2009 MINI COOPER Complaints

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2014, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OF MY 2009 MINI COOPER CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AT THE MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP IN FIFE, WASHINGTON AND WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW I WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD REMAIN MAINTENANCE-FREE THROUGHOUT THE FULL RUNNING LIFE OF THE ENGINE. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. ALL MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED AT THE MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP IN FIFE SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN OCTOBER 2008. *TR

I BOUGHT MY USED 2009 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE ON DECEMBER 13, 2012. APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS LATER ON OCTOBER 16, 2013, I NOTICED AN OIL LEAK AND A COUPLE DAYS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BROUGHT IT TO FLETCHER'S TIRE & AUTO OFF 27TH DRIVE AND CAREFREE HWY AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS THE WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT HOUSING UNIT AS THE REASON FOR THE LEAK AND ENGINE LIGHT. I PAID FOR THE REPAIRS TO MADE. ADDITIONALLY, HAD THE FRONT TIRES REPLACED AS THEY WERE COMPLETELY WORN. TWO MONTHS LATER ON DECEMBER 7TH, 2013, THE CAR BROKE DOWN ON CAREFREE HIGHWAY, I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE FRONT BREAKS. MY STEP DAD WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO BRAKE MASTERS IN ANTHEM, AZ THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHERE THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT TWO WHEELS HAD THE WRONG ROTORS AND 0 BREAK PADS LEFT. ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICIAN, THE S MODEL REQUIRES LARGER ROTORS ON THE FRONT WHEELS, HOWEVER SCOTTSDALE MOTOR COMPANY SOLD ME THE CAR WITH THE SAME SIZE ROTORS ON ALL WHEELS THAT THE REGULAR MODEL MINI'S ARE EQUIPPED WITH. SEE BELOW: 2009 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE- TIMELINE OF REPAIRS DATE OF PURCHASE: 12/13/2012 1ST REPAIR- 10/16/2013 FLETCHER'S TIRE & AUTO ENGINE LIGHT DISPLAYED WATER PUMP THERMOSTAT HOUSING UNIT 2 FRONT TIRES TOTAL: $1,168.19 2ND REPAIR- 12/7/2013 BRAKE MASTERS FRONT BRAKES & FRONT ROTORS ENGINE LIGHT STILL DISPLAYED- CODE CAME UP FOR THERMOSTAT HOUSING UNIT TOTAL: $506.40 3RD REPAIR- 2/17/2014 MINI NORTH SCOTTSDALE PRESSURE CONVERTER VALVE FOR TURBO TURBO HEAT SHIELD BATTERY VALVE COVER GASKET TOTAL: $637.86 4TH REPAIR- 5/19/2014 MINI NORTH SCOTTSDALE TIMING CHAIN- IT WAS BROKEN INTO PIECES , UNABLE TO DRIVE DAR TOTAL: $1,480.99 5TH REPAIR- 1/6/2015 MINI NORTH SCOTTSDALE ENGINE LIGHT DISPLAYED VALVE COVER REPLACED VACUUM PUMP LEAKING TURBO OIL LINE LEAKING TOTAL: $2,145.19 TOTAL IN REPAIRS TO DATE: $5,938.63. *TR

MY VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT WARNING WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE AT FULL SPEED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. LUCKILY TRAFFIC WAS VERY LIGHT AND I WAS ABLE TO GUIDE MY VEHICLE SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS AROUND 15 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. IT TOOK OVER 2 HOURS FOR A TWO TRUCK TO ARRIVE AND MY WIFE AND I WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY KIT IN THE VEHICLE AND WERE ABLE TO USE THE INCLUDED SPACE BLANKET TO SURVIVE THE FREEZING TEMPERATURES. BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED I AM CERTAIN THAT MY VEHICLES TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF POWER AND INABILITY TO START. THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE MODEL HAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS. MY VEHICLE HAS HAD THIS ISSUE BEFORE AND WAS SERVICED BY THE DEALER SINCE IT WAS RECOGNIZED BEFORE ANY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AROSE BUT THIS TIME I WAS NOT SO LUCKY. THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF THIS DESIGN FLAW BUT REFUSES TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR PROPERLY FIX IT. MY WIFE AND I WOULD HAVE CALLED EMERGENCY SERVICES BUT WERE TOLD BY THE TOW SERVICE THAT WE WOULD BE HELPED SOONER THAN WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. I FEEL THAT THIS KNOWN MANUFACTURERS DEFECT PUT ME AND MY WIFE'S LIVES AT RISK. *TR

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IT IS INTERMITTENT AND DIAGNOSTICS SHOW THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SENSOR IN THE SEAT. THIS REQUIRES COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE SEAT. ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO DANGER TO THE PASSENGER (AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY), THE CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION WHEN IT COMES DUE IN NOV 2015. *TR

