2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARED AND OVERHEAD LIGHT SIGNALED PASSENGER AIRBAG "OFF" EVEN THOUGH AN ADULT MALE (168 POUNDS) WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. MULTIPLE EXPERIENCES OVER SEVERAL DAYS. NO MALFUNCTION OCCURRED WHEN THE SEAT WAS EMPTY, ONLY WHEN OCCUPIED BY A BONAFIDE ADULT. *TR

I GOT IN MY VEHICLE AND SHUT THE DOOR. I TURN THE KEY TO ON, THE LOCKS WENT DOWN (LOCKS USUALLY GO DOWN WHEN CAR IS IN GEAR AND MOVING) I TURNED THE KEY FURTHER TO START THE ENGINE AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN, THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO DOWN, THE SUN ROOF WOULD NOT OPEN, THE FOB WOULD NOT WORK, AT THAT POINT I WAS LOCKED IN MY CAR. I HAD TO KICK OUT THE WINDOW TO GET OUT OF MY CAR. WHEN I DID GET OUT, I RE ENTERED THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD AND JIGGLED THE BATTERY CONNECTION. I SHUT THE HOOD AND TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND IT STARTED. I NOTICED AS I WAS DRIVING IT HOME THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE STEERING COLLUM WERE NOT WORKING AND THAT WHEN I PARKED IT AT HOME THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 MINI COOPER AND JUST LOST THE POWER STEERING. A COUPLE TIMES RECENTLY IT WAS HARD TO STEER WHILE PARALLEL PARKING, BUT OK ON THE ROAD. THIS MORNING IT COMPLETELY FAILED ON THE WAY TO THE HIGHWAY. THE WHEEL WAS VERY HARD TO TURN AND JUST MANAGED TO GET IT BACK TO THE HOUSE, WILL TAKE IT TO THE DEALER ON MONDAY. I SEE ON THE INTERNET NOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING PUMP SINCE 2011 THAT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT BEFORE. WHY ARE OWNERS NOT NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS? I COULD HAVE HAD A BAD ACCIDENT IF THE FAILURE HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY. UPDATED 11/24/2014 *JS

THE AIRBAG LIGHT THAT WARNS OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG BEING TURNED OFF COMES ON SOMETIMES WHEN NOBODY IS IN THE SEAT AND SOMETIMES WHEN A FULL SIZED ADULT IS IN THE SEAT. *TR FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS MEANS THE AIRBAG SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND THE AIRBAG COULD EITHER FAIL TO WORK OR DEPLOY WHEN IT SHOULD NOT. I HAVE LEARNED THAT BMW ISSUED RECALLS FOR MANY OF THEIR CARS BUILT WITH THIS PARTICULAR SEAT SENSOR BUT HAVE NOT DONE SO WITH THE MINI. ARE YOU AWARE OF A RECALL FOR THE MINI? WE ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT USING THIS CAR TO CARRY A PASSENGER BUT WE HAVE TO DO SO EVERY DAY. YOUR HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

WAS DRIVING NORMALLY ON 4/8/14 , TURNED NORMALLY UNTIL I TOOK A SLIGHT CURVE AND STEERING WHEEL GOT VERY STIFF & HARD TO TURN FROM THEN ON . UNTIL NOW IT REMAINS VERY HARD TO DRIVE . *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A LOCAL CURVY HIGHWAY AT APPROX 35MPH WHEN MY POWER STEERING GAVE OUT GOING AROUND A CURVE. I ALMOST DROVE INTO THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP MAKING NOISE WHEN CAR IS OFF, DRAINING BATTERY. EMINENT FAILURE. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT IN THE CAR SHOWS THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN GOES OFF, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHENEVER THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT THE PERSON SITTING IN THE SEAT HAS NO RELIABLE AIRBAG PROTECTION. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER THREE YEARS IN MY CAR. ORIGINAL COMPLAINT WAS ON 5/31/11. STILL NO ACTION. EMAILED MINI USA AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND OFFERED NO HELP. THIS WAS DONE ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL PEOPLE START DYING BEFORE THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS FIXED BY MINI? I AM NOT THE ONLY MINI OWNER HAVING THIS PROBLEM. BMW HAS RECALLED CARS HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY DEEMED THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHY SHOULDN'T MINI? CAN YOU HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

FAILURE TO POWERSTEERING STARTED ACTING UP IN JANUARY OF 2014 AFTER I GOT MY O2 SENOR REPLACED. WAS TOLD TO CONTINUED TO DRIVE CAR BECAUSE THE O2 SENSOR NEEDED TO RECALIBRATE ITSELF. SO NOW IN APRIL 9TH 2014, WHILE GETTING READY TO TAKE OFF FOR WORK,I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR, CALLED AAA TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THIS IS WHEN I WAS INFORMED IT WAS IN FACT THE POWER STEERING PUMP, AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME 1700 TO REPLACE, IM OUTRAGED. *JS