Problems with 2006 MINI Cooper S AIR BAGS

The air bag detection warning remains active after dealer reinstallation of the seat detector pad.

Upon starting my car, after being in a store, the passenger airbag light came on while a passenger was in the seat. the indicator stayed on after turning the car off and back on. i researched to see if there were any recalls for a faulty passenger airbag covering my year, make and model, and found nhtsa campaign number: 15v205000. i contacted my local mini dealer and was told that there was no information pertaining to my car and that i needed to contact mini usa directly. i did so and was told that they also could not find any information pertaining to my car and that they needed to open an investigation in order to determine the status of my vehicle. i was told that because my car was purchased through an overseas military program the systems were not the same and that a supervisor would have to try and find the information and manually add it to the mini usa system. i was also asked, repeatedly, if my car was a canadian spec vehicle. it was not ordered as such. after several weeks of waiting, i called mini usa to inquire about the status of the investigation. i was told that i had already been notified that my car was not included on the recall for the airbag sensor issue. when i inquired as to why my vehicle was not covered for the exact problem for which the recall was issued, i was told that my case was now closed and if i had any other questions i needed to contact mini customer service.

I have a 2006 mini cooper s. airbags replaced due to recall (2015 or 2016) at mini dealership. now, may 15, 2018, seatbelt/airbag red light on on console. no airbag light on near mirror. nothing on passenger seat - i am belted when i drive. this happens as i turn on ignition and stays on.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper s. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v205000 (air bags); however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

The air bag light came on and stays on constantly now regardless of whether there is a passenger in the car or not. because it is the air bag light located on the center panel where all the lights and gauges are located rather than the one up by the rear view mirror that refers to the passenger seat only, i assume that at this time the air bag system is not operational. is there a recall for the air bag system on this car? if so, i have not been notified.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the air bag warning light flashed repeatedly months after receiving notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v205000 (air bags); however, the dealer stated that the part was not available within a reasonable timeframe to schedule the recall repair. the dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. the manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the contact's vehicle would receive the recall repair. the contact stated that the air bag light continued to flash for months. the failure mileage was unknown. updated 11/06/15*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was scheduled to be repaired. updated 2/2/2016*js *cn

I am on my 4th passenger seat mat since purchasing this vehicle new in january 2007. in april i found a manufacturer recall part 573 safety recall report 15v-205 that listed the vehicles affected by this recall. my vehicle was manufactured on nov 18, 2006 within the production date range. i have not received any information regarding this recall and can no longer find the recall on this site. as mentioned, this is my 4th front passenger seat occupant detection mat sensor. i would like information on what the procedure is to recover my costs associated with the last replacement of the sensor.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated continuously. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v205000 (air bags); however, the parts needed were unavailable to perform the repairs. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall remedy. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

Airbag light is on full time, after a period of intermittent activity. there are hundreds of similar complaints on the web. the high cost of repairs seems to have resulted in a thriving business selling replacement "emulators" that imitate the sensor pad electrical characteristics. this is the same passenger seat occupancy sensor mat failure for which there have been extensive recalls for bmw vehicles made by the same manufacturer. owner called mini, was stonewalled and told there was no interest in hearing about the problem, just take it to a dealer. asked dealer service rep if it was safe to drive in this condition, was told "i'm not allowed to answer that." this is a safety issue that rises to the level of requiring a recall, as was done for earlier mini years. mini does not offer the sensor mat as a separate part, instead requires replacement of the seat upholstery, a $600+ bmw part number which is back ordered with no certain delivery date or price. including labor, the cost to repair is 10% to 20% of the current sales price of this year mini. please, there can be no excuse for not recalling vehicles with this significant and expensive safety design flaw. (tr

Recall notice no. 15v-205 was received june 2015 for front passenger seat occupant detection mat sensor. as of 24 september 2015, dealer still does not have parts or "information" on recall.

my 2006 bmw mini cooper s passenger air bag light sporadically is showing that it is deactivated regardless if there is a full sized adult or no one in the passenger seat. this has been a on going problem/concern will my passengers be protected in the event of a crash since the air bags are showing that they are shut off will they still work? i had it checked out at authorized mini dealer and they said the entire passenger seat needs to be replaced because the seat sensor was sending off faulty signals. this is ridiculous - $2000! i have been researching this and it is an onging issue with this model. bmw had a similar problem with another one of their models and it had to be recalled. the same should happen with this car. they are putting peoples lives at risk with they install faulty passenger seat sensors and are charging an arm and a leg to fix their faulty part. something needs to be done. *js

