2006 Mini Cooper Convertible

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT TURNS ON INTERMITTENTLY, EVEN WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS OCCUPIED BY AN ADULT. THE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT IN THE SEAT CUSHION. IT FAILED ONCE BEFORE AND WAS REPLACED BY THE CAR DEALER. NOW THE REPLACEMENT SENSOR MAT IS ALSO FAILING. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR ILLUMINATES AT ALL TIMES INDICATING NO PASSENGER EVEN WHEN PASSENGER IS PRESENT, THEREBY PREVENTING THE AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT IS EXTREMELY WIDESPREAD AND FOUND ON COUNTLESS BLOGS ON THE INTERNET. AT THIS POINT, PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY DISABLING THE SYSTEM THROUGH A DEVICE FOUND ONLINE JUST TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF - MEANWHILE PUTTING THEIR PASSENGERS AT RISK. BMW (MANUFACTURER OF MINI) HAS RECALLED THE SAME ITEM ON NUMEROUS BMW'S AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THOSE PARTS DUE TO THE INHERENT SAFETY CONCERNS. HOW THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET OR LOOKED PAST FOR THE MINI IS COMPLETELY BAFFLING. SOMEBODY APPEARS TO NOT BE DOING THEIR JOB! SO ALONG WITH THE OTHER MULTIPLE POSTS ON THIS PARTICULAR SITE, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD MINE AND REQUEST PLEASE THAT SOMEBODY LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS REPEATEDLY COSTING MINI CUSTOMERS LARGE SUMS OF MONEY OR THEIR SAFETY. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. THANK YOU. *TR

AN ELECTRONIC BOARD IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT MALFUNCTIONS CAUSING THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG TO BECOME DISABLED. APPARENTLY, FROM ALL OF THE COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET AND YOUR SITE, THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN IN THAT THE ELECTRONIC BOARD HAS A FLAWED COMPONENTS. A REPLACEMENT BOARD FROM MINI WILL ALSO FAIL WITHIN TIME BECAUSE NO MODIFICATIONS OR IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THIS BOARD. I HAVE REVIEWED THE COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA AND YET YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS FAILED TO REQUIRE A RECALL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON HWY 270 GOING SOUTH BETWEEN MANCHESTER RD AND DOUGHERTY FERRY RD IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC SOMETIME BETWEEN 4:30 AND 5:30 PM MY 06 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE WAS REVVING UP AS I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR BUT YET BARELY MOVING. RIGHT BEFORE THE DOUGHERTY FERRY EXIT IT "KICKED" INTO GEAR AND BEGAN DRIVING AT ABOUT 40-50MPH. I THOUGHT I MAY HAVE ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE GEAR SHIFTER AND PUT IT INTO SPORT DRIVE BUT WHEN I LOOKED THE GEAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE. SO AS I WAS TRAVELING TO WORK IN ARNOLD, MO THE TRANSMISSION WOULD REV UP AND THEN "KICK" INTO GEAR. WHEN I GOT TO WORK I EXPLAINED TO A CO-WORKER (INITIAL "J.R.") WHAT HAPPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND WE WENT OUT ON OUR BREAK TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF I NEEDED TRANSMISSION FLUID. WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK SO ON MY LAPTOP I TRIED LOOKING IT UP TO SEE WHERE IT WAS LOCATED. WE LEARNED THAT'S THERE'S A PLUG UNDERNEATH BUT THE TRANSMISSION IS "SEALED FOR LIFE" MEANING IT SHOULDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY LEAKS. SO I CALLED HOME TO LET MY WIFE TO LET HER KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO TRY AND MAKE IT HOME IN THE MORNING WHEN I GOT OFF AT 6AM. AFTER DRIVING UP TO HWY 270 AND MANCHESTER GOING NORTH AT ABOUT 630AM TRAVELING AT ABOUT 40 MPH ON 4/4/13 THE CAR BEGIN REVVING UP AGAIN WHENEVER I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. SO RATHER THAN GO HOME I HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE MINI OF ST. LOUIS DEALERSHIP. I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THEY OPENED AND DIDN'T HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SO THEY STATED THEY WOULD TRY AND SQUEEZE ME IN. SO I WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR UP TO THE ENTRANCE TO THE SERVICE BAY AND THE CAR WAS "BUCKING AND JERKING" AND BARELY MOVING. UPON TALKING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MINI I WAS INFORMED THAT I NEEDED A TRANSMISSION AND IT WAS $8K BUT IF I WANTED TO THEY COULD GET ME INTO ANOTHER MINI RIGHT AWAY. ON APRIL 9TH MY WIFE PURCHASED A NEW 2013 FORD FIESTA IN PLACE OF THE MINI. *TR

PER MY RESEARCH, THIS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 MINI COOPERS. NUMEROUS BULLETIN BOARDS HAVE THE SAME QUESTIONS FOR A SAFETY CONCERN IF THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND THEY GAVE US A REPAIR PRICE OF $1200.00 TO REPLACE THE LOWER SEAT FOR THE OCCUPANCY PAD IS DEFECTIVE WHICH CAUSES THE LIGHT TO COME ON FOR THE PASSENGER BAG AND ALSO THE MAIN LIGHT IN THE DASH. NOT SURE IF BMW CARES ABOUT SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PURCHASED THEIR VEHICLES BUT IT IS A BIT CALLOUS ON THEIR PART FOR NOT DOING A RECALL ON THE 2006 MINI COOPER SEAT SENSOR. I HAVE SEEN A REGULAR BMW VEHICLE THAT HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM HAVE A RECALL FOR A BAD SEAT SENSOR. I AM CONCERNED FOR ANY PERSON WHO RIDES IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO HAPPEN THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY CAUSING GREAT BODILY HARM. *TR

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE DEALER SAYS THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST IS ABOUT $1000. IN 2006 MINI ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 2002 AND 2003 MODELS WITH THE SAME DEFECT. BMW'S INVESTIGATION OF THE SAME SENSOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEATS OF BMW AUTOS RESULTED IN A RECALL OF THIS PART. NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA08001. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. MESSAGE BOARDS HAVE INSTANCES OF PEOPLE PAYING FOR THIS EXPENSIVE SAFETY DEFECT AT THE DEALER, AND THE PROBLEMS RETURNING AFTER 1 TO 2 YEARS IN SOME CASES. *TR