2011 MINI COOPER Complaints

BOUGHT 2011 MINI COUNTRYMAN S IN 6-2011. I TURNED VEHICLE ON IN THE MORNING (11-5-2011 AT 730AM) TO DRIVE TO WORK. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE ON MY DRIVEWAY. NO ISSUES DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. NO VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS OR ALARMS CAME ON. AFTER PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE ATTEMPTED TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY ONTO THE STREET AND NOTICED THAT I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO BACK OUT. REQUIRED EXTREME AMOUNT OF FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK (APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES) ON SURFACE STREETS BUT HAD VERY LIMITED STEERING ABILITY. WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK (SOME 15MINUTES LATER), PARKED VEHICLE AND TURNED OFF IGNITION. CAME BACK APPROXIMATELY 15MINUTES LATER AND TURNED VEHICLE BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO ANOTHER FACILITY WITHOUT ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS. LATER DROVE HOME AND DID NOT DRIVE IT UNTIL MORNING OF 11-7-2011. WHEN I TURNED ON THE IGNITION ON 11-7-2011 TRANSIENTLY NOTICED STEERING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN TURNED ITSELF OFF. I WAS ABLE TO STEER WITHOUT ANY ISSUES AND DROVE IT TO NEAREST BMW DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. WAS TOLD BY BMW DEALERSHIP THAT MY ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO REPLACED. STILL WAITING FOR REPAIR TO BE COMPLETED. *TR

WE PURCHASED A BRAND NEW MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN IN EARLY AUGUST 2011. HOWEVER, BY AUGUST 24,2011. WE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE GRINDING. WE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGREED THAT THE BRAKES WERE GRINDING AND CHANGED THE BACK BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS AND WE EVENTUALLY HAD TO GO BACK THE SECOND TIME BECAUSE THE GRINDING WAS STILL THERE; THEN THEY CHANGED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS & ROTORS. HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT HELP THE ISSUE. THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO HAVE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND WE WENT BACK THE THIRD TIME WITH THE DEALERSHIP OFFERING THAT THEY HAVE SOMEONE IN THE FACTORY VISITING THE SHOWROOM AND WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE BRAKES AGAIN BUT AFTER THEIR THIRD INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO ASSIST FURTHER ON THIS ISSUE. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE CALIFORNIA STATE NEW VEHICLE BOARD WHO RECOMMENDED THAT WE MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE NHTSA. I FEEL THAT GRINDING BRAKES ARE A SAFETY CONCERN AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

MY CAR IS THE MINI COUNTRYMAN ALL 4 YEAR 2011. AS I WAS DRIVING ON TONNELE AVE HEADING TOWARDS RT 3 W, THE CAR WAS ON 3RD GEAR AND I SHIFTED TO 4TH. I FELT THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND LOSE POWER. I HAD TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER, WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL "ROLLING". WHEN I GOT TO THE SHOULDER THE CAR JUST COMPLETELY DIED. THE YELLOW INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON, I LOOKED UP FROM THE USER'S MANUAL, IT SAYS, " FULL ENGINE POWER IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, YOU CAN CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY, BUT MODERATE YOUR SPEED AND EXERCISE DUE CAUTION. HAVE ENGINE CHECKED ASAP." I THEN TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, IT CRANKED BUT WOULDN'T START. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND TOW TRUCK CAME TO TOW THE CAR AFTER HOUR AND A HALF. THE NEXT DAY, SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE IS A SENSOR MALFUNCTION CAUSED THE CAR TO LOSE POWER. I IMMEDIATELY SEARCHED ONLINE TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY RECALLS AND OR ANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, I FOUND A FEW OTHER COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME INDICATOR LIGHT WENT OFF. ALL THESE OWNERS HAVE THEIR CARS FOR AS LITTLE AS A MONTH TO A COUPLE OF MONTHS. *TR

OUR COUNTRYMAN UNEXPECTEDLY RAN OUT OF GAS WHEN THE DIGITAL FUEL LEVEL DISPLAY STILL HAD TWO BARS ILLUMINATED AND THE ON BOARD COMPUTER INDICATED THERE WERE 57 MILES LEFT. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING, WHICH IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK. THERE ARE MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES OF THIS ISSUE REPORTED HERE: HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/R60-COUNTRYMAN-TALK/215262-RAN-OUT-OF-GAS.HTML THE DIGITAL FUEL LEVEL GRAPH IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS CANDY CORNS SINCE ON THIS VEHICLE EACH SEGMENT LOOKS SIMILAR TO A CANDY CORN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE GEAR SELECTOR INTO PARK HOWEVER, THE GEAR WOULD NOT REMAIN SECURE AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR REPAIRS. IN ADDITION, THE OIL PUMP GASKET AND MAP THERMOSTAT WERE REPLACED PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,504. UPDATED 10/12/11*LJ UPDATED 3/30/12 *CN

