2006 MINI Cooper S Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2006 Mini Coop S. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the passenger’s side seat occupancy mat had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist since the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V205000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,350.

NHTSA ID

11460503

Incident

Apr 9, 2022

Mileage

90,350 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SOUTH BAY MINI LOCATED AT (18800 HAWTHORNE BLVD, TORRANCE CA) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

NHTSA ID

11319039

Incident

Mar 1, 2020

Mileage

79,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING FUNCTIONALITY. THE SEAT BELT AND CHECK-ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE BROWN MOTOR WORKS (803-551-0991, LOCATED AT 4041 BROAD RIVER RD, COLUMBIA, SC 29210) AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE SERVICES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECTED TO A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 160.000.

NHTSA ID

11299254

Incident

Dec 14, 2019

Mileage

160,000 mi

POWER STEERING IS MALFUNCTIONING. IT COME AND GOES FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS WHILE IN A WINDING ROAD. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACE SOME LINES. A FEW MOTHS LATER IT STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DRIVING AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN IDLE FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS. NOW THE POWER STEERING IS TOTALLY NOT WORKING AT ALL.

NHTSA ID

11269288

Incident

Oct 17, 2019

Mileage

1 mi

THERE IS A CONSTANT FUEL / GASOLINE SMELL IN MY CAR AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. NO VISIBLE LEAKS. THE SMELL IS CONSTANT.

NHTSA ID

11256017

Incident

May 15, 2019

STEERING PUMP TRANSMISSION WEENING NOT WANTING TO CHANGE GEARS RIGHT

NHTSA ID

11190280

Incident

Mar 6, 2019

Mileage

140,000 mi

THE AIR BAG DETECTION WARNING REMAINS ACTIVE AFTER DEALER REINSTALLATION OF THE SEAT DETECTOR PAD.

NHTSA ID

11161712

Incident

Oct 1, 2018

2006 MINI COOPER S WITH 66000 MILES HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION DUE TO LOSS OF FORWARD PROPULSION WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY.

NHTSA ID

11153585

Incident

Nov 23, 2018

Mileage

66,000 mi

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILING, CREATING A LOUD WHINE WHEN RUNNING (MOVING, AND STATIONARY).

NHTSA ID

11128208

Incident

Sep 1, 2018

Mileage

103,500 mi

UPON STARTING MY CAR, AFTER BEING IN A STORE, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WHILE A PASSENGER WAS IN THE SEAT. THE INDICATOR STAYED ON AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. I RESEARCHED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS FOR A FAULTY PASSENGER AIRBAG COVERING MY YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL, AND FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL MINI DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO INFORMATION PERTAINING TO MY CAR AND THAT I NEEDED TO CONTACT MINI USA DIRECTLY. I DID SO AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY ALSO COULD NOT FIND ANY INFORMATION PERTAINING TO MY CAR AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF MY VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE MY CAR WAS PURCHASED THROUGH AN OVERSEAS MILITARY PROGRAM THE SYSTEMS WERE NOT THE SAME AND THAT A SUPERVISOR WOULD HAVE TO TRY AND FIND THE INFORMATION AND MANUALLY ADD IT TO THE MINI USA SYSTEM. I WAS ALSO ASKED, REPEATEDLY, IF MY CAR WAS A CANADIAN SPEC VEHICLE. IT WAS NOT ORDERED AS SUCH. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF WAITING, I CALLED MINI USA TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE INVESTIGATION. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD ALREADY BEEN NOTIFIED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE RECALL FOR THE AIRBAG SENSOR ISSUE. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHY MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM FOR WHICH THE RECALL WAS ISSUED, I WAS TOLD THAT MY CASE WAS NOW CLOSED AND IF I HAD ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I NEEDED TO CONTACT MINI CUSTOMER SERVICE.

