2006 MINI COOPER Complaints

1/10/2010, I MY HEATER WAS BLOWING COLD AIR AND MY ENGINE TEMP INDICATOR WAS JUMPING AROUND. I CALLED MINI OF TOWSON AND TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I REMINDED THEM THAT BOTH AIR BAG AND FLAT TIRE INDICATORS HAD BEEN FLICKERING ON AND OFF SINCE THE LAST TIME I CAME IN ON JUNE OF 2009 AND THAT AS OF A FEW WEEKS AGO THEY HAD BOTH REMAINED ON. AT THAT TIME, NO ONE TOOK MY INQUIRY SERIOUSLY AND I WAS TOLD THE LIGHTS WERE COMING ON AS A RESULT OF THE PAST REQUIRED ENGINE WORK FOR THE COOLING SYSTEM AND ENGINE, AND A SLOW LEAK IN ONE OF MY TIRES, WHICH I WAS INSTRUCTED TOO MONITOR BY FILLING-UP WHEN LOW AND TO IGNORE. I WAS INFORMED RECENTLY THAT I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE MY PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR ($1000). I HAVE READ MANY OF POSTS ON THE MINIUSA WEBSITE THAT SAY THIS AS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MINI'S BEING WIRED INCORRECTLY FORM THE MANUFACTURER; SOMETHING THAT COULD BE AVOIDED WITH EARLY DETECTION BY THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL FAULTY INDICATOR LIGHTING. I WAS ALSO TOLD MY WATER PUMP IS NOW LEAKING COOLANT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ($900); SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN TOLD MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE EARLIER MANUFACTURING DEFECTS I HAD. ALSO, I AM ENROLLED IN THEIR TIRE AND RIM PROTECTION WARRANTY THAT STATES ANY TIRES OR RIMS THAT ARE DAMAGED BY NAILS, POT HOLES, ETC ARE REPLACED FOR FREE. THEY HAVE PATCHED 4 OF MY TIRES FOR NAIL DAMAGE; 3 OUT OF THE 4 TIRES CONTINUE TO LEAK AND I FEEL SHOULD BE REPLACED. LASTLY, MY MINI APPRAISED $6,500 BY THIS DEALER. I ASKED HOW MUCH THE VALUE INCREASES IF I COMPLETELY SERVICE THE CAR AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD INCREASE THE VALUE OF SERVICES RENDERED ($3,100) A TOTAL EST.VALUE OF $9,600. WHEN ASKED WHY MY MINI HAD DEPRECIATED SO MUCH I WAS TOLD BECAUSE OF THE CARS EXTENSIVE SERVICE RECORD. SHE SAID BECAUSE OF THE DEPLORABLE SERVICE RECORD, MY CAR COULD NOT BE KEPT BY THE MINI DEALER AND THAT IT HAD TO BE SOLD AT WHOLESALE BECAUSE THE CAR IS CONSIDERED FAULTY. SHE SAID MY MINI WAS NOT SAFE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER RESELL STANDARD. *TR

2006 MINI COPPER S. I BOUGHT IT WITH 15997 MILES ON THE CAR. THE CLUTCH WENT OUT 3000 MILES LATER AND THE MINI DEALERSHIP WAS ASKED TO CHECK OUT THE CAR ESPECIALLY THE CLUTCH ONLY 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED BEFORE THE CLUTCH STOPPED WORKING. NOW THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT IS NOT COVERING BY THE WARRANTY AND THEN INFORMS ME THAT THIS WILL BE THE THIRD CLUTCH TO BE INSTALLED IN THIS VEHICLE.... ONE WAS REPLACED AT 8000 MILES AND THEN ANOTHER AT 11000 MILES (FIRST OWNER) AND NOW AGAIN AT 19000 MILES. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND I HAVE RESEARCHED WITH MANY OTHER MINI OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUES. SOME MAY HAVE STARTED THEIR OWN CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT.....PLEASE ADVISE! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO LOSE POWER; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT MANAGED TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. HE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AFTER A FEW MINUTES AND DROVE TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. HAS BEEN REPAIRED 4 TIMES. HAS NOT RECURRED THIS LAST REPAIR, HOWEVER ONLY REPAIRED 2 MONTHS AGO. HAPPENED FIRST 3/26/07, PARTS HAD TO BE SPECIAL ORDERED AND IT WAS REPAIRED ON 4/17/07; THEN 1/29/08, THEN 6/17/08, AND THEN 10/27/08. EACH TIME THEY MAKE THE SAME REPAIR: PART NUMBER 52 10 6 961 324, REPLACED SENSOR MAT, (OC3 MAT) PASSENGER SEAT, 65 77 604, REMOVED SEAT, REMOVED SEAT COVER, REPLACED SEAT COVER, MAT, AND UPHOLSTERY MATERIAL. THE LIGHT HAS NOT COME BACK ON SINCE LAST REPAIR, HOWEVER IT HAS ONLY BEEN 2 MONTHS. *TR

FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS NOW I HAVE NOTICED THAT MY COOLING FAN COMES ON EACH TIME I TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN IT SHUTS OFF AFTER A MINUTE OR SO. SO I THOUGHT THAT THE FAN WAS JUST ACTING UP OR SOMETHING. HOWEVER, YESTERDAY I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS AT THE MAXIMUM (250 DEGREE F) AND THE INDICATOR RED LIGHT HAD COME ON. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES AT ABOUT 50-60 MILES PER HOUR ON SIDE ROADS (SO I HAD BEEN STOPPING AT LIGHTS AT INTERVALS). THE WEATHER IS ACTUALLY UNSEASONABLY COOL (60-70 DEGREE F), AND I HAD BEEN CHANGING GEARS (I HAVE THE AUTOMATIC WITH SPORTS DRIVE). SO NATURALLY, WHEN I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE THE COOLING FAN CAME ON AGAIN AND DIDN'T TURN OFF FOR ANOTHER 3-5 MINUTES. SO ON THE WAY BACK, I DROVE AT ABOUT 30 MILES WITH MY HAZARD LIGHT ON AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREE-WAY AND PUT IT ON CRUISE CONTROL. BUT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STILL WENT UP TO ABOUT 3 QUARTERS OF THE WAY AND THE FAN KICKED ON AFTER I PARKED IT AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THE MANUAL SAYS TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE CAR AND LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN IF THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE GOES PAST THE HALF-WAY POINT. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER IN 2 DAYS FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A COOLING FAN PROBLEM. BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE AN ENGINE ISSUE. SO I AM PLANNING TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. *TR

MY 2006 BMW MINI COOPERS PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS SHOWING THAT IT IS DEACTIVATED REGARDLESS IF THERE IS A FULL SIZED ADULT OR NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS. IT APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM IN THE SEAT SENSOR OR WIRING BECAUSE IT WILL GO OUT AT TIMES WHEN I HIT A BUMP OR MOVE THE SEAT THEN IT WILL COME BACK ON. THIS HAS BEEN A ON GOING PROBLEM/CONCERN WILL MY PASSENGERS BE PROTECTED IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH SINCE THE AIR BAGS ARE SHOWING THAT THEY ARE SHUT OFF WILL THEY STILL WORK? *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ABOUT 60 MPH. EXTREMELY LOUD SCREECHING BURST OF SOUND OCCURRED. SOUND WAS SIMILAR TO SMOKE DETECTOR TEST SOUND, LASTING ABOUT A SECOND, BUT HORRIBLY LOUD, ESPECIALLY IN A SMALL ENCLOSED AREA WITH THE WINDOWS UP. NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT. OUR EARS HURT BADLY (I STILL FEEL SOME SORENESS A DAY LATER, AS I NOW WRITE. SIMILAR OCCURRENCES FOR MINI COOPER NOTED IN WEB FORUMS, REFERENCING A POSSIBLE STEREO AMPLIFIER PROBLEM. OUR RADIO WAS NOT ON. FORTUNATELY THE DEALER WAS OPEN (ON SUNDAY) AND WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED TODAY. FROM WHAT I'VE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET, WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES VICTIMIZED BY THIS ISSUE. WE ARE ACTUALLY FEARFUL AND UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR, WORRYING THAT AT ANY TIME THIS COULD OCCUR AGAIN. THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP AND DISTRACTION THAT KEEPS US FROM PAYING FULL ATTENTION TO SAFELY DRIVING THE CAR. UNTIL THE DEALER CAN SPECIFICALLY EXPLAIN WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND PERFORM WHATEVER WORK IS NEED TO GUARANTEE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS ONE-YEAR-OLD CAR, BEING CONCERNED THAT I'LL HAVE AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IF I STILL FEEL SORENESS IN MY LEFT EAR LATER TODAY, I PLAN TO CONTACT MY DOCTOR. *TR

DURING A SERVICE CALL ON OUR 2006 MINI COOPER, WE WERE INFORMED THAT BOTH FRONT STRUT MOUNTS WERE BENT AND DAMAGED. THESE ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND IN ONE CASE HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE AT 20000+ MILES AFTER HITTING A BAD POTHOLE. THE CAR NOW HAS 34000 MILES AND HAD TO HAVE BOTH MOUNTS REPLACED. APPARENTLY THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT MINI/BMW IS NOT WILLING TO CORRECT ALTHOUGH THERE ARE AFTERMARKET REINFORCEMENTS AVAILABLE. A FURTHER SEARCH OF THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT A LOT OF MINI & BMW OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE, IN PARTICULAR THOSE WITH RUN-FLAT TIRES INSTALLED. *TR

THE VEHICLE LOOSES POWER AT FREEWAY SPEED AND EVENTUALLY STOPS RUNNING. THE FUEL CUT OFF NOT ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE THIS IS DANGEROUS, NOT ALLOWING THE DRIVER ADEQUATE TIME TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE ON FREEWAY AS THE VEHICLE HAS TOTALLY LOST POWER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. ON TWO OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER AND THEY ARE INVESTIGATING THE FAILURE. THEY DID NOT STATE IF THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,500.