2011 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE BROKE DOWN WHILE TRAVELING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE FAILED WHICH CAUSED OIL TO LEAK UNDER THE HOOD. BMW REFUSED ANY ASSISTANCE ON THE GROUNDS THE VEHICLE HAD AN OVER REV-MISSED SHIFT THAT WAS AN AFTER MARKET PART THE CONSUMER HAD INSTALLED. AN INSPECTION SHOWED A BORE SCOPE WAS USED TO VERIFY THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE CROWN OF ONE PISTON INDICATING THAT DURING THE OVER REV, A VALVE HAD COME IN CONTACT WITH THE PISTON. *JB

THE NEW MINI COOPER THAT I LEASED STARTED TO HAVE ACCELERATION PROBLEMS AROUND 6500 MILES. WHAT HAPPENS IS A HESITATION IN THE ACCELERATION OF THE MINI FROM A START OR AT LOW RPMS. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN YOU'RE AT A STOP AND YOU ARE TRYING TO CROSS TRAFFIC THE HESITATION OF THE ACCELERATION IS DANGEROUS IN TIMING THE VEHICLE TO CROSS TRAFFIC AND WHEN THE ACCELERATION CATCHES UP THE CAR JUMPS TO HIGH RPMS. THIS IS BEING REPORTED BECAUSE I TOOK THE COOPER INTO THE MINI OF ONTARIO SERVICE CENTER AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A BMW 2011 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 50 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE BEGIN SMOKING AS HE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE JUST AS IT IGNITED INTO FLAMES, FOLLOWED BY AN EXPLOSION. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES FROM THE EXPLOSION. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED BY THE STATE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK TO HIM AT A LATER DATE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120.

WHEN ACCELERATING, THERE APPEARS TO BE A 1-1.5 SECOND DELAY FROM COMPLETE STOP POSITION TO START WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. THIS DELAYED ACCELERATION IS PROBLEMATIC ONLY FROM COMPLETE STOPPING POSITION. EXAMPLE, AT PERPENDICULAR INTERSECTION WAITING TO TURN LEFT (PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION OR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE REQUIRES A ROLLING OR MOVING START BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL ACTUALLY ACCELERATE OR AT A SAFE ENOUGH SPEED TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC. WHEN I AM AT A COMPLETE STOP AND TRY TO ACCELERATE BY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR FIRMLY FROM ANY COMPLETE STOP POSITION IN A SAFE ENOUGH SPEED TO CROSS TRAFFIC WHEN TURNING, THERE IS ALWAYS A DELAYED REACTION FROM THE TIME I DEPRESS THE PEDAL AND THE TIME THE VEHICLE TAKES OFF. THIS DOES NOT TO APPEAR AS A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS ONLY ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT APPEARS ALL THE TIME AND TO BE A MANUFACTURER ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION AND GEAR CONTROL. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD ACTIVATE THE SPORT BUTTON AND DE-ACTIVATE THE DCS CONTROL WHICH CONTROLS THE "SPIN-OUT" ACTION ON THE COUNTRYMAN. I HAVE TRIED THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THIS IS NOT ONLY THE PROBLEM. THERE IS ALSO AN ISSUE WHEN I AM SIMPLY IN THE DRIVEWAY. WHEN STARTING THE CAR AND PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THERE IS ALSO THAT "DELAYED" REACTION AFTER THE CAR IS ALREADY IN GEAR, ALMOST LIKE THE VEHICLE HAS TO THINK ABOUT MOVING BEFORE IT ACTUALLY DOES. THIS OCCURS EACH AND EVERY TIME WHILE IN THE VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE IS AN AUTOMATIC. I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH BOTH AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND HAVE OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND HAVE PURCHASED OVER 15 CARS IN MY DRIVING CAREER AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE EVERY EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE DRIVING EXPERIENCE WITH AN AUTOMATIC.

OCCASIONALLY AND INTERMITTENTLY, THE DIGITAL AUDIO DISPLAY IN THE MIDDLE OF MY MINI'S LARGE SPEEDOMETER WINDOW GOES BLANK, WHILE ALLOWING YOU TO CHANGE CHANNELS AND CHOOSE FUNCTIONS (IPOD, TELEPHONE, RADIO, SATELLITE) WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE CHOOSING. THE GAS MILEAGE DIGITAL DISPLAY ABOVE THE AUDIO SYSTEM IS READABLE AT ALL TIMES. OCCASIONALLY ALSO AN ORANGE LINE WILL GO THROUGH THE DIGITAL AUDIO DISPLAY HINDERING THE ABILITY TO READ IT COMPLETELY. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF PURCHASING IT NEW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND AND THE CAR WAS RETURNED WITHOUT A REPAIR AFTER 2 DAYS AT THE SHOP. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE DISPLAY EACH TIME. *TR