2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON AND SAYS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS TURNED OFF. IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A WEIGHT SENSOR IN THE SEAT AND IT IS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT THERE IS CONFLICTING INFORMATION NOT THERE AS TO WEATHER THE AIR BAGS WILL WORK OR NOT IN THIS CONDITION. THE DEALER FIX COST BETWEEN 1000 AND 1200 DOLLARS TO FIX. THESE SAFETY ITEMS SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR AND NOT COST THIS MUCH TO REPAIR. WHY ISN'T BMW RECALLING THIS CAR AND FIXING AN OBVIOUS DEFECT? *TR

MY PROBLEM IS WITH A 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHY IS THEIR NOT A RECALL ON THE WATER PUMP? IT HAS BEEN KNOW FOR GOING OUT PREMATURE AND BMW HAS REDESIGNED THE NEW PUMPS WITH A METAL IMPELLER INSTEAD OF PREVIOUS PLASTIC. TALKING TO THE DEALER, THEY MADE ME FEEL FORTUNATE THAT MY WATER PUMP MADE IT TO 50,000 MILES STATING THEY REPLACE MANY WATER PUMPS IN THE 1ST GENERATION SERIES AROUND 20,000 MILES. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS DANGEROUS, AS THE FAILURE CAN CAUSE OVERHEATING AND REQUIRES YOU TO SHUT OFF THE CAR, AND SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. CARS ARE NOT MADE TO OVER HEAT. THIS GREATLY INCREASES THE CHANCE OF A FIRE. BMW KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM BUT IS NOT RECALLING THE WATER PUMPS UNTIL 2006-2011. I THINK THE 1ST GENERATION MINIS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RECALL AS MOST MINIS INCLUDING MINE HAS/HAD A WATER PUMP ISSUE AND WOULD LIKE OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO HAVE IT REPLACED. I HAVE CAUGHT MINE EARLY BUT ONLY BECAUSE I JACK UP MY MINI TO CLEAN THE UNDERBODY ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. MINI COOPERS ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR WATER PUMPS, THERMOSTATS, AND POWER STEERING, FAILING. I AM 18 YEARS OLD AND WOULD LIKE TO USE THIS CAR TO TRAVEL FROM SOUTH CAROLINA TO WISCONSIN IN THE FUTURE, YET IF MY COOLANT SYSTEM (WATER PUMP OR THERMOSTAT) COULD GO OUT AGAIN AT ANY TIME AND COST A FORTUNE TO REPLACE AND LEAVE ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY. I WILL BE TAKING A PLANE EVERY TIME I TRAVEL A FEW HUNDRED MILES AND RENT A CAR. THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED! I JUST PAID 1200 FOR MINI TO REPLACE A WATER PUMP THAT SHOULD HAVE HAD AT THE LEAST 30-50 THOUSAND MILES MORE. *TR

DRIVING APPROX. 15 MILES - MOSTLY INTERSTATE - TO ATTEND A FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY DINNER. WHILE PULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT, LOST POWER STEERING AND ALL INDICATOR WARNING LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING. I PROCEEDED TO A PARKING SPACE AND SAW SMOKE POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I RELEASED THE HOOD I COULD SEE AN ORANGE GLOW AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE (NIGHT TIME). WITHIN 30 SECONDS IT BURST INTO FLAMES. A 911 CALL TO LOCAL FIRE FIGHTERS WAS PLACED WHO RESPONDED WITHIN 15 MINUTES. SINCE THERE WERE TWO RESTAURANTS IN THE COMPLEX, EMPLOYEES OF EACH ONE HAD COME OUT WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO MY WORK PLACE, FROM MY WORK PLACE TO ANOTHER CITY FOR REPAIRS. ONLY THE ACTUAL REPAIRS WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT NOT THE TOWING OR RENTALS. I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR TWO WEEKS AND A WEEK AFTER PICKING MY CAR UP, I HAD OTHER THINGS TO GO OUT ON THE CAR CAUSED BY THE HEAT FROM THE FIRE. (DOMINO EFFECT). THE CAR HAD TO GO BACK INTO A SHOP WHERE IT TOOK MORE THAN 3 WEEKS TO GET ALL PARTS IN AND REPAIRS MADE, WHILE I INCURRED YET MORE EXPENSE OF A RENTAL CAR. I AM NOW IN DEBT ALMOST $3,000.00 AS A DIRECTLY RESULT OF THIS FAULTY SYSTEM. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT THAT WARNS OF THE PASSENGER AIRBAG BEING TURNED OFF COMES ON SOMETIMES WHEN NOBODY IS IN THE SEAT AND SOMETIMES WHEN A FULL SIZED ADULT IS IN THE SEAT. *TR FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS MEANS THE AIRBAG SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND THE AIRBAG COULD EITHER FAIL TO WORK OR DEPLOY WHEN IT SHOULD NOT. I HAVE LEARNED THAT BMW ISSUED RECALLS FOR MANY OF THEIR CARS BUILT WITH THIS PARTICULAR SEAT SENSOR BUT HAVE NOT DONE SO WITH THE MINI. ARE YOU AWARE OF A RECALL FOR THE MINI? WE ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT USING THIS CAR TO CARRY A PASSENGER BUT WE HAVE TO DO SO EVERY DAY. YOUR HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

POWER STEERING PUMP MAKING NOISE WHEN CAR IS OFF, DRAINING BATTERY. EMINENT FAILURE. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT IN THE CAR SHOWS THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN GOES OFF, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHENEVER THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT THE PERSON SITTING IN THE SEAT HAS NO RELIABLE AIRBAG PROTECTION. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER THREE YEARS IN MY CAR. ORIGINAL COMPLAINT WAS ON 5/31/11. STILL NO ACTION. EMAILED MINI USA AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND OFFERED NO HELP. THIS WAS DONE ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL PEOPLE START DYING BEFORE THIS SAFETY ISSUE IS FIXED BY MINI? I AM NOT THE ONLY MINI OWNER HAVING THIS PROBLEM. BMW HAS RECALLED CARS HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM. THEY DEEMED THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHY SHOULDN'T MINI? CAN YOU HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

FAILURE TO POWERSTEERING STARTED ACTING UP IN JANUARY OF 2014 AFTER I GOT MY O2 SENOR REPLACED. WAS TOLD TO CONTINUED TO DRIVE CAR BECAUSE THE O2 SENSOR NEEDED TO RECALIBRATE ITSELF. SO NOW IN APRIL 9TH 2014, WHILE GETTING READY TO TAKE OFF FOR WORK,I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR, CALLED AAA TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THIS IS WHEN I WAS INFORMED IT WAS IN FACT THE POWER STEERING PUMP, AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME 1700 TO REPLACE, IM OUTRAGED. *JS

THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S FAILED, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE CAR. A SERVICE SHOP INDICATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE MINI'S. MY IS OUT OF THE WARANTEE, HOWVERE IT ONLY HAS 45K MILES. WHEN I CALLED BMW/ MINI NORTH AMERICA TO DISCUSS A REMEDY BUT THEY TOLD ME THE VIN NUMBER FOR MY CAR WAS NOT ONE COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHILE MY CAR IS A 2005 WITH VERY LOW MILAGE THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WHATSOEVER TO HELP ME REPLACE THE PART AS MY CARS PRODUCTION DATE IS JUNE 2005, WHICH IS PAST THE PRODUCTION DATE FOR CARS GETTING THE EXTENDED WARANTEE ON P/S PUMPS. IT SEAMS UNSCROPLOUS TO HIDE FROM RESPONSABILITY OF FAULTY PARTS, ALSO POTENTIAL SAFTY ISSUE. WHILE MY CAR MAY BE PRODUCED A FEW MONHS AFTER THE PRODUCTION DATE FROM THE CARS THEY ARE WILLING TO WARANTEE, IT APPERARS I AM SUFFERING FROM SAME ISSUES AS THE OTHERES THEY ARE WARANTEEING. VERRY DISCURAGING BMW/MINI. *TR

MY POWER STEERING JUST TOTALLY WENT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORNER AND I CAME WITHIN INCHES OF PLOWING THROUGH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL ON THIS SOON. POWERS STEERING WILL NOW COME ON INTERMITTENT. *TR