2009 MINI COOPER Complaints

ONCE YOU SEARCH THE 'DEATH RATTLE' ON GOOGLE, YOU CAN GET LOTS OF INFO ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON AND THE DEATH RATTLE IS REALLY COMMON ON THE R56. IT IS REALLY A COMMON PROBLEM AND MINI SHOULD TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR INSTALLATION OF THE HEAT SHIELD FOR TURBO FEED LINE. THIS IS A RECALL AND NEWLY INSTALLED PART TO PROTECT THE TURBO FEED LINE DUE TO OVERHEATING. ONCE IT WAS INSTALLED I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TURBO LINE IS FAILING AND THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $1500 TO REPAIR THE LEAKING LINE. THE FAILURE OF THE LINE IS OBVIOUSLY DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT AROUND THIS LINE... THE SAME REASON THEY ARE INSTALLING A HEAT SHIELD. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND THE ITEM SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED! *TR

AFTER HEARING A RATTLING WHILE IDLING AT A STOP SIGN AND THEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THERE WAS A TERRIBLE NOISE THAT CAME FROM THE ENGINE AND THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. MY HUSBAND PUSHED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OPENED THE HOOD. IT APPEARED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BUSTED OUT OF THE TOP OF THE ENGINE COVER. WE WERE VERY CONCERNED AS THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY, WHICH HE HAD JUST EXITED. WE HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE IN THE MINI AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT COME TO A RESOLUTION, AS OUR MECHANIC IS ADVISING US THAT THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BE UPWARDS FOR $6,000 AND MINI IS NOT COVERING COST OF REPAIR. WE ARE WONDERING IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES. WE HAVE READ THAT THEIR IS AN ACTIVE CLASS ACTION SUITE, AS WELL. *TR

WHILE IDLING AT A RED LIGHT, VEHICLE RPMS VARIED DRAMATICALLY AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND MOVED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION THE VALVE COVER WAS FOUND TO HAVE A VACUUM LEAK, WHICH HAS BECOME A COMMON ISSUE WITH MINI COOPER S MODELS. *TR

DURING LIGHT ACCELERATION AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS, THE ENGINE LOST SOME POWER AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER FIRST REPLACE THE VACUUM HOSES. IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THE DEALER REPLACED THE VACUUM PUMP. IT HAPPENED AGAIN IMMEDIATELY, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TURBOCHARGER UNIT BECAUSE THE WASTEGATE WON'T CLOSE COMPLETELY. THE TURBOCHARGER AND WASTEGATE SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER THAN 5 YEARS (THE CAR WAS DELIVERED IN APRIL 2009) OR 70,000 MILES. *TR

THIS HAPPENED TWICE, THE FIRST TIME IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTEE. I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND HIT A POTHOLE. I NOTICED THAT MY LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT WAS POINTED AT THE ROAD. WHEN I GOT HOME I NOTICED THAT THE HOLE ASSEMBLY INSIDE HAD BEEN DISENGAGED AND IS POINTED DOWN. THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST IT AND SINCE I WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTEE I DECIDED TO OPEN THE UNIT. I FOUND THAT THE SMALL PLASTIC PART THAT HOLDS THE INNER LIGHT ASSEMBLY FROM FALLING PULLED APART. I WOULD THINK THAT THIS MUST BE TESTED AND THEREFORE I MUST HAVE A DEFECTIVE UNIT. I CONTACTED MINI WHO SENT ME TO THE DEALER AND SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT. IT HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND I HAVE NO RESOLUTION. IF THIS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE I THINK THERE MUST BE OTHER UNITS THAT HAVE FAILED THIS WAY. IS THIS CAUSE FOR A RECALL? *TR

ENGINE ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTS MAKING A RATTLING NOISE. TOOK IT IN TO DEALER, TIMING CHAIN GUIDES HAD BROKEN AND CHAIN WAS STRETCHED. WAS INFORMED THERE WAS A MINI CAMPAIGN ABOUT THIS BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF CHAIN HAD BROKEN. WAS INFORMED AFTER WORK WAS DONE THAT CLUTCH WAS BAD AS WELL. HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE THE DAY BEFORE WITHOUT ISSUE BUT AFTER ONLY 10 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FROM STOPPED SINCE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ENGAGE. EXTREMELY EARLY FOR THIS AMOUNT OF REPAIRS TO BE NEEDED, I QUESTION THE DURABILITY OF THESE PARTS AND THIS BRAND. BOTH OF THESE SUDDEN WEAR FAILURES COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF THEY HAD OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY. *JS

BOUGHT MINI COOPER IN 09/13. SINCE THEN THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. TIMING CHAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ONLY DRIVEN THE CAR 9 MONTHS. I HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON THIS CAR AND HAVEN'T DRIVEN IT A YEAR YET. IT ONLY HAS 8600 MILES ON IT. *JS

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN USING EITHER THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE HANDLE. THE DOOR LOCK BUTTON DOES GO UP AND DOWN BUT DOES NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE DOOR OPENING. THIS IS THE THIRD MINI DOOR WE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WITH (WE OWN TWO MINI'S, UNFORTUNATELY). THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT MINI SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AND FIX BUT THEY CONTINUE TO IGNORE GOING ON FOR AT LEAST 12 MODEL YEARS. WHEN WILL IT BE FIXED, WHEN SOMEONE DIES? *TR

THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG GOT DISCONNECTED AND WILL NOT OPERATE IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. LIGHTS INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES. I KNOW SEVERAL MINI OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME INCIDENT, AND MINI DEALERS REFUSES TO ASSUME THAT THIS FAILURE IS DUE TO POOR DESIGN. I READ THAT BMW (OWNER OF MINI) HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, AND WAS OBLIGED TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE IN CARS AS OLD AS MODELS 2005. *JS