MINI Complaints

OUR 2006 MINI COOPER AIR BAG SENSOR GOES ON AND OFF. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE ENTIRE SEAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AS IS AN EMBEDDED SENSOR. THIS DOES APPEAR TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE BUT THE VEHICLE IS NOT ONE OF THE RECALLED MINI COOPERS.

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG PAD COMPONENT WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE BY MY SERVICE CENTER. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. IT IS APPROXIMATELY AN $1100 PART TO REPLACE PLUS LABOR. REPORTS ON VARIED NEWS MEDIA HAVE THIS AS A RECALL. I FIND NO INSTANCE OF A RECALL FROM BMW/MINI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

I AM ON MY 4TH PASSENGER SEAT MAT SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW IN JANUARY 2007. IN APRIL I FOUND A MANUFACTURER RECALL PART 573 SAFETY RECALL REPORT 15V-205 THAT LISTED THE VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL. MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED ON NOV 18, 2006 WITHIN THE PRODUCTION DATE RANGE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS RECALL AND CAN NO LONGER FIND THE RECALL ON THIS SITE. AS MENTIONED, THIS IS MY 4TH FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT SENSOR. I WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON WHAT THE PROCEDURE IS TO RECOVER MY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LAST REPLACEMENT OF THE SENSOR.

I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED MINI COOPER DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS RUN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. MINI COOPER HAS BEEN FORCED TO RECALL 2008 CONVERTIBLES FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT REFUSES TO FIX THE SAME YEAR COUNTRYMAN MODELS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT REQUIRED ME TO PAY TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SEAT REPLACED. THIS REPAIR COST ME $ 1,800, AND MINI COOPER REFUSES TO COMPENSATE ME FOR THE REPAIR.

REPORTED TO MINI OF DALLAS : ITEM C : CLIENT STATES THE DASH AIRBAG LIGHT AND OFF AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON RANDOMLY WHILE AN ADULT IS SITTING AND NOT SITTING IS PASSENGER SEAT. THIS LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON AND OFF . 12/16/2014 REPORTED SAME THING TO PARKER MINI OF LITTLE ROCK, ADVISED REPAIR WOULD COST $1236.88. THE VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANY MORE. ASKED FOR A TRADE IN PRICE, THOROUGHLY INSULTED BY AMOUNT OFFERED, DUE TO AIRBAG PROBLEM. 1/22/2015 MINI OF LITTLE ROCK GOT PARTS IN AND FAULT WAS RESOLVED AT OWNERS EXPENSE OF $ 1236.88 INVOICE # 1MCS11292. PLEASE NOTE : THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FROM 2/9/2009 THRU 1/22/2015 WITH A PASSENGER AIRBAG THAT WAS NOT WORKING, THE VEHICLE BEING ILLEGALLY DRIVEN, NOT TO MENTION IF WE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DURING THAT TIME. WE WERE FORCED FOR OUR OWN SAFETY TO SPEND $1236.88 WHICH WE FEEL SHOULD BE REIMBURSED UNDER THIS RECALL. [XXX] [XXX] HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, AR 71909 [XXX] [XXX]@SBCGLOBAL.NET INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB

PLEASE NOTE THAT BOTH MINI COOPER USA AND NW MINI (FIFE WASHINGTON) ARE DENYING THAT RECALL 15V205000 EXISTS. BOTH HAVE REFUSED TO HONOR THIS RECALL. I SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AT 866-825-1525 AND HE INDICATED THAT MINI VIEWS THIS AS "MEDIA HYPE" AND THAT THEY HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT AN ACTUAL RECALL.

THE VEHICLE FOR MONTHS WOULD MAKE A SMALL JUMP FORWARD WHEN PUTTING IN REVERSE. THEN THE TRANSMISSION WOULD MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN IN DRIVE. THE CAR WOULD FEEL SPONGY IN DRIVE WHEN FIRST STARTING OFF IN THE MORNING AND AT FULL STOPS.

UPON TH EENGINE HEATING AND COOLING THE PLASTIC GASKET ON TH EENGINE OIL COOLER CAN GET PINCHED, CAUSING AN OIL LEAK. MINI COOPERS IN PRIOR YEARS - 2002-2007 HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND MINI HAD A RECALL. IF I SPEND THE $1,800 TO GET THE REPAIR THE NEXT TIME THE ENGINE HEATS UP AND COOLS - THE GASKET COULD BECOME PINCHED AGAIN - THUS CAUSING A LEAK. MINI COOPER OF ATLANTA IS YES THIS COULD HAPPEN AND I WOULD HAVE TO GET IT REPAIRED AGAIN. MINI COOPER NEEDS TO ENSURE THE 2 PLATES OF THE METAL OIL COOLER ARE SECURE AND CANNOT EXPAND AND SHRINK - UPON ENGINE USAGE. THIS IS THE SAME MANUFACTURING FLAW MINI COOPER HAD IN 2002 - 2007 - SO WHY HASN'T MINI COOPER BEEN TOLD TO FIX THEIR PROBLEM - VERSES THROWING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE CUSTOMER?

MY PASSENGER AIR BAG HAS BEEN INACTIVE FOR OVER TWO YEARS DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT SENSOR. I RECENTLY SAW THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT ACCORDING TO MY VIN MY VEHICLE HAS NO OPEN RECALLS SO IT WOULD SEEM I'M NOT COVERED BY THE CURRENT RECALL EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE ISSUE. CAN YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND LET ME KNOW AS I WOULD LOVE TO GET THIS FAULTY SAFETY FEATURE REPAIRED!