2002 MINI Cooper S Airbags Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO AVOID HITTING AN ANIMAL, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE ANIMAL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY; HOWEVER, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10806184

Incident

Nov 20, 2015

Mileage

103,000 mi

THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE SEAT CUSHION HAS FAILED AND A WARNING LIGHT NOW PERMANENTLY SHOWS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. UPDATED 11/25/15*LJ UPDATED 2/5/2016 *JS UPDATED 11/07/2017*CN

NHTSA ID

10732348

Incident

Feb 1, 2012

Mileage

90,000 mi

THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE SEAT CUSHION HAS FAILED AND A WARNING LIGHT NOW PERMANENTLY SHOWS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10604882

Incident

Jun 5, 2013

Mileage

120,000 mi

I TOOK MY 2002 MINI COOPER S IN FOR A VIRGINIA STATE SAFETY INSPECTION AND IT FAILED THE INSPECTION BECAUSE THE SRS AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE SEAT BELT TENSIONER AND WIRING TO THE SEAT BELT AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WERE FAULTY. THE DEALER IS CHARGING ME $1,000 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION PE05053 RESULTING IN BMW ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE FAULTY WIRING AND SEAT BELT TENSIONER. AND IT STATES THAT THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE IS HIGH ENOUGH TO ILLUMINATE THE AIRBAG LIGHT BUT DOES NOT EXCEED A LIMIT TO SET THE AIRBAG OFF. MY PROBLEM IS IF THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED I CANNOT PASS VIRGINIA'S STRICT SAFETY INSPECTION AND IF IT IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY BMW WHY ARE THEY NOT RECALLING ALL VEHICLES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE HAS 81,000 MILES ON IT WAY UNDER THE 150,0000 MILE WARRANTY AND I AM RIGHT AT THE TEN YEAR MARK.BMW TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL AND THAT THERE IS ONLY A BULLETIN TELLING THE MECHANICS THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE TO BE AWARE OF. BMW WOULD NOT REPAIR THIS UNDER A WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10472382

Incident

Aug 1, 2012

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED AFTER PASSENGER SEAT WAS MOVED. LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10454769

Incident

Jun 8, 2011

Mileage

58,000 mi

WHILE ON A SHORT VACATION OUT OF TOWN, CLOSE TO 230 MILES FROM MY HOME, MY COOPER S' POWER STEERING FAILED AND ALMOST CAUSE ME AN ACCIDENT. I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE FLUID AND SAW THAT THERE WERE NO VISIBLE LEAKS PRESENT. AFTER MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR A RENTAL VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING STARTED WORKING CORRECTLY AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THAT I PROCEEDED TO RETURN HOME AND THE STEERING DID NOT FAIL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. DURING MARCH OF 2012, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN, DURING A COMMUTE HOME FROM WORK ON FRIDAY, MAY 3RD. TO THIS DAY, I HAVE NO BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD ADDITIONAL REPAIRS OR DIAGNOSTICS, BECAUSE OF THE MONTHLY PAYMENTS, INSURANCE, FUEL AND PREVIOUS ISSUES OF REPAIRS UNDER 75,000 MILES INCLUDING THE HEAD GASKET, AND HEATER CORE. REGARDLESS OF THE POLICIES THAT BMW/MINI AND THE NHTSA HAVE CONCERNING USED VEHICLES, AND WARRANTIES, ABSOLUTELY NO VEHICLE PRODUCED BY AN INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN COMPANY OR BUSINESS SHOULD BE PRODUCING SUCH UNRELIABLE, UNSAFE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MOTOR VEHICLES AND NOT TAKE IMMEDIATE RESPONSIBILITY TO ISOLATE AND TERMINATE THE ISSUE RATHER THAN IGNORE AND DENY RESPONSIBILITY FOR POORLY MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10451071

Incident

Dec 30, 2011

Mileage

82,000 mi

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2002 MINI COOPER S. THE MINI DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT WAS FAULTY...THAT THE "MRS CONTROL UNIT SHORTED". SINCE THIS IS A PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT, AND SINCE IT IS NOT A MECHANICAL DEVICE THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO WEAR, I BELIEVE THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THIS UNIT AT NO CHARGE...AND/OR AN ALERT SHOULD GO TO OTHER MINI OWNERS. I HAVE SINCE HAD THE CONTROL UNIT REPLACED (AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE) BECAUSE I FELT UNSAFE DRIVING WITHOUT AIRBAGS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10445513

Incident

Nov 21, 2011

AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON. IT CAME ON A FEW MONTHS AGO AND STAYS ON. HAS BEEN CHECKED BY DEALER BUT NO KNOWN CAUSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10430331

Incident

Oct 11, 2010

Mileage

145,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER F. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL SHOP WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG AND ATTENTION TO HARNESS. THEY ALSO, ADVISED HER TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE THEIR WAS A RECALL FOR THIS SPECIFIC FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 3/28/11 *CN UPDATED 12/20/11 *CN

NHTSA ID

10379442

Incident

Jan 1, 2008

Mileage

20,000 mi

AIRBAG LIGHT ON. CONTINUOUSLY ON. SEE NHTSA ACTION PE05053 SAME ISSUES AS PE05053, BUT DIFFERENT CABLES AND CONNECTORS IN THE SAME CIRCUIT ARE CAUSING THE SAME PROBLEM. BMW IS NOT COVERING THESE FAILURES UNDER WARRANTY AT THIS TIME. ENTIRE CIRCUIT NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10328765

Incident

Jan 5, 2010

Mileage

119,000 mi

DRIVER SIDE AND HEAD AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN A "BUMP" (PAVEMENT AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS DURING REPAVING) IN THE ROAD WAS HIT BY THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10246644

Incident

Oct 24, 2008

Mileage

92,000 mi

2002 MINI COOPER S MODEL. AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON. HAS BEEN REPAIRED MANY TIMES AND STILL STAYS ON, DEACTIVATING SAFETY FEATURES OF THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM. THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MINI. BMW NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL I FEEL FOR OUR SAFETY... *TR

NHTSA ID

10235446

Incident

Jul 22, 2008

Mileage

62,000 mi

SEVERAL, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED MORE THEN TEN DIFFERENT TIMES, EACH TIME IT WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER (WESTCHESTER BMW/WESTCHESTER MINI) THE LAST FIX WAS AFTER THE NORMAL WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND REQUIRED MUCH FUSS TO GET IT REPAIRED FOR FREE. THE POWER STEERING PUMP SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE RADIATOR FAN WAS REPLACED TWO TIMES BY ME (CAR OUT OF WARRANTY) EVEN THOUGH I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER WHEN THE CAR WAS STILL QUITE NEW ABOUT THE FREQUENCY OF THE FAN MOTOR'S STARTING AND STOPPING WHICH WILL SEVERELY SHORTEN THE LIFE OF ANY ELECTRIC MOTOR. THE WINDSHIELD STRESS CRACKED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS REPAIRED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPED MOTOR HAS JUST FAILED DURING AN INCREDIBLE RAINSTORM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10188190

Incident

Apr 16, 2007