2008 MINI COOPER Complaints

I WANT TO KNOW WHEN RECALL 15V-205 IS GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED. MY CAR IS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL AND I WAS NOTIFIED BY MINI USA IN JUNE. MY AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR 5 MONTHS AND MINI SAYS IT STILL DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A REASONABLE PERIOD OF IME.

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT SAY LITE EVEN THOUGH NO ONE IS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. DEALER SAID KNOWN ISSUE BUT NOT PART OF RECALL. QUOTED A VERY HIGH PRICE TO HAVE REPAIRED.

THE WEIGHT SENSOR IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THAT DETERMINES WHETHER TO DEACTIVATE THE AIRBAG WHEN A CHILD IS SEATED, OR IF THE SEAT IS UNOCCUPIED, IS BROKEN. THIS HAS CAUSED THE FRONTAL AIRBAG TO BECOME PERMANENTLY DEACTIVATED AT ALL TIMES. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OF OTHER CARS FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT BMW REFUSES TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE DESPITE IT BEING THE SAME YEAR AND EXPERIENCING THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM.

THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY IS FAILING AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 5,000 MILES AFTER BUYING IT USED FROM A MINI DEALERSHIP WHO HAD PERFORMED THEIR USUAL INSPECTIONS AND RESALE MAINTENANCE. APPARENTLY THE TIMING CHAIN IS INSIDE THE ENGINE CASING AND THE METAL CHAIN RUNS ALONG A PLASTIC GUIDE. THE TOP PORTION OF THE PLASTIC GUIDE HAS, IT APPEARS, FAILED, CAUSING A VERY LOUD ENGINE NOISE AND RISKING COMPLETE TIMING FAILURE WHICH, OF COURSE, COULD POTENTIALLY PRESENT SERIOUS MECHANICAL AND SAFETY ISSUES IF IT HAPPENS AT HIGH SPEED. I HAVE FOUND WIDE REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING SIMILARLY IN OTHER CARS, HOWEVER AFTER A QUICK SEARCH, I DON'T SEE THIS ISSUE LISTED ON THIS NHTSA SITE, SO I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE ADDED. SEE THESE LINKS FOR REFERENCE: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/NEWS/CONSUMERS-COMPLAIN-OF-MINI-COOPER-TIMING-BELT-FAILURES-080113.HTML AND HTTP://BLOG.AUTOWORKSTX.COM/2014/10/MINI-COOPER-TIMING-CHAIN-ISSUES/

WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT START, CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. A FEW DAYS LATER IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE. WITH ONLY 69,000 MILES IT IS UNHEARD OF THAT A TIMING CHAIN BREAKS. THE REPAIR COST WAS $5159.60.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

WITHOUT BEING INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT, THE AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS STAY ON. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ON MINIS AND BMWS AROUND A FAULTY AIRBAG/PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR AND IT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT COULD BE RISKING MANY LIVES. MINI NEEDS TO DIAGNOSE/INVESTIGATE AND EXTEND RECALLS TO ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE FAULTY MANUFACTURING.

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY IN DICKSON, TN MY 2008 MINI COOPER LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS DURING AN ICE STORM. WE HAD TO WAIT HOURS ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY WITH NO HEAT, AND VEHICLES STRUGGLING TO STAY ON THE ROAD, UNTIL A TOW TRUCK DRIVER FROM AAA WAS ABLE TO PICK US UP, SAYING HOW LUCKY WE WERE TO HAVE NOT BEEN HIT. WHEN BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MINI DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DUE TO LOW OIL LEVEL. THE INCIDENT OCCURED IN FEBRUARY, MY OIL WAS CHANGED ON DECEMBER. UPON REPAIR FROM MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN THAT COLLAPSED. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT MINI COOPER IS AWARE OF THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT, AND IN FACT SENT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ON BEHALF OF CURRENT MINI DRIVERS AND POTENTIAL BUYERS I URGE YOU TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE IN HOPES OF PREVENTING POTENTIAL INJURIES OR DEATHS.

MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON SO I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MINI DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE OC3 MAT SENSOR NEEDED REPLACED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR IT AND MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE COST TO REPLACE IS GOING TO BE $1,454.52. AFTER LOOKING ONLINE AT VARIOUS FORUMS, I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AT RANDOM MILEAGES, ANYWHERE FROM 30,000 - 150,000 MILES. IF THIS SENSOR, WHICH IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, KEEPS FAILING ON HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES, THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED AT THE MANUFACTURES EXPENSE. HOW CAN THEY EXPECT A CUSTOMER TO PAY OVER $1,400 TO REPLACE A SENSOR THAT IS JUST GOING TO FAIL AGAIN IN A SHORT TIME, NOT TO MENTION PUTTING LIVES AT RISK? THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW WITHOUT CORRECTION. PLEASE RECALL THIS PART.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. WHILE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, THE AIR BAG FAILURE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THAT THE ENTIRE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS DEACTIVATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME A PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,500. UPDATED 09/25/15*LJ UPDATED