2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

BOTH DOOR HANDLES ARE INOPERATIVE FROM THE INSIDE. DEALER PER PHONE CALL DIAGNOSED "COMMON PROBLEM" AS THE BALLARD CABLE DISCONNECTING FROM THE LATCH. AFTER REMOVING THE DOOR PANEL IT WAS FOUND TO BE INTACT. PROBLEM IS YET TO BE DIAGNOSED. IT IS MY ASSUMPTION THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SECURITY SYSTEM SINCE THE DOORS DO NOT UNLOCK WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF AND THE DOORS DO NOT APPEAR TO TRY AND LOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE REACHES THE SET SPEED OF 15 MPH. THIS IS A DEFECT OF GRAVE CONCERN SINCE THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE CANNOT IMMEDIATELY EXIT THE VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH OR FIRE AND WOULD BE TOTALLY UNABLE TO EXIT IN THE EVENT OF AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. *TR

AUTO WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY AFTER A 30 MILE DRIVE, TURNED OFF AND KEYS REMOVED. AFTER SOME TIME BEING PARKED, CAR STARTED BILLOWING SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, PARKING LIGHTS CAME ON SPONTANEOUSLY. NO KEYS PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE. BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY THE APPARENT SHORT CIRCUIT HAD DRAINED THE BATTERY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MINI OF PEABODY MA WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP HAD SHORTED OUT CAUSING THE WIRING HARNESS TO BE DESTROYED AND ALSO DESTROYING THE BATTERY. *TR

STRUT TOWERS DEFORMED. THIS IS A RESULT OF STANDARD EQUIPMENT RUN FLAT TIRES HITTING POT HOLES. THE FIX IS A REINFORCING PLATE ATTACHED TO THE TOP OF THE STRUT TOWER. EITHER THE RUN FLATS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE OR THE STRUT TOWERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OF SUFFICIENT STRENGTH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A BMW MINI COOPER S. THE AIR BAG COVER EMBLEM HAS A DEFECTED EDGE. IF THE AIR BAG WERE TO DEPLOY, IT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURIES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COVER THREE TIMES, BUT THE DEFECT IS STILL UNCORRECTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 20,000.

I HAVE A 2005 MINI COOPER S AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON FORUMS SEE THAT THERE IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS. TURNS OUT THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT DEALERSHIPS EVEN CARRY EXTRA PARTS BECAUSE OF THIS. I SEE THAT SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR JUST HAPPENED WITH OTHER BMW'S. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE RECALL LIST. IT APPEARS THAT IN AN ACCIDENT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. *TR

(1) I RECENTLY TRADED MY 2003 MINI COOPER IN FOR A 2005 MINI COOPER S AT A PRIVATE DEALERSHIP. (2) UPON INSPECTING THE 2005 COOPER S, I NOTICED THAT THE STRUT TOWERS WERE DEFORMED, BUT SINCE THIS WAS NOT A MINI DEALERSHIP, NOTHING COULD BE DONE BY THEM. I BOUGHT THE CAR THINKING THIS COULD BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER CALLING THE CLOSEST MINI DEALERSHIP WHICH IS 200+ MILES AWAY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS CONSIDERED ABUSE TO THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE PREVIOUS OWNER MUST HAVE HIT A POTHOLE. THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS SITUATION IS THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE MINI COOPER'S SHOCK TOWERS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO A CAR. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS IN MY LIFETIME, AND NEVER HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN. I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER TO EXPERIENCE THIS AND IT IS A PRETTY COMMON OCCURRENCE IN MINI COOPERS. I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS SITUATION CAUSES THE CAR TO WANDER ON THE ROAD. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, I'M GETTING FEEDBACK FROM OTHER OWNERS. SOME SAY THEIR DEALERSHIP IS FIXING THE DEFORMATION, OTHERS, LIKE MYSELF ARE DENIED. I'M A LITTLE FRIGHTENED AT WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO THE CAR OVER TIME FROM THIS. WILL THE SHEET METAL GET EVEN WEAKER AS TIME GOES ON? I BELIEVE BMW SHOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. (3) I HAVE NOT FIXED THIS PROBLEM ON MY CAR YET, BUT THE FIX IS TO EITHER PAY MONEY TO HAVE THE SHOCK TOWERS CUT OUT AND HAVE NEW ONES WELDED IN, OR POUND DOWN THE OLD ONES UNTIL THEY ARE FLAT, THEN BUY REINFORCEMENT PLATES FROM A VENDOR TO KEEP THE ALREADY STRESSED METAL FROM BENDING AGAIN. *JB

SUDDEN STRESS CRACK APPEARED DIRECTLY BEHIND REAR VIEW MIRROR. NO ROCK CHIP OR OTHER IMPACT EVIDENCE. WE'D JUST GONE FROM COOL (MID 50'S ) TO RECORD HEAT (100) IN 24 HOURS. HAVE LESS THAN 4,500 MILES ON THE CAR. CAME OUT IN THE MORNING TO FIND THE CRACK, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 6" LONG GROWING VERTICALLY. THE CAR IS A 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. *JB