2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

ENGINE COOLING FAN LOW SPEED STAGE FAILURE. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OF COOLING FAN FOR THE SAME MODEL UP TO MODEL YEAR 2004. BUT MY 2005 MINI COOPER S HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. THUS, IT IS APPROPRIATE TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE MODEL YEAR 2005. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS IN THE POWER STEERING WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITH CAUTION AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THERE WAS CURRENTLY THERE AN OPEN INVESTIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA11005 (STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: PUMP). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

BOTH AIRBAG WARNIG LIGHTS COME ON WHEN SOMEONE SITS IN FRONT PASS SEAT. WHEN THE "PASSENGER AIRBAG STATUS LAMP" IS ON THAT MEANS NO ONE IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. IF SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT SEAT WHILE IT'S ON AND THERE IS AN ACCIDENT THE AIRBAG MIGHT NOT DEPLOY B/C THE CAR THINKS SOMEONE ISN'T IN THE SEAT. *JS

PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT, ILLUMINATES 3-4 SECONDS AFTER ENGINE START, ALONG WITH THE RED AIR BAG FAILURE LIGHT, ON THE MAIN SPEEDOMETER. THIS OCCURS, WHETHER THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT, OR NOT, DUE TO THIS SAFETY DEFECT. MINI COOPER DEALERS, DENY THIS IS A PROBLEM, HOWEVER, I HAVE FOUND OVER 40 OTHER COMPLAINTS REGISTERED ON THIS EXACT DEFECT !!! MAJOR REPAIR COST FROM THE DEALER, TO CHANGE THE WHOLE BOTTOM SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES THE DEFECTIVE AIR BAG SENSOR, THAT SEPARATES FROM THE SEAT CUSHION, AFTER A SHORT TIME! *JS

WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 MINI COOPER ON TUESDAY, THE STEERING FELT ODD. WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE THE CAR THE FOLLOWING DAY THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. I FELT I DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL. WHEN MAKING A TURN I HAD TO PHYSICALLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO GET THE CAR TO STRAIGHTEN OUT. IT WAS FRIGHTENING. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO HIM BY OTHER MINI OWNERS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND ALOT OF INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET FROM OTHER 2005 MINI COOPER OWNERS. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE SITUATION CHECKED OUT AT MY MINI DEALER IN FREEPORT,NY. ON MONDAY. WHEN INFORMING THEM ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WHAT MY MECHANIC AND THE INTERNET HAVE STATED, I WAS TOLD THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF SUCH PROBLEMS AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME $130 JUST TO GET A DIAGNOSIS FROM THEM. I THEN CALLED MINI USA TO REPORT IT TO THEM AND I WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF SUCH PROBLEMS AND THAT I SHOULD CALL THEM FROM THE MINI DEALER AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS IS PERFORMED AND THEY WILL LET ME KNOW IF THEY CAN HELP ME. *JS

AT RANDOM TIMES, THE POWER STEERING FAILS, MOSTLY AT START-UP, BUT SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. I ALWAYS NEED TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION, AND RESTART THE CAR, WHICH SEEMS TO TEMPORARILY RE-ENGAGE THE POWER ASSIST STEERING.

AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHTS REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN IGNITION IS POWERED. SEAT CAN BE EITHER OCCUPIED OR UNOCCUPIED. INITIAL PROBLEM INTERMITTENT, WITHIN 1 MONTH PROBLEM CONSTANT, BOTH AIRBAG LIGHTS REMAIN ON. THERE ARE (2) AIRBAG LIGHTS IN THIS VEHICLE, ONE RED LAMP THAT IS IN THE DASH, THE SECOND A YELLOW LAMP LOCATED NEAR THE INSIDE CENTER REAR VIEW MIRROR. FEEDBACK APPEARS THAT THE ISSUE IS THE AIRBAG SENSOR LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM AFTER STUDYING SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS COMMENTED ON A MINI OWNERS WEBSITE. THIS IS ALSO A KNOWN PROBLEM OCCURRING ON BMW VEHICLES THAT IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *JS

I HAD RETURNED HOME TO CALIFORNIA AFTER LIVING IN HAWAII FOR A FEW MONTHS. I GOT IN MY CAR, DROVE IT FOR A FEW DAYS, ONLY TO FIND THAT WHILE ON ONE OF THOSE DRIVES MY AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. NOT ONE PERSON HAD DRIVEN MY CAR SINCE I HAD BEEN GONE. I TOOK MY CAR INTO BMW AND AFTER PAYING $180 FOR JUST A DIAGNOSTIC FEE, I AM NOW TOLD THAT MY "PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR MAT SENSOR" HAS GONE BAD AND WILL NEED REPLACING FOR $1,600. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE MY ENTIRE SEAT FOR THIS. BMW HAS, SUPPOSEDLY, RECOGNIZED THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE IN OTHER BMW MODELS ON THE PASSENGER FLOOR SIDE AND IS INDEED A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND HAS RECALLED BMWS ACCORDINGLY. HOWEVER, WITH THE MINIS, THEY HAVE NOT FESSED UP TO THIS BEING A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND THE DEALER NOW WANTS $1,600 FROM ME. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO MOTIVATION TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT DID NOT BREAK UNDER MY WATCH, AND SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. MY CAR WAS SITTING IN A GARAGE UNDER A CAR COVER FOR 3 MONTHS, AND THERE IS NO WAY WITH JUST 50,000 MILES ON MY CAR THAT THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING. BECAUSE I REFUSE TO GIVE THEM $1,600, MY PASSENGERS ARE NOW AT RISK FOR AN AIRBAG EITHER A) GOING OFF WHEN NOT SUPPOSED TO, OR B) NOT WORKING AT ALL. I PAY TOP DOLLAR FOR THIS CAR AND IT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE THAT BMW WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ABOVE ALL. I AM REALLY HOPING THAT SOMEONE WILL NOT HAVE TO LOSE THEIR LIFE OVER THIS FAULTY AIRBAG THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. I EXPECT TOP SERVICE FROM A TOP BRAND LIKE MINI AND BMW, AND SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN ISSUE THAT IS CLEARLY THEIR FAULT. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON DUE TO FAULTY OC SENSORS, AND FAULTY OC SENSOR CONNECTORS. MINI USA REFUSES EXTENDED WARRANTY ON SENSOR, OR RECALL WHILE PASSENGER SAFETY IS IN JEOPARDY. *TR

LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 MINI COOPER S. ALL OF A SUDDEN, HAVE NO POWER STEERING. VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. THANK GOD I WAS NOT IN A PLACE THAT THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I NOTE THAT I CAN TURN OFF THE MOTOR, THEN TURN IT BACK ON AND THE STEERING IS OK FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN GOES OUT AGAIN. I LOVE MY MINI COOPER, BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT NOW, IF I CAN'T COUNT ON THE STEERING TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY. *TR