2009 MINI COOPER Complaints

THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT SENSOR LIGHT STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY CAR IS STARTED, REGARDLESS ANYONE IN THE SEAT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY MANUFACTURE.

PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT (YELLOW CEILING LIGHT) WILL INTERMEDIATELY TURN AND STAY ON TO INDICATE AIR BAG IS OFF WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT.

SINCE I GET MY UNTIL NOW I REPAIR TWO TIMES . THE FIRST TIME I WAS CHANGE THE PART OF THE TOP OF THE MOTOR I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME. BUT THIS ONE THAT IS THE MOST STRAGE I WAS DRIVING AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD THE MOTOR STOP INTANLY. THE MOST STRANGE IS 10 MINUTES AFTER DRIVE THE CAR ALL THIS HAPPEN SO THAT MEAN IS NO SAFE. AND NOW WHAT I HAVE TO DO....

PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR THAT CONTROLLS AIRBAG.THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL BY BMW FOR MINI COOPERS MADE BETWEEN 2005 AND 2008. BUT THE 2009 HAS BEEN NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, AND THE DEALER WILL ONLY CHECK IT OUT BY CHARGING THE ME THE OWNER. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE AS THE 2005-2008 - THE 2009 SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. THE LIFE OF ANY PASSENGER TRAVELING IN THE 2009 MINI COOPER SEAT IS JEOPARDIZED.

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER ON MY MINI WAS CHANGED AS PART OF SILENT SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH AUGHT TO BE A RECALL. BY THE TIME IT WAS REPLACED IT WAS TOO LATE, NOW A YEAR LATER MY TIMING CHAIN IS OUT OF SPEC AND RATTLING AWAY IN MY CAR WITH A REPLACEMENT SET TO COST ABOUT $2000 FOR PARTS THAT MINI CLAIMED WOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. MINI REFUSES TO REPLACE ANY PARTS UNTIL THEY'VE FAILED SO I'M STUCK EITHER PAYING OUT OF POCKET AND NEVER SEEING A DIME BACK, OR RISKING LIFE AND LIMB ON THE ROAD UNTIL THESE PARTS FAIL SO THAT MINI CAN OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKE...

AIR BAG FAILURE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON. BMW-MINI HAS RECALLS FOR MODEL YEARS UP TO 2008, BUT REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE PROBLEM EXISTS ON 2009 AND NEWER CARS (SOME 2009'S WERE BUILT IN 2008, IN THE AFFECTED RECALL TIME FRAME, BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE DESIGNATED 2009, THESE CARS HAVE BEEN IGNORED)

MOTOR WAS FINE THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN ALL THE OIL DRAINED OUT AND THE MOTOR DIED ALL AT ONCE NO LIGHT NO ALERTS JUST WORKING FINE ONE MIN COMPLETE DESTROYED THE NEXT THEY WANT 10K TO REPLACE IT AND THE WARRANTY COMPANY DEMANDS I PAY 3400 TO HAVE THE OLD MOTOR TESTED TO PROVE IT FAILED DESPITE THE MECHANIC SAYING IT HAS AND HEARING A KNOCKING OF THE RODS ON THE LOWER HALF OF THE MOTOR MINI COOPER VEHICLES: 2007 THROUGH 2010 HARDTOP (R56), 2008 THROUGH 2010 CLUBMAN (R55), AND 2009 THROUGH 2010 CONVERTIBLE (R57) (COLLECTIVELY, THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES). THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES HAVE A DEFECT WITHIN THEIR TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS THAT COST, AT MINIMUM, HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX AND THAT CAN CAUSE EXTENSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE (THE DEFECT). UNLIKE MOST ENGINES MADE FOR THE CONSUMER MARKET, THE PRINCE ENGINE USES A METAL TIMING CHAIN RATHER THAN A BELT MADE OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS. WHEN THE PRINCE ENGINE WAS FIRST INTRODUCED IN 2004, DEFENDANT TOUTED THE TIMING CHAINS DURABILITY COMPARED TO A TIMING BELT, AND INDICATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD REMAIN MAINTENANCE-FREE THROUGHOUT THE FULL RUNNING LIFE OF THE ENGINE. ONE OF THE FEATURES OF THE PRINCE ENGINE DEFENDANT HAS PROMOTED IS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER ARE LOCATED INSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK. HOWEVER, ACTUAL ROAD USE HAS SHOWN A SIGNIFICANT DRAWBACK TO THIS DESIGN: IF THE CHAIN FAILS, DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CAN BE CATASTROPHIC. ACCORDING TO DEFENDANTS WARRANTIES AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, THE CHAIN AND TENSIONER DO NOT REQUIRE SERVICE, AND THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER DOES NOT MONITOR CHAIN CONDITION. ACCORDINGLY, PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER CAN EASILY GO UNNOTICED AND CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND PRESENT SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS. WHEN A CHAIN TENSIONER FAILS, THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE ALL POWER, EVEN WHILE IT IS IN MOTION.

