Mini Cooper owners have reported 50 seat belt related problems since 1996. Table 1 shows the 1 most common seat belt problems. The number one most common problem is related to the vehicle's seat belt (50 problems). For details of each of the problem category, use the links in the table.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seat Belt problems |
The seatbelt and air bag warning light for the passenger front seat stays on.
Passenger airbag sensor is off even when passenger is in the seat and airbag should be on.
As per NHTSA there was a recall the replace oc3 seat occupancy mat but I never received recall notice and just passed 10 years with 40k millage and started getting air bag light, dealer is not replacing it under warranty, if they was a recall they should have replaced my seat earlier so that I would not have this issue today. Is there a way to extend warranty to longer time or recall all the cars and replace them so that we do not have to spend 2k to replace it? "01 11 16_oc3 seat occupancy mat: limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles".
The passenger occupancy seat sensor is defective (as reported by many other owners of this vehicle model). The sensor is very costly to replace in terms of parts ($1,500) and labor ($1,500) and Mini does not sell the sensor separately as it is embedded in the seat foam. The defective sensor does not recognize a passenger sitting in the passenger seat and deactivates the passenger airbag which is an essential, lifesaving device fitted to a small vehicle. When involved in a major vehicle collision, without a working airbag, the risk of fatality drastically increases. The sensor is also responsible for not deploying the airbag if a passenger under 100lbs is sitting in the seat ie. A child. Again, this is a massive safety concern especially due to other owners resorting to a cheap aftermarket bypass module which will always deploy the airbag. This solution could seriously injure or cause fatalities for passengers under 100lbs. Other Mini models with the same electronic occupancy sensor problems have had recalls issued by the NHTSA and has not issued recalls for vehicles with the same issue consistently. It is the NHTSA's responsibility to hold the manufacturer accountable for all vehicle models with similar defects impacting the safe and consistent operation of life preservation devices such as airbags especially when repair costs for these defective devices are cost prohibitive for vehicle owners to replace.
The footwell module that controls the lights, brake lights windows and dashboard is faulty on all Mini Cooper of this module. Every time I change my battery or disconnect it the module brakes and the dealership knows this problem and still want to charge 1300 dollars to fix it it is a safety and hazard issue.
My passenger seat airbag warning is illuminated, with associated chime. I am also getting a orange warning light indicating the passenger airbag is inop. This is intermittent with a passenger occupying the passenger seat. Lights go on and off with movement of the passenger. There is a current recall for the convertible model of the r56 Mini Cooper.
Restraint system malfunction fault in passenger-restraint system effecting airbag, belt tensioner or belt-force limiter. Having to replace passenger seat or sensor to indicate I have a passenger so the airbag will deploy. It looks like there may have been a recall for this in the past according to an article I found, but my VIN does not come up as needing this item replaced. Cost is approximately $800.
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.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the airbag light keeps coming on and off, as well as the seatbelt lights. It can be inspected if requested. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? if the airbags or seat belts are not functioning properly this could result in injury up to and including death. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? it keeps happening, not been to a dealer yet though. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no inpsection has been done. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? it appears that the sunroof has been leaking down the dash on the passeneger side. That leaks right onto the fuse box which could be causing some of the issues. If the fuse box is being leaked onto this could be a potential fire hazard.
There is a known issue with the passenger seat occupancy sensor that trips the airbag/seatblet lights and, I assume, doesn't turn off the airbag in the applicable situations.
There have been at least 7 write-ups about air bag failure on this model reported to you. When a passenger sits in the seat of my car, with the seat belt on, 01 the airbag light and seat belt light come on. If I have an accident the airbag on the passenger side will not deploy, leading to death or injury to the passenger. This has been reported to a Mini dealership. They will inspect it at my cost to see if it rates as a safety item. It is available for inspection as I can't drive it with a passenger and I can't leave my disabled wife alone at home. The car has 92323 miles on it. [xxx]--- [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
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.
