2008 MINI COOPER Complaints

AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT ON. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WILL COST $2600 TO REPLACE THE PARTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, NOT WEAR OR TEAR. EXISTING RECALLS FOR AIR BAGS HAVE NOT INCLUDED MY VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

PASSENGER SIDE HEAD AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON AND CANNOT BE RESET. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT THE DEALERSHIP (WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW) WILL NOT WARRANTY OR REFER TO MANUFACTURER, BUT WILL CHARGE OVER $1,200.00 TO REPLACE THE AIRBAG AND/OR SENSOR NOT KNOWING IF IT IS ACTUALLY DEFECTIVE. THE CAR (NOT EVEN SIX YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 47K MILES) SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. OTHER RECALLS FOR AIR BAGS HAVE NOT INCLUDED MY VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL...YET. *TR

THE TURBO OIL FEED LINE IS A KNOWN FAILURE POINT ON THE ENGINES PUT IN THIS GENERATION OF MINI COOPER S MODELS. THE OIL LINE USES A "O" RING GASKET BEHIND A PINCH/CRIMP CONNECTION. THIS CONNECTION IS DIRECTLY IN CONTACT WITH THE HOT SIDE OF THE TURBO AND FAILS DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. THIS ALLOWS ENGINE OIL TO LEAK OUT OVER THE TURBO AND DOWN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. THIS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO RUN LOW ON OIL AT BEST. AT THE WORST IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE IF THE TURBO GETS HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE THE OIL THAT IS LEAKING OUT. *TR

8;30 AM THREE CAR INTERSECTION ACCIDENT. TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROLLED 4 WAY INTERSECTION, AUTO TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND RAN RED LIGHT AND COLLIDED WITH TWO CARS TRAVELING EAST BOUND THROUGH INTERSECTION AT APPROX 35 MPH.. 1ST CAR IMPACTED TOYOTA MINI VAN DRIVERS SIDE. FORCE OF ACCIDENT SO SEVERE THAT IT FORCED MINI VAN INTO MY AUTO. THE MINI VAN IMPACTED MY MINI PRIMARILY INTO MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. ALL THREE VEHICLES HAD TO BE TOWED FROM SCENE OF ACCIDENT. MY MINI COOPERS DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DEMOLISHED. FORCE OF IMPACT SO GREAT THE IT BENT THE FRAME UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS DOOR 3-4 INCHES ACCORDING TO THE REPAIR FACILITY IT WAS TOWED TO. VIP AUTO BODY. THE WINDOW THAT WAS APPROX 1/3 OPEN SHATTERED THE WINDOW. I SUSTAINED INJURIES TO NECK, BACK,SHOULDER AND RIGHT SIDE OF HEAD WHICH HIT THE DOOR PANEL UPON IMPACT. I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH SINCE THIS ACCIDENT AND THERE ARE SEVERAL AIR BAGS AND SIDE DOOR IMPACT BAG CURTAINS IN THE MINI COOPER AND NONE OF THEM DEPLOYED. THERE IS AN ACTUAL SENSOR IN THE MIDDLE OF EACH DOOR TO ACTIVATE THE AIR BAGS, OBVIOUSLY THE ONE IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WAS NOT WORKING. THIS CAR SUPPOSEDLY HAS A 5 STAR CRASH RATING ACCORDING TO MINI USA AND MY ORIGINAL WINDOW STICKER. I CONTACTED MINI USA THE DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO HAVE ANY REPAIRS DONE UNTIL ONE OF THERE TECH'S CAME OUT TO INSPECT THE MINI AND DO A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM. I DID SO. THE TECH CAME OUT 5 DAYS LATER, AND A WEEK AFTER THAT THE RESULTS CAME IN AND MINI USA SAID EVERYTHING WAS WORKING PROPERLY AS FAR AS THE AIR BAGS. LIARS. ANYONE WITH ANY COMMON SENSE CAN SEE THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED WITH THE FORCE OF THIS IMPACT. THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ACCIDENT. MY MINI COOPER WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. ANY INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ACCIDENT WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATED MAYBE EVEN SAVING A LIFE IN THE FUTURE ....UPDATED 04/23/15 *BF

