2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN Complaints

THE REAR SPLIT DOORS WON'T OPEN WHEN UNLOCKING USING THE KEY FOB. THERE IS NO MANUAL LATCH TO OPEN REAR DOORS FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS MY WIFE'S ONLY VEHICLE AND MY CONCERNS ARE AS FOLLOW. 1- WE CAN'T ACCESS THE SPARE TIRE AND EMERGENCY TOOLS SINCE THE DOORS DOESN'T OPEN. AND MY MAIN CONCERN IS 2- WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT/FIRE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE ONLY EMERGENCY EXIT IS THROUGH THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE UTILIZING THE REAR DOORS? DIFFERENT SCENARIO WHAT IF THE VEHICLE FALLS IN WATER AND THE ONLY WAY OUT IS TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS BUT THERE IS NO MANUAL LATCH TO EGRESS? I BELIEVE THAT MINI COOPER FAILED OR DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THIS MATTER. I CAN'T INCLUDE PICTURES BECAUSE I'LL BE SHOWING A SHUT DOOR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR THREE TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COMPLETED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

IVE PERSONALLY DRIVEN MY 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN 11K MILES OF THE 34K IT HAS ON IT WITHOUT ANY ISSUE UNTIL ON JUNE 5TH, 2016 I PARKED IT NEAR MY WORK AND RETURNED TO IT THE NEXT MORNING.IT STARTED UP JUST FINE AND I JUST LET THE FIRST GEAR TAKE ME OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE. THEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE ONCE ON THE ROAD AND NOTHING... NO POWER. I PUT THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND NOTHING. I PULLED OVER AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A LABORED, CLANKY, ROUGH IDLE. GOT IT TOWED TO A SHOP, DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOWED MAIN RELAY FAILURE AND SOMETHING ABOUT VALVETRONIC SERVOMOTOR AND LIMITATION AND PLAUSIBLE AIR MASS SENSOR ISSUE. MAIN RELAY PART REPLACED FOR $20.WORKED FINE AFTER THAT. EIGHTEEN DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WENT HOME AND AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND SCARY POSSIBILITIES COULD HAPPEN WITH MY MINI RELATED TO THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS, AIR INTAKE, WATER PUMP AND TIMING CHAIN SENSOR WORST OF ALL. THINGS THAT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE IF FAILED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH OR IN AN INTERSECTION OR IN TRAFFIC! TO DATE, ILL BE RETURNING TO THE SHOP THAT HELPED MEET BAND AID THE PROBLEM, THEN TO MY REAL PROFESSIONAL TO HELP ME DIAGNOSE AND TREAT FURTHER POSSIBLE ISSUES.

I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY HIGHWAY WHEN THE SMOKE STARTED POURING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE CAR STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNING, OR SIGNAL LIGHTS APPEARING ON THE CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. I STOOD BACK, WATER FOR THE SMOKE TO CLEAR, AND TRIED TO RESTART BUT THE ENGINE WAS DEAD. I CALLED MY TOWING SERVICE AND HAD IT DELIVERED TO MY SERVICE GARAGE, MINI OF MAIN LINE, 130 MONTGOMERY AVENUE, BALA CYNWYD, PA. NO WARNING LIGHT EVER APPEARED, AND I WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE CAR. THE GARAGE REPAIR ESTIMATE STATES THAT THE "WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT" FAILED. MY MINI COOPER MODEL IS NOT LISTED UNDER RECALL #12V008000, BUT THE CONSEQUENCE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THAT DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE: THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP FAILED CAUSING THE ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT BOARD TO MALFUNCTION AND OVERHEAT.

THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF A STATE HIGHWAY WHILE GOING AT CRUISING SPEED OF 35MPH ON THE RIGHT MOST LATE, AND WITH ENGINE DEAD POWER STEERING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE AND BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE CAR TO THE SIDE. THE CAR WAS LITERALLY DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY, WE HAD KIDS ON BOARD AND FOR A SMALL CAR, WE WERE REALLY THAT LUCKY PASSING CARS WERE ABLE TO SPOT US AND AVOID HITTING US. WHEN WE TOOK TOWED IT TO THE SHOP, THE ISSUE WAS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED AND ALSO CRACKED THE ENGINE TOP COVER ON THE LEFT SIDE. ON SEARCHING THE INTERNET IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS THE "TIMING CHAIN, TENSIONER ISSUES" THAT BMW/MINI IS ALREADY AWARE OF HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT YET DONE A RECALL. THERE WAS ALMOST NO WAY OF TELLING THERE WAS THIS PROBLEM BREWING WITH THE VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH NOW IN RETROSPECT THERE WERE A FEW TELL-TALE SIGNS, WHEN IT WAS COLD, WE HAD HEARD A RATTLE SOUND, WHICH WENT AWAY IMMEDIATELY. ALSO THE SAME DAY THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED WHEN STANDING AT A SIGNAL, BUT STARTED UP AGAIN. NOW WE REALIZE THAT THESE SIGNS WERE RELATED TO THE PROBLEM THAT OTHER USERS HAD COMPLAINED TOO BEFORE THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE.

INTERMITTENT STEERING LOSS WHILE DRIVING. MINI IS AWARE OF ISSUE... OFFERS NO FIX. LOW MILEAGE. FAILURE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING TURNING AND NOT TURNING. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR DASHBOARD WARNING OR MESSAGE. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS MINI IS AWARE AND VERY HIGH PETE STAGE OF OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME .... DEATHS HAVE BEEN REPORTED .

THE SOCKET THAT GOES IN THE BULB FOR THE HEADLIGHTS ARE BURNED ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS. THE BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND BECAUSE OF THE BURNED SOCKET THAT CONNECTS TO THE HEADLIGHT APPARENTLY IS UNABLE TO SEND A SIGNAL TO THE BULB AND NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS ACTIVE WITH NO PERSON IN THE SEAT, IT GO ON AND OFF EVERY TIME. I DESACTIVE BUT GO ON AGAIN. THE NO ACTIVE THE AIR BAG WHEN SOMEBODY IS IN THE SEAT AND GOES ON AND OFF.

MY SON HAS A 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON THERE IS A RECALL ON THE 2008 MINI COOPERS BUT NOT THE 2009 THE CODE FOR THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS THE SAME AS THE 2008 CODE I AM WONDERING WHY THE 2009 MINI IS NOT RECALLED ALSO

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR HAS BEEN GOING OFF INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN WHEN SOMEONE OF NORMAL ADULT SIZE (160LBS) IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE CONTACTED MINI AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT UNLESS I PAY FOR THE COSTLY REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN SLOWLY RECALLING OTHER MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE IMPROPERLY FUNCTIONING MAT IN MY MINI COOPER CLUBMAN MAY CAUSE THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG TO BE INACTIVE WHEN THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED, AND IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY, INCREASING THE PASSENGER'S RISK OF INJURY. THIS IS CLEARLY DUE TO A DESIGN, MANUFACTURING, INSTALLATION, AND/OR EXPOSURE ISSUES, THAT CAUSES THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT NOT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AND, AS A RESULT, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. THIS NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED AND NOT WAIT UNTIL MORE PEOPLE ARE HURT BY BMW'S REFUSAL TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM IN ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEY ARE WAITING FOR MORE DEATHS, INJURIES AND/OR COMPLAINTS BEFORE THEY FINALLY RESOLVE THEIR PROBLEM AT THEIR COST IN ALL CARS. WHAT CHANGE HAVE THEY EMPLOYED AFTER 2008 TO THIS DESIGN, MANUFACTURING AND INSTALLATION PROCESS IN THEIR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSORS THAT MAKES THEM ISOLATE ONLY SOME REPAIRS ON SOME MINIS? NONE! AT LEAST NONE THAT HAVE WORKED AS I HAVE A 2009 MINI COPPER CLUBMAN WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM, SO CLEARLY THEY HAVEN'T RESOLVED IT AND SHOULD NOT LIMIT THEIR RECALL TO 2005-2006 MINI COOPERS AND COOPER S, NOR JUST CONVERTIBLE MINI COOPERS BETWEEN 2005-2008 MODELS. 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMANS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM, YET BMW TELLS ITS CUTOMERS WITH WARRANTIES TO PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES! BAD BUSINESS. HOPE SOMEONE SUES THEM, BUT PROBABLY NOT UNTIL SOMEONE DIES. AT LEAST THIS PUTS THEM ON NOTICE SO THEY CAN BE SUED MORE EASILY. I HAVE CHILDREN...SHAME ON YOU BMW!