When passenger is seated with safety belt on the seat belt light comes on along with a message that the passenger seat air bag will not deploy.
Lights come on & off for airbags and or seat belts - randomly - unknown as to why - or if they are working - sometimes stay on - for 2 weeks - then go off and not on for quite awhile (weeks) brought up as to -why? with no resolution except may need repair? does not seem to make sense - no accidents or even close to an accident ever occurring- local driving - car maintained.
The vehicle has a faulty seat sensor that causes the vehicle to default to having a non-occupied seat with warning lights. In this situation, a passenger will not have an air bag deploy even if they’re heavy enough to otherwise trigger the weight sensor. This is happening on my vehicle and, based on internet research, most other r56 models to the point of a market existing for electronic bypass modules. Mini will not repair for a reasonable cost.
The passenger seat oc3 occupancy sensor has malfunctioned, leading to the ecu to believe the seatbelt is unbuckled and disabling the passenger airbag while the car is in motion. This is a frequent occurrence which can be seen across all of the Mini/BMW forums for an untold number of owners of this build.
On Saturday, June 26, 2021, I was driving from a highway # 30 from caguas to humacao puerto rico and when a try to take the exit for my house the car swept away and crashed. The airbags do not open and the seat belt does not protect my self. I suffer many injuries in my head and body.
The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the air bag and the seat belt warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.
The lighting and small system computer or frm module. This module controls any features including safety features on the car. My turn signals, hazard lights, dash lights, courtesy lights, tail lights, windows, horn, high beam headlights and possibly airbags don’t work. Mini will fix the problem if the car is ten years old or less, but any car that is older doesn’t qualify. My car is a 2011 but I bought it new in 2012. They refuse to fix it and the repair cost is around $2000. I have had so many other problems with my car that have cost me several thousands of dollars and I feel like Mini should fix this problem considering these are safety features that could result in injury or death.
Mini Cooper base model with 90k miles has seat belt and air bag warning lights illuminated. Warning lights started intermittently going on and off and now stay illuminated continously when ignition is on. No vehicle accidents or incidents to cause this problem.
Recently purchased a used 2008 Mini Cooper. Passenger side airbag sensor warning light is on and always stays on. This is a known defect that Mini has covered under warranty/recall. I took vehicle to BMW/Mini dealer in birmingham, al and was informed that this particular recall expired in 2018, or with vehicles with more than 120,000 miles. Mine has 123,000 mi. Also called Mini customer service and received the same information. Many videos exist on internet/youtube about this particular defect and how to bypass problem by installing a part that bypasses the sensor or by using a scan tool to erase the code to remove the warning light. Neither of these solutions seem safe. I am concerned that the car's passenger airbag would fail to deploy in the event of a collision. . Read more...
Was in a significant motor vehicle accident on 2. 18. 20. Driving on us-98west 2016 Mini Cooper 4door when large chevy2500 pickup truck stopped suddenly in front of me. I was traveling at about 45-50mph. I was wearing my seatbelt. I slammed on brakes but made full contact with back of truck, I was slammed into the windshield and steering column. Seatbelt failed- airbag failed! Mini Cooper was determined a total loss by insurance company. I suffered a concussion, fractured sternum, two fractured vertebrae in my neck - c7 and t1.
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.
Airbag warning light and seat bell light remains on entire time. There have been recalls on 2009 and earlier models but not 2010�s, however it's the same issue. I recently purchased the car however the original owner had the replaced in 2015 but now the lights are back on.
Driver's side seat belt locking mechanism jams, preventing the driver from fastening the seat belt and operating the vehicle in a safe manner.
The passenger side seat sensor goes on and off when a passenger is seated. Light indicators and alarms sound intermittently. Passenger air bags are turned off when passenger is seated and car is moving. If there is no passenger this does not occur.