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR HAS BEEN GOING OFF INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN WHEN SOMEONE OF NORMAL ADULT SIZE (160LBS) IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE CONTACTED MINI AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT UNLESS I PAY FOR THE COSTLY REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN SLOWLY RECALLING OTHER MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE IMPROPERLY FUNCTIONING MAT IN MY MINI COOPER CLUBMAN MAY CAUSE THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG TO BE INACTIVE WHEN THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED, AND IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY, INCREASING THE PASSENGER'S RISK OF INJURY. THIS IS CLEARLY DUE TO A DESIGN, MANUFACTURING, INSTALLATION, AND/OR EXPOSURE ISSUES, THAT CAUSES THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT NOT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AND, AS A RESULT, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. THIS NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED AND NOT WAIT UNTIL MORE PEOPLE ARE HURT BY BMW'S REFUSAL TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM IN ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEY ARE WAITING FOR MORE DEATHS, INJURIES AND/OR COMPLAINTS BEFORE THEY FINALLY RESOLVE THEIR PROBLEM AT THEIR COST IN ALL CARS. WHAT CHANGE HAVE THEY EMPLOYED AFTER 2008 TO THIS DESIGN, MANUFACTURING AND INSTALLATION PROCESS IN THEIR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSORS THAT MAKES THEM ISOLATE ONLY SOME REPAIRS ON SOME MINIS? NONE! AT LEAST NONE THAT HAVE WORKED AS I HAVE A 2009 MINI COPPER CLUBMAN WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM, SO CLEARLY THEY HAVEN'T RESOLVED IT AND SHOULD NOT LIMIT THEIR RECALL TO 2005-2006 MINI COOPERS AND COOPER S, NOR JUST CONVERTIBLE MINI COOPERS BETWEEN 2005-2008 MODELS. 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMANS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM, YET BMW TELLS ITS CUTOMERS WITH WARRANTIES TO PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES! BAD BUSINESS. HOPE SOMEONE SUES THEM, BUT PROBABLY NOT UNTIL SOMEONE DIES. AT LEAST THIS PUTS THEM ON NOTICE SO THEY CAN BE SUED MORE EASILY. I HAVE CHILDREN...SHAME ON YOU BMW!

VEHICLE STARTING MAKING A RATTLING NOISE IN THE LEFT FRONT TIMING CHAIN AREA, TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED ONE OF THE TIMING TENSIONERS HAD SNAPPED, PROBABLY DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN HAVING TOO MUCH SLACK, I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL ON THESE AS IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING A LOT. HE ADVISED ME TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONERS IN ORDER TO NOT RISK THE TENSIONER FAILING AND CAUSING CATASTOPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, PARTS COST IS ABOUT $900 AND INSTALLATION ABOUT $500. THIS SEEMS TO BE GOING ON A LOT AND THERE IS LOTS OF INFO ON THE INTERNET STATING IT IS AN ISSUE THAT CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH SHOULD THE VEHICLE BE INOPERABLE ON A HIGHWAY OR IN TRAFFIC.

PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT REMAINS ON EVEN WHEN SEAT IS OCCUPIED. MECHANIC RAN DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND CODE FOR PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR. CALLED MINI AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WILL NOT REPAIR SINCE MODEL YEAR 2009 IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT RECALL.