MINI Complaints

I HAVE CONTACTED MINI USA OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS ON OUR PASSENGER SEAT BELT WARNING COMING ON AND NOT GOING OFF. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT MULTIPLE MINI OWNERS FROM 2006 ON UP AND BMW OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. IN 2006 MINI DID A RECALL AND ALSO DID A RECALL ON THE BMW MODELS BUT ARE NOW PLAYING GAMES AND HAVE OFFERED TO DROP THE 1600 FEE TO 800 DOLLARS. I'M UPSET TO THINK THAT THEY FEEL MY SAFETY IS NOT THEIR CONCERN. *TR

REPORTING SERIOUS RECALLABLE SAFETY ISSUE WITH MINI COOPER AIR BAG SYSTEM! MY DEALER JUST CALLED TO TELL ME THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT MUST BE REPLACED AT AT A COST OF OVER $2500. THERE IS A SHORT IN THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT SAFETY EQUIPMENT ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE FIXED UNDER A RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY. "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" INDICATOR TURNS ON WHILE DRIVING AND REMAINS ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE DRIVE. PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY A PASSENGER WEIGHING APPROX 135 POUNDS WITH SEAT BELT PROPERLY FASTENED. THERE IS NO WAY TO MANUALLY TURN ON THE PASSENGER AIRBAG AND BYPASS THE SEAT SENSOR. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE MINI COOPER AND IS DISCUSSED ON ONLINE ENTHUSIAST FORUMS, WITH MINI USA DEALERSHIP NOW CHARGING FROM $2500 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT. MINI USA DEALERS STATE THAT THE ISSUE IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE SEAT SENSOR AND THE ENTIRE SEAT MUST BE REPLACED. FOR HOW LITTLE THE PASSENGER SEAT IS USED IN MY VEHICLE, IN MY OPINION THIS IS A DEFECT AND NOT A WEAR-AND-TEAR ISSUE. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR THAT HAD A VITAL SAFETY ISSUE ARISE SUCH AS THIS I ALSO NOTE THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE FROM OTHER OWNERS. IT IS A COMMON COMPLAINT ON CONSUMER BLOGS. *TR

LEADING UP TO INCIDENT CAR WASN'T SHIFTING SMOOTHLY AND WOULD BECOME STUCK I THIRD GEAR WITH YELLOW GEAR LIGHT WITH EXCLAMATION ILLUMINATED. IF YOU STOP AND TURN ENGINE OFF THEN START AGAIN THE LIGHT TURNS OFF AND CAR DRIVES NORMAL. YESTERDAY THE CAR SLAMMED INTO PARK WHILE DRIVING 25MPH. GEAR SELECTOR WAS IN DRIVE THE WHOLE TIME. YELLOW GEAR LIGHT CAME ON WITH EXCLAMATION MARK AND TRIP COMPUTER SAID CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. CAR WOULD NOT START. HAD TO BE TOWED. *TR

CAR SEVERELY OVERHEATED. MELTED COOLANT SYSTEM MANIFOLD AND HOSING PIPE. REPAIR COST $1,100+. DAYS LATER CRACK IN WATER PUMP GREW. IMMEDIATE CAR MALFUNCTION OCCURRED RESULTING IN TOWING THE CAR TO MT LAUREL MINI. THEIR ASSESSMENT WAS THAT COOLANT WAS FOUND ON THE DIPSTICK OF THE ENGINE OIL. RECOMMENDED A NEW ENGINE. CURRENTLY FIGHTING TO HAVE COMPANY COVER ALL COSTS AND DAMAGES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT WENT ON AND STAYED ON. IT DID GO OFF WHEN A PASSENGER SAT IN THE SEAT. SENSOR SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED, A COSTLY JOB. SEAT WAS REPLACED. THE ONLY WAY I RECOGNIZED THE ERROR WAS WHEN THERE WAS NO PASSENGER. I FEEL THAT IF I ALWAYS DROVE WITH A PASSENGER I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN OF THE MALFUNCTION. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNKNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER AS IT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED ON WEBSITES AND WHEN MENTIONED TO NON MINI REPAIR SHOPS, THEY WERE AWARE OF IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. WHEN THE VEHICLE MADE A RIGHT TURN AT 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO GET THE STEERING WHEEL TO STRAIGHTEN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

MY CAR STARTED TO ACT FUNNY. ALMOST SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS SUFFOCATING. IT WOULD DIE ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN TIMES EVERY MORNING BEFORE I WOULD FINALLY GET THE CAR STARTED. IT WOULD SHUT OFF WHEN I STOPPED AT INTERSECTIONS. THE ONLY TIME IT RAN DECENT WAS WHEN I WAS DRIVING HIGHWAYS SPEEDS FOR 20 MINUTES OR MORE. I CHANGED OUT FILTERS, SPARK PLUGS, AND FLUIDS BUT NONE OF IT CHANGED THE WAY IT WAS RUNNING. COME TO FIND OUT IT THAT THE CHAIN AND CHAIN TENSIONER HAD BROKEN. THIS DAMAGE CAUSED ROUGHLY $1000 TO FIX. LUCKILY I CAUGHT IT IN TIME BEFORE IT DID ADDITIONAL DAMAGES TO THE CRANK SHAFT. WITH LOW MILES THE MECHANIC EVEN TOLD ME ITS A FAULT PART AND BRAKES EASILY. HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE NUMEROUS AMERICAN MODEL MINIS IN ITALY. MY COUNTRY CODE IS 39 IF YOU CALL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ROUGHLY 30 MILES AND HOUR WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON ME IN A TURN. ALMOST HIT ONCOMING TRAFFIC PRIOR TO STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I DROVE IT TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT WHERE IT SAT FOR TWO WEEKS BEFORE A LOCAL MECHANIC COULD LOOK AT IT. I WAS QUOTED AT OVER $1,500 TO FIX THE PART BECAUSE THE WHOLE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING CONTROL BOX HAS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE WAY IT WAS MANUFACTURED. *TR

MY PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHTS GOES ON AND OFF. IT DOES NOT MATTER IF A PERSON IS IN THE SEAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE AIR BAGS WILL WORK OR NOT. MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SUGGEST THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MININ PASSENGER WEIGHT SENSOR SIMILAR TO THE ONES IN BMWS. *TR