Failure of oc-3 weight mat in passenger seat base, thus disabling passenger side airbag system. cost to replace seat bottom is $1200. as this part is common between minis and bmws, and is very prone to failure, bmw has issued a recall on bmws in this model year area, but has not yet done so for minis. perhaps bmw needs a wrongful death lawsuit to issue a recall? this is a travesty. *tr

Passenger air bag warning light stays on all the time. dealer and independent repair shop say the seat sensor need to be replaced. it is located in the seat and the whole seat needs to be replaced. estimated cost $1200. to 1500. us dollars. the passenger seat is rarely used. the repair is not covered by warranty. i don't know if the air bag will deploy. apparently all bmw's were recalled for this problem but not the mini coopers which according to posted threads are also experiencing the same problem. *tr

Passenger side air bag warning light spontaneously lighted without incident and continues to remain illuminated during operation of vehicle with or without passenger in seat. mini of usa assistance denies any responsibility or warranty, but states that" air bag may not function in case of accident". this vehicle has 53,00 miles on odometer. have observed many such complaints on related internet sites. *tr

Air bag warning light and seat occupancy warning light came on. took in for service- told seat occupant mat (front passenger seat) has failed and must be replaced. replacement is cost prohibitive ($1700). safety risk present because air bags may not deploy in event of crash. dealer says there is no recall and will not replace the part under any extended warranty. *tr

Airbag passenger seat sensor is bad $1500 to repair and no guarantee it will work correctly in the future. why hasn't this been recalled??? bmw who owns mini cooper recalled this sensor for their cars but why not the coopers? i'm so angry that they could care less about my families safety. automobiles are required to have airbag systems but they aren't required to work properly?? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper s. the contact stated that when the ignition was turned to the on position, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. the failure recurred continuously. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v205000 (air bags). the approximate failure mileage was 62,000. updated 7/8/15*cn

Passenger side seat weight sensor went bad. srs light illuminated. $1,500 to have dealer repaired. car is not repaired yet. *tr

The passenger air bag sensor stopped working. now, even when there is someone in the passenger seat, the airbag is deactivated. the air bag sensor in the seat needs to work in order for the airbags to deploy-- and all of these systems are down due to a faulty sensor! *tr

The passenger seat air bag warning light comes on regardless of the seat occupancy. it is unclear if the air bag is operational or not.

Passenger airbag light constant on and disabled even if i have passenger. there are numerous attempts to talk to the san francisco dealer to have to defect fix the previous owner not able to afford to get it fix. *tr

Airbag failure light came on... after researching this problem, this is a known issue but the manufacturer will not cover this under warranty. 700.00 to diagnose and fix the issue (conservative estimate) called mini usa, and they will not issue a recall even though thousands of people have had the same issue. *tr

Vehicle was parked in garage for 3 months. when vehicle was started, the air bag light remained on. it has not turned off for 6 months and will not pass state inspection. the battery was strong enough to start the car with no problem and the vehicle has in a garage the entire time. when the vehicle was parked, all systems were functioning. *tr

The passenger seat air bag light came on and will not go off. i was advised by an authorized mini copper mechanic that the passenger seat air bag sensor is bad. it's my understanding that mini cooper usa is not owning up to their responsibility to recall and repair what could possibly be a life safety problem. the leather seat is practically new and there's no excuse for this faulty air bag sensor seat/equipment. there was a recall for bmw's with the same issue. it's very disappointing. *tr

The air bag system warning light in the gauge cluster is lit at all times and makes the car chime all the time too. the dealership tells me that this is because the sensor mat in the passenger seat has failed and must be replaced. the dealership also tells me that all of the air bags in the car are disabled as long as the warning light is on, putting all passengers in the vehicle in danger of sustaining greater injuries in the event of a crash. these cars are made by bmw, which has acknowledged the same problem in their own cars, and have recalled over 200,000 bmw's to fix it . i feel that they should be required to address this problem in mini coopers, too. *tr

The air bag system warning light in the gauge cluster is lit at all times. the repair shop tells me that this is because the sensor mat in the passenger seat has failed and must be replaced. my research indicates that this is a very common issue that is unjustifiable expensive to repair. the repair shop also tells me that all of the air bags in the car are disabled as long as the warning light is on, putting all passengers in the vehicle in danger of sustaining greater injuries in the event of a crash. these cars are made by bmw, which apparently acknowledged the same problem in other cars they produced and made repairs. i feel that they should be required to address this problem in mini coopers, too, via a federally mandated recall campaign. *tr

Passenger seat occupancy sensor inop rendering airbag unsafe. requires replacement of passenger seat cushion with new sensor mat. 6 speed automatic transmission slipping and shifting hard. occasionally, renders car powerless as in neutral even if in travel lanes making unsafe to operate. requires replacement of valve block. servicing of automatic transmission fluid is not required by mini/bmw but same transmission in other brands do. vw recommends atf replacement at 40k miles and doesn't have problems with valve block failure.

