Table 1 shows three common visibility related problems of the 2005 Mini Cooper S.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Blower problems | |
| Windshield problems | |
| Wiper problems |
Defect initially occurred at night time in rush hour traffic: dash-lights went out, turn indicator not functional, heater blower stopped working (causing fogging of windshield/windows), air bag lights went on, seat belt light on consequently had to pull on the side of road (limited visibility, no speed indicator, could not operate vehicle safely). A couple of attempts at ignition cycling partially restored functionality. After initial defect, problem could be reproduced intermittently (all/some of the component listed above failed during course of normal operation of vehicle). Vehicle inspected by Mini/BMW dealer, root cause: interference on k-bus of one of the audio component, resulting in failure/malfunction of other components on the bus. Ultimately component (Mini I-pod interface) had to be removed -- part is available if needed. Request to have repairs covered was rejected by Mini/BMW customer relations on grounds there was no recall (vehicle is 5 months out of warranty --- 41k miles).
Sudden stress crack appeared directly behind rear view mirror. No rock chip or other impact evidence. We'd just gone from cool (mid 50's ) to record heat (100) in 24 hours. Have less than 4,500 miles on the car. Came out in the morning to find the crack, which is approximately 6" long growing vertically. The car is a 2005 Mini Cooper S convertible.
2005 Mini Cooper S was traveling 50mph when it hit icy bridge spun around and rolled 3 times driver was wearing a seatbelt and passenger was not and got ejected and died. No airbags deployed. Hwy 299.