THE FUEL LINE RUPTURED WHEN DRIVING MY CAR UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. THE CAR STARTED TO SMELL STRONGLY OF GASOLINE, SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER RATHER THAN RE STARTING THE CAR. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN MINI COOPERS DUE TO A POOR DESIGN PER THE AUTHORIZED MECHANIC. THE FUEL LINE SITS NEXT TO A HEATER LINE, AND A COMBINATION OF RUBBING AND HEAT CAUSED THE FUEL LINE TO RUPTURE. MINI IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE CHANGED THE FUEL LINE DESIGN TO NOW HAVE A PROTECTIVE SLEEVE THAT PREVENTS ABRASION AND PROTECTS THE FUEL FROM HEAT. NOT ONLY DID THIS REPAIR COST ME $500, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN A RECALL FOR MINI? I AM VERY CONCERNED AS A CONSUMER. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY 12/04/2014 WITH CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVE GOING ABOUT 75 MPH. A TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME BECAME TOO CLOSE BECAUSE HE WAS GOING SLOWER. MY CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING AND I HIT THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, AND DE-ACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL. HOWEVER NOTHING HAPPENED AND MY MINI-COOPER CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND I HIT THE REAR END OF THE TRUCK. I USED THE CRUISE CONTROL ON/OFF AND TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL AND I STOPPED ACCELERATING. I CHANGED LANES TO PULL OVER, HOWEVER I HAD NO BRAKES. I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AS THERE WAS A BIG HILL, HOWEVER WITH NO BRAKES I WENT FLYING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WHILE HONKING MY HORN, AND THROUGH THE RED LIGHT. THE ONLY OPTION WAS BACK ON THE HIGHWAY AFTER THE LIGHT AND I EVENTUALLY SLOWED DOWN AND THEN USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. I REALLY PANICKED AND THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. THE TRUCK HAD NO DAMAGE, HOWEVER THE MINI-COOPER GOT A DENT ON THE HOOD. THIS ALSO HAPPENED BRIEFLY ABOUT A MONTH AGO, WHERE I HIT THE BRAKE AND MY MINI CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WHILE IN CRUISE CONTROL, HOWEVER WHEN I TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL THAT TIME, THE BRAKES WERE FINE AND I HAD A CLOSE MISS OF REAR ENDING ANOTHER CAR. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE PUT MY 6 SPEED IN NEUTRAL OR TURNED OFF THE CAR. AT THE TIME, THESE OPTIONS DIDN'T COME TO ME IN A PANICKED STATE. *TR

FLUID LEAK UNDER CAR. WATER PUMP FAILURE. DEALER SAID THIS CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL ALTHOUGH OTHER CARS OF THE EXACT MODEL AND YEAR WERE? *TR

MY TIMING CHAIN WAS REPLACED AND HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TENSION EXACTLY ONE YEAR LATER. *TR

SMOKE BEGAN COMING FROM HOOD VENTS, INSPECTED AND FOUND OIL LEAKING ONTO EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND THE TURBO HEAT SHIELD FROM THE OIL TUBE FEEDING THE TURBO WHERE IT WAS CRIMPED TOGETHER. I WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND CONTINUED, WHEN THE ENGINE COOLED I FOUND THAT I COULD REMOVE THE OIL LINE FROM THE FITTING JUST BY TOUCHING IT. I AM SURPRISED THIS THING DIDN'T GO UP IN FLAMES! WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE MINI DEALER THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THE OIL TUBING LEAK UNLESS I ALSO COMMITTED TO A NEW HEAD COVER AT 2K. MINI DENIES ANY ISSUES WITH THE DESIGN OR FITTINGS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY MINI COOPER ON I-95 WHEN THE I NOTICED A VERY STRONG BURNING SMELL AND THE CLUTCH WAS GIVING ME DIFFICULTY CHANGING GEARS. AS I WAS GETTING OFF I-95 THE GEARS WERE NOT RESPONDING AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. I GOT OFF I-95 AND JUST MADE IT TO A MAIN BLVD. WHEN THE CLUTCH GAVE OUT AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I COULD SEE THE CARS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR COMING AT FULL SPEED AND HONKING AT ME TO MOVE OUT OF THE OF THE WAY. I CALLED 911 AND ASKED FOR A PATROL TO SPOT TRAFFIC AND THEN TRIED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR TO ASK FOR HELP BUT ALMOST GOT RAN OVER BY CARS PASSING BY. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET EITHER HIT OR KILLED. TWO MAN IN A VAN STOPPED AND PUSHED MY CAR OUT OF THE WAY UNTIL THE TRUCK STOPPED. THE POLICE CAR NEVER SHOWED UP. A WEST PALM BRAMAN MINI COOPER SERVICE MAN WAS DRIVING BY AND TOLD ME THE CLUTCH WAS COMPLETELY BURNT OUT AND TO TOW THE CAR TO HIS FACILITY. I DID AND MINI COOPER REFUSED TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THE DEFECT AND THE MANY COMPLAINTS. THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THE CLUTCH WAS WORN OUT BUT THE CAR ONLY HAS 13,000 MILES, THEY ALSO TRIED TO BLAME IT ON AGGRESSIVE DRIVING OR THAT I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A STANDARD TRANSMISSION. I TOLD THEM I DRIVE VERY SLOW AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING STANDARD TRANSMISSION MY ENTIRE LIFE. THEY JUST REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT SOMEONE LOOKS INTO THIS SO THAT NO ONE HAS TO FACE THE SAME DANGER I DID OR EVEN WORSE, BE KILLED. *TR