2006 MINI COOPER Complaints

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR STOPPED WORKING. NOW, EVEN WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, THE AIRBAG IS DEACTIVATED. THE AIR BAG SENSOR IN THE SEAT NEEDS TO WORK IN ORDER FOR THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY-- AND ALL OF THESE SYSTEMS ARE DOWN DUE TO A FAULTY SENSOR! *TR

MY 2006 BMW MINI COOPER S PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT SPORADICALLY IS SHOWING THAT IT IS DEACTIVATED REGARDLESS IF THERE IS A FULL SIZED ADULT OR NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS HAS BEEN A ON GOING PROBLEM/CONCERN WILL MY PASSENGERS BE PROTECTED IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH SINCE THE AIR BAGS ARE SHOWING THAT THEY ARE SHUT OFF WILL THEY STILL WORK? I HAD IT CHECKED OUT AT AUTHORIZED MINI DEALER AND THEY SAID THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE SEAT SENSOR WAS SENDING OFF FAULTY SIGNALS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS - $2000! I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS AND IT IS AN ONGING ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. BMW HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR MODELS AND IT HAD TO BE RECALLED. THE SAME SHOULD HAPPEN WITH THIS CAR. THEY ARE PUTTING PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK WITH THEY INSTALL FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT SENSORS AND ARE CHARGING AN ARM AND A LEG TO FIX THEIR FAULTY PART. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. *JS

VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES. LATEST IS TRANSMISSION WHICH SHIFTS ERRATICALLY FROM 2ND GEAR TO 3RD GEAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE'S TACHOMETER TO RACE FROM 2,000 RPM TO NEARLY 8,000 RPM WITHIN A SECOND OR TWO. THE VEHICLE THEN ACCELERATES/JERKS FORWARD ERRATICALLY. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE THAT WOULD COST $10,500 TO REPAIR/REPLACE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT MINI COOPER S TRANSMISSIONS YET THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER IS UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *JS

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY AT FIRST AND NOW STAYS ON ALL OF THE TIME, REGARDLESS IF SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR NOT. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL MINI DEALER (INTERNATIONAL AUTOS, MILWAUKEE, WI) AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A "FAULTED AIR BAG OC3 MAT" THAT COULD BE REPAIRED/REPLACED FOR $1163.00. AS THIS WAS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE UNRELATED TO THE AGE OR ACCUMULATED MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE, I FELT THAT MINI USA SHOULD AUTHORIZE A NO-COST REPAIR OR, AT A MINIMUM, PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT PART(S) AT NO COST. THE COST TO REMEDY OTHER WEAR-RELATED ISSUES NOTED DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE ARE CLEARLY MY RESPONSIBILITY. A SUBSEQUENT PHONE CONVERSATION WITH MINI USA ON 01/27/2015 DISCLOSED THAT, WHILE THIS WAS AN LEGITIMATE VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE, THEY DID NOT FEEL THAT THIS WAS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT I SHOULD PAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT NECESSARY TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE DEFECT. *TR

PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. DEALER AND INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP SAY THE SEAT SENSOR NEED TO BE REPLACED. IT IS LOCATED IN THE SEAT AND THE WHOLE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $1200. TO 1500. US DOLLARS. THE PASSENGER SEAT IS RARELY USED. THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I DON'T KNOW IF THE AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY. APPARENTLY ALL BMW'S WERE RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT NOT THE MINI COOPERS WHICH ACCORDING TO POSTED THREADS ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

