Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact noticed that the vehicle's air bag warning indicator was constantly illuminated and both front windows hesitated to roll up and down. also, the air bag indicator would illuminate when the front seat belts were buckled or unbuckled. the dealer stated that there was a positive cable in the fuse box that malfunctioned. the contact was informed that the failure could destroy the electrical system, cause a fire, and keep the air bag from deploying in a crash. the seat belt buckles were repaired, but the failure recurred. the dealer also discovered that the cable was being stretched and the center switch pack case was separated, which could cause the windows to detach from the vehicle while driving high speeds. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 124,500.
My 2004 mini cooper s has a passenger seat belt/air bag light that is illuminated at all times. originally, it was sporadic, and connecting the seat belt would cause the light to go off. now it is lit all the time, whether there is a passenger in the seat or not. i was told today that the sensor is bad and will cost $1600 to fix, which includes completely replacing the entire passenger seat. my mechanic says that the air bag will not deploy in the event of an accident. this is most concerning. obviously, the default should be for the airbag to deploy. what if i am in an accident and my passenger is gravely injured (or killed!)?? unacceptable! i have read that bmw has issued a recall for bmw models with a similar problem. mini cooper should be included in the recall, as they are made by bmw, often using the same parts! where is the oversight?!? *tr
The driver side seatbelt buckle does not release when the button is pressed. this started when i first bought the vehicle in february 2009. this happens everytime i try to remove the seatbelt. i have to jiggle the buckle to get it to release. nothing has been done to fix this problem yet; the dealer will not warranty the buckle. *tr