2011 MINI COOPER Complaints

AFTER COMING HOME FROM A ROUTINE DRIVE. I PARKED MY CAR IN THE DRIVE WAY. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER I SMELT SOMETHING BURNING AND NOTICED MY HOOD OF MY CAR SMOKING. I IMMEDIATELY RAN OUTSIDE AND STARTED HOUSING OF THE BUBBLING HOOD WITH A GARDEN HOSE. I MANAGED TO POP THE HOOD AND PUT OUT THE FIRE WHICH HAD COVER MOST OF THE ENGINE AT THAT TIME.

I DROVE 20 FEET OUT OF MY GARAGE AND SMELT A SURFER SMELL. I PUT MY CONVERTIBLE TOP DOWN, PUT THE CAR IN PARK WALKED AROUND TO SEE IF IT WAS SMOKING OR IF THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE OR MUFFLERS. WHEN I COULD NOT DETECT WHERE THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM, I PUT THE TOP BACK UP, CLOSING IT AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I LOCKED THE CAR AND WENT INTO MY GARAGE. AS I LOOKED BACK I SAW SPARKS COMING FROM THE VENT ON THE HOOD. I YELLED FOR MY HUSBAND & AS HE LOOKED FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHER I CALLED 911 & FILMED THE CAR. WITHIN 30 SECONDS THE CAR WAS ON FIRE & WITH 90 SECOND TOTALLY UP IN FLAMES. NOTHING BUT THE SHELL OF THE CAR REMAINED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE & FIRE MARSHAL WERE PRESENT. ARSON WAS RULED OUT. I HAD A RECALL PART INSTALLED AT THE DEALER IN 2012 FOR POTENTIAL FIRES. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY SHUT OFF. IT HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 20 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FIRE.

LEAKING THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT. THE MINI DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME AFTER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE THAT NEARLY EVERY MINI IN THIS MODEL YEAR IS COMING IN FOR A THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT. I WAS TIPPED OFF TO THIS AFTER QUESTIONING AN ADAPTER THAT WAS INVOICED. MINI KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE OF DEFECTIVE THERMOSTATS BUT IS AVOIDING A RECALL.

TAKATA RECALL...AIR BAG PASSENGER SIDE WARNING LIGHT IS ON. LOCAL DEALER WANTS $140 TO "LOOK" TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND $800. TO FIX IT. CAN'T AFFORD THIS. WHY CAN'T WE GET HELP FROM DEALER/MGR?.

CAR MALFUNCTIONED TO INCLUDE, HIGH BEAMS, BLINKERS AND WINDOW MECHANISMS. MINI SERVICE DEPARTMENT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE.

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT DETECTION SYSTEM DISABLED. IT DISABLES THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS PLAGUED EARLIER MODELS.

ON JULY 20, 2016 WHEN WE QUESTIONED REPAIR COSTS COVERED BY OUR 2011 MINI MAINTENANCE PROGRAM UPGRADE AGREEMENT, THE SHARPE COLLECTION MINI DEALERSHIP IN GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A PAPER COPY OF THE AGREEMENT. NOR DID THEY SUBSEQUENTLY EMAIL IT TO US AS REQUESTED. IN ADDITION, WE REQUESTED THE SAME DOCUMENTATION ON THE MINI USA WEBSITE AT MINIUSA.COM AND IT WAS NOT FORTHCOMING AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS. IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DEALERSHIP BY LAW MUST KEEP ALL PAPERWORK OF THIS NATURE AVAILABLE TO CLIENTS FOR 7 YEARS.

A JUNE 2016 LEAK IN THE OIL PUMP SOLENOID VALVE RESULTED IN REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE DME (INCLUDING PROGRAMMING) AND THE ENGINE HARNESS. THIS ISSUE PRESENTED A SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE IT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND RESULTED IN EXTREME SLUGGISHNESS OF THE ACCELERATOR. SAFECAR.GOV IDENTIFIED MINI SERVICE INFORMATION BULLETINS THAT ADDRESS THE LEAK FROM THE SOLENOID AS EARLY AS 2012. MORE THAN ONE SERVICE BULLETIN (SI M11 01 12 DATED 6/2012, 1/2013, 1/2014) WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO DEALERSHIPS THAT OUTLINED THE PROBLEM AND REPAIR FOR THIS ISSUE. SINCE THIS ISSUE PRESENTS SAFETY PROBLEMS WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, WE ASSERT THE PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROACTIVELY FIXED. SINCE MINI USA HAS NOT DONE SO, THERE SHOULD BE A GOVERNMENT RECALL TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE PROBLEM MANIFESTED IN OUR CAR WE WERE EXPECTED TO COVER THE REPAIR COST. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO US SINCE THE DEALERSHIP KNEW ABOUT YET WAS NOT PROACTIVE IN PREVENTING THE SAFETY ISSUE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WHEN WE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY REIMBURSED LESS THAN HALF OF THE REPAIR COSTS.

I'VE HAD MY 2011 MINI CLUBMAN S FOR THREE YEARS NOW AND HAD SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ALREADY. I'VE REPLACED THE WATER PUMP, DSC LIGHTS, AND OTHER THINGS. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS SEEM TO COME ON ALL THE TIME AND THE MECHANICS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE IDEA ON WHAT'S CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS.

MY VEHICLE STARTED EXPERIENCING MECHANICAL ISSUES AT 78000 MILES. THESE ISSUES INCLUDED THE WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT HOUSING AND MOST CONCERNING THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM. I WAS ABLE TO AFFORD THE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES FOR THE THERMOSTAT AND WATER PUMP WHICH WAS AROUND 2500$ I LATER GOT A LETTER ABOUT THE WATER PUMP REGARDING A CLASS ACTION. WHICH I'M HOPING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR. SO THE AIRBAG ... =( ..I'VE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE MINI WILLINGLY LOOK INTO THE COMPLAINT WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. I CANNOT GET A REASONABLE RESPONSE FROM THEM REGARDING MY COMPLAINT. I AM DIRECTED TO GO TO MY LOCAL MINI DEALER. WHEN HAVING THE OTHER REPAIRS DONE THEY WOULD NOT PERMANENTLY ENABLE THE AIRBAG SYSTEM BUT COULD "LOOK" AT IT FOR 125$ SINCE OTHERS HAVE QUOTED THIS REPAIR COSTING UPWARDS OF 2000$ I DECLINED. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE OTHER REPAIRS. MANY OTHER VEHICLES HAVE AN OVER RIDE FOR THIS BEING A KEY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ISN'T BEING ADDRESSED WITH PREVIOUS RECALLS AND MANY CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SYSTEM COMES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY AS DESCRIBED IN OTHER COMPLAINTS. I'M ONLY ADDING MY COMPLAINT IN HOPES THAT IT HELPS MYSELF AND OTHERS RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I WANT TO ALSO NOTE THAT I PURCHASED SEVERAL WARRANTIES WITH THIS VEHICLE. WHICH WERE NOT HONORED AND CANNOT GET A REFUND FOR. ONE WARRANTY INCLUDED DAMAGE TO THE SEATS AND WOULD BE REPAIRED. I FEEL LIKE THESE WARRANTIES SHOULD BE REIMBURSED SINCE NO WORK IS BEING DONE IN REGARDS TO ALL THE ISSUES I'VE HAD.