Passenger seat occupancy sensor failure. This is a very common fault in the R56 series Mini Cooper. The manufacture has not initiated a recall. There are vendors selling "bypass" kits which will cause unsafe air bag deployment in an infant is in the seat.

- Corpus Christi, TX, USA

The airbag occupancy detection switch in the passenger seat is defective. This is occurring so often on Mini Coopers (R56 models from 2007-2013) that a passenger occupancy defeat switch is being openly sold and YouTube videos are available showing how to fit this device. This disables the occupancy detector switch, causing grave danger of death to infants or children seated in the passenger seat during a collision. MINI is currently charging nearly $1,000 to rectify this common fault. This defect has been confirmed multiple times by MINI, including on my vehicle on 7/8/2022. The component has been inspected by the manufacturer and confirmed to be defective. There were warning lights displayed on the central console, as well as on the driver tachometer every time the car is started. This warning cannot be defeated. This Youtube video (and many others-??) have been posted more than 3 years ago about the issue, showing how to disable the warning. This one has over 74,000 views! https://youtu.be/gDlmtygUipM It is WELL overdue that you do something about this clear, present and deadly danger to children! Thank you.

- San Rafael, CA, USA

I have a 2010 MINICooper hardtop. This is an ongoing problem of the last three years. The passenger airbag alert goes on when I have a passenger in the seat saying passenger airbag is off. I've taken it to a repair shop and they will need to dismantle the seat to see if the sensor is defective and replace. I see that other models of MINICoopers have had recalls for this defect in seat sensors. Models in years before and after 2010. It is an expensive procedure, and dangerous if I have a passenger.

- Cambria, CA, USA

The passenger seat occupancy detector is broken. This is apparently a common problem with bmws and MINICoopers. Some models have been recalled. But many have not, including mine. The symptom is that seat belt and airbag warnings light up.

- Cambridge, MA, USA

Faulty front passenger seat weight sensor for airbag. Weight sensor fails to distinguish when someone is or is not in the seat, causing the airbag for the front passenger constantly read "passenger air bag off."

- Orlando, FL, USA

Passenger side seat mat for detecting passengers presents, intermittently fails causing the air bag to be deactivated when a passenger is present and the vehicle is moving.

- Pinellas Park, FL, USA