2009 Mini Cooper Clubman

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR HAS BEEN GOING OFF INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY EVEN WHEN SOMEONE OF NORMAL ADULT SIZE (160LBS) IS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I HAVE CONTACTED MINI AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT UNLESS I PAY FOR THE COSTLY REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN SLOWLY RECALLING OTHER MODELS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE IMPROPERLY FUNCTIONING MAT IN MY MINI COOPER CLUBMAN MAY CAUSE THE PASSENGER FRONTAL AIR BAG TO BE INACTIVE WHEN THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED, AND IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY, INCREASING THE PASSENGER'S RISK OF INJURY. THIS IS CLEARLY DUE TO A DESIGN, MANUFACTURING, INSTALLATION, AND/OR EXPOSURE ISSUES, THAT CAUSES THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT NOT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AND, AS A RESULT, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. THIS NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED AND NOT WAIT UNTIL MORE PEOPLE ARE HURT BY BMW'S REFUSAL TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM IN ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEY ARE WAITING FOR MORE DEATHS, INJURIES AND/OR COMPLAINTS BEFORE THEY FINALLY RESOLVE THEIR PROBLEM AT THEIR COST IN ALL CARS. WHAT CHANGE HAVE THEY EMPLOYED AFTER 2008 TO THIS DESIGN, MANUFACTURING AND INSTALLATION PROCESS IN THEIR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG SENSORS THAT MAKES THEM ISOLATE ONLY SOME REPAIRS ON SOME MINIS? NONE! AT LEAST NONE THAT HAVE WORKED AS I HAVE A 2009 MINI COPPER CLUBMAN WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM, SO CLEARLY THEY HAVEN'T RESOLVED IT AND SHOULD NOT LIMIT THEIR RECALL TO 2005-2006 MINI COOPERS AND COOPER S, NOR JUST CONVERTIBLE MINI COOPERS BETWEEN 2005-2008 MODELS. 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMANS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM, YET BMW TELLS ITS CUTOMERS WITH WARRANTIES TO PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES! BAD BUSINESS. HOPE SOMEONE SUES THEM, BUT PROBABLY NOT UNTIL SOMEONE DIES. AT LEAST THIS PUTS THEM ON NOTICE SO THEY CAN BE SUED MORE EASILY. I HAVE CHILDREN...SHAME ON YOU BMW!

AFTER HEARING A RATTLING WHILE IDLING AT A STOP SIGN AND THEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THERE WAS A TERRIBLE NOISE THAT CAME FROM THE ENGINE AND THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. MY HUSBAND PUSHED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OPENED THE HOOD. IT APPEARED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BUSTED OUT OF THE TOP OF THE ENGINE COVER. WE WERE VERY CONCERNED AS THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY, WHICH HE HAD JUST EXITED. WE HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE IN THE MINI AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT COME TO A RESOLUTION, AS OUR MECHANIC IS ADVISING US THAT THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BE UPWARDS FOR $6,000 AND MINI IS NOT COVERING COST OF REPAIR. WE ARE WONDERING IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES. WE HAVE READ THAT THEIR IS AN ACTIVE CLASS ACTION SUITE, AS WELL. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN USING EITHER THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE HANDLE. THE DOOR LOCK BUTTON DOES GO UP AND DOWN BUT DOES NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE DOOR OPENING. THIS IS THE THIRD MINI DOOR WE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH (WE OWN TWO MINI'S, UNFORTUNATELY). THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT MINI SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AND FIX BUT THEY CONTINUE TO IGNORE GOING ON FOR AT LEAST 12 MODEL YEARS. WHEN WILL IT BE FIXED, WHEN SOMEONE DIES? *TR

MY CAR OVERHEATED AFTER DRIVING ONLY 15 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY. THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON (RED- STOP LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN) THEN WENT OFF THEN CAME BACK ON (ORANGE- CONTINUE ON YOUR JOURNEY; LET ENGINE COOL DOWN SOON). BY THE TIME I LOCATED THE SYMBOL TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS I WAS AT MY EXIT. THE CAR SPUTTERED AND STALLED ON THE OFF RAMP AND I COULD SEE BLACK SMOKE AND SMELL BURNING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PUSHED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED FOR HELP. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO OIL OR WATER IN THE CAR AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I JUST HAD IT SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP 28 DAYS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED AS I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH MY KEY FOB NOT RELEASING AND WAS CONCERNED THIS MIGHT BE AN INDICATION OF A BIGGER PROBLEM. THE FOB FINALLY RELEASED AFTER 40 MINUTES OF SITTING IN A PARKING LOT! THEY PERFORMED A COMPLETE INSPECTION AND CHANGED THE OIL, AIR FILERS, BRAKE FLUID AND GAVE THE CAR A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FOR $400 AND 28 DAYS LATER I HAVE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND THEY QUOTED ME $9000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE! I SAW SEVERAL POSTS OF SIMILAR ISSUES ON MINI BLOG SITES AND FELT COMPELLED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I HAVE A BASE MODEL AND NOT AN "S" WHICH WAS PART OF A MINI RECALL FOR ELECTRICAL/WATER PUMP ISSUES. IF THERE IS A CONSISTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHERE THE THERMOSTAT FAILS OR WATER PUMP FAILS ON THE BASE MODEL THEN MINI SHOULD ADDRESS IT. *TR

DESPITE PERFORMING REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND COMPLAINING ABOUT OUR TIMING CHAIN MAKING A NOISE FROM THE FIRST MONTH, MINI NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM ALWAYS INSISTING THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL OR THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. EVENTUALLY OUR TIMING CHAIN JUMPED THE RAILS AND DESTROYED OUR ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE AND MINI USA DECLINED TO FIX THE ISSUE. ONLY ONCE DID THEY TRY TO FIX IT BY REPLACING THE TENSIONER. THE PART THEY USED WAS AN OLDER DISCONTINUED PART. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE AND SO THE TIMING CHAIN CONTINUED TO RATTLE AND THEN DESTROYED THE ENGINE. *TR