BLUE BLACK SMOKE FROM FRONT GRILL OF WARM (20 MILES) DRIVEN CAR. CAR WAS OFF AND PARKED IN HIGHWAY 40 MCDONALDS RESTAURANT PARKING LOT NEXT TO A 10,000 GALLON HEATING FUEL TANK. PARKER FUEL COMPANY EMPLOYEES PUT OUT THE FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT JUST BELOW THE ENGINE. NOTE THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OPENING THE BONNET/HOOD AT WHICH TIME THE SMOKE AND VISIBLE FLAME WAS EXTINGUISHED 5 TIMES VIA 1 SMALL (DEPLETED) AND 3 TIMES ENDING VIA A 2ND LARGER PARKER FUEL COMPANY UNIT. HOWARD COUNTY FIRE AND POLICE VEHICLES ARRIVED AFTER FIRE HAD ENDED. CAR SEEMED NORMAL OVER 20 MILE PORTION OF TRIP ON HIGHWAY 70 + 40 @ 70 + 55 MPH SPEEDS. FLAME COULD BE VIEWED ORIGINATING UNDER ENGINE WHEN LOOKING DOWNWARD IN SPACE BETWEEN ENGINE AND FIREWALL BELOW EXHAUST MANIFOLD. NOT SURE IF FIRE WAS FROM POWER STEERING PUMP DRIVE (ELECTRIC MOTOR), POWER STEERING HOSE(S), PS FAN OR COMPROMISED OIL PUMP VOLUME CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE LEAKING OIL ON VERY HOT SUPERCHARGED ENGINE EXHAUST. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THE 4 MINUTES I WAS INSIDE MCDONALDS ,THAT MULTIPLE PARKER FUEL COMPANY EMPLOYEES ARRIVING TO WORK HAD SEEN THE SMOKE AND HAD MULTIPLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND TRAINING TO PUT OUT FIRES. MY CAR WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY BURNED UP IN THE TIME IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE FIRE DEPT TO ARRIVE. THE 1ST PARKER FUEL COMPANY EMPLOYEE WAS ALREADY AT MY CAR WITH PLIERS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AS HE KNEW IT WAS NOT STEAM FROM A RADIATOR, BUT BLACK SMOKE FROM A ELECTRICAL, GAS, OIL OR RUBBER/PLASTIC SOURCES BEING DIFFICULT TO EXTINGUISH. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON FULL TIME, AFTER A PERIOD OF INTERMITTENT ACTIVITY. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB. THE HIGH COST OF REPAIRS SEEMS TO HAVE RESULTED IN A THRIVING BUSINESS SELLING REPLACEMENT "EMULATORS" THAT IMITATE THE SENSOR PAD ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THIS IS THE SAME PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT FAILURE FOR WHICH THERE HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVE RECALLS FOR BMW VEHICLES MADE BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER. OWNER CALLED MINI, WAS STONEWALLED AND TOLD THERE WAS NO INTEREST IN HEARING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, JUST TAKE IT TO A DEALER. ASKED DEALER SERVICE REP IF IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION, WAS TOLD "I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ANSWER THAT." THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT RISES TO THE LEVEL OF REQUIRING A RECALL, AS WAS DONE FOR EARLIER MINI YEARS. MINI DOES NOT OFFER THE SENSOR MAT AS A SEPARATE PART, INSTEAD REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF THE SEAT UPHOLSTERY, A $600+ BMW PART NUMBER WHICH IS BACK ORDERED WITH NO CERTAIN DELIVERY DATE OR PRICE. INCLUDING LABOR, THE COST TO REPAIR IS 10% TO 20% OF THE CURRENT SALES PRICE OF THIS YEAR MINI. PLEASE, THERE CAN BE NO EXCUSE FOR NOT RECALLING VEHICLES WITH THIS SIGNIFICANT AND EXPENSIVE SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. (TR

I NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE CAME ON, I KEPT AN EYE ON IT AND AT FIRST IT WOULD GO ON AND OFF. THEN IT GOT WORSE, IT WOULD GO ON AND OFF WHEN I WOULD HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. NOW ITS ALWAYS ON, I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND I FOUND THIS SITE W/OVER 130 COMPLAINTS ON IT. I SEE THAT BMW HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND DID A RECALL OF ALL AIRBAG ISSUES. MINI IS MADE BY BMW WHY WOULD THEY NOT COVER ANY YEAR THAT HAS THE SAME AIRBAG PROBLEM. I'M A TEENAGER AND CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX THE ISSUE THAT'S APPROX $1,500-2,000. OR DO I WAIT TILL MY FRIEND OR SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT, OR EVEN WORSE DIES FROM THIS PROBLEM. FOR BMW AND THE COST OF THEIR CARS THIS IS SMALL POTATOES FOR THEM. FOR ME TO FIX IT MIND AS WELL BE A MILLION DOLLARS, OR THE COST OF A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER..GOD FORBID!!! IF THERE'S THIS MANY COMPLAINTS THEN SHOULDN'T THE MANUFACTURER BE HELD RESPONSIBLE? THEY HAD A RECALL UNTIL 05, OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM STILL CONT. INTO 06 AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED. THEY MADE THE CAR, SO I GUESS THEY ALSO MADE THE MISTAKE..CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

FAILURE OF OC-3 WEIGHT MAT IN PASSENGER SEAT BASE, THUS DISABLING PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SYSTEM. COST TO REPLACE SEAT BOTTOM IS $1200. AS THIS PART IS COMMON BETWEEN MINIS AND BMWS, AND IS VERY PRONE TO FAILURE, BMW HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON BMWS IN THIS MODEL YEAR AREA, BUT HAS NOT YET DONE SO FOR MINIS. PERHAPS BMW NEEDS A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT TO ISSUE A RECALL? THIS IS A TRAVESTY. *TR

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 2ND/3RD GEAR AFTER A TRAFFIC STOP. THE GEARS WOULD SHIFT ERRATICALLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER AND WE ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND A MESSAGE SHOWS UP "EP" WHICH MEANS TRANSMISSION IS ON EMERGENCY. *TR