2009 Mini Cooper

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT. MINI OF STEVENS CREEK LOCATED AT (4201 STEVENS CREEK BLVD, SANTA CLARA, CA 95051) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO ASSISTANCE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

HELLO, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON I STARTED MY 2009 MINI COOPER AND NOTED THAT MY GAUGES SUDDENLY FAILED. THE TACH DROPPED TO ZERO. SUDDENLY I RECEIVED A TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT. I DECIDED I WOULD MOVE THE CAR TO A MORE FAVORABLE LOCATION TO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD. AS I PLACED THE CAR IN REVERSE I NOTED THAT MY POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. I STOPPED THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AND POPPED THE HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE SMELL OF BURNING ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. I RAN DOWN TO THE BASEMENT TO GRAB A WRENCH TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. WHEN I RETURNED I COULD HEAR POPS AND CRACKS AND NOTED CHAR ON THE HOOD INTERIOR. THOUGH THE KEYS WERE OUT I CONTINUED TO HEAR POPS AND CRACKS AND FELT HEAT ACCUMULATING . I FINALLY GOT THE BATTERY DISCONNECTED AND THE POPPING STOPPED. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT THE WIRING NEAR THE POWER STEERING MODULE WAS COMPLETELY BURNT OUT. THE CAR DROVE FINE THE DAY PRIOR. MY WIFE IS 38 WEEKS PREGNANT AND I AM SHAKEN BY THE IDEA THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING THE DAY BEFORE.

ADVISED FROM MECHANIC THAT WATER IS GETTING DOWN FROM THE FRONT AREA BELOW THE WINDSHIELD AND IS CAUSING THE BODY CONTROL MODULE AND OTHER ELECTRONICS TO SHORT OUT. GOT TO WHERE THE CAR WOULDN'T EVEN TURN OVER TO TRY AND START. HAD TO HAVE OVER $3450 WORTH OF REPAIRS DONE AND WAS TOLD THEY SPOKE WITH MINI AND THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WAS TOLD THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN IF NOT FIXED. WAS TOLD TO TAKE TO MINI, BUT THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

PASSENGERS OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT FAILED CAUSING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG TO BE DEACTIVATED. MINI HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS FOR 10 YEARS AND 120,000 MILES. MY MINI WAS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD BUT DID HAVE 130,000 MILES ON 4/3/2019 WHEN I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER. MINI HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTED PART EVEN THOUGHT THEY KNOW IT WAS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. THEY ALSO KNOW THAT ON PREVIOUS YEARS MODELS THEY WERE FORCED TO RECALL THIS PART AS I ALSO OWN A 2006 MINI THAT WENT BAD AND IT TOOK OVER A YEAR BEFORE THEY FINALLY DID A RECALL. MINI DOES NOT HAVE A WORKABLE CUSTOMER RELATIONS SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE CUSTOMER TO APPEAL THIS SAFETY DEFECT REPLACEMENT REJECTION. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT MINI KNOW THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE SAFETY SENSOR AND HAVE A HISTORY OF THIS BEING A BAD PART BUT ARE UNWILLING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE IT. THEY INSTEAD WANT THE CUSTOMER TO SPEND OVER $1,000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY. THIS IS A BAD COMPANY DYNAMIC AND SHOWS NO CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY.

MY CAR STARTED OFF WITH A ROUGH IDLE AND OCCASIONALLY WOULDN'T START. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR BECAME JERKY WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS SUDDEN SPURTS WHEN IT WANTS TO TAKE OFF. I RAN THE CODE AND GOT P0012. FROM THERE I HAVE REPLACED MULTIPLE PARTS BUT I THINK I LANDED ON THE TIMING CHAIN. I KNOW THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT WITH THESE YEARS BUT FOR SOME REASON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT