2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

I HAVE A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT FAILED AROUND 50,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1400.00. THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR OF MINI COOPER S. DEALSHIPS NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND MINI/BMW NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL. *TR

FOUND NEED MORE TURNING OF STEERING WHEEL AT TRAFFIC LIGHT INTO THE CROSS STREET, THEN PARKED THE CAR, TURNED OFF ENGINE BUT STILL FOUND SOMETHING RUNNING IN ENGINE BAY. THOUGHT IT WAS THE FAN TO COOL THE ENGINE OFF, SO DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION. AT LUNCH, COME BACK TO PICK UP THE CAR, AND FOUND ITS BATTERY WAS DRAINED ALMOST TOTALLY. JUMPED THE CAR WITHOUT ISSUE AND DROVE BACK HOME WITHOUT ISSUE. TURNED OFF ENGINE AND STILL HEAR THE NOISE OF SOMETHING RUNNING IN THE ENGINE BAY. PULLED ALL FUSES TO SEE IF CAN IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM, DOESN'T HELP, SOMETHING STILL RUN WITH LOAD NOISE. SEARCHED INTERNET, FOUND OTHER OWNERS ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME AND IS THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE, SOME EVEN FOUND FAILURE WHILE DRIVING.

SEAT WARMER FAILED TO SHUT OFF AD BURNT A HOLE IN THE SEAT AND IN MY JACKET. MAY HAVE STARTED A FIRE IF I HAD NOT SHUT IT OFF. THIS CAR HAD BEEN IN FLA FOR MOST OF ITS YEARS AND ALSO HAD LOW MILEAGE - CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT ON THE CENTER DASHBOARD AND "AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR TURN ON WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE CAR. IT APPEARS AS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR IS FAILING TO PROPERLY DETECT THE PASSENGER'S WEIGHT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 MINI COOPER AND TOOK A SWEEPING RIGHT TURN ONTO A FREEWAY ON RAMP. DURING THE TURN THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND IT TOOK AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF FORCE ON THE WHEEL FOR ME TO AVOID HITTING THE SIDE OF THE OVERPASS AS THE CAR WANTED TO CONTINUE GOING STRAIGHT.. IT PROCEEDED TO CUT OUT AGAIN AS I TRIED TO GET IT HOME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL IT AND PARK IT. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF THE PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN AND DRAINED THE BATTERY OVERNIGHT. THE CAR WOULD NOT START IN THE MORNING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPERS S. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING BEGIN TO FAIL AND THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

THE RED AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IN THE SPEEDOMETER AREA CAME ON AT APPROXIMATELY 99,450 MILES. IT CAME ON AFTER DRIVING ACROSS A CITY RAILROAD CROSSING AT LOW SPEED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND ASKED ABOUT THE LIGHT, AND THEY INDICATED THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION BUT COULD BE A FAULTY SEAT SENSOR WHICH WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $1250 TO REPLACE. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY WERE NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THE AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS MODEL AND YEAR MAY ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING HARNESSES AND CONNECTIONS, AND THAT ONLY THE DEALER CAN RESET THE WARNING LIGHT. AS OF DECEMBER 2 2010 THE VEHICLE HAS 113,000 MILES ON IT AND THE WARNING LIGHT IS STILL ON. 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. THANKS. *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO REASON. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I GOT THE CAR AND I READ THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH PUTTING BAGS ON THE SEAT. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THERE IS A BAG, A PERSON OR AN EMPTY PASSENGER SEAT. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING FAILURE, WHILE TURNING POWER STEERING FAILED, NO LEAKS, AND FLUID RESERVOIR FULL. RESEARCHED POSSIBLE PROBLEMS AND FOUND AN ARTICLE ON HTTP://NEW MINI.WORD PRESS.COM REPORT PUBLISHED ON HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/WATCHDOG TALKS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM EFFECTED 175,000 MINI'S BETWEEN 2001-2007. THIS SEEMS PRETTY SERIOUS AND WITH THAT MANY VEHICLES I SHOULDN'T INCUR ANY COSTS FOR REPAIR. *TR

MY 2005 MINI COOPER S APPEARS TO HAVE LOST ITS POWER STEERING. JUST HAPPENED TODAY (11/22/10) AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. I DID NOT LOSE CONTROL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT JUST BECAME EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR. *TR