NHTSA Complaint #10649484 — 2005 MINI COOPER

AROUND THIS TIME MY AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS DURING MY SERVICE VISIT (OCT 2009) AND I WAS TOLD THAT TO INVESTIGATE THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR WOULD BE OVER $100 IN LABOR AS IT WOULD REQUIRE REMOVING THE SEAT. I DECLINED THE SERVICE. WITHIN THE LAST YEAR THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS REMAINED ON PERMANENTLY EVEN WITH PASSENGERS IN THE SEAT. I'VE RECENTLY DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF MINI RELATED TO A FAILURE OF THE OCCUPANCY SENSOR OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH SIMILAR MODEL YEARS OF BMW HAS RECENTLY RESULTED IN A RECALL. AS THIS IS LIKELY THE SAME PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING, AND AS THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, I AM REPORTING THIS TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE AIRBAG AND OCCUPANCY SENSOR ISSUE FOR MINI COOPER. *TR