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 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 02/07/2013 | 27933 | ||
| When i started my vehicle, 2006 mini cooper, the passenger airbag warning lights came on for no apparent reason there was no one in the passenger seat at the time. there was an august, 2008 bmw recall on 150,000 2002-2006 mini cooper's for this same passenger light airbag issue. bmw extended the warranty to 10 years on all of these recailed vehicles by vin#. i had this diagnosed by a bmw service center & a faulty passenger sensor pad in the passenger seat is causing the issue. the sensor pad is attached to the bottom of the passenger seat so both items have to be replaced which will cost approx.$1,200. i spoke to mini usa & my vin# was not on the 2008 recall. i then asked mini usa how do i get my vin# on the recall list & was to told to go to this website & file a complaint. after your investigation, mini usa told me that you can have my vehicle vin# added to the august, 2008 recall. mini usa was also unable to tell me if my passenger seat airbag will properly deploy in the event of a accident. i consider this an extremely serious safety issue (possible death) if the airbag does not properly deploy because of a faulty passenger seat sensor pad! please help.....thanks | |||
| 05/01/2012 | 54000 | 1 | |
| The airbag warning lights came on and stayed on. at first the lights were coming on and off now they just stay on. no incidents on a well maintained vehicle. both a mini dealership and another mechanic both say it is the air bag weight sensor in the seat and that the seat needs to be replaced. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2012 | 54000 | ||
| The airbag warning lights came on and stayed on. at first the lights were coming on and off now they just stay on. no incidents on a well maintained vehicle. both a mini dealership and another mechanic both say it is the air bag weight sensor in the seat and that the seat needs to be replaced. | |||
| 10/07/2012 | 59000 | 1 | |
| Passenger seat air bag sensor warning light is lighting up. this has been diagnosed as a result of a defective passenger seat air bag sensor. there was no incident that caused this. it just went bad. this appears to be a known issue for min and bmw but they are not taking responsibility to replace the sensor which runs anywhere from $900 to $1600 to be repaired. this automobile has been very well maintained has less than 60k miles and is a one owner. there was no reason for this to have gone bad other than the part must be of poor quality or design. this is a safety issue and mini usa should step up and resolve this for their customers. *tr | |||
| 10/07/2012 | 59000 | ||
| Passenger seat air bag sensor warning light is lighting up. this has been diagnosed as a result of a defective passenger seat air bag sensor. there was no incident that caused this. it just went bad. this appears to be a known issue for min and bmw but they are not taking responsibility to replace the sensor which runs anywhere from $900 to $1600 to be repaired. this automobile has been very well maintained has less than 60k miles and is a one owner. there was no reason for this to have gone bad other than the part must be of poor quality or design. this is a safety issue and mini usa should step up and resolve this for their customers. | |||
| 12/18/2012 | 65000 | 1 | |
| The airbags light came on for no reason at all. doing research i found there's a lot of people with the same problem! and apparently mini usa is not taking responsibility for any of it. *tr | |||
| 12/18/2012 | 65000 | ||
| The airbags light came on for no reason at all. doing research i found theres a lot of people with the same problem! and apparently mini usa is not taking responsibility for any of it. | |||
| 11/21/2012 | 91139 | 1 | |
| Air bag system diagnosis returned fault code 71. tech check on srs system found passenger seat occupancy detector fault. passenger air bag system is disabled as a result. estimated repair cost is $1200. internet searches found this is a very common problem with mini cooper's and mini refuses to cover when out of warranty. *tr | |||
| 11/21/2012 | 91139 | ||
| Air bag system diagnosis returned fault code 71. tech check on srs system found passenger seat occupancy detector fault. passenger air bag system is disabled as a result. estimated repair cost is $1200. internet searches found this is a very common problem with mini cooper's and mini refuses to cover when out of warranty. | |||
| 08/07/2012 | 81662 | ||
| The passenger airbag warning light indicates there is a problem with the passenger airbag system. the light illuminates contunuously whether a passenger is in the seat or not indicating that the airbag is turned off for the passenger. mini cooper denies any problem with their safety airbag system, yet there are many people complaining about having the same issues. the problem occured shortly after the warranty ran out. | |||
| 08/16/2012 | 59000 | 1 | |