I recently purchased a 2009 Mini Cooper and the airbag and seatbelt warning lights come on whenever I get in the car. The light came on recently when I started the car and it now occurs every time I turn the motor on. I've been online researching the problem and discovered that this may mean that the airbags will not deploy if I have an accident. This appears to be a problem facing a number of Mini Cooper owners and BMW has not resolved this problem after many complaints.
What is the preferred mandatory placement of a seat belt holder/adjustor for the vehicle that is within the regulatory safety standards? this vehicle does not have a holder and currently the belt lays across the consumers neck, which is not safe.
The air bag/seat belt system indicator lamps on the dash (behind the steering wheel) and in the speedometer cluster (center of dashboard) are on while driving the car with the seat belts properly fastened. This began on about 12/21/2014 with an odometer reading of 81,190 miles. Shortly after that I contacted the motorwerks Mini, bloomington, mn, and was told there was no recall on this issue and it was not covered by warranty. I also contacted Mini customer relations and checked the NHTSA. Gov site to confirm this. I kept watching the takata recalls, but my car was never included. I also called the dealership and Mini customer relations several more time, but got the same answer. Then on 5/11/17, we received a limited extended warranty letter from Mini that covered the seat occupancy mat. The problem was that Mini's "policy" was to first have the problem diagnosed at a Mini dealer �at our cost�. We went ahead and did that, paid almost $148. 50, only to be told the issue was with the computer, or possibly the wiring harness and neither of those issues are covered by the limited warranty extension. The estimated repair cost ranged from about $1,300-$4,000. I have the dealership invoice (#1mcs838674), dated 5/19/17 (odometer 97,852) if needed. As of today, June 8, 2017, the lights are still on and the odometer reads 98,069 miles (see attached photos). I am requesting that the NHTSA review this issue to determine if is systemic and might warrant a further investigation or a mandated recall. If more information is needed, please let me know. Thanks�����. .
2007 Mini Cooper s airbag light with warning on navigation screen saying seat belt tensioner or belt force limiter has a problem and passenger airbag is off. Odometer is 76,000 when problem started.
I went out of the country for 21 day and left my Mini parked in the garage. I am the only driver of my car and take pride in appearance and maintenance. I was extremely surprised when I returned the warning lights was on. The mileage is just under 60000. The seat belt and airbag warning light on out of the blue (stays on). When I took my Mini to the auto repair shop, it was suggested to look for recalls first. Upon research found alot of complaints about the same issue but no recalls for 2009. This is very disappointing and BMW should be ashamed. I will never purchase another product from BMW and will warn others before they consider making the same mistake. I will be trading my car in for an american made vehicle.
Constant replacing of the seat belts. Currently back seat belt not working again serious saftey hazard . No longer receiving a response from the dealer. Cannot ride a certain amount of passengers in the rear. Have taken the car back multiple times.
The car has 55000 miles and the airbag light is on. After research the problem seems to be with the passenger occupancy sensor, also known as a passenger occupancy mat. Mini has recalled many vehicles for this reason, however they continue to refuse the problems continues with the 2009 model. This is a safety and costly issue.
Srs computer and sensors are failing. No accident, no flooding just failing sensors and computer. Mini claims this is a "maintenance" item, yet there is no documented maintenance protocol for these items. Vehicle has less than 100k miles and air bag system components are failing. Hence we don't know if the system will work or not and the vehicle will not pass our state inspection.
Airbag sensor mat does not recognize whether a person is sitting on the passenger side thereby not activating the airbag; this has been happening on & off for months; passenger airbag light comes on immediately despite occupancy while parked and during driving (all conditions-highway, city street, turning. This issue started right after the warranty was over. This is a safety hazard, as none of the airbags will deploy in case of impact. I fear for my safety. This is a manufacturing defect.
