Table 1 shows one common seat belt related problems of the 2014 Mini Cooper.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seat Belt problems |
After unlatching the driver side seatbelt, the belt fold into the retraction mechanism such that it got stuck and could not be used until it was manually unspooled, which is extremely difficult to do. This has happened many times in this car and presents and serious safety issue since it renders the seatbelt potentially unusable.
There was no one sitting in the front passenger seat, but my ipod was on the seat. A "fasten seat belt" warning went off while I was driving at highway speeds. I had been driving for over 30 minutes when this happened. While driving, I removed the ipod from the seat, but the warning did not stop. Because it was not immediately possible to pull over, I had to ignore safety lights and chimes until I could pull over. Although this false warning has happened several times with light objects in the passenger seat, it does not happen consistently. The dealer insists the car is functioning properly, and suggested I leave the passenger seat belt fastened. I think this behavior is a safety concern because (1) it is a source of unpredictable driver distraction; (2) it encourages drivers to defeat a safety warning by leaving the passenger seat belt fastened; and (3) if the seat sensor can't distinguish between an ipod and a person, how can it give the proper readings to the air bag system in the event of a crash.