| Airbag warning light indicates system is either off or inoperative - it does not matter if someone is sitting on the passenger seat or not. the airbag light is always on. after reviewing numerous complaints on mini forums, it appears that the problem is common and due to a defective sensor under the seat cover. since i rarely carry passengers, this condition is definitely not due to wear and tear. as it stands, i have no way to ascertain if the air bag will deploy in an accident situation. this could cause serious injury to anyone riding in the passenger seat or even the driver. a low mileage vehicle or even an older vehicle should not have this type of safety issue. mini customer support offered no help due to car being out of warranty. independent shop is doing the repair for $1210.00 due to lack of confidence in mini. *tr | |||
| 08/16/2012 | 59000 | ||
| Airbag warning light indicates system is either off or inoperative - it does not matter if someone is sitting on the passenger seat or not. the airbag light is always on. after reviewing numerous complaints on mini forums, it appears that the problem is common and due to a defective sensor under the seat cover. since i rarely carry passengers, this condition is definitely not due to wear and tear. as it stands, i have no way to ascertain if the air bag will deploy in an accident situation. this could cause serious injury to anyone riding in the passenger seat or even the driver. a low mileage vehicle or even an older vehicle should not have this type of safety issue. mini customer support offered no help due to car being out of warranty. independent shop is doing the repair for $1210.00 due to lack of confidence in mini. | |||
| 05/01/2012 | 1 | ||
| Our 2006 mini cooper hatchback's passenger side air bag indicator stays on with or without a passenger. sometimes with a passenger, it will go on and off sporadically. if the light is on when there is a passenger it would be logical to assume that the airbag will not deploy. after researching this problem on the internet, it would appear that this problem is wide-spread and dangerous. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2012 | |||
| Our 2006 mini cooper hatchback's passenger side air bag indicator stays on with or without a passenger. sometimes with a passenger, it will go on and off sporadically. if the light is on when there is a passenger it would be logical to assume that the airbag will not deploy. after researching this problem on the internet, it would appear that this problem is wide-spread and dangerous | |||
| 07/23/2012 | 63055 | ||
| The srs detector mat for turning off the airbags in the event of an underweight occupant is easily broken. when broken, sensors disable the airbags. this part is extremely expensive to replace and i can not afford it on a fixed income ($1600). this is a safety issue and should be a recall. the mat has issues: 1) very prone to failure and 2) integrated into the seat cushion so it can not be replaced itself, it must have the seat cushion replaced also. my model is a special edition and there are no parts in the usa. 11 in germany at a very high price. ***my model: mini cooper s jcw gp 2006 not on list*** | |||
| 07/18/2011 | 48500 | 1 | |
| Our 2006 mini cooper hatchback's passenger side air bag indicator stays on with or without a passenger. sometimes with a passenger, it will go on and off sporadically. if the light is on when there is a passenger it would be logical to assume that the airbag will not deploy. after researching this problem on the internet, it would appear that this problem is wide-spread and dangerous. *tr | |||
| 06/08/2012 | 63000 | 1 | |
| The right front occupant sensor for air bag appears to be defective. it had to be replaced. we have heard of several mini cooper's that have defective seat sensors. when this sensor fails, the air bags may not deploy as designed. this is a safety system failure. cost to replace this sensor was over $1,400.00. *tr | |||
| 07/18/2011 | 48500 | ||
| Our 2006 mini cooper hatchback's passenger side air bag indicator stays on with or without a passenger. sometimes with a passenger, it will go on and off sporadically. if the light is on when there is a passenger it would be logical to assume that the airbag will not deploy. after researching this problem on the internet, it would appear that this problem is wide-spread and dangerous. | |||
| 06/08/2012 | 63000 | 1 | |
| The right front occupant sensor for air bag appears to be defective. it had to be replaced. we have heard of several mini cooper's that have defective seat sensors. when this sensor fails, the air bags may not deploy as designed. this is a safety system failure. cost to replace this sensor was over $1,400.00. *tr | |||
| 07/18/2011 | 48500 | ||
| Our 2006 mini cooper hatchback's passenger side air bag indicator stays on with or without a passenger. sometimes with a passenger, it will go on and off sporadically. if the light is on when there is a passenger it would be logical to assume that the airbag will not deploy. after researching this problem on the internet, it would appear that this problem is wide-spread and dangerous. | |||
