NHTSA Complaint #11112041 — 2014 MINI COOPER

MY INSURANCE HAS ASKED ME TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT AS MY VEHICLE'SAIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT AN IMPACT UNDER 5 MPH LEADING TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN MY CAR IS FAULTY.ON FRIDAY, JULY 6TH AT 10:15 AM I WAS DRIVING ON THE 405 N IN BUMPER TO BUMPER FREEWAY TRAFFIC, IT WAS A CLEAR DAY WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND ROAD CONDITIONS. THE TWO VEHICLE'S INVOLVED IN THE MINOR COLLISIONWERE MY 2014 MINI COUNTRYMAN AND A 2017 INFINITY. MANYCARS WERE CUTTING OVER TO THE RIGHT TO GET ONTO THE UPCOMING 55 NORTH AND SOUTHBOUND INTERCHANGE HIGHWAY. ASI WAS MERGING TO THE LEFT A GREY CAR SPED BY TO MERGE RIGHT CAUSING ME TO MERGE BACK INTO MY LANE. HOWEVER, THE WHITE INFINITY AHEADHAD HIT THE BRAKES CAUSING ME TOTAP HER REAR BUMPER AT AN IMPACT UNDER 5 MPH. THEN THE THREE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND THEY TRANSFERRED ME TO THE CHP. AFTER HANGING UP, I GOT OUT OF MY CAR AND THE OTHER DRIVER AND IEXCHANGED INFORMATION. THE OTHER DRIVER LEFT WITHIN 5 MINUTES AS HERBUMPER WAS LEFT WITH ONLY A MINOR SCRATCH, AND NO DENTS OR BUMPS.I GOT BACK IN MY VEHICLE AND WAITED FOR THE CHP. WHEN THE OFFICER ARRIVED, HE PUSHED MY CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE WAITED FOR THE AAA TOW TRUCK. NO ACCIDENT REPORT WAS TAKEN AS THERE WAS NO ACCUSATIONS OR INJURY. THE TOW TRUCK DROVE MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST MINI DEALERSHIP.MY INSURANCE COMPANY WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD AND FIX BOTH CARS' MINOR DAMAGE AND REPAIR MY VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS. THECOST PER AIRBAG RANGES FROM $1000 TO $2000.HOW VERY UNFORTUNATE GIVEN THE EXTREMELY MINOR DAMAGE INVOLVED.FROM WHAT I HAVE GATHERED, I'VE FOUND THAT AIRBAGSARE TO DEPLOY AT AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM SPEED OF 10 MPH. GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED COLLISION OCCURRED BELOW 10 MPH, IT IS THEREFORE TO BE ASSUMED THAT SOME SORT OF ERROR OCCURRED CAUSING THE DEPLOYMENT OF MY VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS.