2009 Mini Cooper

THE AIRBAG FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT STOPPED WORKING 3 YEARS AGO. I CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES FOR A RECALL BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. I WENT TO A DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IF THERE ISN'T A RECALL, THERE WAS NOTHING MINI COOPER COULD DO ABOUT IT. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND IT WILL BE OVER 900.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ISN'T IT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CAR MANUFACTURER TO FIX SOMETHING THAT JUST STOPPED WORKING (NO ACCIDENTS OR ANY REASON), ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS SUCH A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT. MINI OF STEVENS CREEK LOCATED AT (4201 STEVENS CREEK BLVD, SANTA CLARA, CA 95051) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO ASSISTANCE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

PASSENGERS OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT FAILED CAUSING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG TO BE DEACTIVATED. MINI HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS FOR 10 YEARS AND 120,000 MILES. MY MINI WAS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD BUT DID HAVE 130,000 MILES ON 4/3/2019 WHEN I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER. MINI HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTED PART EVEN THOUGHT THEY KNOW IT WAS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. THEY ALSO KNOW THAT ON PREVIOUS YEARS MODELS THEY WERE FORCED TO RECALL THIS PART AS I ALSO OWN A 2006 MINI THAT WENT BAD AND IT TOOK OVER A YEAR BEFORE THEY FINALLY DID A RECALL. MINI DOES NOT HAVE A WORKABLE CUSTOMER RELATIONS SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE CUSTOMER TO APPEAL THIS SAFETY DEFECT REPLACEMENT REJECTION. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT MINI KNOW THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE SAFETY SENSOR AND HAVE A HISTORY OF THIS BEING A BAD PART BUT ARE UNWILLING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE IT. THEY INSTEAD WANT THE CUSTOMER TO SPEND OVER $1,000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY. THIS IS A BAD COMPANY DYNAMIC AND SHOWS NO CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN HWY 16 (A STRAIGHT A WAY 2 LANE HWY) TOWARDS WOODLAND WHEN THE DISPLAY SHOWED WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE WATER ICON AND I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE FROM UNDER MY HOOD, SO I PULLED OVER AND SAT THERE THINKING MAYBE MY CAR WAS OVERHEATING. A TRUCK COMING BEHIND ME WENT BY HONKING THEIR HORN AND I LOOKED IN REVIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED DARK SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND MY CAR.. I THEN PROCEED TO GET OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND COULDNT GET THE DRIVERS DOOR OPEN A GENTLEMAN CAME UP TO MY VEHICLE TOLD ME TO GET OUT BUT I TOLD HIM THE DOOR WOULDNT OPEN, HE OPENED THE DOOR AND WAS SAYING GET OUT AND AWAY THE CARS GOING TO BLOW UP, THAT WAS MY FIRST ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPT WAS NOTIFIED AND CAME OUT TO WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AND PROCEED TO EXTINQUISH THE VEHICLE. I HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED BY TRIPLE A OFF A FRIENDS OF MINES TOW PACKAGE THAT SHE HAS. IM CONTACTING THE FIRE DEPT AND POLICE TODAY ON GETTING SOME PAPERWORK RELATED TO THIS TODAY SO ALL I HAVE TO SHOW IS PICS.