2002 MINI COOPER Complaints

EVER SINCE BUYING THIS CAR USED IN JANUARY OF 2012, THE SRS WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN ON. THE CAR STORE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM DID CANCEL THE CODE WHEN WE DISCOVERED IT WAS ON AFTER PURCHASE. HOWEVER, THE CODE CAME BACK. WE BROUGHT IT TO BE FIXED, AND I BELIEVE SOMEONE ELIMINATED THE COUPLER UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT, WIRING THE SEAT TO THE ECU DIRECTLY, BY CRIMPING WIRES TOGETHER. STILL, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. IT HAS BEEN ON CONSTANTLY FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I HAVE SOLDERED THE WIRES UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT TOGETHER, AS ONE CONNECTION SEEMED BROKEN, HOPING THIS WOULD ELIMINATE THE LIGHT. I BOUGHT A CODE READER TO RESET THE LIGHT, BUT THE CODES ONLY TEMPORARILY DISAPPEAR AND AFTER BLINKING A FEW TIMES THE LIGHT IS BACK ON. I DO NOT KNOW, NOR DO I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN KNOWING, WHETHER OR NOT THE AIR BAG WOULD DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. I HOPE NEVER TO FIND OUT, OF COURSE. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT BEING ON IS A CONSISTENT AND PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH MINI COOPERS BUILT FROM 2002 - 2006. AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL, NOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WOULD COVER WORK THAT APPARENTLY WILL COST AROUND $2,000 AT A DEALER REPAIR SHOP. WITH THE RECENT RECALL OF AIR BAGS MADE BY JAPANESE AIR BAG MAKER TAKATA, INCLUDING THOUSANDS OF BMWS MADE IN A SIMILAR TIME FRAME AS THE AIR BAGS IN MY MINI COOPER, I AM ALSO WONDERING IF THE MINI AIR BAGS ARE MADE BY TAKATA, AND SENSIBLY WORRY ABOUT THEIR SAFETY SHOULD THE IN FACT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED. BMW HAS RECALLED SOME OF THEIR OWN CARS FOR AIR BAG LIGHT ISSUES, INVOLVING SEAT SENSORS, BUT NOT ON THE MINI, EVEN THOUGH BOTH CARS USE IDENTICAL COMPONENTS. IT IS TIME FOR BMW TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF A SERIOUS PROBLEM THE AIR BAG SYSTEMS IN THEIR EARLY MINI COOPERS. I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU CAN FORCE THE ISSUE, AS THIS CERTAINLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH EXISTS/PERSISTS ON THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES SOLD IN THE US. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY MINI COOPER ON A MAJOR ROAD IN HEAVY TRAFFIC MY MINI COOPER EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER TO THE WHEELS (SUDDEN TRANSMISSION FAILURE). MY ONLY OPTION TO AVOID BEING REAR-ENDED WAS TO STEER THE CAR OFF THE ROAD ( WITH THE REMAINING FORWARD MOMENTUM INTO A FAST FOOD PARKING LOT IN ORDER TO AVOID BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. DESCRIPTION OF FAILED COMPONENT/AFFECTED PART: MINI COOPER'S CVT TRANSMISSION HAVE A KNOWN HISTORY OF SUDDEN FAILURE AT 80K-120K. BMW THE MANUFACTURER OF THE MINI HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION IN THEIR VEHICLE FOR YEARS, AND HAS NEVER INFORMED OWNERS OF THEIR VEHICLES OF THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM OR THE POTENTIAL RISK FOR ACCIDENTS, INJURY, OR DEATH THAT COULD RESULT FROM THE SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE MINI'S TRANSMISSION AND RESULTING TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. BMW HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL OR OFFER TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION UNDER THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. ADDITIONALLY, BMW HAS ISSUED SERVICE ADVISORIES TO THEIR SERVICE MANAGERS ABOUT THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR MINI COOPER'S CVT TRANSMISSION, BUT AS MENTIONED HAS NOT COMMUNICATED THIS PROBLEM TO MINI OWNERS. *TR

2002 MINI COOPER, MANUAL TRANSMISSION. LOW MILEAGE, ONLY 22,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING IS CITY TRAFFIC, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE WHEN I SHIFTED INTO 1ST AND LIFTED THE CLUTCH TRYING TO START FROM A RED LIGHT. THERE WAS A SMALL "SPUTTER" AND THEN THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. I WAS ABLE TO PUSH IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THOUGHT THAT THE CLUTCH WAS OUT. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND OUT THAT THE ENTIRE MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAD DISINTEGRATED. IT HAD TORN ITSELF APART OVER THE YEARS. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT THIS IS A COMMON FLAW WITH THE EARLY MINI COOPERS. THIS WAS A $2500 REPAIR. *TR

THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE SEAT CUSHION HAS FAILED AND A WARNING LIGHT NOW PERMANENTLY SHOWS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING EAST ON SHERIDAN DR. IN THE TOWN OF TONAWANDA, I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING. I WRESTLED WITH THE CAR FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, AND WHEN I GOT HOME, I HEARD THAT THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN WAS RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF IN THE DRIVEWAY. I ASSUMED IT WOULD STOP EVENTUALLY, BUT WAS WRONG AND RETURNED TO A TOTALLY DEAD BATTERY. I CALLED THE DEALER, TOWNE MINI IN WILLIAMSVILLE, NY, AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE BOOKED TO JUNE 17TH, BUT THAT I COULD BRING IT IN. MIDWAY BETWEEN MY HOME AND TOWNE, WHILE ON THE 290, MY POWER STEERING RETURNED. WHEN I GOT TO TOWNE, THEY AS MUCH AS CALLED ME A LIAR, AND REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PUMP AND FAN. THEY DID HOWEVER, FIND $1300 WORTH OF OTHER WORK THAT "NEEDED" TO BE DONE TO PASS NYS INSPECTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME DIFFICULT TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

I HAVE 2002 MINI COOPER ORIGINAL OWNER AND I HAD WINDSHELD, TRANSMISSION REPLACED. MAIN ISSUE I STILL HAVE IS STREERING LOOSE POWER. I GOT A LETTER FROM MINI SAID IT EXTENDED WARRANTY NOT A RECALL. MINI CO. NEVER RECALL ANY ISSUES. CALL DEALER FOR THIS STREERING PROBLEM BUT MY 2002 MINI IS NOT UNDER THIS CAMPAIGN. I HAVE THAT STREERING LOOSE POWER MIDDLE OF DRIVING BUT THIS IS NOT EVEN RECALL? I HAVE TO PAY FOR DIAGNOSE FEE FOR EXTENSION WARRANTY PER DEALER. MINI/BMW WILL NOT RECALL THIS ISSUE UNTIL DRIVERS GET SERIOUSLY HURT. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEATED SEAT MALFUNCTIONED AND BURNED A HOLE INTO THE LEATHERETTE UPHOLSTERY AND MY WIFES SWEATER. SHE WAS SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEN IT OCCURRED. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR FIRE A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

I WAS EXITING FROM 35TH STREET IN NEWPORT NEWS, VA ONTO THE WARWICK BLVD OFF RAMP IN TRAFFIC, COASTING WITH THE BRAKES AT ABOUT 5 MPH, WHEN I WAS REAR ENDED BY A NAVY OPERATED FLAT NOSE SCHOOL BUS, WHICH FORCED MY VEHICLE INTO A LATE MODEL CHEVY TRAILBLAZER. MY AIR BAGS (FRONT AND SIDE) DID NOT DEPLOY, AND WHEN I CAME TO REST MY SEAT BACK HAD RECLINED AGAINST MY CHILD'S CAR SEAT (CHILD WAS NOT IN VEHICLE). THE RIGHT REAR UNIBODY WAS CREASED DUE TO THE IMPACT FROM THE BUS. I SUFFERED NECK, BACK, AND SPINE TRAUMA. THE DRIVER OF THE TRAILBLAZER COMPLAINED OF NECK PAIN AT THE SCENE. LOCAL NEWPORT NEWS FIRE AND RESCUE UNITS ARRIVED ON SCENE, AS WELL AS A VIRGINIA STATE TROOPER. THE TROOPER HANDLED THE ACCIDENT. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED IN MY 2002 MINI COOPER FOR THE SECOND TIME. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS IN 2011 AND I GOT A NEW PUMP AND HAD IT PROFESSIONALLY INSTALLED. TODAY, 08/26/2013 MY SECOND POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME OR THE MONEY TO KEEP REPLACING A PART THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED YEARS AGO. *TR