2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

A "POP" WAS HEARD WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE ON I95. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE CONSIDERING WHEN THE "POP" OCCURRED, MY MINI LOST POWER. AS I WAS PULLED OVER, THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. *TR

AROUND THIS TIME MY AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS DURING MY SERVICE VISIT (OCT 2009) AND I WAS TOLD THAT TO INVESTIGATE THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR WOULD BE OVER $100 IN LABOR AS IT WOULD REQUIRE REMOVING THE SEAT. I DECLINED THE SERVICE. WITHIN THE LAST YEAR THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS REMAINED ON PERMANENTLY EVEN WITH PASSENGERS IN THE SEAT. I'VE RECENTLY DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF MINI RELATED TO A FAILURE OF THE OCCUPANCY SENSOR OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH SIMILAR MODEL YEARS OF BMW HAS RECENTLY RESULTED IN A RECALL. AS THIS IS LIKELY THE SAME PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING, AND AS THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN, I AM REPORTING THIS TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE AIRBAG AND OCCUPANCY SENSOR ISSUE FOR MINI COOPER. *TR

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR. FORTUNATELY I WAS TRAVELING AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM IN A MINI AND THAT MINI IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS PART IS READILY AVAILABLE IN ALL DEALERSHIPS AND PARTS STORE INVENTORIES. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THROUGH READING DISCUSSION ON THE INTERNET THAT MINI HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY IN 2002 TO 2005 MINIS UP TO 13 YEARS AND 100,000 MILES. MINE IS NOT COVERED AND I INCURRED A COST OF ALMOST $1,300 FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. I HAVE NEVER IN MY 50 YEARS OF DRIVING HAD A POWER STEERING FAILURE UNTIL THIS INCIDENT. IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE MAY HAVE RESULTED IN DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY TO MYSELF OR OTHERS. SINCE THIS IS A FAIRLY LOW VOLUME VEHICLE THE PROBLEM MAY NOT BE AS QUICKLY NOTICED BY YOUR DEPARTMENT AS IF IT WERE A FORD FOCUS OR HONDA CIVIC. .I HAVE GREAT CONCERN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. WHEN THE VEHICLE MADE A RIGHT TURN AT 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO GET THE STEERING WHEEL TO STRAIGHTEN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

MY PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHTS GOES ON AND OFF. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF A PERSON IS IN THE SEAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE AIR BAGS WILL WORK OR NOT. MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SUGGEST THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MININ PASSENGER WEIGHT SENSOR SIMILAR TO THE ONES IN BMWS. *TR

SAW ON THE WEB THAT MINI RECALLED AND THEN EXTENDED WARRANTY RECALL ON AN AIRBAG MALFUNCTION. THE LIGHT CAME ON A FEW DAYS AGO, BUT I CAN NOT FIND ANY INFORMATION AS TO THE TRUTH IN THAT STATEMENT. SUPPOSEDLY 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT OF THIS MODEL AND YEAR, HOWEVER, MINI STATES THAT MY VIN IS NOT COVERED (POSSIBLY BECAUSE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WHILE STATIONED WITH THE ARMY IN GERMANY). THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I AM NOT HAPPY WITH MINIUSA'S RESPONSE TO DATE. *TR

AT THE BEGINNING, THE STEERING PUMP MAKES SOME NOISES AND A FEW WEEKS LATER, MY POWER STEERING COMPLETELY WENT OUT, REALLY HEARD TO STEER ESPECIALLY AT THE LOWER SPEED AND AT THE CORNER. *TR

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT (TYPICALLY ONLY ON WHEN SOMEONE UNDER-WEIGHT IE. CAR SEAT IS PRESENT) REMAINS ON REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE SEAT OR NOT. *TR

STEERING EFFORT INCREASED TREMENDOUSLY DURING LOW SPEED DRIVING AND AT ANY SPEED DURING TURNING. POWER STEERING APPEARS TO BE INOPERATIVE. *TR