2006 MINI COOPER S Complaints

THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR HAS GONE BAD ACCORDING TO THE DIAGNOSE FROM THE DEALER. I'M TOLD THAT THIS WILL EITHER MAKE THE AIR BAG DEPLOY AT FULL FORCE OR POSSIBLY NOT AT ALL. THERE SEEMS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE ON BOTH BMW AND MINI'S. BMW HAS ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM, MINI HAS NOT. I HAVE A CAR WITH AN UNPREDICTABLE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT AND THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THAT IT IS A 1000 TO MAKE THE CAR SAFE TO PUT MY FAMILY IN. THIS SEEMS LIKE DENIAL OF A PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I FELT THE CAR JERK FORWARD AND THEN IT FELT AS IF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING IN AND OUT OF GEARS. MANAGED TO PULL OFF THE FREEWAY AND DRIVE TO THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP, WHICH WAS LUCKILY ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD. WAS TOLD BY DEALERSHIP THE PROBLEM WAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND WAS QUOTED $9,000 REPAIR COST. WHEN I ASKED THE MECHANIC WHY THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED THIS EARLY, TOLD ME THEY HAD NO IDEA. HOWEVER, WHEN I ASKED ANOTHER EMPLOYEE HOW MANY OTHER CARS HAD THEY SEEN WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, HE RELUCTANTLY ADMITTED "QUITE A FEW". *TR

WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT APP. 60 MPH, DOWNSHIFTED TO PASS AND EML LIGHT CAME ON AND POWER TO CAR WAS GREATLY REDUCED. FOUND OUT IT WAS A BROKEN CRANKSHAFT VIBRATION DAMPENER. NOTIFIED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY OR RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. QUITE EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR ALSO. CONTACTED MINI OF USA AND WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD TO BE DIAGNOSED BY A MINI DEALER FOR ANY POSSIBLE ASSISTANCE, BUT WAS NOT GUARANTEED THAT ASSISTANCE WOULD BE PROVIDED. *TR

THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR IS WEAK AND PRONE TO FAILURE. MINI DOES NOT COVER REPLACEMENT AND CHARGES $1200-$2000 TO REPLACE THE PART LEADING MANY OWNERS, INCLUDING MYSELF TO DRIVE THE CAR IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION (LOW SPEED OR NON DEPLOYING AIRBAGS). *TR

I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON IT. BEING A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. HAD SOMEONE WITH LESS ARM STRENGTH BEEN IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT THEY COULD HAVE HIT ONCOMING TRAFFIC HEAD ON AND KILLED SOMEONE. *TR

MY MINI COOPER S 2006 HAS BEEN RANDOMLY BANGING INTO GEAR AND WAS DIAGNOSED BY NORTHWEST MINI AS NEEDING A TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT FOR $8361.00 (BEFORE TAX). PROBLEM CAUSES CAR TO LOOSE ACCELERATION AND POWER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 40 MPH WHEN THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 42,000. UPDATED 08/29/12*LJ UPDATED 08/29/12

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATES SYSTEM IS EITHER OFF OR INOPERATIVE - IT DOES NOT MATTER IF SOMEONE IS SITTING ON THE SEAT OR NOT. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. AFTER REVIEWING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON MINI FORUMS, IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM IS COMMON AND DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SENSOR UNDER THE SEAT COVER. SINCE I RARELY CARRY PASSENGERS, THIS CONDITION IS DEFINITELY NOT DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR. AS IT STANDS, I HAVE NO WAY TO ASCERTAIN IF THE AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT SITUATION. THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO ANYONE RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR EVEN THE DRIVER. A LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE OR EVEN AN OLDER VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS TYPE OF SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE SRS DETECTOR MAT FOR TURNING OFF THE AIRBAGS IN THE EVENT OF AN UNDERWEIGHT OCCUPANT IS EASILY BROKEN. WHEN BROKEN, SENSORS DISABLE THE AIRBAGS. THIS PART IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE AND I CAN NOT AFFORD IT ON A FIXED INCOME ($1600). THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. THE MAT HAS ISSUES: 1) VERY PRONE TO FAILURE AND 2) INTEGRATED INTO THE SEAT CUSHION SO IT CAN NOT BE REPLACED ITSELF, IT MUST HAVE THE SEAT CUSHION REPLACED ALSO. MY MODEL IS A SPECIAL EDITION AND THERE ARE NO PARTS IN THE USA. 11 IN GERMANY AT A VERY HIGH PRICE. *TR

TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AT 70MPH AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS UP, SPEEDS DROPS TO MAXIMUM 30MPH CREATING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. FIRST OCCURRENCE MARCH 2012 WAS DIAGNOSED AS FAILED "THROTTLE BODY", SECOND OCCURRENCE IN JULY 2012 WAS DIAGNOSED AS FAILED "WIRING HARNESS". *TR