2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 11/18/15*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED SHE PAID FOR AN AIR BAG SENSOR TWO YEARS. UPDATED 12/15/15. *JB

NOTIFIED THAT MINI WOULD RECALL DUE TO FAULTY SENSOR FOR AIRBAG ON MAY 1. NOW 4 MONTHS LATER, AND STILL NO RECALL. MINI SAYS THEY ARE GATHERING DATA ON THE AFFECTED CARS, NO INFO ON WHEN RECALL AND REPAIR WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS NOT EXPERIENCING A FAILURE.

ON APRIL 20, 2015, I TOOK MY 2005 MINI S CONVERTIBLE TO MINI OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY IN DARIEN, CT BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. I RECEIVED A VERBAL QUOTE OF APPROXIMATELY $1200 TO REPAIR. LATER THAT DAY I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE SHOP FOREMAN STATING THAT MINI WAS AWARE OF AN ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR AND THAT MINI WAS LOOKING INTO A COURSE OF ACTION. A FEW DAYS LATER THE PRESS REPORTED THAT A RECALL WAS BEING DONE FOR THIS ISSUE AND I CALLED AGAIN, WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT A LETTER WOULD COME FROM MINI WITH DETAILS. SOMETIME BETWEEN THEN AND JUNE 15, I RECEIVED A LETTER (DATED "JUNE 2015") STATING THAT A RECALL WAS GOING TO BE ISSUED, AND I SHOULD NOT CARRY PASSENGERS IF THE LIGHT WAS ON (IT HAD BEEN ON SINCE APRIL), AND AGAIN CALLED MINI OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, WHERE THEY REITERATED THE INFO IN THE LETTER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR YET ANOTHER LETTER. I CALLED MINI CUSTOMER CARE BOTH ON JUNE 15 AND AUGUST 25 TO REQUEST INFORMATION ON THE TIMING, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION BEYOND WHAT THE DEALER TOLD ME. IT IS NOW AUGUST 25, AND OVER FOUR MONTHS THAT I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO SAFELY CARRY A PASSENGER IN THIS VEHICLE. I FEEL THAT THIS MEETS THE STANDARD NOTED IN THE RECALL LETTER "IF YOUR MINI DEALER IS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE DEFECT WITHOUT CHARGE OR WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME", ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS GIVEN A VERBAL QUOTE IN APRIL TO FIX THE ISSUE. MINI HAS ALSO DECLINED TO PROVIDE A LOANER VEHICLE WHILE MINE IS DISABLED. I REQUEST THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE WHETHER MINI INTENDS TO PROPERLY CARRY OUT THIS RECALL (15V-205).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LIGHT ILLUMINATED EVEN WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 86,000. MA 10/14 *CN

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REGARD TO THE CURRENT RECALL CAMPAIGN 15V-205; FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURER IS DELINQUENT IN MAKING THIS CRITICAL SAFETY UPDATE. THE PART 573 REPORT INDICATED AN OWNER NOTIFICATION DATE OF MAY 01 -- JUNE 01; THE NOTIFICATION CAME IN LATE JUNE. THE LETTER FROM THE USDOT OF APRIL 17, 2015 INDICATED THAT THE RECALL WAS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON MAY 1. AS IT IS NOW AUGUST, I WOULD ASK THE AGENCY CONTINUE PUTTING APPROPRIATE PRESSURE ON THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST SURFACED YEARS AGO, THE DEALER DID NOT SEEM TO INDICATE THERE WOULD BE ANY TROUBLE GETTING THOSE PARTS---BUT THEY WANTED ALMOST $1500 TO REPAIR. I APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED EFFORTS IN GETTING MY CAR REPAIRED.

WHILE BACKING MY CAR OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE THIS MORNING I WENT TO TURN THE WHEEL AND IT SEEMED STUCK I THEN REALIZED I HAD NO POWER STEERING. I HAD PARKED THE CAR THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HAD NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. AS I BACKED THE CAR OUT WITHOUT POWER STEERING I ALMOST HIT TWO CARS TRYING TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, I WAS ABLE TO PARK THE CAR WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE HAS SO FAR BEEN NO RECALL ON THE STEERING AND APPARENTLY I'M NOT THE FIRST PERSON THIS HAPPENED TO.

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER FAILED SUDDENLY AS I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. IT TOOK ALL MY EFFORT TO KEEP THE CAR IN THE LANE. THE MINI DEALER INITIALLY TOLD ME THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS COVERED DUE TO THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON 2002 ? 2005 MINI COOPERS WHICH EXTENDS THE WARRANTY ON THE POWER STEERING MOTOR TO 13 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. I WAS CALLED BACK LATER TO BE INFORMED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED AS IT WAS MANUFACTURED AFTER THE FEB. 2005 CUTOFF DATE. MY MINI COOPER WAS MANUFACTORED IN JUNE 2005. GLOBAL MINI IN CHAMBLEE, GA CHARGED ME $899.78 FOR REPLACING THE POWER STEERING MOTOR. MY SUDDEN POWER STEERING FAILURE AT 83,025 MILES WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE POWER STEERING EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED BY MINI USA FOR THE SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING MOTOR. THE WARRANTY, IN EFFECT, IS SAYING THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD LAST FOR 150,000 MILES. WHILE MINI USA HAS EXTENDED THE COVERAGE TO SOME 2005 MINIS, COVERAGE TO MY MINI COOPER HAS BEEN DENIED FAILING AT ONLY 83,000 MILES EVEN THOUGH IT EXHIBITED THE SAME SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE.UPDATE 9/15/15*CW UPDATED 11/28/2017*CN

IN THE MONTHS OF MAY AND JUNE OF 2015, MY POWER STEERING WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STOP PROVIDING POWER ASSIST. IT HAS COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING NOW. MAKES IT CHALLENGING TO MAKE EMERGENCY MANEUVERS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER :15V205000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.