On my 2006 mini cooper s coupe, the passenger airbag off sensor light on the roof came on as well as the airbag sensor light in the center console indicating that the passenger seat could not detect the weight of a person in the passenger seat and therefore would not alert the airbag to turn on. my husband and i have both sat in the passenger seat and the light remained on. we then had a garage that specializes in imports look at the code, which is stating that there is an issue with the seat mat sensor and it is no longer recognizing the weight on the seat. this is a huge safety issue and a costly one at that. the seat cushion must be replaced and potentially the entire seat. i have noticed this same complaint on this site as well as other sites for models dating anywhere from 2002-2006. there is also a trend with this issue occurring when the car is 7 years old (2013 for 2006 models) regardless of the mileage. i have called mini and while they were very nice and helpful, there is nothing they can do to help with the cost of repairing this factory issue. when i called our local dealer they had mentioned a type of assistance or warranty extended on the 2003-2004 models, but not 2005 or later. is it possible that this is just now becoming an issue and should now be addressed or added to the extended warranty? is there grounds for a recall? there seems to be a trend of how and when this mat malfunctions. please help those of us who have had this problem and are bound to have this problem in the near future get this fixed! thank you! *js

Passenger air bag warning light stays on all the time. dealer and independent repair shop say the seat sensor need to be replaced. it is located in the seat and the whole seat needs to be replaced. estimated cost $1200. to 1500. us dollars. the passenger seat is rarely used. the repair is not covered by warranty. i don't know if the air bag will deploy. apparently all bmw's were recalled for this problem but not the mini coopers which according to posted threads are also experiencing the same problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the passenger seat air bag warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. updated 6/11/15*cn

2006 mini cooper s passenger airbag light (above rearview mirror) is illuminated constantly (seat occupied or not). local mini cooper dealership says the problem is the sensor pad, which is woven into the seat bottom, and the whole seat bottom must be replaced at a cost of $1650. dealer service manager says that mini usa will not help with this, as the car is out of warranty and has 100k miles. i used an srs scan tool to confirm that code 71 (seat occupancy sensor ii) is set and comes right back after clearing it. quick search through nhtsa complaints and online mini enthusiast forums shows this is a frequent problem, especially in the 2005-06 model years. clearly a severe safety defect which mini usa (bmw) should have addressed. no one can tell me if the passenger airbag will deploy in a crash or not. i also find it interesting the wide range of repair costs that others who have posted here were quoted by their local mini dealers (seems like anywhere from $1000 - $2000). something is not right with that. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the passenger's seat mat needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 45,000.

The passenger seat occupancy sensor has gone bad according to the diagnose from the dealer. i'm told that this will either make the air bag deploy at full force or possibly not at all. there seems that this is a very common occurrence on both bmw and mini's. bmw has addressed the problem, mini has not. i have a car with an unpredictable air bag deployment and the dealer is telling me that it is a 1000 to make the car safe to put my family in. this seems like denial of a problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the front passenger's air bag warning light on the rearview mirror was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the seat pad sensor needed to be replaced. no repairs were performed to the vehicle. the manufacture was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mile was 67,000.

The passenger seat occupancy sensor is weak and prone to failure. mini does not cover replacement and charges $1200-$2000 to replace the part leading many owners, including myself to drive the car in an unsafe condition (low speed or non deploying airbags). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper s. the contact was traveling 40 mph when the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages was 42,000. updated 08/29/12*lj updated 08/29/12

38,000 miles: air bag warning light for passenger side seat stays illuminated. air bag warning light remains on after vehicle has started and does not turn off. 54,900 miles: aisin automatic transmission - automatic transmission failed thereby making the car inoperable. the car showed signs of gear change slipping between 2nd and 3rd gears. transmission diagnosis, catastrophic failure of manual valve body and internal gears. required a complete transmission rebuild. *js

The srs detector mat for turning off the airbags in the event of an underweight occupant is easily broken. when broken, sensors disable the airbags. this part is extremely expensive to replace and i can not afford it on a fixed income ($1600). this is a safety issue and should be a recall. the mat has issues: 1) very prone to failure and 2) integrated into the seat cushion so it can not be replaced itself, it must have the seat cushion replaced also. my model is a special edition and there are no parts in the usa. 11 in germany at a very high price. *tr

Passenger seat occupancy sensor is defective. the passenger seat air bag light illuminates after engine start along with the red air bag failure warning light. doesn't matter if seat occupied or not. this is a safety hazard due to disabling air bag. mini dealers deny this is a manufacturing defect or design problem yet there are over 40 complaints on this forum. repair costs are substantial to replace bottom seat cushion. a modification kit or retrofit to replace defective seat mat is needed. *tr

Issues with airbag light in 2006 mini cooper s, when someone is in the seat if they are not sitting just the right way the light will go on, warning us the airbag is deactivated, sometimes the airbag light will go on for the passenger seat with nobody in the seat. sometimes the seatbelt warning light will come on with no one in the seat as well. moving the seat will sometimes correct the issue. complaints to mini and dealer were on deaf ears. [xxx] i copied and pasted the complaint, but my problem is exactly the same. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Over the course of the past six months the srs light was intermittently coming on. in the past few weeks it finally came on and stayed on. i took to the local bmw/mini dealer and they assessed it for $167.00. then i was told it was a passenger seat sensor issue and the cost of the part and labor would be approximately $1100. i did some research on the matter and realized that dozens if not hundreds of mini-owners have had the same problems with the sensors, seats and lights dating back to 2003+. seems to me that if it's been an issue that their so called engineering department might resolve the problems without costing owners this kind of money. i think its a rip job by the dealers and a failure of the engineers at mini to resolve the problem. cost for such a repair should be on them. i will make sure to report to anyone that will listen to stay away from the purchase of these cars due to the potential for future problems. *tr

Unfastened seat belt warning light stays on and airbag off indicator stays lit at all times, with or without a passenger riding in the seat no matter the weight of the passenger. unfastened seat belt warning bell/ding does not chime. *tr

The air bag light came on for 2nd time. the 1st. was 08-11-10 @ 81,539 miles.the control unit for the air bag was replaced. pn: 65-77-184-432. cost for the module was $507.00. part has a 2 year warranty form bmw. started car friday morning to go to work and the warning light came back on. will take back to dealer. part should last more than 1 1/2 years. this is a expensive part and labor was $400.00 the last time it was replaced. am i the only one to have this air bag problem. i do not think the air bags will work with the light on. this is a safety problem to me. *tr

Srs warning light requiring oc3 mat replacement at only 60k miles. passenger air bag will not deploy in case of collision. cost of replacement is quoted as $1374.83. *tr

I have a mini s 2006. approximately 2 weeks ago the dash airbag light came on. then went off. now the light stays on constantly. i was told this is a 1300.00 job. my car is in excellent shape. the car has a defect somewhere, 75000 miles? the air bag sensor should not be faulty. *tr

Passenger airbag light comes on intermittently. this has been reported countless times with 2005-2006 mini cooper s vehicles. the identical part from bmw was part of a recall in the last few years. *tr

The pax airbag light both on dashboard and above rear view mirror are lit and stay that way after a period of on and off with someone stating in that seat. on the blog of mini coopers a lot of complaint about this happening in bmw the maker of mini coopers and the 05, 06 mini cooper model. it is a safety issue! a very expensive fix at $1500.00 when is there going to be a recall? *tt

Air bag warning lamp illuminated as well as "airbag off" light illuminated. occurs when passenger is and is not in seat. audio for seatbelt occurs when passenger is not in seat. mini dealer repaired initially at about 30k miles, occurred again at 48k miles. *tr

The airbag sensor light along with the seatbelt light stays on constantly from startup.tried to reset by instructions in the owners manual but didn't work.mini service wants 100.00 to just evaluate the problem.the problem is that mini /bmw know there is default with the seat sensors but won't take on responsibility as the car owners are paying $1500-2200 + to have this repaired. this is a very serious safety issue as none of the airbags will work in the car at this point. *tr

While driving the airbag warning light came on and passenger air bag light turned off. at the same time the seat belt light came on. had both checked and when car was returned both lights were out. passenger seat bottom was replaced. i was told that this is common problem with the seat bottom. no problem noted for the seat belt light. 1/2 mile from dealer both warning lights again turned on and the passenger air bag light turned off. at this point i am not sure if the car is safe to drive or not.