2006 MINI COOPER Complaints

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON AND DEALER HAS SAID THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS BAD AND THE PAD AND SENSOR MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1400. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT A CAR THIS POPULAR HAS THIS KIND OF SAFETY ISSUE. I WOULD EXPECT MINI TO AT THE VERY LEAST TO COVER THE COST OF THE PAD OR SENSOR. UNBELIEVABLE. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, HE NOTICED A WHINING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

THIS IS MY 3RD MINI COOPER S. ON MY PREVIOUS 2 CARS, A 2004 AND A 2005, I HAD TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LINES FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK BRAKES. BOTH CARS HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON THEM. THE LINES ARE HELD IN PLACE BY "CLIPS" WHICH TRAP MOISTURE AND SALT. THIS CAUSES THE LINES TO RUST OUT AND FAIL, LOSING BRAKING ABILITY. SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH A 50K MILE CAR AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. LOOKING AT MY 2006 YESTERDAY. CAR WITH ABOUT 50K MILES, BRAKE LINES LOOK TO ME LIKE THEY ARE READY TO FAIL FROM RUST. IF THIS HAS HAPPENED ON ALL OF MY CARS, THIS MUST BE A COMMON SAFETY DEFECT CAUSED BY A BAD DESIGN. MINI DOES NOT OFFER ANY HELP WITH THIS MATTER. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM BUT THEY HAVE OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. ALL I ASKED THEM TO DO WAS TO REPLACE THE LINES AT THEIR EXPENSE. THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN DOING SO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT COVER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,160.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN IN AN INTERSECTION. ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING IN MODERATE TRAFFIC (40MPH) WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY JERKED SO HARD IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE HIT ME FROM BEHIND. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, I WAS FEELING THE JERKINESS SLIGHTLY AND INTERMITTENTLY (FELT LIKE DOWNSHIFTING). AFTER READING PEOPLE'S COMPLAINTS IN MINI FORUMS, I'M STARTING TO THINK THIS COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF MY TRANSMISSION FAILURE. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT BUT IF THIS CONTINUES, THERE COULD BE SOME MAJOR INJURIES INVOLVED. ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO, MY MINI STARTED TO OVERHEAT. I GET MY CAR SERVICED REGULARLY SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW MY WATER LEVELS AND OIL LEVELS GOT SO LOW TO OVERHEAT MY CAR. AFTER READING UP ON THIS, OTHER MINI OWNERS FACED SIMILAR ISSUES. SO NOW, I AM REQUIRED TO CHECK WATER AND OIL LEVELS AT EVERY 1500 MILES TO AVOID OVERHEATING. A LITTLE HIGH MAINTENANCE? TELL ME ABOUT IT!! *TR

I HAD TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE AIR BAG SENSORS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT REPLACED LAST WEEK, BECAUSE I WILL HAVE A PASSENGER ON A TRIP TO UTAH SOON. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO ONE OF THE SERVICE PEOPLE, THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS RARELY USED, HE STARTED BLOVIATING AS TO HOW HEAT CAN BREAK DOWN THE MATERIALS IN THE SENSORS. *TR

RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2006 MINI COOPER FOR MY TEEN CHILD. WE NOW DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG NOTIFICATION SHOULD NOT BE ON. WE TOOK IT TO A BMW DEALER TO HAVE THIS LOOKED, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT IT'S DUE TO A FAULTY PASSENGER OCCUPANCY SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM REQUIRING A REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $1700. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THIS COULD BE SAFETY CONCERN, AND I BELIEVE THAT BMW SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED. I AM NOT SURE IF THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY IF A PASSENGER IS SEATED. THIS IS A SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED THROUGH A RECALL. MINI SHOULD EXTENDED THEIR AIRBAG SYSTEM WARRANTY. *TR

2006 MINI COOPER S PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT (ABOVE REARVIEW MIRROR) IS ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY (SEAT OCCUPIED OR NOT). LOCAL MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP SAYS THE PROBLEM IS THE SENSOR PAD, WHICH IS WOVEN INTO THE SEAT BOTTOM, AND THE WHOLE SEAT BOTTOM MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1650. DEALER SERVICE MANAGER SAYS THAT MINI USA WILL NOT HELP WITH THIS, AS THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAS 100K MILES. I USED AN SRS SCAN TOOL TO CONFIRM THAT CODE 71 (SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR II) IS SET AND COMES RIGHT BACK AFTER CLEARING IT. QUICK SEARCH THROUGH NHTSA COMPLAINTS AND ONLINE MINI ENTHUSIAST FORUMS SHOWS THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY IN THE 2005-06 MODEL YEARS. CLEARLY A SEVERE SAFETY DEFECT WHICH MINI USA (BMW) SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED. NO ONE CAN TELL ME IF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY IN A CRASH OR NOT. I ALSO FIND IT INTERESTING THE WIDE RANGE OF REPAIR COSTS THAT OTHERS WHO HAVE POSTED HERE WERE QUOTED BY THEIR LOCAL MINI DEALERS (SEEMS LIKE ANYWHERE FROM $1000 - $2000). SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH THAT. *TR