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Mini Cooper Recall 15V205: Passenger Front Airbag May Not Deploy in a Crash

NHTSA campaign 15V205, reported April 6, 2015, 91,800 vehicles potentially affected.

What this recall means for you

The seat occupant detection mat under the front passenger seat may not work properly because of manufacturing, installation, and exposure problems. When the mat fails, the passenger frontal airbag can be switched off even though the seat is occupied.

If the airbag does not deploy in a crash, a front passenger faces a higher risk of injury. Owners should not assume the airbag warning light will reliably reveal this problem, so the repair matters.

The replacement of the front passenger seat occupant detection mat is free at an authorized dealer. MINI will notify owners, or you can contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525, and you should check your VIN for open recalls.

Check whether this recall is open on your vehicle

The repair is normally free at an authorized dealer.

Official recall notice

Safety recall 15V205BMW of North America, LLC
Component
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Problem
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to November 28, 2006, and 2005-2008 MINI Cooper Convertible and Cooper S Convertible vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to July 31, 2008. Due to manufacturing, installation, and exposure issues, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat may not function properly and, as a result, the front passenger air bag may not deploy in a crash.
Risk
An improperly functioning mat may cause the passenger frontal air bag to be inactive when the seat is occupied, and in the event of a crash, the air bag will not deploy, increasing the passenger's risk of injury.
Remedy
MINI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Affected vehicles

Mini Cooper20052006
Mini Cooper Convertible2005200620072008
Mini Cooper S20052006
Mini Cooper S Convertible2005200620072008