2006 MINI COOPER S Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

RECALL NOTICE NO. 15V-205 WAS RECEIVED JUNE 2015 FOR FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT SENSOR. AS OF 24 SEPTEMBER 2015, DEALER STILL DOES NOT HAVE PARTS OR "INFORMATION" ON RECALL.

I COMPLAINED WITH MINI COOPER BACK IN 2011 WHEN MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AND DEALERSHIP SAID THAT REPLACEMENT WILL BE DONE OUT OF POCKET. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR AT RISK; MORE OFTEN THAT NOT, I DO NOT DRIVE MY CAR WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. FAST FORWARD TO 2015 WITH RECALL BUT UNABLE TO EXECUTE THE RECALL DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE WHAT THE CAUSE OF DELAY AND SINCE THE ORIGINAL PART WORKS ALBEIT BAD DURABILITY, FORCE MINI COOPER/BMW TO PERFORM STOP GAP REPAIRS WITH OLDER PARTS, BYPASS SENSOR OR CHANGE SOFTWARE CODE TO DISREGARD BAD SENSOR INPUT. THE BURDEN IS TOO GREAT FOR ME TO USE MY CAR WITH NO PASSENGER OR PASSENGER AT RISK. STOP GAP REPAIRS, INCLUDING CHANGING THE SOFTWARE CODE AND ELIMINATE SENSOR INPUT TO DISABLE THE AIRBAG CAN BE A TEMPORARY REPAIR. HOW HARD IS IT FOR BMWQ TO SHORT OR "FAKE" THE SENSOR SIGNAL, SO THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT DISABLE THE AIRBAG; HENCE IT WOULD DEPLOY WHEN THERE'S A PASSENGER ONBOARD. PUT A STICKER ON THE DASHBOARD THAT SAYS AIRBAGS ARE TEMPORARY ACTIVE AND CHILD SEATS NOT ALLOWED. MY SAFETY INSTINCT TELLS ME IT IS PREFERRED TO HAVE THE AIRBAG ACTIVE AND DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED. THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CHILD SEAT IS MOST LIKELY A VERY LOW NUMBER THAT MOST OWNERS WOULD PREFER TO HAVE AN ACTIVE AIRBAG. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS IS TAKING SO LONG, AND PUTTING THE OWNERS AT RISK WHEN THERE ARE STOP GAP MEASURES AVAILABLE. BYPASSING THE SENSOR AND HAVING THE AIRBAGS ACTIVE SEEMS TO BE THE MOST LOGICAL ONE EXCEPT NHTSA MAY BE THE PROBLEM FOR COMING UP WITH AUTO-SENSORS TO PREVENT CHILD SEAT ACTIVATION. NHTSA SHOULD MAKE A CHOICE AND DECIDE WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, SAFETY OF THE PASSENGERS, OR HAVING TO GIVE BMW INSTRUCTION AND WAIVERS TO ALLOW STOP GAP AND NOT PUT ME AND MY PASSENGERS AT RISK.

MY MINI COOPER HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP THAT WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I NOTICED THAT 2002 THROUGH 2005 HAS BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE BUT NOT 2006? AND NOW I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY POWER STEERING?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT FLASHED REPEATEDLY MONTHS AFTER RECEIVING NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLASH FOR MONTHS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 11/06/15*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE REPAIRED. UPDATED 2/2/2016*JS *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED WERE UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

THIS HISTORICAL ISSUE HAS PLAGUED MANY DRIVERS OF MINI USA AND MANY HAVE REPORTED ACCIDENTS. IS IT GOING TO TAKE THE LOSS OF INNOCENT LIVES TO HAVE YOU FORCE MINI USA DO THE RIGHT THING AND INCLUDE ALL OF THESE KNOWN DEFECTS FIXED?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

