2006 MINI COOPER Complaints

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES AFTER ENGINE START ALONG WITH THE RED AIR BAG FAILURE WARNING LIGHT. DOESN'T MATTER IF SEAT OCCUPIED OR NOT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO DISABLING AIR BAG. MINI DEALERS DENY THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT OR DESIGN PROBLEM YET THERE ARE OVER 40 COMPLAINTS ON THIS FORUM. REPAIR COSTS ARE SUBSTANTIAL TO REPLACE BOTTOM SEAT CUSHION. A MODIFICATION KIT OR RETROFIT TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE SEAT MAT IS NEEDED. *TR

OUR 2006 MINI COOPER HATCHBACK'S PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR STAYS ON WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER. SOMETIMES WITH A PASSENGER, IT WILL GO ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY. IF THE LIGHT IS ON WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IT WOULD BE LOGICAL TO ASSUME THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDE-SPREAD AND DANGEROUS. *TR

THE RIGHT FRONT OCCUPANT SENSOR FOR AIR BAG APPEARS TO BE DEFECTIVE. IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. WE HAVE HEARD OF SEVERAL MINI COOPER'S THAT HAVE DEFECTIVE SEAT SENSORS. WHEN THIS SENSOR FAILS, THE AIR BAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED. THIS IS A SAFETY SYSTEM FAILURE. COST TO REPLACE THIS SENSOR WAS OVER $1,400.00. *TR

ISSUES WITH AIRBAG LIGHT IN 2006 MINI COOPER S, WHEN SOMEONE IS IN THE SEAT IF THEY ARE NOT SITTING JUST THE RIGHT WAY THE LIGHT WILL GO ON, WARNING US THE AIRBAG IS DEACTIVATED, SOMETIMES THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL GO ON FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT WITH NOBODY IN THE SEAT. SOMETIMES THE SEATBELT WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON WITH NO ONE IN THE SEAT AS WELL. MOVING THE SEAT WILL SOMETIMES CORRECT THE ISSUE. COMPLAINTS TO MINI AND DEALER WERE ON DEAF EARS. [XXX] I COPIED AND PASTED THE COMPLAINT, BUT MY PROBLEM IS EXACTLY THE SAME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY WITH HAND BRAKE ENGAGED. 5 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR ROLLED DOWN DRIVEWAY AND HIT A DITCH. REAR SUSPENSION WAS DAMAGED. THE HAND BRAKE WAS STILL ENGAGED. *TR

OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST SIX MONTHS THE SRS LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENTLY COMING ON. IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS IT FINALLY CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I TOOK TO THE LOCAL BMW/MINI DEALER AND THEY ASSESSED IT FOR $167.00. THEN I WAS TOLD IT WAS A PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR ISSUE AND THE COST OF THE PART AND LABOR WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1100. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE MATTER AND REALIZED THAT DOZENS IF NOT HUNDREDS OF MINI-OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE SENSORS, SEATS AND LIGHTS DATING BACK TO 2003+. SEEMS TO ME THAT IF IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE THAT THEIR SO CALLED ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT MIGHT RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS WITHOUT COSTING OWNERS THIS KIND OF MONEY. I THINK ITS A RIP JOB BY THE DEALERS AND A FAILURE OF THE ENGINEERS AT MINI TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. COST FOR SUCH A REPAIR SHOULD BE ON THEM. I WILL MAKE SURE TO REPORT TO ANYONE THAT WILL LISTEN TO STAY AWAY FROM THE PURCHASE OF THESE CARS DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE PROBLEMS. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS. IT FIRST BEGAN LOCKING WHEN I TURNED IT ON. I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT SINCE IT UNLOCKED A MINUTE LATER. THEN A MONTH LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. IT STARTED TO HAPPEN ONCE A MONTH AND JUST LIKE THE FIRST TIME IT UNLOCKED. HOWEVER, AS OF LAST MONTH IT HAS JUST LOCKED AND WON'T UNLOCK. THE 2004 AND 2005 HAD RECALL ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I FEEL THAT 2006 HAS THE SAME ISSUE. IT SHOULD ALSO BE RECALLED. HOW DO I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE NOT USED THE 2004 OR 2005 PART ON THE STEERING WHEEL? THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, AND IT CAN CAUSE MAJOR CAR ACCIDENTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS ALONG THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE TACHOMETER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000. ..UPDATED 07/11/12 *BF THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN CHANGED DOWN TO 2ND GEAR( THE VEHICLE HAS SIX FORWARD GEARS) CAUSING HUGE ACCELERATION AND THEN SLOWING OF THE VEHICLE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC WORK BY THE MECHANIC, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TACHOMETER HAD FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DOWNSHIFT TO 2ND GEAR. THE FAILURE ALSO NECESSITATED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION.

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN A PRIVATE SALE. A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE MINI DEVELOPED A STRONG POWER STEERING WHINE. THIS IS NOT THE ELECTRICAL BUZZING NOISE TYPICAL OF THESE MODELS BUT A NOISE HEARD ABOVE THE ENGINE AT ALL SPEEDS OR IN NEUTRAL REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU TURN THE WHEEL. SEVERAL DAYS AGO, THE STEERING BEGAN TO STIFFEN UP ESPECIALLY WHEN PARKING. YESTERDAY, IT FAILED ENTIRELY AND THIS WAS WHILE DRIVING! NOW, I'M A 6' 180 LB MALE AND WAS ABLE TO REACT AND WRESTLE IT SAFELY BUT I'M THANKFUL THAT MY 5' 100LB WIFE WAS NOT BEHIND THE WHEEL. MAKE NO MISTAKE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ADDRESS!! JUST RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS (PROBABLY THOUSANDS) OF COMPLAINTS ACROSS THE GLOBE ABOUT THE SAME THING AND IT APPEARS TO BE PRIMARILY 2001-2007 MODELS. OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE MANDATED A RECALL BUT NOT THE SAFETY CONSCIOUS U.S. WHICH SURPRISES ME GREATLY. WHEN OTHER MAJOR MANUFACTURERS HAVE LISTED RECALLS FOR THINGS LIKE SEAT BELT ANCHORS "THAT COULD CRACK" OR AIR BAG SWITCHES "THAT COULD CORRODE" WHY THE HECK ISN'T A MINI COOPER RECALL DONE FOR POWER STEERING SYSTEMS "THAT ARE FAILING"? IF YOU VALUE YOUR FAMILY'S SAFETY, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND STEER (NO PUN INTENDED) CLEAR OF THIS VEHICLE. I WILL BE DUMPING THIS T URD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. MY FAMILY IS TOO IMPORTANT TO WASTE ON A FAD CAR. *TT

UNFASTENED SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON AND AIRBAG OFF INDICATOR STAYS LIT AT ALL TIMES, WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER RIDING IN THE SEAT NO MATTER THE WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER. UNFASTENED SEAT BELT WARNING BELL/DING DOES NOT CHIME. *TR