NHTSA recall 15V-205: OC3 Seat Occupancy Mat is missing other model years. my 2012 R56 was just diagnosed by a garage as having exactly this error. Why isn't NHTSA also recalling the other model years impacted by this safety issue? As the NHTSA must know, this safety issue is impacting many Mini Cooper model years, to the extent that a secondary market for bypass devices has emerged [XXX] ). Additionally, people have reported this safety issue to NHTSA since at least 2019 [XXX] and [XXX] ). Consider this communication as a formal report to the NHTSA of this instance of a safety issue and of the NHTSA inaction in face of this board and well-documented Mini Copper safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- St Petersburg, FL, USA

MINICooper base model with 90K miles has seat belt and air bag warning lights illuminated. Warning lights started intermittently going on and off and now stay illuminated continously when ignition is on. No vehicle accidents or incidents to cause this problem.

- Newton, AL, USA

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 MINIowners 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. MINIshould considered doing an investigation and extending the recall to other year models including my 2012.

- Bayamon, PR, USA

The passenger airbag warning safety light comes on and stays on when no-one or someone is sitting in the passenger seat with and without their seatbelt fastened. I searched online regarding this and found several other people experiencing the same issue. Since this is potentially a safety hazard to a passenger it must be recalled since multiple MINICoopers are experiencing this error.

- Riverside, CA, USA

Passenger occupancy sensor is malfunctioning leading to the passenger airbag being disabled while in motion. A person sitting in the passenger seat triggers the airbag sensor warning and disabling of the airbag. While the person is sitting in the passenger seat, the warning can come on and off, and the error does not occur while the seat is unoccupied. The occupancy sensor mat needs to be replaced yet it is not available to be sold separately and requires replacing of the entire seat cushion (cost prohibitive) and is not covered under warranty. The 2012 MINICooper model is not covered by the MINIrecall for the same exact issue which has affected thousands of vehicles.

- Guaynabo, PR, USA

The passenger seat air bag light came on one day when starting the car. I took it into a MINIspecialist and they said it was the indicator sensor in the seat. Other MINImodels have had the same problem and have been recalled. He quoted $600-700 to repair it. He could not guarantee the air bag would deploy in an accident. This seems like a no brainer.

- Eugene, OR, USA

Warning lamp for "airbag system failed" illuminated one day while driving on a straight street "in town" approx 25mph. At first light went off if I buckled passenger seatbelt (even when seat was empty) now it won't go off even doing that... also doesn't matter if driving at high or low speeds, road types, turning, stopping, parked, driving, passenger in rider's seat, no riding passenger, etc, it will illuminate (& I never place anything on my passenger seat). Took to a mechanic - he checked & provided code 9435. Stated airbags might not deploy when this warning lamp is illuminated. Said this is a common problem with MINICoopers & is a safety issue that he thinks probably should be covered under a recall. Contacted MINIdealership - said no recall for my vehicle. From what I have found there are almost 100,000 other minis that have had a recall for this same problem, however, they tell me my vehicle is not included in the recall - want to charge me minimally $65 just to re-diagnose the code, then labor & parts to fix! called MINIcustomer service - told me no recall for my vehicle & they referred me here.

- Mendota, IL, USA

Passenger side airbag is randomly disabled (with warning light/tone) when my 63# dog is sitting in the seat. Cause is a faulty "passenger seat occupant mat" that others have reported will cost over $1500 to replace. This has happened numerous times but only while driving so can't really get a picture of the warning light safely.

- Tampa, FL, USA

The passenger airbag sensor has been on since the date posted. It would resolve on its own sometimes but not it never turns off, hindering my ability to see the speedometer. I have not shelled out the thousands to get it fixed because I am hoping BMW will recall for this apparently common problem

- Willimantic, CT, USA

The contact owns a 2012 MINICooper. The contact stated that the front driver side air bag abruptly deployed while driving 40 mph. The failure occurred without warning or impact. The contact suffered injuries to the neck, back, and arms, which required medical attention. A police report was not filed. Prior to the deployment, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer stated that it was safe to drive the vehicle with the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The manufacturer inspected the vehicle and concluded that the front driver side air bag deployment was not caused by a manufacturer defect. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 43,000.

- Beaverton, OR, USA

Both front wheel bearings failing at 23,000 miles... ridiculous.

- Washington, DC, USA