2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

THE OCCUPANCY SENSOR HAS FAILED. THIS CAUSES THE AIRBAGS TO BE UNARMED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN USE. I HAVE CONTACTED MINI ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY COVERED THE REPAIR ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, BUT NOT MINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND IT SHOULD BE COVERED ON ALL VEHICLES THAT IT HAS OCCURRED ON, REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. THE REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE, AND SHOULD BE COVERED. *TR

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING, MAKING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP STARTED WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, THEN FAILED. CONTACTED LOCAL MINI DEALER (MIDWESTERN AUTO GROUP), WHO ADVISED THAT I BRING IT IN TO "CONFIRM" AT THE DIAGNOSTIC COST OF $140. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHY I SHOULD PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE WHEN I HAD I IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM, MAG SERVICE MANAGER STATED AT THAT TIME THAT A FULL/PARTIAL REPAIR BY MINI USA WAS "HIGHLY LIKELY" IF I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR DEALER SERVICE AND PAID THE FEE. AFTER NEARLY A MONTH OF BACK-AND-FORTH BETWEEN MINI USA, MAG, AND MYSELF NEITHER MINI USA NOR MAG WOULD OFFER ANY REPAIR ASSISTANCE. NEITHER MINI USA NOR MAG WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION, THE RECALL IN CANADA, OR THE NUMEROUS ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS WELL-DOCUMENTED ISSUE. BOTTOM LINE: I EXPERIENCED A "SHAKE DOWN" FROM MAG AND MINI USA IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. DEPLORABLE PRACTICE. *TR

WHILE PROCEEDING DOWN A NORMAL DRY ROAD I MANUALLY SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION (USING MANUAL MODE ON THE CVT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) FROM 3RD GEAR TO 4TH GEAR. THE SHIFT NORMALLY WOULD BE SMOOTH HOWEVER ON THIS OCCURRENCE THE ENGINE IDLED EXTREMELY HIGH AND THE GEAR KICKED IN AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS WITH A LOUD BANGING SOUND WHEN THE GEAR FINALLY TOOK HOLD. THE CAR BEHAVED ITSELF FOR A WHILE BUT THIS EVENT STARTED HAPPENING MORE AND MORE UNTIL IT BECAME A REGULAR OCCURRENCE. MOST OF THE TIME THERE WAS NO LOUD NOISE BUT THE 4TH GEAR WOULD NOT CATCH AND I ADJUSTED MY DRIVING SO THAT I WOULD SHIFT FROM 3RD GEAR TO 5TH GEAR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID THE OVER REVVING. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP. THEY LOOKED IT OVER AND ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS NO WAY OF REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE IT ENTIRELY. I AM CURRENTLY WORKING TO LOCATE A NEW TRANSMISSION AS DURING THE LAST OCCURRENCE (JULY 21, 2012) THE CAR DID NOT GO INTO 4TH GEAR AND I WAS STUCK ON A HIGHWAY WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO MOVE, I.E. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR. AFTER PULLING OVER TO SAFETY I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR UP TO 3RD GEAR AND RETURN HOME. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY UNUSABLE. I AM NOT WORKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER / DEALER AS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN ME THAT THEY ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND FINANCIAL GAIN IS THERE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE. IN ADDITION ALL THE INTERNET BLOGS THAT I HAVE REVIEWED, AND JOINED / COMMENTED ON HAS SHOWN ME THAT BMW / MINI DOES NOT WORK WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS TO RECTIFY THIS BAD, UNSAFE PRODUCT. I AM HOPING THAT BMW / MINI WILL WORK WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE STUCK WITH HIS BAD PRODUCT AND I AM ON A LIST TO SUPPORT A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT POWER STEERING FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, WHICH HAD BECOME INOPERABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,916 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,960.

EARLIER IN THE DAY I TOOK THE CAR ON A DAY TRIP TO LAKE TAHOE DRIVING A COMBINATION OF INTERSTATE AND MOUNTAIN PASS ROAD. 3 HOURS LATER, MY WIFE HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO RUN AN ERRAND AND CAME HOME AND PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE COMPLETELY OFF AND LOCKED. 10-15 MINUTES LATER WE HEAR THE CAR ALARM GOING OFF. WE OPENED THE DOOR TO THE GARAGE AND SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WAS HIGH PITCHED WINING ALSO. WHEN I OPENED UP THE DOOR THE PUT IN NEUTRAL, THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANELS WERE ALL ON WITH NO KEYS IN THE IGNITION. OPENED THE GARAGE AND MOVED THE CAR TO THE DRIVEWAY AND AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND I USED AN EXTINGUISHER UNDERNEATH WHERE ORANGE GLOW WAS VISIBLE. THE GLOW OF THE FLAMES WERE TOWARD THE BACK PART OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND LOW. SAW NO VISIBLE FLAMES IN THE MAIN COMPARTMENT WHEN THE HOOD WAS POPPED OPEN WHEN FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP THEY USED A GARDEN HOSE TO COOL ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SUGGESTED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHICH I DID. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE MINI DEALER IN RENO, NV. *TR UPDATED 8/8/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE PARTS THAT SEEMED TO HAVE CAUSED AND WERE DAMAGED IN THE INCIDENT WERE THE POWER STEERING PUMP, POWER STEERING COOLING FAN, AND ELECTRICAL HARNESS ALL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF A 2005 MINI COOPER S. UPDATED 08/14/2012 *JS

DEFECTIVE CVT TRANSMISSION! THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT IT WAS NO FAULT OF OURS THAT WE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION, BUT DUE TO THE WAY THIS TRANSMISSION WAS DESIGNED!!!!!!!! *TR

POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILS REPEATEDLY. SOLUTION HAS BEEN TO STOP CAR AND RESTARTED ENGINE; SEEMS TO RESET PUMP ELECTRONICS. THIS INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE HAS HAPPENED DOZENS OF TIMES IN THE 3 YEARS WE'VE OWNED THE CAR AND CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF DRIVER IS NOT AWARE OF THE CHANGE IN STEERING ABILITY. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE PUMP I BELIEVE AND WITH ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM I FEEL MINI/BMW SHOULD VIEW THIS AS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND COVER UNDER WARRANTY -- IT IS CLEARLY A DANGEROUS PART AND POOR DESIGN. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON DUE TO FAULTY OC SENSORS, AND FAULTY OC SENSOR CONNECTORS. MINI USA REFUSED EXTENDED WARRANTY ON SENSOR, OR RECALL WHILE PASSENGER SAFETY IS IN JEOPARDY. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR PAD WAS FAULTY AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM IN WHICH THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE DEALER AS A WARRANTY ISSUE AS I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION BUT DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR AN EXPENSIVE SAFETY RELATED DEFECT. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND STILL HAVE IT. PART FAILED IS A SEAT SENSOR. DEALER WANTS CLOSE TO $2K TO REPLACE IT, BUT IT FAILED A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME AGO. I WOULD THINK IT SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 2 OR 3 YEARS. CAN FIND TONS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS AT HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/STOCK-PROBLEMS-ISSUES-9-2.HTML *JB

SINCE I HAD THE CAR IN 2009 I HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING THAT IT HAS A FAILURE. BMW NO RESPONSE FOR THIS ITS A PUMP THAT ITS NOT DESIGN CORRECTLY. LOST OF MINIS HAS THIS PROBLEMS. HARD TO STEER AND ALMOST GOT INTO A CRASH. *TT