2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

AROUND 2 YEARS AGO, WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT, THE LIGHT COMES ON INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS OFF. THIS IS EXTREMELY CONCERNING THAT THE CAR'S PASSENGER AIRBAG MIGHT NOT BE WORKING, PARTICULARLY WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN REPORTED ON OTHER FORUMS TO BE LINKED TO A FAULTY SENSOR IN THE CAR SEAT, AND A NHTSA SERVICE BULLETIN (ID NUMBER: 10043927) HAS BEEN FILED. I HOPE THAT NHTSA CAN CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER A RECALL SHOULD OCCUR, GIVEN THE SAFETY CONCERN OF POTENTIALLY NOT HAVING A PASSENGER AIRBAG GO OFF IF A PASSENGER IS IN THE FRONT SEAT AND AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR

BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FEB. 2012 A FEW MONTHS LATER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS 15-20 TIMES, TO DATE. I HAVE LOST FULL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, NO STEERING CAPABILITY. SEVERAL TIME HAS BEEN WHILE TURNING OR EXITING THE FREEWAY, VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

THE MINI COOPER WAS SITTING IN THE GARAGE. MY FAMILY NOTICED A DISTINCT BURNING SMELL. WE DID NOT KNOW WHERE IS WAS COMING FROM. THE BURNING SMELL WAS TRACED TO THE GARAGE, BUT STILL DID NOT IDENTIFY THE SOURCE. THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN, THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. UPON INSPECTION AND REMOVAL OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP, ALL THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO THE UNIT WERE MELTED. THE POWER STEERING UNIT AND THE WIRING HARNESS LEADING TO THE UNIT ARE DAMAGED AND MUST BE REPLACED. IN CONCLUSION THE UNIT DREW POWER WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF AND FRIED THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP SUDDENLY WENT OUT ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S. FORTUNATELY FOR ME (ALTHOUGH THIS EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGICALLY UNFORTUNATE FOR SOMEONE ELSE) THIS HAPPENED IN A SCHOOL ZONE, WHICH MEANS I WAS DRIVING VERY SLOWLY. BUT WITH LITTLE CHILDREN AROUND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH I FIND THIS SUDDEN POWER STEERING FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON EARLY MINI COOPERS. THE PUMP HAS BEEN RECALLED IN CANADA, BUT WHY NOT IN THE U.S.A? CAN YOU TELL ME WHY THIS IS NOT A RECALL ITEM HERE? *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED AS I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN FROM ONE STREET TO ANOTHER. WHILE 1/2 WAY INTO THE TURN THE STEERING NO LONGER RESPONDED AND STARTED TO GO STRAIGHT INTO ONCOMING OPPOSING TRAFFIC. IT TOOK QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT TO YANK THE STEERING WHEEL AND AVOID A CRASH (MUCH MORE EFFORT THAN STEERING MY 54 CHEVY PICK UP TRUCK). HAD CAR TOWED TO BMW/MINI DEALER - DIAGNOSED AS "POWER STEERING PUMP SHORTING". COST OF REPAIRS TO REPLACE POWER STEERING PUMP (INCLUDING NEW P/S HOSES): $1977.62. *TR

DROVE 8 MILES TO WORK. PARKED CAR AND TURNED IT OFF. SOMETHING KEPT RUNNING UNDER HOOD. I COULD HEAR IT. SOUNDED LIKE A FAN. WHEN LEFT WORK AT END OF DAY, BATTERY WAS DRAINED. HAD TO USE KEY MANUALLY TO GET INTO CAR. CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED AAA. AAA TRIED TO JUMP START THE CAR. THE GUY GOT IT STARTED, BUT THEN IT SHUT DOWN WHILE HE STILL HAD THE JUMPER CABLES ON IT. HE SAID THAT WASN'T GOOD AND CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE, EVEN IF IT COULD BE STARTED. CAR WAS TOWED TO MY HOME. AND THE NEXT DAY CAR WAS TOWED TO MINI DEALERSHIP. MINI SERVICE DIAGNOSED AND FOUND THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD SHORTED OUT. MINI SERVICE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AT A TOTAL COST TO ME OF $1,162.77. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED AT FREEWAY SPEED. DRIVER NARROWLY ESCAPED ACCIDENT AT FREEWAY SPEED. POWER STEERING PUMP TOTAL FAILURE. SOMEONE WILL DIE UNLESS THIS ISSUE IS ADDRESSED. *TR

WAS DRIVING ALONG THE ROAD AND CAME UP ON A TURN WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED UP. PUT ALL OF MY WEIGHT INTO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP FROM JUMPING THE MEDIAN. SCARED THE LIFE OUT OF ME. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON AND IT SEEMED FINE. THEN GETTING ON THE FREEWAY, I WAS ON THE CLOVER-LEAF AND IT LOCKED UP AGAIN SO I PUT ALL OF MY WEIGHT INTO IT AGAIN, THEN IT SUDDENLY RELEASED. WITH THE SUDDEN JERK/MOVEMENT (AND IT HAS DONE THIS A FEW TIMES) SOMEDAY I KNOW IT WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO FLIP. THE POWER STEERING SEEMS TO WORK IN PHASES: IT WILL BE FINE FOR A COUPLE DAYS, THEN ITS INTERMITTENT/GONE FOR A WEEK OR 2. THE PAST FEW DAYS, IT HAS SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE FAN WAS ENGAGED EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOT BEEN FOR A STRENUOUS DRIVE. I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY THE PUMP NOT TURNING OFF WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. THIS MORNING I GOT TO MY CAR TO FIND THE BATTERY COMPLETELY DRAINED... AN APPARENT SHORT IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP (AND/OR FAN) KILLED IT. *TR

AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY IN DASH AND PASSENGER AIRBAG "OFF" ILLUMINATES ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. WHEN SOME SITS IN THE SEAT IT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN YOU CHECK THE CONNECTORS UNDER THE SEAT IT GOES OFF WITH WIGGLING. DIAGNOSED BY MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP AS "CRACKED SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR" INSIDE THE SEAT. NOT REPAIRABLE ONLY REPLACEABLE. AIRBAG WILL NOT GO OFF IF PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. MINI COOPER HAS COVERED THIS FOR OTHER MODELS, BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED. INCURRING ME A $1600 QUOTE FOR MAKE MY CAR SAFE FOR PASSENGERS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY MINI COOPER S '05, I SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING, WHICH MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. I FEEL THREATENED DRIVING MY CAR. *TR