NHTSA ID

11124323

Incident

Jun 13, 2018

Mileage

53,000 mi

I HAVE A 2006 MINI COOPER S. AIRBAGS REPLACED DUE TO RECALL (2015 OR 2016) AT MINI DEALERSHIP. NOW, MAY 15, 2018, SEATBELT/AIRBAG RED LIGHT ON ON CONSOLE. NO AIRBAG LIGHT ON NEAR MIRROR. NOTHING ON PASSENGER SEAT - I AM BELTED WHEN I DRIVE. THIS HAPPENS AS I TURN ON IGNITION AND STAYS ON.

NHTSA ID

11094021

Incident

May 15, 2018

Mileage

53,000 mi

WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON LOCAL ROADS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HAD A LOSS OF POWER AND STEERING WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER/TURN

NHTSA ID

11081977

Incident

Mar 11, 2016

Mileage

55,000 mi

MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP IS FAILING. IT WHINES WHEN YOU TURN THE WHEEL AND SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. VERY SCARY TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL THRU 2005, BUT BMW SAYS THEY WONT HELP US 2006 OWNERS.

NHTSA ID

11067427

Incident

Feb 7, 2018

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING BOTH SLOWLY PULLING OUT OF CARPORT AND AT NORMAL 35 MILES PER HOUR STREET SPEED. STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. PERSISTED UNTIL CAR WAS TURNED OFF FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. HAPPENED SPORADICALLY AFTERWARD. ISSUE RETURNED AND NOW AFFECTS THE CAR MOST OF THE TIME WHILE DRIVING. WILL HAPPEN UPON STARTING THE CAR, OR WHILE DRIVING. CAR ONLY HAS 50,063 MILES ON IT! LOOKS LIKE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE IS CAUSING THE LOSS OF STEERING. EXTREAMLY DANGEROUS!

NHTSA ID

11066163

Incident

Jan 17, 2018

Mileage

50,000 mi

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, THEY DID NOT RECALL THIS YEAR BUT THE PUMPS STILL FAIL

NHTSA ID

11030737

Incident

Oct 1, 2017

Mileage

105,000 mi

THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED SUDDENLY ON THE CAR. IT HAS NOW HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES INCLUDING WHILE DRIVING. WHILE DRIVING IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS YOU SUDDENLY LOOSE MOST OF YOUR ABILITY TO STEER! THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH WHILE THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET, AND WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY. ONE OF THE TIMES WAS WHILE I WAS TURNING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A COMBINATION OF PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP COOLING FAN, AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP ITSELF. NOW BMW/MINI HAS ADMITTED THAT THEY HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS THOUGHT THE MODEL YEAR 2005. HOWEVER FROM WHAT I'VE READ A LOT OF 2006 MINI'S HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. THEY SHOULD EXPAND THE RECALL/REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE TO AT LEAST THE 2006 MODELS AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

11024748

Incident

Aug 1, 2017

Mileage

125,000 mi

VEHICLE RECALLED 2015 FOR FRONT PASSENGER SENSOR MAT (RECALL 15V205) STILL NOT REPAIRED. LOCAL MINI DEALER HAS SERVICED THE CAR SO THEY HAVE CONTACT INFORMATION.

NHTSA ID

11001810

Incident

Apr 12, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE FUEL SENSOR GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF FUEL, BUT THE GAUGE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS 74 MILES LEFT IN THE FUEL TANK. TEMPE MINI, LOCATED AT 7855 SOUTH TEST DRIVE, TEMPE, ARIZONA 85284, WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP, FUEL HOUSING, AND FUEL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10994013

Incident

Jun 5, 2017

Mileage

127,000 mi

I AM ORIGINAL OWNER. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. SLIPPING AND HARD SHIFTING. AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL. 70,000 MILES. HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING. BMW TOLD ME TO SELL IT RIGHT AWAY. $9,000 TO REPAIR. SHOULD BE RECALLED. VERY UNHAPPY. PLEASE HELP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10944662

Incident

Jan 9, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AT A LOW SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. ONCE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO TURN OFF WITH THE KEY IN THE OFF POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR HAD FAILED AND MELTED. THE POWER STEERING MOTOR, WIRES, BATTERY, PUMP, FAN, PRESSURE HOSE AND ALTERNATOR WERE REPLACED. AFTER REPAIRS, THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE USING THE DIAGNOSTIC TOOL. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING) BUT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

