NHTSA Complaint #10460251 — 2007 MINI COOPER

UPON STARTING MY CAR IN THE PARKING LOT AT THE END OF A WORK DAY, AN INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2007 MINI COOPER INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG. MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG (CODE 93A8 STAGE 1). HE RESET THE LIGHT AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED A FEW DAYS LATER. HE CHECKED THE CODE AGAIN AND IT WAS THE SAME. AS A RESULT, HE CONTACTED THE NEAREST MINI SERVICE CENTER. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG CONNECTION, MINI CHARGES ABOUT $600 TO REPLACE IT EVEN THOUGH NO ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED, NO HARD STOPS, NOTHING TO TRIGGER THE AIR BAG. UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS FIXED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR