2006 MINI COOPER Complaints

I BOUGHT MY DAUGHTER A 2006 MINI COOPER S A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO. TODAY I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT TO WORK HERE AT FORT HOOD, TEXAS. A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR AFTER I GOT TO WORK I DECIDED TO GO GET BREAKFAST SO WHEN I WALKED OUT OF MY OFFICE I HEARD A CAR ALARM GOING OFF AND WHEN I ROUNDED THE CORNER I SAW MY DAUGHTER'S CAR BILLOWING SMOKE! I RAN INSIDE TO GET HELP AND WAS ABLE TO FIND TOOLS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. I RAISED THE HOOD AND WAS MEET WITH A LOT OF HEAT, SMOKE AND A STRONG ODOR OF BURNT PLASTIC. THE CAR WASN'T RUNNING AND LIKE I STATED, HAD BEEN SITTING FOR OVER AN HOUR. AFTER CONDUCTING RESEARCH ONLINE I FOUND OUT MINI USA HAD RECALLED SEVERAL MINI COOPERS FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP THAT HAD THE SAME EXACT SYMPTOMS. AFTER CALLING THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP, AN HOUR AWAY, AND MINI USA I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL AND I AM LEFT TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR MYSELF. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME A COST OF $1000 TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. DURING MY ONLINE RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER MINI OWNERS WITH THE SAME YEAR MODEL THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THAT MINI USA ISN'T WANTING TO FULLY COVER THE REPAIRS. I AM GLAD I WASN'T DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED! *TR

AS MANY OTHER MINI OWNERS HAVE REPORTED, MY SRS LIGHT IS ON AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS CONTINUOUSLY OFF (LIGHT STAYS ON). I HAVE NO IDEA IF I AM DRIVING WITH OR WITHOUT AIRBAGS. *JS $1,500 TO FIX AT DEALER. MINI DID A RECALL ON MODELS UP TO 2005.

POWER STEERING COMPLETELY QUIT WORKING. CAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. STOPPED AND TURNED OFF CAR FOR A WHILE. STARTED CAR AGAIN AND POWER STEERING WAS OK. NOW POWER STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT UNTIL CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A FEW MINUTES. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

LOUD NOISE/RATTLE AT IDLE. LOOSE CAMSHAFT TIMING CHAIN DUE TO TENSIONER FAILURE. IT WOULD APPEAR FROM SEVERAL FORUMS THAT THIS IS FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM THAT DEALERS ARE REFUSING TO FIX SINCE WARRANTY IS EXPIRED. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT ON MY 2006 MINI COOPER, ABOVE REARVIEW MIRROR STAYS ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY, WHETHER THE PASSENGER SEAT IS OCCUPIED OR NOT. AFTER CALLING THE NEARBY MINI COOPER DEALER, AND TALKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER HE SAID YES WE HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THEM. HOWEVER THERE IS NO RECALL OUT FOR 2006 MINI AIRBAG PROBLEMS BUT THERE HAS BEEN FOR OTHER MODEL YEARS. SAID THE SENSOR AND THE WHOLE SEAT MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED, BRING IT IN AND IT WILL RUN YOU ABOUT $1200 TO $1600. I ASKED DOES IT MEAN MY AIRBAG WILL NOT FUNCTION IF I HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THE SERVICE MANAGER LAUGHED IN A CAVALIER MANNER "WELL YOU ALWAYS HAVE YOUR SEAT BELT." AFTER MONTHS WAITING FOR AN OFFICIAL RECALL, CALLED THE NATIONAL MINI CUSTOMER RELATIONS WHO ACTED VERY NON CHALANT AND GOT NO WHERE. WENT TO A LOCAL EUROPEAN CAR REPAIR SPECIALIST WHO USED A COMPUTER SCANNER THAT SAID THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. HE THEN USED A BRAND NEW SCANNER AND THIS TIME IT SAID THE DRIVER SIDE IS DEFECTIVE. SAID GO ON THE INTERNET I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE MINI AIRBAG PROBLEMS. WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THOUSANDS, MANY WHO DID SPEND THE LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THE PROBLEMS KEEPS RECURRING. MINI NEEDS TO EXTEND THE AIRBAG WARRANTY TO 150,000 MILES AT LEAST FOR 12 YEARS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO SUFFER SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH IN A SMALL CAR THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS ALL THE AIRBAG PROTECTION AVAILABLE. $1600 IS LOT OF MONEY FOR A DEALER FIX THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK. *TR

MY OCCUPANCY SENSOR 2 MAT IS BAD ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PART, OTHERWISE IT WILL BE ABOUT $1400 TO REPLACE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE SENSOR IS UNABLE TO READ WHETHER OR NOT A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT. *TR

OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT BAD AND PASSENGER AIR BAG DISABLED LIGHT ON. A KNOWN ISSUE AND BMW AUTOS AND SUVS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE. I BELIEVE THE MINI PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR MAT IS THE SAME DESIGN AS THE BMW 3 SERIES AND SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THIS DISABLES THE PASSENGER AIRBAG PUTTING A PASSENGER IN DANGER. THE BMW RECALL CAMPAIGN IS NO. 13V-564. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM DEALERSHIP AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED. I THOUGHT I WAS JUST UNLUCKY AND A ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD. NOW I THINK THERE WAS NOT A ROCK INVOLVED. DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR STOP WORKING- CAUSING AIR BAG IN PASSENGER SEAT TO SHUT OFF. NO WAY TO OVERRIDE AND SEAT SENSOR COST OVER $1300 TO REPLACE. I UNDERSTAND THIS VERY COMMON WITH COOPERS IN THIS DATE RANGE. VERY SIMILAR SEAT SENSORS FOR THE BMW MODEL HAS BEEN RECALLED BUT NOT THE VERSION FOR THE MINI THAT IS FAILING. SEEMS LIKE DESIGN FLAW THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR