What 49 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mini Cooper S Countryman

Airbag light and seatbelt light are on continuously no matter if someone is in the seat or not.

NHTSA ODI 11710137

OUR VEHICLE HAS THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON AND I AM AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF OUR FAMILY. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, THERE ARE MANY MINI OWNERS THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS DEEPER THAN AN ISOLATED ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUES THAT WAS CONVERTED INTO A RECALL FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE. MINI SHOULD CONSIDERED DOING AN INVESTIGATION AND EXTENDING THE RECALL TO OTHER YEAR MODELS INCLUDING MY 2012.

NHTSA ODI 11375677

MY AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON DASH AND CENTER CONSOLE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO FOUND MULTIPLE SEAT MAT SENSOR FAULT CODES STORED. THE SEAT MAT IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY BY FAILING TO RECOGNIZE IF THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT AND/OR THEIR WEIGHT. AS A RESULT, THE AIRBAG MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY COMPLETELY OR INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY ON A PASSENGER WEIGHING LESS THAN 45 POUNDS. BOTH RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL INJURIES AND/OR DEATH. MY MECHANIC HAS INFORMED ME MINI HAS HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES/RECALLS WITH THESE SEAT MAT SENSORS, AS DOCUMENTED IN MINI SERVICE BULLETIN DATE JANUARY 2019 (I HAVE ATTACHED A COPY). THE ISSUE AFFECTS NUMEROUS MINI MODELS MADE THROUGHOUT VARIOUS YEARS, INCLUDING 2012 WHICH IS THE SAME YEAR AS MY MINI. THESE SEAT MAT SENSORS DEFINITELY NEED TO BE REEVALUATED AND POTENTIALLY EXPAND THE RECALL/SAFETY ALERT TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL MODELS.

NHTSA ODI 11362365

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR SENSOR FAULTS WHICH WERE COVERED IN RECALLS ON EARLIER MODELS ARE STILL A PROBLEM, YET NO LONGER COVERED FOR REPAIR. THIS SENSOR CONTROLS AIRBAG INFLATION DURING ACCIDENTS

NHTSA ODI 11241863