I was picking up my wife's X-mas gift yesterday and accidentally left the passenger side door unlatched. Twenty minutes later I get in the car and drive off, forgetting that I didn't close the door properly. I back out of the parking space proceed forward and the passenger side door slams open and into a parked vehicles trailer hitch. I am just glad it was not a pedestrian. 753 miles on my 2010 and an interesting dent on the passenger side.

The issue I have is when I open the driver side door there is a picture of the car with a door open. Open the hatch, picture of the car with the hatch open. Passenger side door open = potential lawsuit. So, is it a defect or a design flaw.

 

Are you saying that a picture shows up in the information lcd above the steering wheel when you open your driver's side door and one didn't show up when you opened your passenger door?

i don't think i've ever noticed such graphics coming up..

 

That's it.

 

sorry about your accident btw, i'd be pissed too!

 

I know i have seen one for the hatch and divers side door. I will go test to see if i can make it happen for the passenger side door.

 

I just called the dealership they tried 4 different cars none indicated if the passenger side door was open. Design Flaw.

All cars tried were 2010 model years.

 

Like many other cars, you get a warning light for one of the passenger doors open, but it doesn't actually show you which one. There is a special warning for the club door on a Clubman.

Edit to add: Shown on page 132 in my manual.

 

I just went and tested my 07 MCSa and it shows open door icon for both the driver and passenger. I did notice that the icon did not show up if I put it in drive or reverse and had my foot on the brake at the same time. I pulled in the street, took my foot off the brake, and hit the gas then opened up the drivers door, beep went off and showed icon, did the same for the passengers, beep went off and icon showed.

EDIT: The icon displayed the correct door ajar IE: left or right

 

I just got off the phone with Mini USA. The nice lady on the other side of the phone claimed that there should be a warning light for the passenger door. I guess they missed that in the 10's.

 

Saturn's post above is interesting. I tried the same test - With ALL of my doors fully open (including both barn doors and the club door), when I started the engine, I get no warnings. When I put the car in gear and reversed as far as I thought would be safe, nothing. Pulling forward slowly, nothing. I closed all doors and pulled out onto the street. When I cracked the driver's door open, the warning sounded. Now that I think about it, I've only seen the door ajar warnings when driving on the street (usually one of the barn doors has been open).

 

BTW - Sorry to hear about your damaged door. Long ago, my friend Tommy had just bought a new truck and brought it to school to show it off. He backed it up while his little sister still had the passenger door open - wadded that door up like foil.

 

Mine only tells me when the drivers door and the boot are open.

 

Coincidentally enough, yesterday I picked my son up at Brussels airport for the holidays. As he's never been in my US spec'd 2010 JCW before, he didn't close the door hard enough. As I preparing to back out of the parking spot, I couldn't figure out why the overhead light was still on and it wasn't until I actually started pulling forward that the chime kicked in and the display showed that the passenger door was ajar. FWIW, Maggie was a Week 46 build and, perhaps, the warning only kicks in once the car is in forward motion??

Merry Christmas!!

 

I noticed this also when i had a loaner Clubman. When i picked it up one of the barn doors wasn't closed all the way and I was thinking to my self, "Wow it is noisy in here!". After a few miles i stopped and took a look around and noticed the door not closed all the way. No warning from the OBC

 

This is another problem I have with this. The driver takes a corner a bit fast the door flies open, a small child could possibly fly out. This is more than a "my car got damaged so I'm pissed" issue. I believe it to be a huge safety issue. Wow, did I just grow up?

 

If you've enabled the auto-lock feature when the car starts moving this can't happen.

All children should also be in an approved child seat, properly restrained using the LATCH system. It's illegal in all 50 states to drive with an unrestrained child in your vehicle. If a child "flies out", the only safety issue is the driver's stupidity.

 

The OP is obviously upset with the damage to the door and couching the discussion in terms of hypothetical safety. I'ld be unhappy too if my door got dinged up. Don't know that I would blame the car.



I am really curious as to why the door ajar warning bell and icon behave so oddly.

 

+1... Door nannies, gotta love em...

 

It was a $60 fix, gota love paintless technology. As for the safety issue, pick any car made in the last 30 years and it will tell you a door is open. It could be an audio warning or a dash light but it will tell you a door is open. Try it.

 

I pulled out of the Driveway yesterday morning and apparently after putting my crappage into the car I failed to close the Passenger Door fully, I can't remember when the sound started, but the Interior Light stayed on and I heard a Bong...since it was pretty cold out I thought Molly was just telling me that she wanted back in the garage and get out of the cold!!

So I heard a Bong, the Interior Light stayed on until I properly closed the door, but I can't remember if this happened as I backed out of the Driveway or once I began moving forward in the Street.

 

My hatch seems to pop itself every now and again and I end up getting the warning after I start moving, making me stop and open/close it properly. Quite annoying.

 

Well lets see here 30 years brings us back to 1979. I can tell you for certain that very few cars in 1979 had some sort of warning on the dash or audio noise for doors open. Now they did have a interior light that stayed on so I guess you could say that was the warning but guess what the MINI has the same thing - an overhead light that stay on if the door is not closed properly. So there is the warning that something is wrong.

 

So I read this the other day and curiousity got the best of me. So I tried both doors (not at the same time) while driving along around 20mph. Driver's door - got a dash warning and a gong. Passenger door - no warning or gong.

THEN just last night we were leaving a friend's house. I hear a gong, look down and see a passenger's door open warning pic. So putting that together either 1) I didn't leave the passenger door open long enough (my have a timer) or 2) It's only set to give the passenger door warning if/when there is a passenger in the seat (which it would easily know due to the airbag weight mat/sensor.

 

I checked the over head light idea. The light does come on. Although it does not make one bit of difference in the afternoon because of the always bright sunroof(s). But there is a light when it can be seen.

 

My 2008 MINI Cooper S says, "Passenger Door Open!"

Probably a workmanship flaw at the factory?