2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

WE WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO SPEAK TO ANOTHER TECHNICIAN, HOWARD FULLER, AFTER EXTENSIVELY QUESTIONING MIKE WINTER. HOWARD FULLER HAD NOT READ ANY OF THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS (TSBS) ABOUT THE CAR AND IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS OR WITH ANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED WITH MINI. AFTER TALKING TO HOWARD FULLER THE NEXT DAY, HE HAD PERFORMED SOME MINIMAL RESEARCH (READ THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS) AND STATED THAT OUR PROBLEM WAS NOT THE SAME AND HE REPEATED HIS INTERPRETATION OF WHAT HE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS, WHICH WAS INCORRECT. WE CORRECTED MR. FULLER AND REDIRECTED HIM TO THE TSBS. HE TOLD US A MINI SPECIALIST WAS GOING TO COME IN TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, HE EXPRESSED DOUBT IN THE MINI SPECIALIST BEING ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. IN ANOTHER DISTURBING INCIDENT, MY HUSBAND CONTACTED CHICO MOTLEY, THE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR. MR. MOTLEY WAS ALSO HIGHLY COMBATIVE AND FIRST STATED THAT THE VIRGINIA LEMON LAW DID NOT APPLY TO BMWS! AFTER MY HUSBAND, WHO IS A 26-YEAR VETERAN OF THE FBI, CORRECTED HIM, MR. MOTLEY STATED THAT THE VIRGINIA LEMON LAW STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM AND BE SERVICED FOR IT 6 TIMES. MY HUSBAND AGAIN CORRECTED HIM, QUOTING VIRGINIA LAW THAT IT IS 3 TIMES. MR. MOTLEY STATED THAT HE MADE A MISTAKE BECAUSE HE ALSO MANAGES A DEALERSHIP IN DALLAS, WHERE HE STATED IT IS 6 TIMES (WHICH IS ALSO INCORRECT, IT IS 3 TIMES IN TEXAS AS WELL). HE MADE IT CLEAR TO MY HUSBAND THAT WHATEVER ACTION HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT WOULD TAKE WOULD BE SATISFACTORY AND THAT NO OTHER OPTION WOULD BE CONSIDERED. IN NO INSTANCE DID HE EVER EXPRESS ANY CONCERN OVER OUR SAFETY OR THE NATURE OF THIS SERIOUS COMPLAINT.

DRIVER'S SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW WOULD NOT OPEN FOR 18 HOURS. THIS OCCURRED AFTER A HEAVY RAIN STORM AND DID NOT CLEAR UNTIL AFTER A 20 MINUTE DRIVE THE FOLLOWING DAY. ATTEMPTS TO OPEN THE WINDOW THE DAY AND EVENING OF THE FAILURE WHILE PARKED AND DRIVING ALL FAILED. *CB

WINDSHIELD CRACKED THREE DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. I DON'T REMEMBER ANY STONE DAMAGE BEING DONE. WHEN I WASHED MY CAR (HOT DAY), A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE MID-RIGHT BOTTOM BORDER OF MY WINDSHIELD. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS STONE DAMAGE.

MY 2003 MINI COOPER S, UPON ACCELERATION, EXPERIENCES AN EXCESSIVE LOSS OF POWER THAT HAS PUT ME IN THE POSITION OF NEARLY BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC FLOW. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER IN CINCINNATI 5 TIMES, AND THOUGH THEY CLAIM THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRED, AND DRIVES 'NORMALLY' IT STILL NEARLY STALLS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STANDSTILL. *AK

2003 MINI COOPER S PURCHASED NEW; AT APPROX 4500 MILES 6-INCH CRACK APPEARED OVERNIGHT IN LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME AND THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE ANYWHERE ON WINDSHIELD. SINCE THEN, CRACK HAS PROGRESSED NEARLY TO CENTER OF WINDSHIELD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CRACK WAS THE RESULT OF A STONE HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. SERVICE MANAGER "PROVED" THIS BY TRACING CRACK WITH A BALLPOINT PEN UNTIL IT ENCOUNTERED A MICROSCOPIC, NEARLY INVISIBLE "PIT" ALONG THE CRACK. DEALER DECLINED TO REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY. PERSONAL OPINION, SUPPORTED BY EXPERIENCE OF OTHER MINI OWNERS: STRESS CRACK PROBABLY CAUSED BY INCORRECT INSTALLATION OR UNDERDESIGNED WINDSHIELD. IN ANY CASE, MINI HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT IN SOLUTION, REPLACING SOME CUSTOMERS' WINDSHIELDS UNDER WARRANTY AND REFUSING TO REPLACE OTHERS, LIKE MINE.

