2009 MINI COOPER Complaints

NOTICED DECREASED ACCELERATION PERFORMANCE AND VISIBLY NOTICED LEAKING OIL FROM THE TOP OF THE TURBO SYSTEM NEXT TO THE HEAT SHIELD AFTER RETURNING HOME AFTER A DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY. MINI DEALER IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A TURBO OIL FEED LINE LEAK. NOTICED ON NHTSA FORUMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MINI OWNERS AND COULD BECOME A FIRE HAZARD UNDER THE HOOD IF NOT DETECTED AND QUICKLY REPAIRED. *TR

THE MANUFACTURER'S PROVIDED DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR MAT SLIDES UP OVER BOTH THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR CAUSING UNINTENTIONAL BRAKING AND/OR ACCELERATION. I EMAILED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, BUT SO FAR NO RESPONSE. *TR

THE THERMOSTAT FAILED, THE TEMPERATURE ELEVATED, THE FREEZE PLUG FELL OUT/BROKE OUT OF PLACE CAUSING THE HEAD GASKET TO BLOW OUT. THE COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE OIL AND CAUSED IT TO BECOME "MILKY" THEREFORE BLOWING OUT MY ENGINE. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND THE CAR FAILED TO ACCELERATE. LUCKILY PEOPLE WERE KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME PASS FROM THE FAR LEFT LANE TO THE NEAREST EXIT AND I DID NOT CRASH. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 MINI COOPER WITH 16,000 MILES IN DECEMBER 2011 THROUGH A DEALERSHIP. IN THE SPRING OF 2012 THE CAR SAT IN MY DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING BOTH WINDOWS WERE COMPLETELY DOWN. IT HAD RAINED 5 INCHES DURING THE NIGHT AND THE PIE WAS AN AQUARIUM. I HAD JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE AT A MINI DEALERSHIP SO I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THEM. THE DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WATER DAMAGE. THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AND PAID FOR THROUGH A CLAIM ON MY INSURANCE POLICY. I TOLD MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO NOT PAY THE CLAIM BECAUSE THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION OF THE CAR. AFTER THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED THE WINDOWS AGAIN LOWERED ON THEIR OWN ACCORD BUT THIS TIME THEY ONLY WENT DOWN HALF WAY. THE DEALER THEN SAID THEY REINITIALIZED THE COMPUTER. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS RANDOMLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN HOUSTON, MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAYS, WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MINI DEALER IN HOUSTON AND THEY KEPT THE CAR BUT CLAIMED IT NEVER STALLED WHEN THEY DROVE IT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO STALL RANDOMLY. EACH TIME THE CAR STALLED I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND AFTER NUMEROUS TIMES OF BEING TOLD THERE WERE NO CODES SHOWN BY READING THE FOB I QUIT TAKING THE CAR TO THEM. THE CAR CONTINUED TO RANDOMLY STALL. IN MARCH 2014 THE CAR STALLED IN 4:00PM TRAFFIC WHILE I TOPPED AN OVERPASS ON A FRIDAY. AFTER A WRECKER TOWED THE CAR TO A MECHANIC THE DIAGNOSIS IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A SECOND OPINION AND HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET. THIS MINI COOPER TRULY HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND IS A HAZARD TO BE ON THE ROAD. I NO LONGER DRIVE THE MINI, WILL NEVER DRIVE ANOTHER MINI AND I NO LONGER HAVE TO SAY A PRAYER BEFORE I GET IN MY CAR. I HOPE THE NHTSA CAN PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE WITH THIS SITUATION . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, PARTS OF THE ENGINE SOUND AS IF THEY WERE LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 60,000. UPDATED 06/10/14*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, A LOUD POPPING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE BEFORE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR INSTALLATION HEAT SHIELD FOR TURBO FEED LINE. THIS IS A RECALL AND NEWLY INSTALLED PART TO PROTECT THE TURBO FEED LINE DUE TO OVERHEATING. TO MY SURPRISE THEY INSTALL THE HEAT SHIELD ONLY TO TELL ME THAT THE TURBO LINE IS FAILING AND WANT TO CHARGE ME $1000.00. THE FAILURE OF THE LINE IS OBVIOUSLY DUE FOR THE SAME REASON THEY ARE INSTALLING A HEAT SHIELD. THUS ITEM SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED. *TR

I NOTICED POWER STEERING FLUID ON MY DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MATS. I CHECKED UNDERNEATH AND NOTICED THAT IS WAS DRIPPING FROM MY WIRING HARNESS. I CALLED ALEXANDER MINI COOPER AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC TO CHECK OUT THE PROBLEM AND IF THEY COULDN'T FIX IT TO BRING IT IN AND HAVE IT DIAGNOSED FOR $180.00. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM BUT I BELIEVE IT IS A FAULTY POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY CAR. CAN YOU ASSIST ME WITH ANY RECALL INFORMATION SO THAT I CAN GET THIS REPAIRED. *TR

TURBO OIL FEED LINE LEAKING ONTO ENGINE/MANIFOLD. POSSIBLY COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. *TR

DRIVING ON 405 FWY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TURNING OUT OF FREEWAY OFF RAMP IN THE POURING RAIN. THE CAR DEAD STOPPED. VERY DANGEROUS, CARS COMING OFF FREEWAY BEHIND ME WAS A 911 SITUATION. AFTER SOMEONE PUSHED ME OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD HAD CAR TOWED. NO ENGINE LIGHT WARNING TO INDICATE PROBLEM OF TENSIONER (TIMING CHAIN BREAKAGE). ENTIRE ENGINE WAS REPLACED/REBUILT BECAUSE OF EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. BMW APPARENTLY IS AWARE OF THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT AND HAS NOT ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL. I'M HEARING THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT BECAUSE OF THE MANY COMPLAINTS. THE FACT THAT I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY BEEN KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED IS WHY I AM ISSUING A COMPLAINT (NOT TO MENTION MY BILL FOR $6200.00 I HAVE ON MY CREDIT CARD) AND THE THREE WEEKS IT TOOK TO FIX. NATURALLY I WAS 6 MONTHS OUT OF MY WARRANTY. *TR