2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 59,895. UPDATED 1/29/13 *CN UPDATED 2/7/2013 *JS

INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. AFTER LONG DRIVE ~150 A LOUD BUZZING UNDER CAR CONTINUED AFTER CAR ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL MADE THE BUZZING CHANGE SOUNDS. STARTING AND SHUTTING THE CAR'S ENGINE DID NOT RESOLVE THE BUZZING. DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TO AVOID BATTERY FAILURE. *TR

TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. FINGER WAS CUT 2MM DEEP BY DEFECTIVE PEELING/FLAKING CHROME ACCENT ON MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHIFT KNOB. AS A RESULT, FINGER WAS BLEEDING AND EXPERIENCED A SHOCK FROM THE AFFECTED NERVE THROUGHOUT THE BODY WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. ATTENTION TO THE ROAD WAS LOST FOR A MOMENT CAUSING ME TO NEARLY GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR LIGHTS STAY ON AT ALL TIMES, WHETHER THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED OR NOT. SEAT MAT SENSOR DEFECTIVE. THIS IS A COMMON SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS FULLY AWARE OF. REPAIR COST IS IN EXCESS OF $1,300 FOR A VERY SIMPLE PART. *TR

AIR BAG WARNING LAMP TURNS ON AND REMAINS ON RANDOMLY. DIAGNOSTIC INDICATES PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. THE PASSENGER SEAT IS USED INFREQUENTLY AND LOOKS LIKE NEW. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN EITHER THE AIR BAG FAILING TO DEPLOY OR DEPLOYING WITH TOO GREAT OF FORCE. THE COST OF REPAIR IS PROHIBITIVE AND YET THE ISSUE MAKES THE VEHICLE ALMOST UN SALEABLIMPOSSIBLE TO SELL WITHOUT THE REPAIR. *TR

STARTED VEHICLE IN THE MORNING OF 11/14/2012. THE SHIFT INDICATOR ON THE DASH SHOWS EP MODE INSTEAD OF D,R,N,ETC. THE CAR SEEMED TO DRIVE FINE BUT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE SHIFTER ELECTRONICS. THE CAR DOES NOT SEEM TO KNOW WHAT DRIVE MODE IS IN. PUTTING THE AUTO MANUAL TRANSMISSION INTO SPORTS MODE DOES NOT CHANGE THE SHIFT INDICATOR ON THE DASH. IN SPORTS MODES IT STILL SHOWED EP. IN EP MODE THE CAR DOES NOT REV BEYOND 3000RPM AND DRIVES ROUGH AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. THIS MAY BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT WITH A TRANSMISSION SENSOR, OR THE SHIFTER ELECTRONICS. *TR

AIRBAG LIGHT ON CENTER DISPLAY AS WELL AS YELLOW AIRBAG OFF LIGHT ON OVERHEAD CONSOLE INTERMITTENTLY APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR FOR NO APPARENT REASON. MINI WANT OVER $1500 TO REPLACE A SEAT BOTTOM PAD SENSOR. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG, FRONT SEAT, SENSOR HAS A FAULT OR SHORT IN IT. INTERMITTENTLY, WHILE ADULT PASSENGER IS IN SEAT, THE WARNING LIGHT TURNS ON, AND PASSENGER AIRBAG "OFF" WARNING LIGHT COMES ON--THUS SHUTTING OFF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THIS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2005 AND 2006 MINI COOPERS AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IN THIS PAST MONTH THE FREQUENCY HAS INCREASED TO APPROXIMATELY 99% WHERE THE PASSENGER HAS NO SAFETY PROTECTION AS AIR BAG IS SHUT OFF. TO DATE MINI IS NOT WARRANTYING THIS DEFECT AND IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I THINK A SAFETY RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED ASAP. *TR

SON RETURNED FROM TOWN, A 10 MINUTE DRIVE, PARKED CAR IN GARAGE. NEXT MORNING THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE COMING FROM THE CAR. OPENED THE HOOD AND THE SMELL OF FIRE WAS OVERWHELMING. TOP OF STEERING FLUID PUMP APPEARED TO BE CHARRED. FAMILY AFRAID TO DRIVE CAR TO DEALER, SOME 35 MILES AWAY. AFTER STARTING CAR, ELECTRICAL FIRE SMELL RETURNS. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE "AIR BAG" OFF LIGHT IS ON ALL OF THE TIME AND THUS, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WILL NOT BE DEPLOYED IN AN COLLISION. HAVE HAD SENSOR WORKED ON, SYSTEM FLASHED BY BMW, ETC TO RESOLVE ISSUE. BMW UNABLE TO RESOLVE WITHOUT EXTENSIVE COST. *TR