1st Gen R50 Cooper Passenger seat sensor recall.

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by M1N1, Jun 9, 2015.

  1. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

    Jan 5, 2014
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    Yesterday, I received a letter from MINI giving details of the "Front passenger seat occupant detection mat sensor" recall.

    The letter informs me that I am to contact an authorised MINI dealer to make an appointment to have this fixed.

    Now here is my problem. I live out in the boonies of NW Ohio. My nearest MINI dealers are in Columbus, Detroit or Cleveland. That means that I have a minimum of a 4 1/2 hour round trip to Detroit, plus time to have the repair done. This would mean wasting a vacation day to have the work done, or blowing a day off work (my CFO says that she is not happy with this option).

    Does anyone know if a BMW dealer could do this work?
     
  2. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    No.........MINI dealers only. BUT, you may be able to get an independent shop to do it and get reimbursed the agreed to amount from MINI. Check with MINIUSA and see if this is an option.
     
  3. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Tell the CFO you would like to take her to the city for a day of shopping, a good dinner, and a restful night in a fine hotel. :D
     
  4. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

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    That's good. I never saw this as an opportunity to have a day out with the one I love. Be nice to have the wife along as well!!!! :devil:
     
  5. vetsvette

    vetsvette MINI Alliance Ambassador

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    What years does this recall cover?
     
  6. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

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    According to my recall letter, certain 2005-2006 Cooper and S models, and certain Cooper and S Convertible models.
     
  7. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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  8. Goldsmithy

    Goldsmithy MINI Alliance Ambassador
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    I got the same letter. Repair is said to take 2 hrs. Now, to find the time...
     
  9. Gearhed

    Gearhed New Member

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    The letter also stated not to have anyone sit in the passenger seat if your car displays the airbag off and the cluster light is on. Super inconvenient as now we could hold the liability if something were to happen after being notified!? OP may want to have the CFO sit in the back for the big city road trip.
     
  10. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    I got my recall notice. It says they're not ready to do the recall work yet, but that I'll get another letter sometime in the future. With no dealer anywhere near here, I'll take mine to East Bay in Pleasenton and make a weekender in the City out of it.
     
  11. Gramps

    Gramps Active Member

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    I got the letter, too.
     
  12. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    I got the letter and tossed it in the trash.

    I installed Mitsubishi Recaro Evo IX seats with MAT emulator years ago, problem solved.
     
  13. Black White R53

    Black White R53 New Member

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    I did some research, here are the government agencies in charge of holding corporations responsible. I called multiple agencies (NHTSA etc.) After explaining the situation, namely that the day before the recall we could have had the weight sensor replaced (for a ridiculous $1000+) but the day the recall was announced all of a sudden the parts were absolutely unobtainable somehow. And the recall announcement was April 3rd, almost SIX MONTHS ago, with a planned start date of May 1st... Please call the following numbers and let's see if enough of us file a complaint maybe these two agencies will give MINI corporate a call and ask how that MAY 1ST 2015 start date for implementing the recall is going...

    Federal Trade Commission: Phone number: 1 877-382-4357

    For those in CA (I imagine other States have similar organizations, the info was given to me by the FTC, they probably have your states contact info as well) you can file an online complaint by doing a google search for "CONSUMER COMPLAINT AGAINST A BUSINESS/COMPANY" the form should be the first result to come up. Their phone number follows, but save your time because they will just give you the NHTSA number (NHTSA can only let you know that the recall does exist, but they do not take complaints for existing recalls) and tell you to file an online complaint.)
    Only open 9-12 and 1-3 PST Consumer affairs. number: 1-800-952-5225

    My thought is that it might be a ten year extended warranty and MINI is stalling as long as possible as every day more and more MINI's that would otherwise be covered fall out of warranty, or MINI is passive aggressively telling us all to take a hike (every few weeks I call MINI and the recall is unexpectedly delayed another, you guessed it, few weeks). It seems MINI no longer has any intention of following through with the recall. Despite the crazy $1000 the dealership gladly charged to fix the problem the day before the recall started (coincidentally this was the day before the problem became unsolvable at any price), the part is a simple weight sensor, it shouldn't be taking half a year with no updates whatsoever from anyone.

    Does anyone have any news since the letter they sent letting us know absolutely nothing, other than the passenger airbag sensor on our cars had an intrinsic defect (which everyone already knew) and we probably have realized that our passenger airbag light is constantly on, and shouldn't let passengers sit in the passenger seat until it is fixed. Are you kidding me? Nice way to solve the safety issue, just don't use the passenger seat and non deployment of the airbag won't be an issue. ah wow, thanks for the heads up. What a clever and frugal solution.

    Any info, anyone????
     
  14. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    Just had my seat sensor recall completed today. Only an hour and a half and I was back on the road home. Awesome job East Bay!
     
  15. Red Bull

    Red Bull Active Member

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    Did they have to program anything with the BCM for the new sensor?
     

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