Well it didn't throw codes so they could not find a problem. Suggested I bring it in next time it occurs WHILE it is occuring so they can witness.

 

I feel your frustration. Mine was on all day yesterday, then still on early this morning. I told myself I was gonna take it into the dealer 2 hours away on Monday. Five minutes later the light went out. Mine never stays on for very long - usually an hour or so and is never ever on when I'm in the vicinity of the dealership.

Has it ever been determined what exactly the light means? If someone were sitting in the pax seat with the light on, would the airbag NOT deploy, or is the light just faulty meaning there's really no problem? If it's the former, I won't worry about getting it fixed. If it's the latter I should problem never take a passenger with me because I never know if/when the light might come on.

It seems to me that MINI should recall every freakin' vehicle and replace all the seat sensors. That's what GM and Ford had to do all the time in the past when one of their safety systems failed.

 

Hey all.. I have officially joined this disgruntled club. My Airbag light has come on both the overhead and speedo display. I have an appointment on the 23rd to hopefully remedy this frustrating situation.

 

So here is an update on my situation that had appeared in December. My original condition was that the "Passenger Air Bag Off" light was on. This was with or without a passenger. Seatbelt on or off did not matter. As I was bringing it into the dealer, the light turned off. I brought it in still for some other problems I was having, so they looked at the light and said they could not pull any codes so it could not be confirmed. I still put that fault in my file so that it would be on record.

About 3 weeks ago, my whole airbag system goes crazy, and the system shows that my passenger air bag is turned off, the light in the speedo is on (the pregnant looking one), and I get a warning in the display above my steering wheel telling me that the airbag is off. I took this into the dealership immediately so they could confirm this time without it going off on me. The dealer confirmed it and pulled the code as a faulty air bag computer. They replaced the computer and all the lights were happy again.

Yesterday as I got into my car with a passenger, I started it up and noticed that the "passenger air bag off" light was on again! I had my passenger shift around in the seat to try to trigger the weight sensor in the seat. I tried buckling and unbuckling the seat belt. I shut off the car and restarted it multiple times since, and it is still on!

I'm getting tired of this. I am thinking of declaring it a lemon. Does anyone know if when I brought it in the first time, if that counts as "an attempted repair"? I am going to see if this applies to the airbag problem that we have been having.

For California:

"During the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, the "Lemon Law" presumes that a manufacturer has had a reasonable number of attempts to repair the vehicle if either (1) The same problem results in a condition that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if the vehicle is driven and the problem has been subject to repair two or more times by the manufacturer or its agents, and the buyer or lessee has at least once directly notified the manufacturer of the need for the repair of the problem as provided in the warranty or owner's manual."

 

^^

The first time you brought it in for the repair, whether they find a code or not, counts as the first attempt. And if they grant you a buy back, then the mileage of your vehicle at that first attempt is the number which they base the buy back calculation.

Sorry to hear about your problem.

 

^^ thats good and bad news I suppose. I got my first problem at probably around 3k miles, which means I'll pretty much get everything back. Does anyone know what happens with any of the extra parts I put on there? I put on the JCW Carbon Fiber Hood Scoop and an Alta Rear Sway Bar. Should I just take those off before I take it back into the dealer?

 

Too many pages to read through right now.

My 2007 MCS has had two nags since new in July 2007:
1) passenger airbag off light comes on every now and then with a full-grown passenger.
2) boot opens itself at random intervals

I bought the car from Global Imports in Atlanta and trusted the service adviser when she said she'd get a PUMA going. I was patient, I brought it in 5 times, I worked with them.
We stopped using the car often since we didn't know when the problems would surface; we didn't want to risk hurting a passenger...

MINI eventually got involved because Global could never duplicate the problem. After a few attempts themselves they have given up --- the reason they state is that with my aftermarket suspension (H&R springs, H-sport anti swaybar & camber links) and wheels, it is UNSAFE for a tech to drive to try and diagnose.

MINI wants me to return the car to stock trim if I am to get warranty work done or lemon law resolution.

Call MINI. Ask for Meg. Let our voices unite...

 

Related new thread:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...e-to-mods.html

 

Arnb,
Sorry to hear about this nonsense. Try not to get too emotional about it as there are worse things to worry about. That being said, do keep pushing them to make it right because your car problems are not without precedence. If I were in your shoes, I'd return it to stock and work towards lemoning it.
Keep us informed,
Greg

 

I just got back from my dealer and they weren't able to reproduce the problem with my airbag light. Since there is no codes they can't do much but they told me to keep an eye on it.

