2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

THE AIRBAG LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. ALSO, THE LIGHT WHICH INDICATES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS OFF COMES ON WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. CERTAINLY, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WE BELIEVE BMW/MINI SHOULD FIX THIS AT NO CHARGE. *TR

POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING AND DOES NOT RETURN UNTIL CAR IS CYCLED OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. *TR

MY POWER STEERING BEGAN TO STOP WORKING AS I RODE. I WOULD PARK THE CAR, SWITCH THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART AND THE POWER STEERING WOULD COME BACK. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BOTH IN BACK ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. FINALLY LAST MONTH IT STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY AND NOW IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AND REALLY A DANGER TO BE ON THE ROAD WITH. *TR

BOUGHT MINI COOPER USED FROM DEALER JUST PRIOR TO GOING TO FLORIDA FOR 2 WKS. WHEN ALMOST HOME FROM FLORIDA POWER STEERING WENT OUT. MY 3000 MILE USED CAR WARRANTY HAD JUST RAN OUT SO CHECKED ON RECALLS, FOUND NONE. BUT I DID FIND OUT THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS. CONTINUED TO DRIVE VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY AND FOUND THE STEERING SOMETIMES WORKED AND AGAIN WOULD CUT OUT WITH NO WARNING, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER WHEN NOT EXPECTED. THEN ONE DAY I CAME HOME AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF BUT THE STEERING PUMP WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO GET IT TO STOP. WHEN I RECONNECTED THE BATTERY IT WOULD START RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN. THAT'S WHEN I DECIDED I NEEDED TO BITE THE BULLET AND TAKE IT IN TO BE FIXED. I RECONNECTED THE BATTERY AND DROVE IT TO A MINI COOPER DEALER WHO TOLD ME IT WAS THE STEERING PUMP THAT WAS BAD, THAT IT HAD INTERNAL ELECTRONICS THAT FAIL. I HAD THEM REPLACE IT FOR A TOTAL COST OF $1072.38 AND THAT CAME WITH A 2 YR WARRANTY. PLEASE NOTE ~ THE VEHICLE HAD A WHIRRING NOISE WHEN I BOUGHT IT THAT I THOUGHT WAS FROM THE TURBO. I FOUND OUT LATER IT WAS THE STEERING PUMP MAKING THE NOISE. WHEN THE NEW PUMP WAS INSTALLED IT WAS A LOT QUIETER. *TR

MY 2005 MINI COOPER S HAS POWER STEERING WHEEL FAILURE. IT STARTED HAPPENING AFTER THE CAR HIT 50,000 MILES WHICH I THINK IT'S STILL TOO LOW FOR ANY CARS. I FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE PROBLEM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHEN I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ON A MAIN RD. THE STEERING WAS SO DIFFICULT TO TURN EVEN WITH BOTH HANDS THAT I HAD TO COME TO HALT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD HAVE HIT THE BUILDING IF I KEPT ON GOING AT FULL SPEED WHICH IS 30 MILES. SO GLAD THERE WAS NO CAR BEHIND ME. ENCOUNTERED A FEW MORE TIMES AFTER THIS. MY CAR IS NOW PARKED AT MY CONDO LOT AS IT COST OVER $1300 TO GET IT FIXED. IT WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS IS THIS HAPPENS ON THE FREEWAY. A FEW OF MY FRIENDS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE OR LIFE WILL BE LOST. BMW/MINI NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILURE--PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WON'T GO OUT. ACCORDING TO WEB-FORUMS, 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. *TR

POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAILING TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IT OCCURS MAINLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND DRIVING AWAY FROM A STOP. STOPPING AND RESTARTING CLEARS THE PROBLEM. IT DID HAPPEN ONCE AT FREEWAY SPEED ON A LEFT HAND OFF RAMP. IT MADE THE STEERING VERY HEAVY AND HARD TO TURN AND COULD HAVE LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL HAD THE PAVEMENT BEEN SLIPPERY. THE POWER STEERING DID RETURN AFTER SLOWING AND COMPLETING THE TURN. *TR

VIN: [XXX], DELIVERED SEPT. 2004. CURRENT MILEAGE 49,940 THIS CAR WAS ORDERED VIA MINI.COM. THE ONLY DRIVERS ARE A 63 YR FEMALE AND A 63 YR MALE. NO CHILDREN HAVE EVER DRIVEN THIS CAR, NOR HAS IT BEEN RACED, DRIVEN HARD, SIMPLY DRIVEN TO WORK AND BACK LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, A 11 MILE TRIP MAX SPEED ON A 55 MPH HIGHWAY. THE FRONT END MADE A HUGE NOISE, THE CAR SHOOK, AND I STOPPED. I HAD TO CALL A TOWING SERVICE, AS I FELT THE CAR WAS UNDRIVABLE. THE SERVICE TOWED THE CAR TO MINI OF NASHVILLE, WHERE I WAS TOLD THE "HARMONIC BALANCER" BROKE, AND IT THEN BROKE THE FRONT AXLE. WHAT? I ASKED, IS A HARMONIC BALANCER" AND WHAT DOES IT DO?, AFTER A LENGTHY CONVERSATION, I FIND OUT THAT IF THE CAR IS TOO OLD, THE RUBBER DRIES OUT AND THIS CAN HAPPEN. FOR A PART TO WEAR OUT, I AM STUCK WITH $2,000 REPAIR BILL. THIS CAR IS NOT TOO OLD, IT HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT AND IS ALWAYS GARAGED. IF THE PARTS MINI USES ON A CAR AND IF MINI KNOWS THAT THEY WEAR OUT THEN MINI SHOULD FULLY DISCLOSE THIS, AS CONSUMERS CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS WHEN MAKING DECISIONS ON CAR PURCHASES. THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECT FROM A MINI, THIS CAR WAS GENTLY DRIVEN, WELL TAKEN CARE OF. YOUR "HARMONIC BALANCER" IS DEFECTIVE, YOU SHOULD MAKE THE BUYERS OF YOUR CARS AWARE OF THE DEFECT, PUT YOURSELF IN POSITIONS TO MAKE IT RIGHT. THIS CAR WAS UNDRIVABLE, I COULD HAVE HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT HIGH SPEED IF A BROKEN AXLE OCCURRED WHILE ON A LONG TRIP, LET ALONE THE INCONVENIENCE OF REPAIRS, HOTEL STAYS, AND OTHER INTERRUPTIONS. I AM EXPECTING MINI MAKE THIS REPAIR AS A WARRANTIED ITEM, COVERING THE COST, LABOR TO REPAIR DEFECTIVE PARTS. THE INVOICE IS DATED 29 APRIL 2011, MINI OF NASHVILLE, I AM CUSTOMER # 31442. THE INVOICE READS AS FOLLOWS: THE DRIVER STATES WHILE DRIVING IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING FELL OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE MINI. 11 - REPLACED DAMPNER. 1035 C THERE ARE MANY INCIDENTS OF THIS ON THE WEB. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THIS IS THE RESULT OF USING INFERIOR PARTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM

WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING. THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND HAPPENS EVERY FEW DAYS. SIMPLY CYCLING THE IGNITION GETS IT WORKING AGAIN BUT IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN IN MY BOOK. *TR

THE CAR ( 2005 MINI COOPER) WAS COMPLETELY DEAD OVERNIGHT. WE CHARGED THE BATTERY AND A FAN WOULDN'T TURN OFF WHICH MUST HAVE CAUSED THE DRAIN. WE HAD IT FIXED. IT WAS A FAULTY RELAY IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP, WHICH HAD ALSO BEEN LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE. READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS VERY ISSUE. WE SPENT $1,000 TO FIX THIS ON A CAR WITH 40,000 MILES! *TR