Seat complaints by model year
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I recently purchased this vehicle. It currently has the air bag passenger seat on and it states that the airbag is off. I went to the dealer and they stated that this was a mayor recall to over 100,000 Mini coopers but mine was not one of them. This is a huge safety issue since the seat sensor is not working properly and this therefore does not activate the airbag. If there were an accident the passenger airbag would not eject. This is a problem on 100,000 and my vehicle has the problem but it is not under the recall. What do I need to do? Who is liable for this issue which obviously is an existing problem for the brand??? Nothing has happened but if it were to happen, who would be liable? I want to make sure that I am on record on this
My airbag light/seat sensor warning light came on both center console and driver's console for no apparent reason. Both lights stay illuminated. Proper operation of seat sensor in passenger seat mat which activates passenger side airbag is now in question.
While traveling at or above 65 miles per. Hour, vibration in front end. Have had tires rotated, balances and front end checked out. Unknown at this point and now must keep under 65 MPH. Unsafe to drive at or above 65.
Warning message for seat belt tension/air bag malfunction and both lights are on. The vehicle has 40+ thousand miles on it, I am a second owner. This problem just started on May 29, 2020. No accidents for this vehicle. Cost for repair is over $2000 and so far there's only recalls for 2008 convertible which I totally don't understand. This looks to be an ongoing problem with the Mini and needs to be addressed due to the air bags being affected. I currently have no photos but can readily supply photos upon request. The seat belt light/air bag emblem shows on the dash screen when entering the key while stationary, no one is sitting in the passenger seat when this happens and does not go away when occupied.
While driving with the driver seat heater on a burning smell and smoke began to fill the car. Additionally, began feeling extreme heat on my back. Immediately pulled over and found a small fire on the seat back which I had to pat out. No injury was sustained. The seat heater had been in operation roughly 5 minutes. This is a significant safety concern as the seat heater switches are in a location where they are easily turned on by accident. Had I not been able to pull off the road immediately the damages could have been significantly worse and injury would have occurred.
I put the heated seat on while driving, and the driver's seat caught fire. This with less then 50,000 miles and a cost of almost $1000. I had to pull into a gas station and put out the smoking seat with water. I've complained to Mini Cooper USA, with no results.
The passenger seat occupancy mat was replaced by recall on 10/28/2016. On 10/2018 I noticed that when there is a passenger in the seat with their seat belt on the air bag was off, in 1 weeks time the passenger side seat belt light was on all the time and the air bag is off all the time with or without someone occuping the seat. Reguardless if the car is idiling or going down the rode. At least before the recalled mat sensor was replaced the seat mat sensor worked most of the time. Now it does not work at all. I took it to the dealership and they tested the oc3 mat (passenger side mat sensor) and said there are multiple codes for the oc3 mat and they found internal faults and it requires replacement again. They said this recall is no longer under warrenty and I need to pay over 1500.00 to have it replaced. …
Driving to work in the am. I smell something in the car. When I look at my passenger side seat I saw smoke. Pull over and got a better look at it. I have a holes in my car seat and the two vest that I place on the seat. It appears the heated seat had a electrical failure. Took car to Mini dealer. They said it real odd this happen. They also nice to say I would have to paid to fix it. Look at many site on internet and seen BMW/Mini and other company have issues with heated seats. It do not seem to odd to me. I did not even had the heated seat on because no one was seating there.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mini Cooper S years have seat problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (21), 2005 (9), 2008 (5) and 2009 (5) model years. Seat complaints make up 9% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for Mini Cooper S seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for any Mini Cooper S model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Mini Cooper S seat problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles; 41% happened before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.