NHTSA ID

10864096

Incident

Apr 10, 2016

Mileage

98,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING LINE AND PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000.(STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

NHTSA ID

10852717

Incident

Jan 4, 2016

Mileage

106,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,700. UPDATE 01/15/16 MA;UPDATE 04/25/18*JB THE CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON NOV. 26, 2015 BY THE OWNER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10795041

Incident

Oct 30, 2015

Mileage

40,700 mi

SIGNS OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. WHINING NOISE RANDOMLY GOT LOUDER. FLUIDS TOPPED UP, NO LEAKS. THERE IS A RECALL FROM BMW THAT COVERS 2002-2005 MODELS. THIS PUMP ONLY HAS 82,400 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ID

10785542

Incident

Oct 16, 2015

Mileage

82,400 mi

RECALL NOTICE NO. 15V-205 WAS RECEIVED JUNE 2015 FOR FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT SENSOR. AS OF 24 SEPTEMBER 2015, DEALER STILL DOES NOT HAVE PARTS OR "INFORMATION" ON RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10776458

Incident

Jan 2, 2015

Mileage

40,000 mi

I COMPLAINED WITH MINI COOPER BACK IN 2011 WHEN MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AND DEALERSHIP SAID THAT REPLACEMENT WILL BE DONE OUT OF POCKET. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR AT RISK; MORE OFTEN THAT NOT, I DO NOT DRIVE MY CAR WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. FAST FORWARD TO 2015 WITH RECALL BUT UNABLE TO EXECUTE THE RECALL DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE WHAT THE CAUSE OF DELAY AND SINCE THE ORIGINAL PART WORKS ALBEIT BAD DURABILITY, FORCE MINI COOPER/BMW TO PERFORM STOP GAP REPAIRS WITH OLDER PARTS, BYPASS SENSOR OR CHANGE SOFTWARE CODE TO DISREGARD BAD SENSOR INPUT. THE BURDEN IS TOO GREAT FOR ME TO USE MY CAR WITH NO PASSENGER OR PASSENGER AT RISK. STOP GAP REPAIRS, INCLUDING CHANGING THE SOFTWARE CODE AND ELIMINATE SENSOR INPUT TO DISABLE THE AIRBAG CAN BE A TEMPORARY REPAIR. HOW HARD IS IT FOR BMWQ TO SHORT OR "FAKE" THE SENSOR SIGNAL, SO THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT DISABLE THE AIRBAG; HENCE IT WOULD DEPLOY WHEN THERE'S A PASSENGER ONBOARD. PUT A STICKER ON THE DASHBOARD THAT SAYS AIRBAGS ARE TEMPORARY ACTIVE AND CHILD SEATS NOT ALLOWED. MY SAFETY INSTINCT TELLS ME IT IS PREFERRED TO HAVE THE AIRBAG ACTIVE AND DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED. THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CHILD SEAT IS MOST LIKELY A VERY LOW NUMBER THAT MOST OWNERS WOULD PREFER TO HAVE AN ACTIVE AIRBAG. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS IS TAKING SO LONG, AND PUTTING THE OWNERS AT RISK WHEN THERE ARE STOP GAP MEASURES AVAILABLE. BYPASSING THE SENSOR AND HAVING THE AIRBAGS ACTIVE SEEMS TO BE THE MOST LOGICAL ONE EXCEPT NHTSA MAY BE THE PROBLEM FOR COMING UP WITH AUTO-SENSORS TO PREVENT CHILD SEAT ACTIVATION. NHTSA SHOULD MAKE A CHOICE AND DECIDE WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, SAFETY OF THE PASSENGERS, OR HAVING TO GIVE BMW INSTRUCTION AND WAIVERS TO ALLOW STOP GAP AND NOT PUT ME AND MY PASSENGERS AT RISK.

NHTSA ID

10765197

Incident

Jun 30, 2011

Mileage

50,000 mi