2007 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MALFUNCTIONED AND/OR WAS FAULTY. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE MAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

DRIVING PA TURNPIKE WHEN MY 2007 MINICOOPER TEMP LIGHT CAME ON, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED THE OIL AND ENGINE LIGHT. AS THE LIGHTS APPEARED, THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER. IT LOST POWER AS I WAS PULLING OFF THE ROAD. 3 MINUTES TOTAL. SMOKE POURED OUT. I OPENED THE HOLD TO SEE A 3 INCH HOLE MELTED AWAY. I CLOSED THE LID. CONTACTED MINI ROADSIDE SERVICE WHO WOULD NOT HONOR THE TOW. CALLED AAA WHO DID. CALLED MINI OF PITTSBURGH, JASON THOMPSON, WHO ONLY SERVICED MY MINI FOR 4 YEARS AND 35,000 MILES WHEN HE FIRST DIAGNOSED NEEDING A NEW ENGINE. I ASKED MANAGER CHRIS LASKO ABOUT ANY RECALLS? COULD IT BE A LEMON? NO THIS IS UNUSUAL FOR A MINI, WAS THE ANSWER. BEFORE AUTHORIZING REPAIRS I ASKED ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE EFFECTS OF OVERHEATING. NO ELECTRICAL ISSUES WHERE FOUND. THEY FELT CONFIDENT RECOMMENDING REPLACING A NEW ENGINE & PARTS. I OKAYED TO PUT IN ALL NEW STARTER, STARTER CORE, ENGINE, ENGINE CORE, ENGINE HARNESS, COLLAR SCREW, PING SENSOR, INTAKE MANIFOLD, CORE RETURN GASKET, IGNITION COILS, COLLAR SCREW, SCREW WITH WASHER, CORE RETURN WITH HEAT PR, SRP BELT, AND COOLANT, A WATER PUMP PULLEY, AND FEW OTHER 20 SOME PARTS TO GET IT BACK ON THE ROAD. A MONTH LATER, I RECEIVED A LETTER REVEALING A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE DURABILITY OF A VAPOR RECOVERY DIAGNOSTIC PUMP ON 07. FEDERAL EMISSIONS DEFECT WARRANTY COVERS 10YEAR OR 120K MILES. I CALLED THE DEALER, THEY SAID THAT IT DID NOT PERTAIN TO MY VEHICLE. 2015 DEJA VU AT 64K MILES. I WAS DRIVING, COMMUTING WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I DROVE 2 MILES TO MY MINI DEALER. THEY SAID THEY COULD FIX IT BY PUTTING IN A NEW ENGINE. I HAD IT TOWED HOME. I HAVE CALLED & LEFT EMAIL'S WITH BMW/MINI CUSTOMER SERVICE. I HAVE HAD ZERO REPLY FROM THEN. THEY CLAIM TO BE THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE. AS AN ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, I THINK THE MORE HONEST AND REAL CLAIM WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE FARSE MACHINE.

2007 MINI COOPER S, HATCHBACK. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG (OFF) LIGHT, INDICATING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS DISARMED, IS ON AT ALL TIMES REGARDLESS OF PASSENGER. ADDITIONALLY, THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS FOR MY AIRBAG SYSTEM AND SEATBELT ARE ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES. THE CODES IDENTIFIED BY THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN HONOLULU INDICATE THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR HAS A FAULT. LOOKING UNDER THE SEAT, IT COULD BE A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS OR FAULTY CONNECTER AS THEY APPEAR VULNERABLE TO SEAT MOVEMENT FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. THE MINI DEALERSHIP ALSO STATED THE OBNOXIOUSLY EXPENSIVE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACK-ORDER.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET WITH MY WIFE THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF IMMEDIATELY. SINCE THEN IT HAPPENS SPORADICALLY WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR AND IT WOULD COST $1300 TO REPAIR IT. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2007 COOPER S BUT NOT FOR THE 2007 MINI COOPER. IT SEEMS TO ME THE SAME PART COULD BE HAVE BEEN USED IN THE SAME MODEL YEAR CAR.

THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED AND CANNOT BE RESET DUE TO A FAULTY OCCUPATION SENSOR. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THIS WILL CAUSE THE AIR BAG TO MALFUNCTION IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND COSTS OVER $1000 TO REPAIR AND IS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

I WAS INFORMED BY MY MINI SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR LOCATED UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS EXACT PART HAS BEEN THE CAUSE OF A RECALL FOR MINIS MADE THE SAME YEAR AS MINE, BUT MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE SAME PROBLEM THAT GENERATED THE RECALL. I CANNOT AFFORD TO MAKE THIS REPAIR MYSELF, AND NEITHER THE MINI DEALER NOR MINI CORPORATE HAS BEEN HELPFUL IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. I FEEL THAT MY CAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO ME. I'D LIKE TO REQUEST THAT MY CAR BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL OFFICIALLY, SO THAT I CAN COMPLETE THESE REPAIRS. OTHERWISE, I RISK DRIVING UNSAFELY, WITHOUT THE FUNCTION OF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG.

MY 2007 MINI COOPER STARTED TO OVERHEAT, DISPLAYING BOTH THE YELLOW AND RED INDICATION LIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY. I STOPPED, LOOKED AT THE MANUAL AND IT SUGGESTED THAT I TURN THE CAR OFF AND LET IT COOL OFF. I LET MY MINI "COOL DOWN" AND WHEN I WENT TO START MY CAR IT WOULD NOT START UP. MY CAR IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF, I CALLED MINI COOPER WHICH IS 75 MILES AWAY AND GOT MY CAR TOWED. I WAS TOLD MY ENGINE NEEDS REPLACEMENT FOR 11K. MY MINI WAS CHECKED LESS THAN ONE MONTH AGO AND I RECEIVED NO WARNING THAT MY ENGINE WAS FAILING. MY 2007 MINI ONLY HAS 83,000 FAR FROM THE EXPECTED OVER 100,000 LIFE EXPECTANCY. I WAS TOLD MY ENGINE FAILED DUE TO LOW COMPRESSION AND THE REPLACEMENT OF A THERMOSTAT; A THERMOSTAT THAT HAVEN'T BEEN IN STOCK FOR MONTHS. AFTER GOOGLING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. BMW REFUSE TO RECALL THE THERMOSTAT OR ENGINE, AND IT'S AN OUTRAGE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORST, A FAIR CONDITION, RUNNING 2007 MINI W/83,000 MILES AND PACKAGES VALUE IS LESS THAN 5K, A CLEAR SIGN OF THE WORTH OF A MINI. SUPER SAD CUSTOMER.

ENGINE WAS RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH AND VERY LOUD ENGINE NOISE RATTLE. TOOK THE CAR TO MINI COOPER SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN JACKSONVILLE FOR DIAGNOSTIC THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN, THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME OVER 2,800. WHEN MY UNDERSTANDING THIS ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED BY A RECALL TO BE REPAIR WITHOUT CHARGE.

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AFTER THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WAS MOVED FORWARD TO ALLOW ENTRY TO THE REAR SEAT. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED BY NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS ON THE INTERNET AND BMW HAS RECALLED CARS OLDER AND NEWER THAN MY CAR AND CONVERTIBLES FROM THE SAME YEAR.