2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

CAR WAS MAKING A VERY LOUD NOISE. TOOK IT TO SHOP WHO IDENTIFIED IT AS A FAILING POWER STEERING PUMP COOLING FAN, AND REPLACED IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS ADVISED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH AND ABOVE THE WINDSHIELD FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT USED TO GO ON AND OFF WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. STARTING IN 2011, IT CONTINUES TO STAY ON, MEANING THE AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE AIRBAG SENSORS WERE BAD AND THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT AN ESTIMATE OF $1,000. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT CONFIRM THAT THE AIRBAG WOULD OR WOULD NOT DEPLOY IF THE CAR FACED IMPACT AND SOMEONE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND NO FAULT OF THE CAR OWNER. PLEASE RECALL THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR DIES. *TR

OCCUPANT SEAT SENSOR FAILURE IN PASSENGER SEAT, AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STOPS AIRBAG OPERATION. I SEE THAT NHTSA HAS CONTACTED BMW FOR THIS PROBLEM AND FOR THIS MODEL YEAR; HOWEVER, BMW/MINI WON'T TAKE BLAME FOR AIRBAG FAILURE. BMW TAKES IRRESPONSIBLE ATTITUDE THAT EVEN THOUGH CAR HAS ONLY 36,000 MILES, SAFETY IS MY PROBLEM, NOT THIERS. AS A SIDE NOTE, DEALER SAYS PART IS $1200 PLUS INSTALLATION AND REPROGRAMMING. BMW, THE ULTIMATE DRIVING (AND KILLING) MACHINE. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER 2-DOOR CONVERTIBLE: THE LEFT REAR UPPER AND LOWER (ORIGINAL/FACTORY) CONTROL ARMS (METAL STRUT) FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD; WARNING SIGN WAS A SLIGHT NOISE FROM THE REAR LEFT TIRE, WHICH WENT AWAY WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY LEFT, THEN CAME BACK WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT. (SOUNDED LIKE INTERMITTENT RUBBING/ TIRE ISSUE.) THE CAR WAS DRIVING NORMALLY AND THE TIRE LOW PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. WHILE TURNING OFF MAIN ROAD TO INVESTIGATE, SECOND CONTROL ARM FAILED AND CAR CAME DOWN TO REST ON REAR TIRE AND WOULD NOT ROLL FORWARD. UNEXPECTED AND COMPLETE FAILURE WITH CLEAN FRACTURE TO BOTH CONTROL ARMS. NO COLLISION OCCURRED TO THE VEHICLE/PART. VEHICLE NOT RUSTED. GOOGLE SEARCH BRINGS UP MANY OTHER MINI COOPER POSTS OF THIS CONTROL ARM FAILING UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY (THAT THEY HAD RECENTLY EXITED). OTHERS POSTING ONLINE HAVE EXPERIENCED 'UNCONTROLLED 180 SPINS' WHEN THEIRS FAILED. CONSUMER CONCERNED THAT THE ORIGINAL FACTORY CONTROL ARMS ON OTHER SIDE MAY EXHIBIT SAME UNEXPECTED FAILURE IN THE FUTURE. NOT CLEAR IF THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW OR MATERIALS/PARTS BAD BATCH. MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEE MENTIONED THE SAME FAILURE (TO HIS PERSONAL CAR) WITH NO WARNING RECENTLY. ONLINE POSTS OF CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME UNEXPECTED FAILURE: HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/80969-REAR-SUSPENSION-FAILURE.HTML HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/108796-REAR-CONTROL-ARM-ISSUES.HTML HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/69981-BROKEN-PART-UNDERSIDE-WHATS-CALLED.HTML HTTP://WWW.PSMINI.ORG/FORUM/EXPENSIVE-REPAIR-CONTROL-ARM-BUSHINGS-AND-STRUTS_TOPIC6569.HTML

AFTER THE CAR WENT FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE SEAT BELT SENSOR (BEEPER) STOPPED WORKING. MINI WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS TO BE REPLACED. SAID IF THE SEAT BELT SENSOR WAS NOT WORKING, THE AIRBAGS MIGHT NOT DEPLOY. VERY COSTLY REPAIR (COMPUTER SYSTEM REPLACEMENT). SHOULDN'T SAFETY FEATURES (REQUIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT) BE FIXED, WITHOUT CHARGE, FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE? *TR

POWER STEERING FAN BURNED OUT WHICH CAUSED THE PUMP TO FAIL. SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL YEAR. THE PLACEMENT OF THE FAN IS REALLY BAD BECAUSE IT'S SUBJECT TO CONSTANT ROAD GRIME, SALT, ETC. COST ME OVER $1,200 TO FIX. :( *TR

I WAS TOLD THE FOLLOWING ABOUT MY PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM. BASICALLY THE COMPUTER FAILED AND I HAD A CRACK IN THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 32,000 MILES AND WAS MOSTLY DRIVEN WITH NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED WITH SUCH MINIMAL USE.: REPLACE MRS MODULE AND PROGRAM,ENCODE (MRS MODULE FAILURE, INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT) FAIL $774.06 REPLACE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT (PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT HAS MICRO CRACK ON MAT FAULT 0071)FAIL $874.55. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITH AN OCCUPANT POSITIONED IN THE SEAT. IN ADDITION, THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR EVEN WHEN AN OCCUPANT WAS NOT PRESENT IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE ILLUMINATION NO LONGER CONTINUED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. *TR

PROBLEM OF POWER ASSIST FAILING CAUSING STEERING TO BECOME DIFFICULT. ONLY HAPPENS AFTER BEEN ON HIGHWAY FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES. VERY SIMILAR TO OTHER REPORTS ON 2004-2005 MINI COOPER S'S REPORTING THIS PROBLEM. *TR