2009 MINI COOPER S Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S US. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

TURBO LEAKING OIL - GASKETS - MAJOR COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THEY NEED TO REVIEW FOR DESIGN ERROR.

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG REMAINS OFF DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTION SYSTEM.

2009 MINI COOPER PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT USE TO COME ON FREQUENTLY WHILE STATIONARY AND IN MOTION, WITH OR WITHOUT PASSENGER, AND NOW STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. THE ALARM LIGHT COMES ON AS SOON AS THE CAR IS STARTED. THE WARNING LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED ON THE TACHOMETER GAUGE AND CENTER SPEEDOMETER GAUGE AND AN OVERHEAD LIGHT WARNED THAT "PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF" THE ALARM TAKES OVER THE DISPLAY ABOVE THE STEERING WHEEL AND MAKES IT SO YOU CAN NO LONGER SEE YOUR SPEED OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION. STARTED AT ~ 55,000 MILES ON THE CAR. MY MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT AS PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR MAT PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN A RECALL FOR 2005-2008 MODELS IN THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 15V205000. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, AS NONE OF THE AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY IN CASE OF IMPACT. THIS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE ARE AVAILABLE ALL OVER THE INTERNET.

TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BROKE CAUSING TIMING CHAIN TO BREAK AND RUINING VALVE TRAIN AND PISTONS. SINCE IT IS AN INTERFERENCE ENGINE. COMPLETE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED, WITH ONLY 25,000 ORGINIAL MILES ON VEHICLE.

TIMING CHAIN BROKE LEADING TO VEHICLE COMING TO A SUDDEN STOP. HAD THIS HAPPENED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, IT COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING. BMW REFUSES TO ASSIST.

PASSENGER AIRBAG/SEATBELT WARNING LIGHTS AND TONES ARE CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THIS IS NOT ONLY AN ANNOYING PROBLEM IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE PASSENGER SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS NON-FUNCTIONAL. THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT FOR THIS MODEL/YEAR AND RESOLUTION IS A COSTLY DEALER FIX WITH PARTS PRESENTLY BACKORDERED.

ON 8-28-16 THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED ON THE ENGINE OF MY 2009 MINI COOPER S, WHICH LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, REQUIRING THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. AT THE TIME OF FAILURE I WAS DRIVING AT FULL SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS SUDDEN POWER LOSS AND I HAD TO AVERT TRAFFIC TO SAFELY PULL OVER. DURING POWER LOSS THERE WAS LOTS OF SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE CAR. TIMING CHAIN FAILURES ARE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MINI, AND THE SUBJECT OF A RECENT LAWSUIT AGAINST MINI. SEE INFO REGARDING A SETTLEMENT DUE TO TIMING CHAIN FAILURE: HTTP://WWW.TIMINGCHAINTENSIONERSETTLEMENT.COM/ THE LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT EXTENDS THE ENGINE WARRANTY TO 7YRS/100,000MI. MY MINI IS AT 86K MI, AND A FEW DAYS OVER 7 YEARS. MINI USA REFUSES TO ASSIST ME IN SOLVING THIS KNOWN ISSUE.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. IT CURRENTLY HAS THE AIR BAG PASSENGER SEAT ON AND IT STATES THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THIS WAS A MAYOR RECALL TO OVER 100,000 MINI COOPERS BUT MINE WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE SEAT SENSOR IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THIS THEREFORE DOES NOT ACTIVATE THE AIRBAG. IF THERE WERE AN ACCIDENT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WOULD NOT EJECT. THIS IS A PROBLEM ON 100,000 AND MY VEHICLE HAS THE PROBLEM BUT IT IS NOT UNDER THE RECALL. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? WHO IS LIABLE FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS AN EXISTING PROBLEM FOR THE BRAND??? NOTHING HAS HAPPENED BUT IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN, WHO WOULD BE LIABLE? I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM ON RECORD ON THIS

I HAD AN ACCIDENT ON 6-30-2016 WHERE I LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR DUE TO HITTING FIRST A SOFT SHOULDER OF THE HWY. SR145 TRAVELLING AT A SPEED OF APPROX. 50-55 MPH. I GRAZED A POWER POLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND RAN THROUGH THREE LARGE WOODEN POSTS ON A RANCHERS PROPERTY. THE CAR SPUN AT AN180 ANGLE LEAVING ME IN THE FIELD FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FOR WHICH I WAS HEADED. NOT ONE AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON IMPACT!!! I AM CONCERNED THAT THESE AIRBAGS AND/OR INSTALLATION IS FAULTY AND CHP OFFICE SAID I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD NOT BLOWN CAUSING ME TO VEER JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE POWER/TELEPHONE POLE. POWER TO THE AREA WAS KNOCKED OUT FOR APPROX. 1 HOUR. I DO HAVE COPIES OF THE POLICE REPORT AND ABOUT 18 PICTURES OF THE ACCIDENT WITH TWO PICTURES BEING A CLOSEUP OF MY 2009 MINI COOPER. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE?