MINI Complaints

IN 2010 MY CAR'S PASSENGER AIR BAG SYSTEM WARNING CAME ON AND I TOOK TO THE DEALER TO HAVE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT BECAUSE THE SEAT MAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR HAD FAILED. IN 2013, THE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I TOOK BACK TO THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO FIX AT NO CHARGE, AS TO HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM FAIL TWICE ON A CAR WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT SIGNALED A DEFECTIVE DESIGN. MINI REFUSED TO REPAIR AT NO COST AND INSTEAD PROVIDED ME WITH A $1,700 ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE SEAT AND SYSTEM. I HAVE FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH MINI USA AND AM AWAITING A RESPONSE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS EFFECTIVELY PERMANENTLY OFF. I HAVE READ ON THIS WEBSITE AND ELSEWHERE THAT MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. *TR

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AS IS FROM A SMALL LOCAL LOT JANUARY OF 2013, EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT AS PERFECT. I LOVE THE CAR. WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND LUCKILY I WAS ABOUT 10 MILES FROM HOME AND AT THE SPEED OF 35 MPH WHEN IT FELT LIKE IT WAS STUCK IN A GEAR (CAR IS AUTOMATIC) THEN I NOTICED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I REMAINED AT THE SPEED OF 35MPH OR LOWER BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES. THEN MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON WHICH MADE ME THINK I HAD BRAKE ISSUES. I PARKED IT LIFTED THE HOOD AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND YOU COULD HEAR THE FANS RUNNING EXTRA HARD. WE TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GUY TO LOOK AT IT AS HE TOLD US HE JUST HAD A MINI IN WITH SAME ISSUE WEEKS BEFORE AND AAA CAME TO TOW IT TO HENDRICK MINI IN CHARLOTTE. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS VALUE STEMS AND ETC FIND OUT A FEW HOURS LATER NOT THE CASE I NEED A WHOLE NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CAR IS A '07 WITH ONLY 54K MILES ON IT IN PERFECT CONDITION. MAKES NO SENSE. MINI/BMW US HAS HEARD OF MY COMPLAINT AND HAS TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO TO MAKE IT RIGHT. IF YOU ASK ME FROM EVERYTHING I'VE READ ONLINE THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL AS EVERYONE HAS HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND I CAN'T AFFORD $9K TO PAY FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I LOVED MY MINI COOPER BUT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW I'M CAR LESS AND LEFT MAKING PAYMENTS ON A CAR I CANNOT EVEN DRIVE AND IT IS SITTING IN THE SHOP ON HOLD FOR THE TIME BEING. MINI/BMW NEEDS TO REALIZE ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS THEY ARE LOSING OVER THIS. *TR

WITHOUT WARNING OR CAUSE, THE TIMING CHAIN & TENSIONER FAILED, WHICH RUINED MY ENGINE. JUST THE TIMING CHAIN COSTS $2000-$3000 TO FIX, BUT SINCE MY ENGINE IS GONE AS WELL THAT NUMBER IS MORE LIKE $6000-$7000. THIS IS A 2007, AND SINKING HALF OF THE VALUE OF THE CAR BACK INTO IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURER ISSUE AS OTHERS HAVE ALSO REPORTED THIS ISSUE AT VARIOUS MILEAGE STAGES. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEACTIVATED WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TWO AIR BAG LIGHTS ILLUMINATED STATING THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE OFF DESPITE A PASSENGER BEING IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG MAT SENSOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

PER MY RESEARCH, THIS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 MINI COOPERS. NUMEROUS BULLETIN BOARDS HAVE THE SAME QUESTIONS FOR A SAFETY CONCERN IF THE AIRBAG WILL DEPLOY FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT. TOOK CAR TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND THEY GAVE US A REPAIR PRICE OF $1200.00 TO REPLACE THE LOWER SEAT FOR THE OCCUPANCY PAD IS DEFECTIVE WHICH CAUSES THE LIGHT TO COME ON FOR THE PASSENGER BAG AND ALSO THE MAIN LIGHT IN THE DASH. NOT SURE IF BMW CARES ABOUT SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PURCHASED THEIR VEHICLES BUT IT IS A BIT CALLOUS ON THEIR PART FOR NOT DOING A RECALL ON THE 2006 MINI COOPER SEAT SENSOR. I HAVE SEEN A REGULAR BMW VEHICLE THAT HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM HAVE A RECALL FOR A BAD SEAT SENSOR. I AM CONCERNED FOR ANY PERSON WHO RIDES IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO HAPPEN THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY CAUSING GREAT BODILY HARM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A WINDY ROAD WHEN WITH NO WARNING MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND FORCED ME INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL AND MOVE TO THE SHOULDER. WHEN I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING, BUT STOPPED AGAIN AT MY HOME. THE IGNITION KEY WAS EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH WHEN I REMOVED IT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN I80 AND MY CAR STARTED TO KICK AND SPUTTER THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND I DROPPED SPEEDS AND ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BY THE CAR BEHIND ME HE SWERVED HONKED HIS HORN AND GAVE ME THE FINGER. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE NUMBER THREE CYLINDER BLEW OUT AND I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE HEADGASKET AND REFURBISH THE ENGINE. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR IT WOULD PERIODICALLY KICK AND STALL OUT ON ME I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER SHIP THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST THE ENGINE BREAKING IN. A COUPLE WEEKS LATER I SAW THE OIL WAS A LITTLE LOW AND AGAIN IT KICKED AND STALLED. I TOOK IT BACK IN THEY SAID THEY HAD TO REPROGRAM THE TRANNY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP COMES ON A SHORT TIME AFTER PARKED AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF. HAVE TO DISCONNECT BATTERY IN ORDER TO AVOID DRAINING POWER. POWER STEERING WHINE PRONOUNCED, POWER STEERING BEGINNING TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. COMMON PROBLEM AMONG MODEL. *TR