The airbag light is on and the passenger seat airbag detection light says off even when an adult is sitting in the seat. I took the car in and the airbag code read was a 71 indicating that the OC3 mat in the passenger seat is faulting. The dealership is telling me that the airbag may or may not work even if a passenger is in the seat. I was told by the dealership that it would cost up to $3000 for my car to replace the OC3 mat!!! no safety recall warranty available for this model year as there is on others!

- Richmond, VA, USA

Both my passenger airbag warning light and airbag warning lamp in the instrument panel is illuminated deactivating airbag deployment when an adult is sitting in the passenger seat and remains on when passenger seat is vacant while driving. There is also 2 technical service bulletins (tsb) I'm aware of relating to this malfunction: Tsb: Si M-65-02-06 airbag warning illuminated, FC55 for vehicles produced from August 31, 2005 - April 25, 2006. NHTSA 10026024 (my vehicle was produced in August 2005 as indicated on my driver door panel). Tsb: 720106 airbag warning lamp for OC3 seat mat fault, airbag warning lamp illuminates together with the passenger airbag status lamp. NHTSA 10019981. I spoke with 2 service managers at MINIindicating faulty detection mat, parts were in stock and will not be covered under warranty for repair or replacement estimated at approximately $1000. My only recourse is to repair it, feeling uncomfortable driving my vehicle or transporting passengers in the event the airbags will not deploy. In addition, BMW of North America, llc extended the warranty on passenger airbag detection mats to 10 yrs/unlimited mileage for specific BMW models ranging from MY04 through MY06, who owns MINIof North America. I've read several forums relating to this issue, one of which states MINIdid extend the warranty on models prior to MY05, but problem hasn't been resolved in model years thereafter as mentioned in my complaint and other NHTSA bulletins. I contacted MINIof North America with no positive response.

- Sierra Vista, AZ, USA

Defect initially occurred at night time in rush hour traffic: Dash-lights went out, turn indicator not functional, heater blower stopped working (causing fogging of windshield/windows), air bag lights went on, seat belt light on consequently had to pull on the side of road (limited visibility, no speed indicator, could not operate vehicle safely). A couple of attempts at ignition cycling partially restored functionality. After initial defect, problem could be reproduced intermittently (all/some of the component listed above failed during course of normal operation of vehicle). Vehicle inspected by MINIBMW dealer, root cause: Interference on K-bus of one of the audio component, resulting in failure/malfunction of other components on the bus. Ultimately component (MINII-pod interface) had to be removed -- part is available if needed. Request to have repairs covered was rejected by MINIBMW customer relations on grounds there was no recall (vehicle is 5 months out of warranty --- 41K miles).

- Schaumburg, IL, USA

My airbag light came on. The dealer said I had a defective seat sensor but the airbag would still work... my dashboard looks like a christmas tree. Later I heard about the warranty extension for this fault. I drove 200 miles round trip after making an appointment. They looked at it and said it is not covered by warranty. The dealer has given me alot of misinformation... doi trust them on this? no, of course not. Although they have a BMW dealer adjacent, the BMW dealers are not like the ones I am accustomed to dealing with. I am disappointed that MINIhas such poor service while most of its BMW dealers are so stellar. The heated seats work only a few minutes. The dealer said I need a new fuse, in spite of what the manual says. It says if it blows more than twice, the vehicle should be returned to the dealer for service. I did and their diagnosis was that it had a blown fuse.

- Apex, NC, USA

Passenger side airbag is disabled when passenger is in seat. If passenger shifts in seat, the airbag may or may not enable. Have been told the fault lies with the airbag sensor mat under the seat. This is a common issue for several BMW models and an extended warranty has been offered. For several MINImodels, the issue has been reported and an extended warranty has been offered. So far, the 2005 model has not been included.

- Memphis, TN, USA

I have now had a second failure of the passenger airbag sensor (sensor mat in passenger seat). The first mat failed at 3 months after purchase and the replacement lasted just over 2 years (warranty on part is 2 years).

- Gaithersburg, MD, USA

I have a 2005 MINICooper. The airbag sensor in the passenger seat failed after 60,000 miles, just after the car went out of warranty. This is a known defect that many MINIand BMW owners have experienced. The sensor in the passenger seat has failed causing the airbag to be permanently deactivated, even when a passenger is sitting in the seat. The dealer charges $1100 to fix the defect. I feel like the airbag should work for the life of the car, or at least up to 100,000 miles. This car has never been in an accident or had any other mechanical issues that would affect the airbag. My car is in good condition and has approximately 80,00 miles on it. This is a huge safety issue and the manufacturer should be responsible for fixing this. I would like to file a complaint against BMW and MINICooper and I would like the manufacturer to fix this defect at no charge to the owner of the car. Thank you.

- Dallas, TX, USA

The contact owns a BMW MINICooper S. the air bag cover emblem has a defected edge. If the air bag were to deploy, it could cause serious injuries. The dealer replaced the cover three times, but the defect is still uncorrected. The current and failure mileages were 20,000.

- Washington , DC, USA