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Seat beltsPart report

2004 MINI Cooper S Seat belts Problems

Complaints
3about this part
Share
1%of 247 total for the year
Median mileage
80,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the seat belts of the 2004 MINI Cooper S, 1% of the 247 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“The driver side seatbelt buckle does not release when the button is pressed. This started when I first bought the vehicle in february 2009. This happens everytime I try to remove the seatbelt. I have to jiggle the buckle to get it to release. Nothing has been done to fix this problem yet; the dealer will not warranty the buckle.”

NHTSA complaint #10273166, filed 2009-06, 58,000 miles

“My 2004 Mini Cooper S has a passenger seat belt/air bag light that is illuminated at all times. Originally, it was sporadic, and connecting the seat belt would cause the light to go off. Now it is lit all the time, whether there is a passenger in the seat or not. I was told today that the sensor is bad and will cost $1600 to fix, which includes completely replacing the entire passenger seat. My mechanic says that the air bag will not deploy in the event of an accident. This is most concerning. Obviously, the default should be for the airbag to deploy. …”

NHTSA complaint #10594986, filed 2014-05, 80,000 miles

“The contact owns a 2004 Mini Cooper S. The contact noticed that the vehicle's air bag warning indicator was constantly illuminated and both front windows hesitated to roll up and down. Also, the air bag indicator would illuminate when the front seat belts were buckled or unbuckled. The dealer stated that there was a positive cable in the fuse box that malfunctioned. The contact was informed that the failure could destroy the electrical system, cause a fire, and keep the air bag from deploying in a crash. The seat belt buckles were repaired, but the failure recurred. …”

NHTSA complaint #10615824, filed 2014-07, 124,500 miles

Seat belts: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2016110%
201214%
201012%
200943%
200842%
200742%
200621%
200521%
200431%
200310%
200211%

Other parts of the 2004 MINI Cooper S

Steering
210 complaints
Electrical system
19 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
12 complaints
Air bags
8 complaints
Engine cooling
3 complaints
Seats
3 complaints
Electronic stability control
2 complaints
Engine
2 complaints
Fuel system
2 complaints
Latches, locks and linkages
2 complaints
Tires
2 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2004 MINI Cooper S

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology