2009 Mini Clubman Complaints

The passenger-side airbag is not recognized when a passenger is in the vehicle. Mechanic says this is a known recall for Mini's and has repaired several but my model is not covered under the recall. There has not been an incident or accident to report at this time. I have reached out to Mini and asked them about the recall and they originally said they would fix it bc it was under recall. When I brought the car in they said they couldn't because the recall doesn't cover the R55 model. After months of going back and forth with them, they have concluded that they will only repair at their service cost of $1500.

Following approximately 12 months of slow deterioration, the passenger-side airbag deployment system in this vehicle appears to have become continuously inoperative (red airbag failure annunciator continuously illuminated on instrument cluster in conjunction with continuous illumination of the amber "Passenger Airbag OFF" informational annunciator in the overhead console). Failure now occurs whether passenger seat is empty or occupied, although it previously only occurred when the seat was unoccupied and ambient temperatures were colder (below approximately 40 degrees F). I suspect that the passenger seat occupancy sensor mat is the failed system component due to the slow onset of the problem (continuous illumination of aforementioned annunciators was spurious at first, then intermittent, now continuous). Vehicle has not been submitted to a MINI dealer for diagnosis. However, MINI/BMW has already issued a recall on the passenger seat occupancy sensor mats in 2005-2008 model MINIs,...

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR HAS STOPPED WORKING DURING ALL STATES OF VEHICLE OPERATION. UPON STARTING THE CAR AND WHILE DRIVING, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT TURNS ON REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT. IF I WERE TO GET INTO A CRASH, MY PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG WILL NOT ACTIVATE, LEAVING THE PASSENGER IN THE CAR UNPROTECTED.

LOW OIL INDICATOR DOESN'T LIGHT UP UNTIL THE OIL LEVELS ARE CRITICALLY LOW. DEALER STATES THAT THEY'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN A LOT AND IT'S "NORMAL." COST ME OVER $4,000 TO FIX IT AT THE DEALER. 3RD DOOR (SUICIDE DOOR) LOCK MECHANISM STICKS/BREAKS DOWN. AFTER GETTING IT FIXED, THE LATCH ITSELF BROKE DOWN.

REPLACED THERMOSTAT, HEATER STOPPED WORKING, VEHICLE OVERHEATED WHAT SEEMS TO BE A FAULTY WATER PUMP OR THERMOSTAT, CAR SMOKED INTENSELY DROVE SHORT DISTANCE- THERMOSTAT MELTED- MOTOR BLEW. THIS VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED***