mini is currently charging nearly $1,000 to rectify this common fault. This defect has been confirmed multiple times by Mini, including on my vehicle on 7/8/2022. The component has been inspected by the manufacturer and confirmed to be defective. There were warning lights displayed on the central console, as well as on the driver tachometer every time the car is started. This warning cannot be defeated. This youtube video (and many others…) have been posted more than 3 years ago about the issue, showing how to disable the warning. This one has over 74,000 views! https://youtu. Be/gdlmtyguipm it is well overdue that you do something about this clear, present and deadly danger to children! thank you.
The passenger seat occupancy detector is broken. This is apparently a common problem with bmws and Mini Coopers. Some models have been recalled. But many have not, including mine. The symptom is that seat belt and airbag warnings light up.
I have a 2010 Mini Cooper hardtop. This is an ongoing problem of the last three years. The passenger airbag alert goes on when I have a passenger in the seat saying passenger airbag is off. I've taken it to a repair shop and they will need to dismantle the seat to see if the sensor is defective and replace. I see that other models of Mini Coopers have had recalls for this defect in seat sensors. Models in years before and after 2010. It is an expensive procedure, and dangerous if I have a passenger.
Faulty front passenger seat weight sensor for airbag. Weight sensor fails to distinguish when someone is or is not in the seat, causing the airbag for the front passenger constantly read "passenger air bag off. ".