WHEN SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE HAD THE TENDENCY TO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. THE DRIVER MUST WAIT SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES. EACH TIME, THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED TO HAVE REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *SCC *JB

BELOW IS A QUOTE OF ANOTHER PERSON,I AM EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS EXCEPT FOR "TOTAL LOSS OF POWER" WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ME. ALSO, THE STUDDERING PROBLEM IN FIRST GEAR IS GREATLY REDUCED WHEN THE "ACTIVE SKID CONTROL" IS DISABLED.*AK MY MINI COOPER S WAS PURCHASED IN MAY 2003. "NEW MINI COOPER S AUTOMOBILE (PURCHASED IN JUNE OF 2003) EXPERIENCES A NOTICEABLE AND SIGNIFICANT STUMBLE WHEN ENGAGING FIRST GEAR AND ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. THE STUMBLE IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO CAUSE A STALL CONDITION AND RESULTS IN UNRELIABLE THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE PROBLEM IS WORSE AT HIGHER RPM ENGAGEMENTS, IN HOTTER WEATHER, AND WITH THE AC ENGAGED. THE STUMBLE FEELS LIKE A MOMENTARY LOSS OF POWER AND THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER, POWER IS RETURNED TO THE WHEELS. THE PROBLEM OCCURS ON VIRTUALLY EVERY ENGAGEMENT BUT IS CONSIDERABLY WORSE ON THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT AFTER THE CAR HAS SAT FOR SEVERAL HOURS WITH THE ENGINE OFF. THE PROBLEM IS LESS SEVERE WHEN TURNING THE CAR LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE ENGAGING FIRST GEAR. THIS ISSUE RENDERS THE THROTTLE RESPONSE UNRELIABLE AND CAN STALL THE AUTOMOBILE AT UNEXPECTED TIMES. NO CRASHES HAVE OCCURRED AT THIS TIME BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR A REAR-END COLLISION DUE TO A STALL OR A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION DUE TO STALLING WHEN CROSSING AN INTERSECTION IS PRESENT. ADDITIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO ENGINE MANAGEMENT AND THROTTLE RESPONSE OCCUR IN THE SAME AUTOMOBILE HAVE OCCURRED BUT THESE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN INTERMITTENT AND DIFFICULT TO REPRODUCE. IN GENERAL, THE ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS SEEM TO OCCUR IN ON TEMPERATURE DAYS WITH AC ENGAGED AND INCLUDE A FULL LOSS OF POWER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WHILE ENGAGING FIRST GEAR AND A NOTICEABLE SURGING DURING ACCELERATION AS IS THE DRIVER WAS PRESSING AND RELEASING THE GAS. *JB"

WHILE DRIVING ON A LOW SPEED, STOP AND GO TRAFFIC IN THE FREEWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY STALLED AND I WAS STOPPED IN THE FIRST LANE OF THE FREEWAY. I TRIED TO RE-START THE ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO SUCESS, AFTER WAITING A FEW MINUTES THE ENGINE STARTED. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THE SUV DRIVING BEHIND WAS ABLE TO STOP BUT NOT BEFORE HITTING MY BUMPER. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED, THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND HAD THE CAR TOWED BUT THE ENGINE STARTED AS SOON AS I GOT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD ONLY CHECK WHEN THE THE CARS IS STALLED. I HAVE 2 LITTLE KIDS AND I AM SCARED TO DRIVE WITH THE CAR.*AK

MINI COOPER S HAS SEVERE HESITATION WHEN STARTING FROM A STANDING START. THE PROBLEM IS UNRELATED TO THROTTLE OR CLUTCH PEDAL POSITION. CAR BOGS FOR A FEW SECONDS (WHEN MAKING A LEFT AGAINST TRAFFIC IT FEELS LIKE AN ETERNITY) WHEN IN FIRST GEAR AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 RPM THEN RESUMES ACCELERATING. SERVICE ADVISOR AT DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT'S A "CHARACTERISTIC" OF THE CAR. REPRESENTATIVE AT MINI USA TOLD ME THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND ARE WORKING ON A FIX. THE IS NO FIX AT THE PRESENT TIME AND NO ESTIMATE AS TO WHEN THERE WILL BE ONE. FOR THE TIME BEING, MINI OWNERS HAVE TO PRAY EACH TIME THEY ENTER AN INTERSECTION. *LA

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. *AK