2007 MINI COOPER Complaints

AFTER BUYING THIS VEHICLE, DROVE ABOUT 30 OR SO MILES....WHILE SLOWING DOWN NOTICED THE CAR HAD SHUT OFF. NO WARNINGS, NO LIGHTS, NO NOISES....CAR WOULD NOT CRANK. LEFT ME STRANDED IN MIDDLE OF FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MINI WHERE I WAS TOLD A VACUUM PUMP WENT OUT. DUE TO THIS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY (EXTENDED) NOW IM TOLD HAVE TO PAY 8000 FOR AN ENGINE. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE RESOLVED, THERE WAS NO WARNING AND FROM READING THE ONLINE NOTICES IT SEEMS TO BE A BIG ISSUE. MINI WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS. IT CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME, AS IT GAVE NO WARNING WHEN ALL THIS OCCURRED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR LOST PARTIAL POWER AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND BEGAN FLASHING. I PULLED OVER TO THE ROADSIDE AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. I LOOKED AT THE OWNER'S MANUAL TO SEE WHAT THE FLASHING ENGINE LIGHT INDICATES. NOTHING DEFINITIVE WAS STATED IN THE MANUAL, SO I STARTED THE ENGINE AND DROVE IT TO MY HOME ABOUT 10 MILES UNDER PARTIAL POWER. I CONTACTED A LOCAL GARAGE (MIENKE) AND LET THEM KNOW THE PROBLEM. THE GARAGE WAS ABOUT THREE MILES AWAY SO I DROVE IT TO THEM. THEY DIAGNOSED A LOSS OF COMPRESSION IN ONE OF THE VALVES THAT WOULD REQUIRE A VALVE JOB. I CONTACTED MINIUSA TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THEY REQUESTED I TAKE IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT OCCURRED AND ASKED IF IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE THE APPROXIMATE 20 MILES TO THEIR LOCATION WITH A COMPROMISED ENGINE. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE OKAY AND BRING IT IN. THEY DIAGNOSED IT THE NEXT DAY WITH A FAILED TIMING CHAIN ($1800), VACUUM PUMP ($600) AND VALVE COVER ASSEMBLY ($385). I LET THEM KNOW THE TIMING CHAIN WAS ALREADY REPLACED BY A MINI DEALERSHIP AT 40781 MILES AND THEY SHOULD REPLACE IT AT NO COST AS THIS IS SUPPOSED TO LAST 100,000 MILES. THE DEALER WOULD NOT. I CONTACTED MINIUSA AGAIN TO REPORT THE ISSUE AND REQUEST TO HAVE THIS REPLACED AT NO COST. THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN BACK TO ME YET AND IT IS STILL PENDING THEIR DECISION. I BEGAN TO LOOK ONLINE FOR SIMILAR ISSUES AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN. MINI/BMW IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT STILL DOES NOT COVER THIS RECURRING PROBLEM. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND UNKNOWING MINI OWNERS ARE SPENDING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE THEIR CARS PUT BACK ON THE ROAD. THERE IS ALSO A PENDING CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT IN NEW JERSEY FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. *TR

THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR TURNS OFF THE AIR BAGS BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE MAT SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY WITH A PASSENGER. MINI HAS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX TO REPLACE THE SENSOR AT ABOUT $1200. HUNDREDS OF MINI OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND MINI WILL NOT FIX IT. BMW ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE SAME PART. *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS ALSO ON EVEN IF THERE IS A PASSENGER SEATING. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART (POSSIBLY THE AIRBAG WEIGHT SENSOR) ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED IF THE AIRBAGS DO NOT DEPLOY. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM FOR THE 02-06 MODELS AND THIS RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED FOR LATER MODELS. *TR

MY VEHICLE DEVELOPED A RATTLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE , WHICH WORSENED AND CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO BRAKE AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE , WHICH IF AT HIGH WAY SPEED , COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT . MINI IS DENYING ACCOUNT ABILITY. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHTS UP. NO ONE HAS EVER SAT IN THE SEAT. REPAIR ESTIMATE IS $1,600.00. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED. *TR

THE VERY WELL KNOWN "TIMING CHAIN FAILURE". THE EVENT STARTED WITH RATTLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE BAY ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, THEN THE BIG MESSY OIL LEAKED AND THE ENGINE WAS DRYING UP AND CHOKED (MADE A VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION).LUCKILY, I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY!! BMW DENIED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR COST OF THIS FAULT DESIGN/ENGINEERING. *TR

AFTER MULTIPLE FRUSTRATING COMPLAINTS AND UNSUCCESSFUL SERVICE ATTEMPTS ON 8/17/11, 9/1/11, 9/6/11, 9/21/11 AND 9/28/11 FOR MY 2007 MINI COOPER S (PURCHASED ON 8/16/11) AT MAYORS AUTO MALL SAAB LOCATED AT 6001 NORTHERN BOULEVARD, WOODSIDE NY 11377 AND FAILING INSPECTION ON 9/1/12; I WAS FED UP AND BROUGHT MY VEHICLE DIRECTLY TO HASSEL BMW MINI OF FREEPORT LOCATED AT 100 CLEVELAND AVENUE, FREEPORT NY 11520 ON 10/31/11. AFTER A SERVICE BILL OF $3,546 (SERVICE) +$141.21 (EVALUATION FEE) = $3,688.03 FROM BMW MINI, THE PROBLEMS WERE STILL NOT RESOLVED. I THEN FILED A LEMON LAW CASE AGAINST MAYORS AUTO MALL AND WON ON. DESPITE WINNING THE CASE, MAYORS AUTO MALL REFUSED TO RETURN MY MONIES FOR THE PURCHASE PRICE OF VEHICLE. AFTER CONTACTING DMV WITH THE ISSUE AND HAVING THEM SUSPENDING THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE, MAYORS AUTO MALL FINALLY REFUNDED MY MONIES FOR VEHICLE PURCHASE BUT IT WAS EXCLUDING SERVICE BILLS OF $3,688.03 FROM BMW MINI SINCE LEMON LAW DID NOT COVER THIS AMOUNT. I AM FILING A COMPLAINT AGAINST BMW MINI AND WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT POSSIBLE REMEDIES FOR GETTING A REFUND SERVICES PAID TOWARDS A VEHICLE THAT I NO LONGER HAVE DUE TO LEMON LAW CASE AND AM OUT OF $3,688.03 FOR NO REASON. I UNDERSTAND BMW MINI IS CURRENTLY BEING SUED FOR THESE SAME ISSUES BY MANY CONSUMERS. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY POSSIBLE INFORMATION YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE REGARDING MY CASE. I AM IN AWE SHOCK THAT I AM STILL DEALING WITH THIS AND IT HAS BEEN 3 YEARS ALREADY SINCE I HAD TO RETURN THE CAR TO MAYORS AUTO MALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN WITH THIS MATTER AND WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION YOU ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE. *TR

TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER, A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS... I WORKED MY A** OFF FOR A YEAR SAVING UP FOR ONE OF THESE CARS AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW THE TENSIONER GOES... MINI DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU OR THE CAR THEY SELL, ITS ALL ABOUT TAKING WHATS IN YOUR WALLET AND PUTTING IT IN THERES, DONT BUY ONE OF THESE CARS AND NOT EXPECT TO PAY FOR IT TWICE LITERALLY IN FIXING IT..

2007 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE FIRE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. *SMD THE FIRE OCCURRED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND IS NOW BACK ON THE ROAD. *JB