I TOOK MY 2008 MINI COOPER IN FOR ITS ANNUAL SAFETY CHECK AND IT DID NOT PASS. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR IS FAULTY, IT DOES NOT DETECT THAT THERE IS IN FACT A PERSON OCCUPYING THE SEAT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT MINI COOPER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE, AGAIN, IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. THE PART TO REPLACE THIS SENSOR RANGES FROM $1200-$1400 DEPENDING ON THE RETAILER. THE COST OF THIS PART IS OUTRAGEOUS. THE LABOR HAS BEEN ESTIMATED TO BE 2-4 HOURS DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THE SEAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY RE-UPHOLSTERED. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS FAULTY SENSOR AND THAT MINI COOPER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT THEIR VEHICLE IS SAFE. *TR

TURBOCHARGER OIL FEED LINE LEAKING. THE PART IS POORLY DESIGNED AND ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE PRONE TO FAILURE. THE DEALER WANTS $1200 TO REPLACE IT. WHEN I QUESTIONED THE SERVICE PERSON ABOUT THE HEAT SHIELD RECALL FROM JUST LAST YEAR TO PREVENT THIS ISSUE FROM OCCURRING, HE REASSURED ME THAT THE HEAT SHIELD RECALL WAS BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PAINT JOBS THEY HAD TO DO ON HOODS FROM THE HEAT OFF THE TURBO DAMAGING THE HOOD PAINT. I THINK MINI SHOULD COVER THE COST OF REPLACING THE OIL SUPPLY LINE SINCE THEY ARE WELL AWARE THAT THIS PART IS FAULTY, IT GETS TOO HOT AND LEAKS. THE HEAT SHIELD RECALL DOESN'T STOP THE DAMAGE ALREADY DONE. IT SEEMS MY 2008 MINI IS NOT IMMUNE TO ANY OF THE "KNOWN" ISSUES THIS CAR HAS. EVERYTIME I VISIT THE MINI DEALERSHIP IT'S ANOTHER WELL KNOWN ISSUE/REPAIR. WHILE THE DEALERSHIP WAS VERY HELPFUL WITH THE LAST ISSUE (TIMING CHAIN), THEY WERE NOT WITH THIS LATEST ONE. THEY SAID BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *TR

WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATING ON THE FIRST AND SECOND GEAR, THERE WAS A SMALL JERKING MOTION. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. ONE THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT DATE, 01/08, WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE CAR HAVE A LOUD ENGINE SOUND, SOUNDS LIKE THE CAR IS CHOCKING FOR AIR. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON WITH THE RPM POINTER RUNNING UP AND DOWN (GAS PADDLE IS UNTOUCHED). TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE NEXT DAY AND THEY FOUND THERE IS OIL LEAKING FROM THE OIL FEED LINE TO THE TURBO. $1200 TO REPLACE THE PART. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND MANY MINI OWNER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

THE CAR DEVELOPED ENGINE TROUBLE AT 51,934 MILES. WE CALLED OTTO'S MINI DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. WE THEN TOOK CAR TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACING DUE TO FAULTY TIMING CHAIN THAT RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD AND PISTONS. UPON RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM IT APPEARS THAT IT IS VERY COMMON. WE PROCEEDED WITH THE REPAIR AT THE LOCAL SHOP AND FILED WITH MINI TO REQUEST COVERAGE. COVERAGE WAS DENIED SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE CAR SERVICED AT THE DEALER. THE NATURE OF THIS REPAIR AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF REPORTED ISSUES WOULD SUGGEST ONE TO EXPECT MINI TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

I OWN A 2008 MINI COOPER S AND IT HAS 38600 MILES ON IT I HAVE OWNED IT FOR A YEAR AND HAVE TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD THE TIMING CHAIN CHANGED ONCE BEFORE AT 13,485 BY A MINI DEALER. AS FOR THIS TIME IT IS STILL DRIVABLE AND HAS NOT CAUSED ANY INCIDENTS. *TR