While I was driving my car, the front passenger airbag got disconnected and the light came on. Now the lights indicating that the airbag is off remain on at all times. At the exact same time the light indicating that the passenger seat belt was not fasten came on as well and it remains on at all times while there is nobody on the passenger seat. The light remains on even if I fasten the seatbelt. I went to Mini dealership and was told that I had to pay $140 if I wanted them to inspect my car, I decided to take my car to an independent mechanic instead who told me after inspection ($95 for the inspection) that there was an issue with the sensors in the seat and that the entire seat had to be replaced ($1100 to replace it). This is a very serious issue since the airbag will not operate in case of accident. I know several Mini owners have experienced the same incident but Mini dealers refuse to assume that there is an issue that needs to be taken care of.
Air bag light turned on. Performed a fault survey and found there is 1 related fault code in the mrs control unit. Passenger seat occupancy sensor, not currently present, occurred 12 times. Need to replace the seat occupancy sensor and re program the mrs control unit. Total replacement cost: $1,164. 47 called Mini headquarters and was told there was no warranty or recall for my specific car. However, they told me that the 2005, 2006 Mini Cooper had a recall for the seat sensor. This is a major problem and should be recalled for the 2007 model as well.
Air bag and seat belt warning light on. The dealership said it will cost $2600 to replace the parts. This is a serious safety issue, not wear or tear. Existing recalls for air bags have not included my vehicle make/model.
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the passenger side seat belt light illuminated even when the seat was occupied. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v205000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The passenger seat has a pressure mat built into that has failed and it is causing the srs/airbag light to stay lit. This is turning off the passenger side airbag off which causes the passenger to not have airbag protection. This is a very common problem on all 2005 up Mini Coopers.
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.
The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the passenger side seat belt warning light and the air bag disabled light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. In April 2015, the recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 15v205000 (air bags) was received. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be given. The failure mileage was 100,000.
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.
Right and left seatbelt a jammed. Will not release. This was repaired and this happened again on may 14, 2014.
During the past couple weeks, the air bag indicator light would come on. At times it would stay on for a long period, other times not as long. This week the seat belt indicator light came on after a passenger left the car and the alarm sounded for apx. 10 minutes until I stopped and shut off the car. The air bag indicator also came on. I took it for servicing today but the garage could not get any codes from the srs control unit.
From my research, the 2006 Mini has a faulty passenger occupancy sensor in the passenger seat bottom requiring a replacement at a cost of over $1000. Since 2006 was the first year for this requirement, I believe they did not properly test the device before releasing them into production as I have researched and read on many failures of this device. I cannot determine conclusively if the airbag will or will not deploy in this situation and Mini will be liable in a situation if it does not deploy the airbag properly with a passenger seated. This is a situation that needs to be remedied through a recall. Mini extended their airbag system warranty on the 2002 - 2005 models to 10 years or 150,000 miles and should do the same for the 2006+ models.
The srs light is on and the passenger airbag light is also on even with a passenger sitting in the seat. This is a known issue due to bad wiring harness under the seats but BMW, Mini is refusing to rectify the faulty problems for 2005 and 2006 models of the 1st generation Mini Cooper. 2004 and 2003 Mini Coopers were honored with an extended warranty on the srs system for 150k miles or 10 years. With the srs light on, the airbag system and the seat belt activation system may fail on the passenger side even with a passenger in the car. The problem has already been reported with a service bulletin. The airbag warning light is on with a fault stored. The wiring under the seat may be pinched or damaged. Service bulletin number:sim-65-06-11 NHTSA item number:10039593.
Both the passenger seat belt light and the airbag system light illuminate while seat is occupied indicating the system is not operational and may not function in a crash. Internet research reveals many complaints to BMW concerning this problem in the 2006 Mini. Manufacturer dealerships will not diagnose without a large fee.
I purchased car from a private party. The rear seat was removed for a custom audio system. I have the seats but they never gave me the rear seat, seat belts. Is it the sellers' responsibility to provide them? you can imagine, I feel cheated, as I plan on pulling the audio and re-installing the seat.
Seat belt warning for passenger seat stays on despite buckling the seat belt. I suspect the air bag deployment is therefore not functioning.