2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

ON 2005 MINI COOPER S WITH 13,000 MILES THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. MINI DIAGNOSED REASON AS FAILURE OF THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE $1100 REPAIR. MINI WILL NOT FIX BECAUSE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. MINI DID NOT STATE WHETHER THE AIRBAG WILL OR WILL NOT FUNCTION. PASSENGER SEAT HAS RARELY BEEN USED. MINI DENIES RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY TURNED ON AND OFF DURING THE NORMAL OPERATION OF THE CAR THREE TIMES SINCE PURCHASE TEN MONTHS AGO. THE ACTUAL FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP OCCURRED ON 8/16/2010 WHEN THE RELAY WITHIN THE UNIT FAILED AND WOULD NOT TURN THE PUMP OFF EVEN WHEN THE CARS ENGINE WAS OFF. THE RESULT WAS A DRAINED BATTERY AND THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO BE JUMP STARTED BECAUSE THE POWER STEERING PUMP TURNED ON AND CONTINUED TO DRAIN POWER AS SOON AS IT WAS CONNECTED TO POWER EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN WHEN THE PUMP SHUTS DOWN AND ALL THREE OCCURRENCES WERE WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH. ALSO WHEN THE CAR IS OFF THE COOLING FAN IS ALSO OFF AND THE PUMP HEATS UP TO THE POINT WHERE THERE IS A VERY REAL RISK OF ENGINE FIRE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE COOLING FAN REPLACED. THE WORK IS NOT YET COMPLETED BUT THE ESTIMATED COST IS 1,700 USD. THIS APPEARS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MINI COOPERS AS THE NUMBER OF FORUMS DEVOTED TO AND PERSONS REPORTING THIS ISSUE ON THE FORUMS ARE ASTOUNDING. *TR

PULLED INTO A BOOKSTORE CAME BACK 30MIN LATER, TRIED TO PULL OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. MY WIFE ISN'T QUITE STRONG ENOUGH - SO I HAD TO DRIVE IT THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. VERY SUDDEN AND WITHOUT WARNING, COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. *TR

THERE WERE NO "EVENTS" LEADING UP TO THIS. SUDDEN FAILURE OF POWER STEERING PUMP AS I TURNED OFF THE HIGHWAY ONTO A CITY SIDE STREET - NO NOTICE, JUST COMPLETE FAILURE OF COMPONENT. THE FAILURE LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH NO POWER STEERING - ONLY MANUAL "ARM STRONG" STEERING UNTIL REPAIRED. PERSONALLY REPLACED THE PUMP WITH NEW PART - NO SUPPORT FROM DEALER OR MANUFACTURE. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG DETECTION LIGHT SAYS OFF EVEN WHEN AN ADULT IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. I TOOK THE CAR IN AND THE AIRBAG CODE READ WAS A 71 INDICATING THAT THE OC3 MAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS FAULTING. THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME THAT THE AIRBAG MAY OR MAY NOT WORK EVEN IF A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT WOULD COST UP TO 3000.00 FOR MY CAR TO REPLACE THE OC3 MAT!!! NO SAFETY RECALL WARRANTY AVAILABLE FOR THIS MODEL YEAR AS THERE IS ON OTHERS! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. SHE CONTACTED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHICH JUMP-STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED THE NEXT DAY AND SHE WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE JUMP-STARTED A SECOND TIME. THE DEALER REMOVED THE BATTERY AND THERE WAS EXCESSIVE WATER SURROUNDING THE BATTERY BOX. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION FOR A WHILE UNTIL THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BATTERY WAS ENTIRELY ENCASED IN WATER AND EXHIBITED CORROSION. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE BST CABLES AND FUSE ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION FOR THE EXCESSIVE WATER IN THE BATTERY. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT IF THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, THE FAILURE WOULD ONLY CONTINUE TO RECUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 28,326.

