Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||||
| SIM-65-08-03 | 03/01/2012 | 10043927 | Bmw mini: airbag warning light is on: mrs fc 02, 03, 05, 06. *kb | 05/02/2012 | |
| SIM-65-06-11 | 05/01/2011 | 10039593 | Ready | 08/03/2011 | |
| SIM-65-06-11 | 05/01/2011 | 10039593 | Bmw: the airbag warning light is on with a fault stored. the wiring under the seat may be pinched or damaged. *rm | 08/03/2011 | |
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||||
| SIM-65-06-11 | 05/01/2011 | 10039593 | Ready | 08/03/2011 | |
| SIM-65-06-11 | 05/01/2011 | 10039593 | Bmw: the airbag warning light is on with a fault stored. the wiring under the seat may be pinched or damaged. *rm | 08/03/2011 | |
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||||
| 720106 | 04/01/2006 | 10019981 | Airbag warning lamp for oc3 seat mat fault. airbag warning lamp (awl) illuminates, together with the passenger airbag status lamp (pol). the problem may be intermittent. *tt | 05/17/2006 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 03/05/2013 | 61126 | ||
| The passenger airbag off alarm lights came on on both the speedometer panel and the light above the rear view mirror. while i'd had an adult passenger earlier in the day, the passenger seat was unoccupied at the time. i have been unable to turn the light off, to test the bag, or to do much of anything about it. i see by doing an internet search that this has been a recurring problem with mini coopers for quite some time. see nhtsa bulletin numbers si m-65-02-0 and 720106. i feel this is a safety issue and should be addressed by mini cooper usa rather than paid for by the consumer. | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 84000 | 1 | |
| Passenger seat occupancy sensor lights stay on at all times, whether the seat is occupied or not. seat mat sensor defective. this is a common safety issue with this model that the manufacturer is fully aware of. repair cost is in excess of $1,300 for a very simple part. *tr | |||
| 09/04/2012 | 84000 | ||
| Passenger seat occupancy sensor lights stay on at all times, whether the seat is occupied or not. seat mat sensor defective. this is a common safety issue with this model that the manufacturer is fully aware of. repair cost is in excess of $1,300 for a very simple part. | |||
| 12/03/2011 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Air bag warning lamp turns on and remains on randomly. diagnostic indicates passenger seat occupancy sensor is defective. the passenger seat is used infrequently and looks like new. we have been told this is a safety issue that could result in either the air bag failing to deploy or deploying with too great of force. the cost of repair is prohibitive and yet the issue makes the vehicle almost un saleablimpossible to sell without the repair. *tr | |||
| 12/03/2011 | 70000 | ||
| Air bag warning lamp turns on and remains on randomly. diagnostic indicates passenger seat occupancy sensor is defective. the passenger seat is used infrequently and looks like new. we have been told this is a safety issue that could result in either the air bag failing to deploy or deploying with too great of force. the cost of repair is prohibitive and yet the issue makes the vihicle almost un saleablimpossible to sell without the repair. | |||
| 11/05/2012 | 118798 | 1 | |
| Airbag light and passenger airbag off light illuminated intermittently. *tr | |||
| 11/05/2012 | 118798 | ||
| Airbag light and passenger airbag off light illuminated intermittently | |||
| 06/09/2010 | 25000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the front passenger air bag off indicator illuminated with an occupant positioned in the seat. in addition, the failure would occur even when an occupant was not present in the front seat. the illumination no longer continued when the engine was turned off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated the passenger seat mat sensor would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000. sm. | |||
| 06/09/2010 | 25000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while driving approximately 45 mph, the front passenger air bag off indicator illuminated with an occupant positioned in the seat. in addition, the failure would occur even when an occupant was not present in the front seat. when the engine was turned off the illumination no longer continued. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated the passenger seat mat sensor would need to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 25,000. js | |||
| 05/13/2009 | 38000 | ||
| The air bag sensor in the passenger seat malfunctioned and was replaced under warrenty in 2009. the sensor has malfunctioned again in 2011. the dealer said they do not cover it under warrenty because the vehicle and the part were past the warrenty period. they wanted over $1000 to fix it. i conveyed to them that they have a safety problem related to this sensor and apparently they have not corrected it yet, so why would i pay to have it replaced by a part that will malfunction again. this is a serious safety issue that bmw/mini are ignoring! | |||
| 10/17/2011 | 40000 | ||
| The airbag light saying that the airbag is turned off has been turning off and on for a while. probably several years. in the last few months, the seat belt signal will activate even when no one is seated in the passenger seat. it usually happens right after the passenger has exited the vehicle. the only way to stop it is to buckle the seat. then the airbag warning lamp on the dashboard will turn on as well as the airbag light is off signal. sometimes both stay on for a while. there is no way of knowing when and if the airbags are actually working when i have a passenger in my car, which is frightening to me. i had my mechanic run diagnostics and he found that there's a tsb for this very problem on 2005 minis. it requires replacement of the sensor mat. i called the dealership where i bought the car to verify whether such a key safety component of the car shouldn't be under some extended warranty and was told no it wasn't. the only way to repair the issue is to replace the bottom seat of the passenger side which i was told would cost $650 + labor of $400 or so. they also told me that if i ordered the new seat and had it replaced by my mechanic and that didn't resolve the problem, they would not take back the seat. the only way it would be covered is if i had them run the diagnostic for $95. i think it's outrageous that with so many people experiencing this same key safety problem with their car that they can get away with not extending the warranty to this model or else recalling the item. and what's worse, there is no way to be assured that even when the lights are not on, that the airbags will actually deploy properly in the event of an accident. | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 45830 | ||
| 4/10/2008 airbag light on dash came on intermittently - mini dealer could not duplicate problem 9/23/2008 airbag light on dash came on and stayed lit - mini dealer found micro-cracks in oc3 seat mat fault code fc71 stored in mr55k checked faults replaced oc3 seat mat installed seat and enable seat mat with gt1 cleared faults summer 2011 - airbag light on dash came on intermittently october 2011 - airbag light on dash came on and stayed lit 11/15/2011 - mini dealer refuses to cover under warranty, despite known issues with this component having a history of being defective. | |||
| 10/08/2009 | 45000 | ||
| Passenger air bag light reads off and center console alert is lit. getting various diagnoses from shops, but no one really knows how to fix the problem. no one will definitively say, yes, your passenger airbag is off or on. this is a known problem with minis and there should have been a recall. | |||
| 10/25/2010 | 60000 | ||
| Minicooper 2005: at 60,000 passenger side air bag sensor malfunctioned. light stays on no matter if someone is in the seat or not. mini service says it will cost $1,000 plus to repair sensor, and that the bag will not deploy if sensor is malfunctioning. | |||
| 02/03/2009 | 81000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2005 mini cooper. the airbag sensor in the passenger seat failed after 60,000 miles, just after the car went out of warranty. this is a known defect that many mini and bmw owners have experienced. the sensor in the passenger seat has failed causing the airbag to be permanently deactivated, even when a passenger is sitting in the seat. the dealer charges $1100 to fix the defect. i feel like the airbag should work for the life of the car, or at least up to 100,000 miles. this car has never been in an accident or had any other mechanical issues that would affect the airbag. my car is in good condition and has approximately 80,00 miles on it. this is a huge safety issue and the manufacturer should be responsible for fixing this. i would like to file a complaint against bmw and mini cooper and i would like the manufacturer to fix this defect at no charge to the owner of the car. thank you. *tr | |||