2006 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE WOULD OPERATE AS NORMAL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SEIZE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,650. UPDATED 03/05/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS ULTIMATELY TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING. UPDATED 03/06/12

MY POWER STEERING IS GOING IN AND OUT. I MIGHT HAVE IT, AND DRIVE ANOTHER MINUTE ITS NOT WORKING. THE CAR ONLY HAS 58740 MILES ON IT I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND THE PUMP SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM. MINI SAYS THERE IS NOT PROBLEM WITH THEIR STEERING PUMPS BUT WHEN I GO ON LINE AND CHECK THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AT THE SAME APPROXIMATE MILEAGE MARK GIVE OR TAKE A FEW. THIS IS OVER A THOUSAND DOLLAR FIX. IS MINI GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THERE ARE ENOUGH ACCIDENTS BEFORE THEY ADMIT THERE IN PROBLEM? I HAVE CHECKED THE FLUID AND THE FAN ALL IS WORKING AND FINE. IT'S JUST THE MALFUNCTIONING PUMP. *TR

RECENTLY, I'VE BEEN GETTING BOTH THE YELLOW OVERHEAD AIRBAG OFF LIGHT (ABOVE THE REARVIEW MIRROR) AND THE RED WARNING LIGHT ON THE CENTER DASH. THE WARNING LIGHTS WILL GO OFF OCCASIONALLY, BUT ALWAYS SEEM TO RETURN. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHETHER I AM CARRYING A PASSENGER OR NOT. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A DEFECTIVE SEAT SENSOR OR A DEFECT IN AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I DO NOT WANT TO WORK ON THE SYSTEM MYSELF. MINI WEBSITES DISCUSS SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHTS ON EARLIER MODEL MINIS. I AM CERTAIN A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR '02-'03 MODELS. CURRENT RECALL DOES NOT INCLUDE LATER BUILD YEARS SUCH AS MY '06, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING AT ANY SPEED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE SUPER CHARGER ASSEMBLY, WATER PUMP ASSEMBLY, BYPASS VALVE, AND THE ANTI FREEZE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 92,000.

THE PAX AIRBAG LIGHT BOTH ON DASHBOARD AND ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR ARE LIT AND STAY THAT WAY AFTER A PERIOD OF ON AND OFF WITH SOMEONE STATING IN THAT SEAT. ON THE BLOG OF MINI COOPERS A LOT OF COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS HAPPENING IN BMW THE MAKER OF MINI COOPERS AND THE 05, 06 MINI COOPER MODEL. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE! A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX AT $1500.00 WHEN IS THERE GOING TO BE A RECALL? *TT

PASSENGER SEAT OC-3 AIR BAG SENSOR FAILURE: I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SPORADICALLY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT RECENTLY, I'VE BEEN GETTING BOTH THE YELLOW OVERHEAD AIRBAG OFF LIGHT (ABOVE THE REARVIEW MIRROR) AND THE RED WARNING LIGHT ON THE CENTER DASH TURN ON AND STAY ON. THIS HAPPENS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK NOW WHETHER THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED OR NOT. IT CAUSES THE SEATBELT ALARM TO GO OFF AND I HAVE TO BUCKLE AN EMPTY SEAT. MY MAIN CONCERN IS IT JEOPARDIZING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG FUNCTION. *TT

COMPLETE POWER STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AROUND A STREET CORNER! I WAS TRAVELING AROUND 15 MPH(NOT VERY FAST) AND I WAS FORTUNATE NOT TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING AND TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. *TR

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MINI SERVICE WANTS APPROXIMATELY $300 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *TR

THE MOTOR MOUNT ON THE MINI COOPER IS NOTORIOUS FOR LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID AND NEEDING REPLACEMENT AFTER FEWER THAN 20,000 MILES OF SERVICE. MINE SHOWED FLUID LEAKAGE AT 18,000 MILES, AND MANY OTHERS ON THE INTERNET REPORT THIS DEFECT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 10,000 MILES. THE COMPANY HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN M22 01 06 FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT TREAT THIS CHRONIC AND DANGEROUS CONDITION AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THIS DEFECT COULD ALLOW THE MOTOR TO SHIFT, LEADING TO ACCIDENTS AND LOSS OF LIFE. HAVING BEEN AN AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC FOR YEARS, I NORMALLY EXPECT A MOTOR MOUNT TO LAST ABOUT 75,000 MILES. THIS UNACKNOWLEDGED MANUFACTURING DEFECT IS UNSAFE AND COSTLY TO REPAIR. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAD IT REPAIRED AT MINI OF NORTH SCOTTSDALE (AZ) AND IT COST ME ABOUT $245. *TR

PLETHORA OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. HEATED SEATS ARE A MAJOR CONCERN. THEY GO ON AND OFF BY THEMSELVES, SEEM HAUNTED. SOMETIMES, THEY GET SO HOT THEY LEAVE BURN MARKS IN MY LEGS. I AM AFRAID OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE HEATED SEATS GET SO HOT, THEY LEFT BURN MARKS IN MY SEAT. AISIN 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EQUIPPED WITH "LIFETIME" FLUID, BEGINS SLIPPING GEARS AT 70K THE SUPERCHARGER HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE "DESIGN" OF THE SUPERCHARGER IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED, I WAS FORCED BY BMWUSA TO PURCHASE A REMANUFACTURED SUPERCHARGER. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A "COMMON PROBLEM" I HAVE ALSO FOUND OUT FROM FORUMS SUCH AS NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT BMW DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT ITS AT FAULT FOR HOWEVER THEY ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THE WIDESPREAD HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE AVAILABILITY OF NEW SUPERCHARGERS IS VERY LOW BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, HENCE ME PURCHASING A REMFGD ONE. REAR WIPER MOTOR FAILED AT 40K QUOTED HUNDREDS TO REPLACE, NOT WORTH IT!!!!! *TR