BOTH MY PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND AIRBAG WARNING LAMP IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS ILLUMINATED DEACTIVATING AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT WHEN AN ADULT IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND REMAINS ON WHEN PASSENGER SEAT IS VACANT WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS ALSO 2 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS (TSB) I'M AWARE OF RELATING TO THIS MALFUNCTION: TSB: SI M-65-02-06 AIRBAG WARNING ILLUMINATED, FC55 FOR VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM AUGUST 31, 2005 - APRIL 25, 2006. NHTSA 10026024 (MY VEHICLE WAS PRODUCED IN AUGUST 2005 AS INDICATED ON MY DRIVER DOOR PANEL). TSB: 720106 AIRBAG WARNING LAMP FOR OC3 SEAT MAT FAULT, AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATES TOGETHER WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG STATUS LAMP. NHTSA 10019981. I SPOKE WITH 2 SERVICE MANAGERS AT MINI INDICATING FAULTY DETECTION MAT, PARTS WERE IN STOCK AND WILL NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FOR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $1000.00. MY ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REPAIR IT, FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING MY VEHICLE OR TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS IN THE EVENT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. IN ADDITION, BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON PASSENGER AIRBAG DETECTION MATS TO 10 YRS/UNLIMITED MILEAGE FOR SPECIFIC BMW MODELS RANGING FROM MY04 THROUGH MY06, WHO OWNS MINI OF NORTH AMERICA. I'VE READ SEVERAL FORUMS RELATING TO THIS ISSUE, ONE OF WHICH STATES MINI DID EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON MODELS PRIOR TO MY05, BUT PROBLEM HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED IN MODEL YEARS THEREAFTER AS MENTIONED IN MY COMPLAINT AND OTHER NHTSA BULLETINS. I CONTACTED MINI OF NORTH AMERICA WITH NO POSITIVE RESPONSE. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER S WITH 42K MILES. DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILS TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. I CAN ONLY EXIT THE CAR BY USING THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE WHICH REQUIRES OPENING THE WINDOW. IF AN EMERGENCY OCCURS WHICH REQUIRES RAPID EXIT FROM THE CAR AND THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE. 42K MILES IS FAIRLY LOW AND THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN ABUSED. MINI COOPER CLAIMS THIS IS 'NORMAL' WEAR. IT IS NOT 'NORMAL' WEAR AND IS INDEED A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT WHICH APPARENTLY HAPPENS TO MANY MINI COOPERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. AS HE WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AT 5 MPH, THE POWER STEERING PUMP LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSED UNCONTROLLABLE HARD STEERING. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THE FAILURE WAS NORMAL FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE CONTACT ADVISED THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

I BOUGHT A 2005 MINI COOPER IN SEPT 09 WITH 61,450 MILES. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER THE STEERING "CUT OUT" AS I TURNED A CORNER. I TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC WHO COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG & SAID THAT IT MAY JUST BE THAT A SPECK OF DIRT THAT GOT INTO THE SYSTEM. IT HAPPENED A COUPLE MORE TIMES AND I ASSUMED THAT THE "DIRT" WAS WORKING ITS WAY OUT. THEN I HAD A DRAMATIC INCIDENT WHERE NOT ONLY DID THE STEERING SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY CUT OUT, BUT THERE WAS TREMENDOUS "DRAG" ON THE SYSTEM AND IT TOOK ALL MY MIGHT & MAIN TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN I FOUND MYSELF IN THE OPPOSITE LANE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHO EVENTUALLY GOT THE CAR TO FAIL FOR HIM. HE TOLD ME TO GO TO A MINI SERVICE CENTER WHO COULD DEAL WITH THE FAULTY ELECTRONICS. I CALLED MINI OF AMERICA TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE IN MAKING THE CAR "RIGHT" BUT I WAS TOLD THAT CARS BREAK, THAT IT IS BEYOND THE 50,000 WARRANTY AND THAT IF THE CAR WAS UNSAFE, I SHOULD HAVE IT FIXED. THE REP SAID THAT "MAYBE" THEY WOULD PAY FOR PART OF THE PROBLEM AFTER IT WAS DIAGNOSED. I THEN SPOKE WITH A MECHANIC AT A MINI SERVICE CENTER WHO KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHAT WAS WRONG. HE SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MINIS BEFORE 2007 ----FIRST THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, THEN THE ELECTRONICS COMPLETELY FAIL. PAYING FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS FOR A CAR THAT I OWN IS MY RESPONSIBILITY BUT I BELIEVE THAT A CAR MANUFACTURER IS OBLIGATED TO PUT OUT A SAFE CAR. IF THIS IS A DESIGN ERROR, THEN THE COMPANY SHOULD MAKE IT RIGHT. WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL, I NEED TO TRUST THE ELECTRONICS TO RESPOND -- BECAUSE MY LIFE AND THE LIVES OF MY PASSENGERS DEPENDS ON IT. I THINK THAT MINI SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO INSURE THAT THE COMPUTER THAT GOVERNS STEERING OPERATES PROPERLY. AT PRESENT I HAVE A CAR THAT SITS DRIVEWAY BECAUSE IT IS TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I AM MAKING A TRIP TO A CITY THAT HAS A SERVICE CENTER IN TWO WEEKS AND I AM HOPING THAT MINI CORRECTS THIS PROBLEM WITH NO EXPENSE TO ME. *TR