2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

AFTER AN HOURS DRIVE, I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE TALKING W/ THE CAR OFF. ALL OF SUDDEN SMOKE STARTS POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I QUICKLY OPENED THE HOOD TO HEAR SOME TYPE OF ELECTRICAL FAN/PUMP SOUND & SMOKE COMING FROM THE BOTTOM/REAR SIDE OF THE MOTOR. I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE BATTERY TERMINAL & THE NOISE/SMOKE STOPPED. I THEN SEARCHED ONLINE & FOUND THE KNOWN ISSUES OF THE ELECTRICAL ASSISTED POWER STEERING. I FOUND THE FUSE FOR THE CIRCUIT, A 100 AMP FUSE HIDDEN ON THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE FUSE BOX THAT HAD NOT POPPED EVEN THOUGH THE PUMP WAS BURNING ITSELF UP. I HAD ENOUGH TOOLS W/ ME TO PULL THE FUSE, GET THE CAR STARTED & MAKE MY WAY HOME W/O THE POWER STEERING ASSIST.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE ON AND OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,629. UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ UPDATED 11/07/2017*CN

POWER STEERING FAILED. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER WITHOUT IT. AFTER THE CAR AS TURNED OFF AND THEN COOLED: 30 MINUTES LATER THE POWER STEERING WORKED AGAIN. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED ON 3 OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST 2 WEEKS: ALL ON DAYS WITH THE TEMPERATURE IN THE 90S. I CALLED THE MINI SERVICE BUT THEY SAID THAT THEY WON'T FIX IT UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE POWER STEERING PUMPS (150K MILES, 13 YEARS) UNLESS ITS FAILED WHILE THEY HAVE IT. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THIS WAY WITH UNEXPECTED FAILURES: ESPECIALLY FOR MY WIFE WHO WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FORCE IT THROUGH TURNS WITHOUT POWER STEERING. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THIS POWER STEERING SYSTEM.

I HAVE HAD A NEW PROBLEM EVERY WEEK WITH THIS CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE CAR WASH JUST TO FIND OUT THAT THE CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS ON BOTH SIDES, AT THE 1ST BEND. THE WATER WAS DRIPPING AT A FAST PACE. I HAD THE TOP CHECKED OUT FOR ANY PROBLEMS PRIOR TO PURCHASING AT WHICH I WAS TOLD NOTHING APPEARED TO BE NEEDED. THE WEATHER STRIPPING AND TOP HAD NO CRACKS ARE SIGN OF WEAR. JUST ANOTHER HEADACHE WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASE.

2005 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE ELECTRONIC FAILURE. CONSUMER HAS ANOTHER VEHICLE COMPLAINT LISTED IN ARTEMIS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WITH HIS VEHICLE WAS A COMPUTER TEST CALLED COMPREHENSIVE COMPONENT KEPT READING INCOMPLETE. THE DEALER FOUND AN INTERNAL SHORT INSIDE THE ENGINE BASIC CONTROL COMPUTER. THE CONSUMER STATED THE COST TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC HARDWARE WAS $1968 WHICH WAS EXCESSIVE. *JB

THE STEERING HAS STARTED TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNRELIABLE AND THE CAR STARTS TO LOSE CONTROL AT ABOUT 50 MILES PER HOUR. AT FIRST THE PROBLEM WAS SLIGHT BUT IT IS BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS SITUATION SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO A COMPLAINT THAT HAS LED TO A CLASS ACTION SUIT AND THE RECALL OF SOME MINI COOPERS. UNFORTUNATELY OUR VIN WAS NOT ON THE LIST, ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS THAT MINI COOPERS FROM 2002-2009 HAVE BEEN AFFECTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. 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. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,000.

MINI HAS ANNOUNCED RECALL NO. 15V-205 REGARDING REPLACEMENT OF FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT SENSOR ON MINI COOPER. MY MINI HAS THIS DEFECT AND IN ORDER TO VALIDATE THIS AIR BAG RELATED DEFECT, MINI REQUIRED ME TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. NOW, MINI IS REFUSING TO REIMBURSE DIAGNOSTIC FEE NEEDED TO DETERMINE THAT AIRBAG LIGHT WAS DUE TO THE DEFECT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT SEAT DETECTION MAT SENSOR. THIS FEE SHOULD BE REIMBURSED SINCE MINI ACKNOWLEDGES THIS IS A DEFECT FOR THE FRONT SEAT MAT SENSOR.

REPORTED TO MINI OF DALLAS : ITEM C : CLIENT STATES THE DASH AIRBAG LIGHT AND OFF AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON RANDOMLY WHILE AN ADULT IS SITTING AND NOT SITTING IS PASSENGER SEAT. THIS LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON AND OFF . 12/16/2014 REPORTED SAME THING TO PARKER MINI OF LITTLE ROCK, ADVISED REPAIR WOULD COST $1236.88. THE VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANY MORE. ASKED FOR A TRADE IN PRICE, THOROUGHLY INSULTED BY AMOUNT OFFERED, DUE TO AIRBAG PROBLEM. 1/22/2015 MINI OF LITTLE ROCK GOT PARTS IN AND FAULT WAS RESOLVED AT OWNERS EXPENSE OF $ 1236.88 INVOICE # 1MCS11292. PLEASE NOTE : THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FROM 2/9/2009 THRU 1/22/2015 WITH A PASSENGER AIRBAG THAT WAS NOT WORKING, THE VEHICLE BEING ILLEGALLY DRIVEN, NOT TO MENTION IF WE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DURING THAT TIME. WE WERE FORCED FOR OUR OWN SAFETY TO SPEND $1236.88 WHICH WE FEEL SHOULD BE REIMBURSED UNDER THIS RECALL. [XXX] [XXX] HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, AR 71909 [XXX] [XXX]@SBCGLOBAL.NET INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB

PLEASE NOTE THAT BOTH MINI COOPER USA AND NW MINI (FIFE WASHINGTON) ARE DENYING THAT RECALL 15V205000 EXISTS. BOTH HAVE REFUSED TO HONOR THIS RECALL. I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AT 866-825-1525 AND HE INDICATED THAT MINI VIEWS THIS AS "MEDIA HYPE" AND THAT THEY HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT AN ACTUAL RECALL.