| 05/11/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph, he noticed that the air bag light was illuminated on the instrument panel. the light remained illuminated whenever the vehicle was in motion. the dealer was not notified. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 50,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 05/11/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph, he noticed that the air bag light was illuminated on the instrument panel. the light remained illuminated whenever the vehicle was in motion. the dealer was not notified. the manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 50,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 05/11/2010 | 50000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that while going 15 mph, he noticed that the air bag light was illuminated on the instrument panel. when ever the contact had the vehicle in motion, the light would stay illuminated on both the driver and passenger side. the dealer was not notified. the manufacturer was notified and informed that he would have to repair the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 50000. the vin was unavailable. ap | |||
| 10/15/2009 | 55000 | ||
| The passenger side air bag started having intermittent failures starting about 55,000 miles and little over three years, seven months after purchase. full failure occurred at 80,000. the seat was not commonly used. the car is used primarily to commute to and from work by one person. | |||
| 03/19/2012 | 95000 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 03/01/2012 | |||
| The air bag light in on above my rear view mirror and on my dash. i have found on multiple sites that this is a common issue. | |||
| 03/12/2012 | 24980 | ||
| Airbag warning light comes on whether or not a passenger is in the front passenger seat. the dealer says the airbag sensor in the seat needs to be replaced. this cost us over $1500. in 2006 mini issued an extended warranty for 2002 and 2003 models with the same defect. bmw's investigation of the same sensor under the passenger seats of bmw autos resulted in a recall of this part. nhtsa action number: ea08001. this is a serious safety concern. message boards have instances of people paying for this expensive safety defect at the dealer, and the problems returning after 1 to 2 years in some cases. someone with be seriously hurt or killed if the passenger airbag fails to deploy. | |||
| 03/01/2012 | |||
| The air bag light in on above my rear view mirror and on my dash. i have found on multiple sites that this is a common issue. | |||
| 03/12/2012 | 24980 | ||
| Airbag warning light comes on whether or not a passenger is in the front passenger seat. the dealer says the airbag sensor in the seat needs to be replaced. this cost us over $1500. in 2006 mini issued an extended warranty for 2002 and 2003 models with the same defect. bmw's investigation of the same sensor under the passenger seats of bmw autos resulted in a recall of this part. nhtsa action number: ea08001. this is a serious safety concern. message boards have instances of people paying for this expensive safety defect at the dealer, and the problems returning after 1 to 2 years in some cases. someone with be seriously hurt or killed if the passenger airbag fails to deploy. | |||
| 03/01/2012 | |||
| The air bag light in on above my rear view mirror and on my dash. i have found on multiple sites that this is a common issue. | |||
| 03/12/2012 | 24980 | ||
| Airbag warning light comes on whether or not a passenger is in the front passenger seat. the dealer says the airbag sensor in the seat needs to be replaced. this cost us over $1500. in 2006 mini issued an extended warranty for 2002 and 2003 models with the same defect. bmw's investigation of the same sensor under the passenger seats of bmw autos resulted in a recall of this part. nhtsa action number: ea08001. this is a serious safety concern. message boards have instances of people paying for this expensive safety defect at the dealer, and the problems returning after 1 to 2 years in some cases. someone with be seriously hurt or killed if the passenger airbag fails to deploy. | |||
| 03/04/2012 | 129000 | ||
| Airbag passenger mat seat sensor . this has been a ongoing problem from the 2003 to present. seat sensor turns airbag light on and can disable air bag on passenger side and according to mini dealership, not on factory recall but they say get hundreds a year and charge to replace sensor at 1000.00. safty ssue! someone really needs to have them fix a known issue at all dealerships and put peoples lives in danger | |||
| 03/01/2012 | |||
| The air bag light in on above my rear view mirror and on my dash. i have found on multiple sites that this is a common issue. | |||
| 03/12/2012 | 24980 | ||
| Airbag warning light comes on whether or not a passenger is in the front passenger seat. the dealer says the airbag sensor in the seat needs to be replaced. this cost us over $1500. in 2006 mini issued an extended warranty for 2002 and 2003 models with the same defect. bmw's investigation of the same sensor under the passenger seats of bmw autos resulted in a recall of this part. nhtsa action number: ea08001. this is a serious safety concern. message boards have instances of people paying for this expensive safety defect at the dealer, and the problems returning after 1 to 2 years in some cases. someone with be seriously hurt or killed if the passenger airbag fails to deploy. | |||
| 03/04/2012 | 129000 | ||
| Airbag passenger mat seat sensor . this has been a ongoing problem from the 2003 to present. seat sensor turns airbag light on and can disable air bag on passenger side and according to mini dealership, not on factory recall but they say get hundreds a year and charge to replace sensor at 1000.00. safty ssue! someone really needs to have them fix a known issue at all dealerships and put peoples lives in danger | |||
| 03/12/2012 | 24980 | ||
| Airbag warning light comes on whether or not a passenger is in the front passenger seat. the dealer says the airbag sensor in the seat needs to be replaced. this cost us over $1500. in 2006 mini issued an extended warranty for 2002 and 2003 models with the same defect. bmw's investigation of the same sensor under the passenger seats of bmw autos resulted in a recall of this part. nhtsa action number: ea08001. this is a serious safety concern. message boards have instances of people paying for this expensive safety defect at the dealer, and the problems returning after 1 to 2 years in some cases. someone with be seriously hurt or killed if the passenger airbag fails to deploy. | |||
| 03/04/2012 | 129000 | ||
| Airbag passenger mat seat sensor . this has been a ongoing problem from the 2003 to present. seat sensor turns airbag light on and can disable air bag on passenger side and according to mini dealership, not on factory recall but they say get hundreds a year and charge to replace sensor at 1000.00. safty ssue! someone really needs to have them fix a known issue at all dealerships and put peoples lives in danger | |||
| 11/16/2011 | 82000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that the passenger seat air bag sensor warning lamp was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger sear air bag sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 83,400. | |||
| 01/07/2010 | 44000 | ||
| Passenger seat air bag detector is faulty. when no one is sitting on the seat, the airbag light illuminates. this was replaced by the dealer at 44300 miles. the warning light has come on once again at 67000 miles and has stayed on. | |||
| 11/16/2011 | 82000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that the passenger seat air bag sensor warning lamp was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger sear air bag sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 83,400. kmj | |||
| 01/07/2010 | 44000 | ||
| Passenger seat air bag detector is faulty. when no one is sitting on the seat, the airbag light illuminates. this was replaced by the dealer at 44300 miles. the warning light has come on once again at 67000 miles and has stayed on. | |||
| 11/16/2011 | 82000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that the vehicle passenger seat air bag sensor warning lamp was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the passenger sear air bag sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 83,400. pm | |||
| 01/07/2010 | 44000 | ||
| Passenger seat air bag detector is faulty. when no one is sitting on the seat, the airbag light illuminates. this was replaced by the dealer at 44300 miles. the warning light has come on once again at 67000 miles and has stayed on. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 27000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 11/11/2011 | 43400 | ||
| Recently, i've been getting both the yellow overhead airbag off light (above the rearview mirror) and the red warning light on the center dash. the warning lights will go off occasionally, but always seem to return. it does not matter whether i am carrying a passenger or not. the problem appears to be a defective seat sensor or a defect in airbag wiring harness. since this is a safety issue, i do not want to work on the system myself. mini websites discuss similar problems with the airbag lights on earlier model minis. i am certain a recall was issued for '02-'03 models. current recall does not include later build years such as my '06, but again, this is definitely a safety issue and should be addressed by the manufacturer. | |||
| 11/17/2011 | |||
| The passenger air bag light comes on intermittently. it is not covered under warranty.mini service wants approximately $300 to diagnose the problem | |||
| 12/20/2011 | 45000 | ||
