2009 MINI COOPER Seat Belts Problems

The seatbelt and air bag warning light for the passenger front seat stays on.

The passenger occupancy seat sensor is defective (as reported by many other owners of this vehicle model). The sensor is very costly to replace in terms of parts ($1,500) and labor ($1,500) and MINI does not sell the sensor separately as it is embedded in the seat foam. The defective sensor does not recognize a passenger sitting in the passenger seat and deactivates the passenger airbag which is an essential, lifesaving device fitted to a small vehicle. When involved in a major vehicle collision, without a working airbag, the risk of fatality drastically increases. The sensor is also responsible for NOT deploying the airbag if a passenger under 100lbs is sitting in the seat ie. a child. Again, this is a massive safety concern especially due to other owners resorting to a cheap aftermarket bypass module which will always deploy the airbag. This solution could seriously injure or cause fatalities...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG AND THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 156,000.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2009 MINI COOPER AND THE AIRBAG AND SEATBELT WARNING LIGHTS COME ON WHENEVER I GET IN THE CAR. THE LIGHT CAME ON RECENTLY WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AND IT NOW OCCURS EVERY TIME I TURN THE MOTOR ON. I'VE BEEN ONLINE RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS MAY MEAN THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IF I HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM FACING A NUMBER OF MINI COOPER OWNERS AND BMW HAS NOT RESOLVED THIS PROBLEM AFTER MANY COMPLAINTS.

I WENT OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR 21 DAY AND LEFT MY MINI PARKED IN THE GARAGE. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF MY CAR AND TAKE PRIDE IN APPEARANCE AND MAINTENANCE. I WAS EXTREMELY SURPRISED WHEN I RETURNED THE WARNING LIGHTS WAS ON. THE MILEAGE IS JUST UNDER 60000. THE SEAT BELT AND AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON OUT OF THE BLUE (STAYS ON). WHEN I TOOK MY MINI TO THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP, IT WAS SUGGESTED TO LOOK FOR RECALLS FIRST. UPON RESEARCH FOUND ALOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE BUT NO RECALLS FOR 2009. THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING AND BMW SHOULD BE ASHAMED. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER PRODUCT FROM BMW AND WILL WARN OTHERS BEFORE THEY CONSIDER MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE. I WILL BE TRADING MY CAR IN FOR AN AMERICAN MADE VEHICLE.

AIRBAG SENSOR MAT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE WHETHER A PERSON IS SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THEREBY NOT ACTIVATING THE AIRBAG; THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON & OFF FOR MONTHS; PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON IMMEDIATELY DESPITE OCCUPANCY WHILE PARKED AND DURING DRIVING (ALL CONDITIONS-HIGHWAY, CITY STREET, TURNING. THIS ISSUE STARTED RIGHT AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS OVER. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, AS NONE OF THE AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY IN CASE OF IMPACT. I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.

THE CAR HAS 55000 MILES AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. AFTER RESEARCH THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WITH THE PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SENSOR, ALSO KNOWN AS A PASSENGER OCCUPANCY MAT. MINI HAS RECALLED MANY VEHICLES FOR THIS REASON, HOWEVER THEY CONTINUE TO REFUSE THE PROBLEMS CONTINUES WITH THE 2009 MODEL. THIS IS A SAFETY AND COSTLY ISSUE.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CAR, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG GOT DISCONNECTED AND THE LIGHT CAME ON. NOW THE LIGHTS INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF REMAIN ON AT ALL TIMES. AT THE EXACT SAME TIME THE LIGHT INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT WAS NOT FASTEN CAME ON AS WELL AND IT REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES WHILE THERE IS NOBODY ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE LIGHT REMAINS ON EVEN IF I FASTEN THE SEATBELT. I WENT TO MINI DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO PAY $140 IF I WANTED THEM TO INSPECT MY CAR, I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSTEAD WHO TOLD ME AFTER INSPECTION ($95 FOR THE INSPECTION) THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE SENSORS IN THE SEAT AND THAT THE ENTIRE SEAT HAD TO BE REPLACED ($1100 TO REPLACE IT). THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE SINCE THE...