When I first bought my car, with no one in the passenger seat, the light would always show "Airbag is off". Now, that light will come on for a few seconds when I start the car and then it will turn off when no one is sitting there. Which is the normal response for this light (I'm speaking about the light up near the rear view mirror)? Occasionally, the air bag is off light will come on when a passenger is sitting in the front seat. I can't reproduce this one.

Also, one thing I have definitely noticed, when a passenger is sitting in the seat next to me and they don't have the seatbelt on, you will not hear the warning sound that indicates they need to buckle up. I used to have this problem when I would place a full backpack there and teh warning sound would force me to put the pack on the floor. This passenger sealtbelt indicator no longer works right and is probably on the same sensor.

 

Please call Meg.
866-ask-mini ext 7970
They won't do a thing unless we report these things to her and especially to the NHTSA and, as a last resort, the FTA.


I'm getting royally hosed by MINI; we all have to act or we all lose.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...e-to-mods.html

Use this link for the NHTSA. If you don't register the defect, they can't make MINI act responsibly.

 

I found out an hour ago that there is a TSB from MINI regarding the passenger airbag light problem and that they don't have a solution. The boot self-opener might be related since it's a problem in the wiring harness/bus.

Neither MINI nor the dealer was forthcoming with the info; I had to find out about it back-door.
Therefore it is a problem with all or most of the new body MINIs and they are trying to keep it quiet to stave off a recall; they would rather handle it by TSB, quietly at the dealership level.
But they don't have a fix yet.

Thank you, confidential source. You are a friend to the community.

 

Mine has never thrown a code either nor has any tech been able to reproduce the event.
Here's a picture of it happening for all the world to witness. Passenger is about 135 pounds and 5'5".

 

I just left her a message

 

HMMMM....I have been having this issue with the airbag light constantly. It bothered me, but I thought mine was an isolated incident or perhaps I was just being dumb and reading it wrong. Thanks for the info. I'm taking my MINI in ASAP.

 

Notify the NHTSA and call Meg.
Again, there is a service bulletin on it and they are trying to hush it up.

Everybody with the airbag light or boot self-opening problem needs to file the NHTSA report so they can track it.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/#vehicles

 

here a way to look up TSBs, recalls, etc. for various years, models, etc. I put in 2008 for a trial run and it pulled up numberous TSBs (and some with airbags issues). Might help.

http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/select.html

 

Great link:

This is listed first & second and is why my first R56 (the Flying Squirrel) isn't in my gargage:
I've got this:

We can hope that the NHTSA will spur action to the airbag light; but everyone that has the issue MUST report it.

 

Mine came on Monday and the dealer fixed it Tuesday. Apparently one of the wires leading to the Passenger's Side Head airbag had rubbed against something creating a short to ground. They fixed this and also ensured that the driver's side was routed in a manner that this would not happen on that side.

 

my computer for the airbag/seatbelt sensor was replaced around August of last year with the car at the dealer for close to 3 weeks. Things were ok since then, but for the last month or so the light is back (both overhead "airbag off" one and the dash red one) when a passanger is in the seat.
it does go back to normal once the passanger gets out, unlike last time when it was ALWAYS on.

now I am thinking its the seat sensor ... but have an appointment in the next few days to figure it out.

BTW: what type of seat does everyone with the problem have? I have the Standard seats.

 

I have sport seats.
Please call Meg at MINI and also use the NHTSA link to log the problem.
I don't think that anybody has been hurt yet but I don't want somebody to test that...

Our MINIs share a wiring bus with the 3 series BMW --- which is under investigation for airbags that haven't deployed in crashes and airbag off lights that illuminate.

Look up complaints:
10222172, 10219570, 10243605, 10238836

 

Lurch, sorry to read that your lights are flashing again.

As you know I had the regular seats.

 

Well, picking up the car in a bit and been told all is well.
Seat mat was bad, installed another one which was bad as well and with one more try it worked out.

Accoring to my SA, these bad mats that have been circulating have all been traced back to one particular person at the co. that makes them. Its been such and issue that MINIUSA was saving all the bad ones and investigated it.
Not sure how much truth there is to this as its been going on for over a year. I am sure somerthing like this can be traced much faster.

I am more than happy with my dealer, but these QC issues from MINI suppliers are the pits.

 

gotta call my dealer too. Came on yesterday after work, been on over since. Theres the red airbag guy on the speedo, and the seatbelt guy, and theres the airbag thing on the tach display too. I think its the drivers seat mat. :(


I also put a UniChip on about a week ago.... now I have to pop that off just because i dont want to hear any gripe about it :( Pain in the butt

 

Anyone have a TSB# on this?