| Passanger air bag sensor failed- | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 58000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. the dealer advised the contact that it could possibly be the air bag sensor that was faulty. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 60,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 58,000. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 58000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. the dealer advised the contact that it could possibly be the air bag sensor that was faulty. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, did not offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 60,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 58,000. kmj | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 58000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. the dealer advised the contact that it could possibly be the air bag censor. the manufacturer was aware of the failure; however, did not offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 60,000. the approximate failure mileage was 58,000. bw | |||
| 08/24/2011 | 79000 | ||
| My mini cooper has air bag light on. no car accident before. | |||
| 05/23/2011 | 71000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that the passenger seat sensor failed, causing the air bag light to illuminate on the instrument panel. the manufacturer and dealer were notified, but did not assist the contact with repairs to the failure. the failure was not remedied. the failure mileage was 71,000 and the current mileage was 71,800. nw | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 45000 | ||
| The passenger airbag light goes on and off randomly. the light will come on regardless of whether or not a passenger is seated. | |||
| 02/09/2011 | 46810 | ||
| On february 9, 2011, we were informed by mini service that the seat occupancy sensor was faulty and that it would cost us $1,245.00 plus tax to repair as it is not covered by the warranty package which they sold us when the vehicle was purchased in 2007. mileage of vehicle at that time was 46,810. the light indicating that there was a problem with the airbag sensor occurred months earlier, but we did not realize that it was indicative of a serious problem as small children did sit in that seat from time to time. on march 16, 2011, hydraulic power steering pump on vehicle failed. mileage was 47,895. | |||
| 11/05/2010 | 54811 | ||
| Passenger airbag problem indicator is on. the car only has 54811 miles. the dealer charged $118.37 to check. they stated a seat sensor pad was bad and would cost $1,200. to replace. they indicated the airbag system would still deploy. i contacted mini usa to file a complaint because i thought at this mileage and safety issue the repair should be covered as warranty (recall). they denied the request and also indicated the system would still deploy in an accident. after reading several blogs, everyone seems to indicate the bags will not function properly. this problem seems to be very common on mini coopers. i read several owners have had this issue repaired multiple times. i am concerned about the safety of this car. | |||
| 05/15/2010 | 48500 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. while driving approximately 35 mph the front passenger air bag light came with a passenger in the seat. the passenger weights over 200 lbs that occupied the seat when the air bag light came on. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and he ran a diagnostic. the local mechanic advised her that the sensor mat for the air bag had not worked properly since she purchased the vehicle. she called the dealer and they advised her that the failure was not covered under warranty. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 48,500 and the current mileage was 153,600. vwb | |||
| 10/27/2008 | 21754 | 1 | |
| Passenger air bag light keeps coming on. has been repaired 4 times. has not recurred this last repair, however only repaired 2 months ago. happened first 3/26/07, parts had to be special ordered and it was repaired on 4/17/07; then 1/29/08, then 6/17/08, and then 10/27/08. each time they make the same repair: part number 52 10 6 961 324, replaced sensor mat, (oc3 mat) passenger seat, 65 77 604, removed seat, removed seat cover, replaced seat cover, mat, and upholstery material. the light has not come back on since last repair, however it has only been 2 months. *tr | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 01/11/2010 | 1 | ||
| 1/10/2010, i my heater was blowing cold air and my engine temp indicator was jumping around. i called mini of towson and took my car in for service. i reminded them that both air bag and flat tire indicators had been flickering on and off since the last time i came in on june of 2009 and that as of a few weeks ago they had both remained on. at that time, no one took my inquiry seriously and i was told the lights were coming on as a result of the past required engine work for the cooling system and engine, and a slow leak in one of my tires, which i was instructed too monitor by filling-up when low and to ignore. i was informed recently that i now have to replace my passenger side air bag seat sensor ($1000). i have read many of posts on the miniusa website that say this as a common problem with mini | |||