2006 MINI COOPER Complaints

OUR 2006 MINI COOPER AIR BAG SENSOR GOES ON AND OFF. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE ENTIRE SEAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AS IS AN EMBEDDED SENSOR. THIS DOES APPEAR TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE BUT THE VEHICLE IS NOT ONE OF THE RECALLED MINI COOPERS.

I AM ON MY 4TH PASSENGER SEAT MAT SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW IN JANUARY 2007. IN APRIL I FOUND A MANUFACTURER RECALL PART 573 SAFETY RECALL REPORT 15V-205 THAT LISTED THE VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED ON NOV 18, 2006 WITHIN THE PRODUCTION DATE RANGE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS RECALL AND CAN NO LONGER FIND THE RECALL ON THIS SITE. AS MENTIONED, THIS IS MY 4TH FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT SENSOR. I WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON WHAT THE PROCEDURE IS TO RECOVER MY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LAST REPLACEMENT OF THE SENSOR.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD MY I TURNED THE AC ON AND ABOUT 20MIN OF ME RIDING IN THE VEHICLE ME AND MY INFANT SON MY MY VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD HEAVY WHITE SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE 2006 MINI COOPER S. MY CAR BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER WHILE ENGINE BAY STILL HEAVILY SMOKING I MANAGED TO GET CAR IN A NEARBY DEALERSHIP GET MY SON AND I OUT OF THE CAR I PUT WATER ON THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE THAT WAS BURNING TO KEEP THE REST OF THE CAR FROM BURNING UP.THE REST OF THE CAR I HAD TO CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY THE CAR WONT DO ANYTHING AT ALL THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM OR THE WIRES BURNT UNDER THE HOOD.

PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINS ON. INSPECTION IS DUE 5/31/2015 SO I HAD IT DIAGNOSED BY MINI DEALER. DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAULT IN THE SENSOR SYSTEM IN A MODULE LOCATED IN THE DASHBOARD, BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX - REPAIR COST, $2,000+. THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED A FAILURE IN THIS PART. TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS IS NOT RELATED TO THE RECALL IN PROCESS, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT ITSELF (WHICH I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED, DECEMBER 2012.).

ENGINE CRANKED BUT DID NOT START. AAA FLATBED TO MINI OF ALLENTOWN. RECEIVED CALL FROM DEALER POSSIBLE WATER DAMAGE TO ELECTRICAL, CONTINUING DIAGNOSIS. VEHICLE FRM FAILURE.

THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON REGARDLESS OF THE SEAT OCCUPANCY. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE AIR BAG IS OPERATIONAL OR NOT.

PARKED MY CAR WITH A VALET. RETURNED IN AN HOUR. IT WOULD NOT START. THERE WAS A SMELL AS IF SOMETHING HAD BURNED. THEY JUMP STARTED MY CAR. AS I BEGAN TO DRIVE THE POWER STEERING WAS OUT. IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO MY CAR REPAIR SHOP. BY THE TIME THAT I HAD TRAVELED THE 2 MILES, THE ENGINE WAS HEAVILY SMOKING. MY CAR REPAIR SHOP SAYS THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP ELECTRICALLY MALFUNCTIONED - INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ELECTRONICALLY DISENGAGES (RANDOM OCCURRENCES) WHILE SHIFTING BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR, ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO REV UNCONTROLLABLY. SINCE THIS HAPPENS WHILE ACCELERATING, IT CREATES AN UNSAFE CONDITION IN TRAFFIC AS THERE IS NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION RE-ENGAGES, IT CAN HAPPEN AT A VERY HIGH REV (3000-5000, OR MORE RPM) WHICH CAUSES AN UNSAFE CONDITION BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ENGAGEMENT. IF ROADS ARE WET, THE RE-ENGAGEMENT CAN EASILY PRODUCE WHEEL SPIN AND SKIDDING WHEN IT HAPPENS DURING A TURNING MANEUVER. THE SUDDEN RE-ENGAGEMENT AT HIGH REVS CAN ALSO BREAK A CV JOINT OR OTHER DRIVE COMPONENT, WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BE UNCONTROLLABLE WHILE IN TRAFFIC. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP CONTINUED TO FLICKER OFF AND ON EVEN THOUGH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. UPDATED 5/26/15*CN UPDATED 05/29/15*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. UPDATED 6/11/15*CN