Hi all.......on April 29.14......member champ198 made a posting comparing their coupe interior design and functionality to their new F56 2014. One particular item that I just read and took note to was the driver side (and maybe applies to passenger side) Seat Back Adjustment Lever....see attached photo as courtesy of member champ198 ( thank you ! ) ........

Question: Written on this lever says "Airbag". So how does or how would the airbag deploy if the seatbelt is worn and it covers the seat back adjustment lever? The seatbelt would stop the airbag from deploying. Safety of the driver would be compromised ??? How can I or anyone accept delivery of our new F56 2015 if this is an important safety issue that the airbag is blocked from deploying putting occupants at risk ??? How can anyone adjust their seat while the seatbelt is engaged ?? Do you know if this issue resolved for the 2015 models ??....anyone ?? Please and thank you....

 

I don't have an answer for you except to think that it seems (to me, at least....) highly unlikely that Mini engineers would "not" be aware of this and also that the car, obviously, has passed our crash test ratings here.

Have you looked at the dash and A-pillars of any modern car? There are entire interior panels between the airbag and passenger, that are clipped into place. Yet the airbags deploy just fine. Think a little bit of seatbelt is going to stop that airbag from doing what it's supposed to do?

 

The airbag is in the seat, not where the signage is.

 

Thank you for your reply and analysis @ George 2014.......

How does one adjust the seat back whole the seatbelt is engaged ?...seems like a design flaw to me.
On my 2013 Coupe, the seat back adjust lever is on the opposite side from where it is now. Bad design for the placement of this lever. Way nicer on the opposite.

 

Now someone is going to ask, how the heck is the airbag gonna to come out through the pleather?!
I don't know the answer to that, and I'm also curious, but I'm sure they made it work someway or another.

 

Thanks for the clarity.

 

Folks: Google "airbag prank".

There is not a whole lot that will stop an airbag from expanding once it is deployed.

 

I thought one wasn't supposed to be adjusting the seating position while driving. I know we all have done it but maybe this is a subtle reminder to do it before you buckle up.

 

Looks like the air bags work just fine.

 

The only airbags I can see in that video are the side curtain airbags covering the windows and pillars. The seat side airbag is just there to provide side chest protection to the seat occupant, such as this (not from a Mini):

 

The picture shown with the dummy is similar to how the air bag will deploy from the cooper's drivers/passengers front seats. The seat belt is not in the way of the air bag deployment. Sometimes me thinks some folks are just looking to find something wrong. Just my impression. Maybe, given the complaints/problems of the past are coloring evaluation of the current generation of the car.

Not having had the pleasure/tribulations of ownership of previous generations, I can only base my eval on what I have experienced. Mini quality is equal to, if not better than, any other car in it's class....even given the premium pricing strategy.

I love this car and probably will keep it longer than the 2-4 years I have kept other cars that I have purchased.

 

About a month ago, I came up with an easy to implement solution to the seat back adjustments. My wife and I have very different preferences for seat back position, so we have to readjust every time we switch drivers.

I made some video footage of the solution, but haven't gotten around to editing and publishing it. I hope to get to it this weekend. The folks at my local MINI dealership were impressed by how well it works. Stay tuned.

 

In every MINI Hardtop, 8 total front and side airbags (2 front, 2 side-impacts in each front seat, 2 ceiling mounted side curtains, and 2 knee airbags) come standard and ready to engage when needed. “Smart” safety sensors are the key. See, in a MINI, the airbags are constantly monitoring driver and front passenger position, seatbelt use and impact severity - and then determining airbag inflation rates accordingly. Also important to note is that the side-impact airbags are in the seat, rather than the typical spot, the door. That means the airbags move with you and will open in exactly the right spot- no matter where your seat is. The real innovation, though, are our side-curtain airbags. Set in the middle of the roof area on both sides, the gas charge deploys these large "air-pillows" from the center out, helping them to inflate evenly. The side-curtain airbags also stay inflated longer than conventional airbags, helping to prevent head or neck injuries that can commonly occur in multiple-impact collisions and help safeguard against flying glass.