I OWN A 2006 MINI COOPER S, WHICH I PURCHASED NEW IN OCTOBER 2006. ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I NOTICED THAT AFTER SLOWING BY STEPPING OFF / RELEASING THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR WOULD JERK FORWARD - AT THE TIME, I DID NOT THINK IT WAS SERIOUS BECAUSE IT HAPPENED A FEW TIME AND IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. AFTER LAST MINI SERVICE IN MARCH 2015 - LATELY, I NOTICED THAT IN STOP & GO TRAFFIC, SOMETIMES AFTER BRAKING OR SLOWING, THE CAR HAS A HARD TIME GETTING UP TO SPEED - SOMETIMES GRADUALLY STEPPING ON GAS PEDAL AS USUAL TO START OFF AGAIN, I HEAR THE ENGINE REV UP PRETTY LOUD SO I LET UP ON THE GAS PEDAL, AND THEN TRY TO STEP ON GRADUALLY AGAIN - SOMETIMES, IT WOULD TAKE A WHILE FOR THE CAR TO GET UP TO SPEED. ALSO, LATELY, AFTER I BRAKE AND SWITCH FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE TO BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE CAR JERKS BACK WHEN I AM NOT STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL AT ALL. I TOLD THE MINI DEALER ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK WHEN THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT START - THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE CAR DID NOT START DUE TO FAULTY CIRCUITRY IN A FUSE BOX, WHICH WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW FUSE BOX. THE DEALER SAID THAT WHAT I DESCRIBED SOUNDED LIKE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, AND AFTER THE NEW FUSE BOX WAS PUT IN, THE DEALER TOOK THE CAR ON A TEST DRIVE TO SEE IF ANYTHING ELSE WAS WRONG. THE DEALERS DIAGNOSIS WAS TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $9,000. MY CAR HAS AROUND 55,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED WELL. IT IS UNREASONABLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO REQUIRE REPLACEMENT AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE AND IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME - THE CAR WAS BARELY USED IN THE FIRST YEAR - IT WAS DRIVEN MOSTLY WITHIN THE LAST 7-8 YEARS. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT MANY MINI COOPER OWNERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS TRANSMISSION ISSUE, WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN COLLISIONS SINCE THE CAR WILL NOT ACCELERATE AS EXPECTED.

BACK AGAIN! I JUST CAN'T CATCH A BREAK WITH THIS CAR! I WAS TAKING A ROAD TRIP AND HAD ALL MY FLUIDS CHECKED AND FILLED PRIOR TO LEAVING.WHILE DRIVING HWY99 MY THERMOSTAT GAUGE WENT FINE TO DANGER ZONE! I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SHOP AND WAS TOLD TO PULL INTO A GAS STATION AND CHECK THE WATER AND COOLANT. HE STAYED ON THE PHONE WITH ME WHILE I REPORTED WHAT THE TEMP GAUGUE WAS DOING. EVERY TIME I TURNED THE THE GUAGE WOULD DROP TO FINE UNTIL THE NEXT TURN WHICH IT WENT TO DANGER. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION I HEARD A LOUD CLUNK.I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND CHECK THE FLUIDS AND FOUND THAT EVERYTHING WAS FULL BUT THE WATER PUMP WAS LOW. I CHECKED UNDER THE CAR AND FOUND A LEAK. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE SHOP WHICH THE FOLLOWING WAS FOUND.1. MALFUNCTION OF THE WATER PUMP 2. WARP HEADGASKET 3. WARP CYLINDERS THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY AGREED TO THE ENGINE REPLACEMENT THEN LATER STATED THEY WOULD ONLY PAY 1500 TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, AND HAVE THE HEAD AND CYLINDERS REFURBISHED. MY SHOP HAS CALLED AND SPOKEN TO THEM NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT ANY OUTCOMES. MINI IS REQUESTING ME TO PAY OUT OF EXPENSES TO HAVE THE CAR PUT BACK TOGETHER AND TOWED 75 MI AWAY TO THE NEAREST MINI CERTIFIED SERVICE CENTER, AS WELL AS PAYING FOR THEM TO TARE DOWN THE ENGINE FOR THEM RUN THEIR OWN TESTS.THE SERVICE SHOP SAID IT WOULD BE 3500 FOR EVERYTHING TO BE GONE THROUGH! AFTER MINI COMPLETES THE ABOVE, THEN THEY WOULD TRY TO HAVE WARRANTY COMPANY REPLACE ANY ITEMS AND IF THEY ARE NOT COVERED THEY WOULD ASK MINI TO PROVIDE IT, HOWEVER I WOULD BE OUT OF POCKET AGAIN! THE CAR IS STILL AT THE SERVICE SHOP AS OF TODAY. I AM VERY UNSURE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE AND WHETHER I SHOULD FIX IT OR SELL IT. I AM ALREADY PAYING FOR THE VEHICLE LOAN AND INSURANCE FOR A CAR THAT I CAN NOT EVEN DRIVE WITH COUNTLESS PROBLEMS. RECALLS NEED TO BE MADE! PLEASE END THIS NIGHTMARE!