2006 Mini Cooper

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE AIR BAG SENSOR THAT WAS FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SENSOR HAD FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,800.

ON FEBRUARY 9, 2011, WE WERE INFORMED BY MINI SERVICE THAT THE SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND THAT IT WOULD COST US $1,245.00 PLUS TAX TO REPAIR AS IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY PACKAGE WHICH THEY SOLD US WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2007. MILEAGE OF VEHICLE AT THAT TIME WAS 46,810. THE LIGHT INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAG SENSOR OCCURRED MONTHS EARLIER, BUT WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS INDICATIVE OF A SERIOUS PROBLEM AS SMALL CHILDREN DID SIT IN THAT SEAT FROM TIME TO TIME. ON MARCH 16, 2011, HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP ON VEHICLE FAILED. MILEAGE WAS 47,895.

PASSENGER AIRBAG PROBLEM INDICATOR IS ON. THE CAR ONLY HAS 54811 MILES. THE DEALER CHARGED $118.37 TO CHECK. THEY STATED A SEAT SENSOR PAD WAS BAD AND WOULD COST $1,200. TO REPLACE. THEY INDICATED THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WOULD STILL DEPLOY. I CONTACTED MINI USA TO FILE A COMPLAINT BECAUSE I THOUGHT AT THIS MILEAGE AND SAFETY ISSUE THE REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED AS WARRANTY (RECALL). THEY DENIED THE REQUEST AND ALSO INDICATED THE SYSTEM WOULD STILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. AFTER READING SEVERAL BLOGS, EVERYONE SEEMS TO INDICATE THE BAGS WILL NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON ON MINI COOPERS. I READ SEVERAL OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE REPAIRED MULTIPLE TIMES. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALTHOUGH A PASSENGER (WHO WEIGHED OVER 200 LBS) WAS SEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SENSOR MAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 153,600.

1/10/2010, I MY HEATER WAS BLOWING COLD AIR AND MY ENGINE TEMP INDICATOR WAS JUMPING AROUND. I CALLED MINI OF TOWSON AND TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I REMINDED THEM THAT BOTH AIR BAG AND FLAT TIRE INDICATORS HAD BEEN FLICKERING ON AND OFF SINCE THE LAST TIME I CAME IN ON JUNE OF 2009 AND THAT AS OF A FEW WEEKS AGO THEY HAD BOTH REMAINED ON. AT THAT TIME, NO ONE TOOK MY INQUIRY SERIOUSLY AND I WAS TOLD THE LIGHTS WERE COMING ON AS A RESULT OF THE PAST REQUIRED ENGINE WORK FOR THE COOLING SYSTEM AND ENGINE, AND A SLOW LEAK IN ONE OF MY TIRES, WHICH I WAS INSTRUCTED TOO MONITOR BY FILLING-UP WHEN LOW AND TO IGNORE. I WAS INFORMED RECENTLY THAT I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE MY PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR ($1000). I HAVE READ MANY OF POSTS ON THE MINIUSA WEBSITE THAT SAY THIS AS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MINI'S BEING WIRED INCORRECTLY FORM THE MANUFACTURER; SOMETHING THAT COULD BE AVOIDED WITH EARLY DETECTION BY THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL FAULTY INDICATOR LIGHTING. I WAS ALSO TOLD MY WATER PUMP IS NOW LEAKING COOLANT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ($900); SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN TOLD MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE EARLIER MANUFACTURING DEFECTS I HAD. ALSO, I AM ENROLLED IN THEIR TIRE AND RIM PROTECTION WARRANTY THAT STATES ANY TIRES OR RIMS THAT ARE DAMAGED BY NAILS, POT HOLES, ETC ARE REPLACED FOR FREE. THEY HAVE PATCHED 4 OF MY TIRES FOR NAIL DAMAGE; 3 OUT OF THE 4 TIRES CONTINUE TO LEAK AND I FEEL SHOULD BE REPLACED. LASTLY, MY MINI APPRAISED $6,500 BY THIS DEALER. I ASKED HOW MUCH THE VALUE INCREASES IF I COMPLETELY SERVICE THE CAR AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD INCREASE THE VALUE OF SERVICES RENDERED ($3,100) A TOTAL EST.VALUE OF $9,600. WHEN ASKED WHY MY MINI HAD DEPRECIATED SO MUCH I WAS TOLD BECAUSE OF THE CARS EXTENSIVE SERVICE RECORD. SHE SAID BECAUSE OF THE DEPLORABLE SERVICE RECORD, MY CAR COULD NOT BE KEPT BY THE MINI DEALER AND THAT IT HAD TO BE SOLD AT WHOLESALE BECAUSE THE CAR IS CONSIDERED FAULTY. SHE SAID MY MINI WAS NOT SAFE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER RESELL STANDARD. *TR