2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE. THE PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF LIGHT, ILLUMINATES 3-4 SECONDS AFTER ENGINE START, ALONG WITH THE RED AIR BAG FAILURE LIGHT, ON THE MAIN SPEEDOMETER. THIS OCCURS, WHETHER THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT, OR NOT, DUE TO THIS SAFETY DEFECT. MINI COOPER DEALERS, DENY THIS IS A PROBLEM, HOWEVER, I HAVE FOUND OVER 40 OTHER COMPLAINTS REGISTERED ON THIS EXACT DEFECT !!! MAJOR REPAIR COST FROM THE DEALER, TO CHANGE THE WHOLE BOTTOM SEAT CUSHION ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES THE DEFECTIVE AIR BAG SENSOR, THAT SEPARATES FROM THE SEAT CUSHION, AFTER A SHORT TIME! *JS

AT RANDOM TIMES, THE POWER STEERING FAILS, MOSTLY AT START-UP, BUT SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. I ALWAYS NEED TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION, AND RESTART THE CAR, WHICH SEEMS TO TEMPORARILY RE-ENGAGE THE POWER ASSIST STEERING.

AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHTS REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN IGNITION IS POWERED. SEAT CAN BE EITHER OCCUPIED OR UNOCCUPIED. INITIAL PROBLEM INTERMITTENT, WITHIN 1 MONTH PROBLEM CONSTANT, BOTH AIRBAG LIGHTS REMAIN ON. THERE ARE (2) AIRBAG LIGHTS IN THIS VEHICLE, ONE RED LAMP THAT IS IN THE DASH, THE SECOND A YELLOW LAMP LOCATED NEAR THE INSIDE CENTER REAR VIEW MIRROR. FEEDBACK APPEARS THAT THE ISSUE IS THE AIRBAG SENSOR LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM AFTER STUDYING SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS COMMENTED ON A MINI OWNERS WEBSITE. THIS IS ALSO A KNOWN PROBLEM OCCURRING ON BMW VEHICLES THAT IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *JS

I HAD RETURNED HOME TO CALIFORNIA AFTER LIVING IN HAWAII FOR A FEW MONTHS. I GOT IN MY CAR, DROVE IT FOR A FEW DAYS, ONLY TO FIND THAT WHILE ON ONE OF THOSE DRIVES MY AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. NOT ONE PERSON HAD DRIVEN MY CAR SINCE I HAD BEEN GONE. I TOOK MY CAR INTO BMW AND AFTER PAYING $180 FOR JUST A DIAGNOSTIC FEE, I AM NOW TOLD THAT MY "PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR MAT SENSOR" HAS GONE BAD AND WILL NEED REPLACING FOR $1,600. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE MY ENTIRE SEAT FOR THIS. BMW HAS, SUPPOSEDLY, RECOGNIZED THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE IN OTHER BMW MODELS ON THE PASSENGER FLOOR SIDE AND IS INDEED A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND HAS RECALLED BMWS ACCORDINGLY. HOWEVER, WITH THE MINIS, THEY HAVE NOT FESSED UP TO THIS BEING A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND THE DEALER NOW WANTS $1,600 FROM ME. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO MOTIVATION TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT DID NOT BREAK UNDER MY WATCH, AND SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. MY CAR WAS SITTING IN A GARAGE UNDER A CAR COVER FOR 3 MONTHS, AND THERE IS NO WAY WITH JUST 50,000 MILES ON MY CAR THAT THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING. BECAUSE I REFUSE TO GIVE THEM $1,600, MY PASSENGERS ARE NOW AT RISK FOR AN AIRBAG EITHER A) GOING OFF WHEN NOT SUPPOSED TO, OR B) NOT WORKING AT ALL. I PAY TOP DOLLAR FOR THIS CAR AND IT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE THAT BMW WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ABOVE ALL. I AM REALLY HOPING THAT SOMEONE WILL NOT HAVE TO LOSE THEIR LIFE OVER THIS FAULTY AIRBAG THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. I EXPECT TOP SERVICE FROM A TOP BRAND LIKE MINI AND BMW, AND SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN ISSUE THAT IS CLEARLY THEIR FAULT. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON DUE TO FAULTY OC SENSORS, AND FAULTY OC SENSOR CONNECTORS. MINI USA REFUSES EXTENDED WARRANTY ON SENSOR, OR RECALL WHILE PASSENGER SAFETY IS IN JEOPARDY. *TR

LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 MINI COOPER S. ALL OF A SUDDEN, HAVE NO POWER STEERING. VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. THANK GOD I WAS NOT IN A PLACE THAT THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I NOTE THAT I CAN TURN OFF THE MOTOR, THEN TURN IT BACK ON AND THE STEERING IS OK FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN GOES OUT AGAIN. I LOVE MY MINI COOPER, BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT NOW, IF I CAN'T COUNT ON THE STEERING TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR/MAT FAILED CAUSING AIRBAG "OFF" WARNING LIGHT AND POSSIBLY (CONFLICTING INFO FROM PUBLICLY-AVAILABLE SOURCES) TURNING OFF PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG TRIGGERING FUNCTION. THE COST OF REPLACING THIS COMPONENT IS SUCH A LARGE PORTION OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM PURCHASE PRICE AND THE FACT THAT IT MAY ALSO BE ESSENTIAL FOR THE SYSTEM'S PROPER FUNCTIONING, MAKE IT SEEM REASONABLE THAT IT SHOULD BE WARRANTIED FOR THE LIFE OF THE (AIRBAG) SYSTEM ITSELF, OR A "FIX" ENGINEERED AND INSTALLED AT NO COST TO A VEHICLE OWNER. *TR

ON DATE OF INCIDENT, WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP (BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE). I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR INTO A SPOT AND CALLED FOR TOW ASSISTANCE. THE REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSED AS A POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE AND HAD TO REPLACE THAT AND OTHER AFFILIATED COMPONENTS (COOLING FAN, ETC.). APPROXIMATELY 4 DAYS BEFORE THE FAILURE, THE POWER STEERING FAN WAS UNCHARACTERISTICALLY WHINNY, BUT WENT AWAY AFTER A FEW MINUTES AND WAS NOT HEARD AGAIN BEFORE THE FAILURE. *TR

THE CAR HAS BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE POWER STEERING ASSIST GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THE TRANSITION FROM POWER STEERING ASSIST TO MANUAL STEERING. I HOPE THIS ASSISTS THE INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN STRAIGHT ROAD STEERING BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY "TIGHTEN UP" AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND DRY. NEXT MORNING POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ALMOST HIT A FENCE. VEHICLE HAD BEEN GARAGED ALL NIGHT AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. POWER STEERING UNEXPECTEDLY RETURNED TWO MILES LATER, CAUSING DRIVER TO OVER-CORRECT BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN RETURN OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF THIS FAILURE IS THE MOST CONCERNING SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE DRIVER IS UNAWARE THAT EFFORT REQUIRED TO CHANGE LANES OR NAVIGATE A TURN MAY CHANGE DRASTICALLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. OVER-CORRECTION IN TRAFFIC IS FRIGHTENING. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO UNUSUAL OR EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR