2010 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN Complaints

My 2010 Mini Clubman was recalled in May 2023 because of possible corrosion in the electronics in the driver’s side footwell, which could lead to a “thermal event”. We are now half way through September 2023, which is 5 months later and Mini says they are still working on a solution. They also haven’t issued any advice on whether it is safe to drive the car. Five months is too long to wait for a solution to a potentially dangerous problem. I’m reporting a complaint because Mini are taking too long to come up with a fix.

Since November 20, 2022, my low milage 2010 MINI has Passenger Airbag Warning light in the roof near the mirror and dashboard. The OBD II scanner show that "ACSM/MRS: Seat-occupancy detector, passenger." I contacted dealer Herb Chambers MINI of Boston. I was told no recall for my car. After I searched on internet, I am aware that a lot of customers have same Passenger Airbag issue. They can't afford the high repair cost so that they have to look for alternative solutions beyond recalls, such as Passenger Occupancy Sensor Bypass, modifying system parameters on car computer by themself. All these solutions are obviously potential dangerous for MINI cooper customers. I request that National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigate MINI cooper Passenger Airbag issue and ask MINI USA to recall defective parts.

The contact owns a 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear liftgate spontaneously opened. Additionally, the contact stated that while parked, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

Engine quits while driving causing an unsafe condition. The car stopped numerous times while on the freeway. It starts back up but stalls again later. There are no check engine lights and the local repair shop indicates that it may be a problem with the Footwell Computer Mudule and specifically the soldering on the Low Pressure Fuel Pump Relay causing it to intermittently fail.

I bought the car used 10 days ago, 3 days ago, the electrical indicator flashed, so I parked the car. I thought it was a glitch. It was very rainy. I woke up the next morning and it had spontaneously combusted on the inside driver's footwell, obvious flames had been on windows and whole car reeks of smoke. I cant even get inside of the car with the physical key. I could have been inside when the car caught fire. I work with children and just got the car... hadn't put a car seat in yet. To think that a physical key literally doesn't work and the car caught fire in teh electrical and is now (to my knowledge) totaled...makes me sick. BMW / MINI has yet to get get back to me, no one has inspected the car, it hasn't been moved....can't move. The dealership refuses to take responsibility. Obviously I'm distraught and thankful I wasn't in the car. I have read several articles about this exact thing happening to other BMW / MINI owners. Please help. I literally haven't even paid the taxes yet.

MY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR FOR THE AIRBAG HAS MALFUNCTIONED. I HAVE HEARD OF SIMILAR ISSUE FROM OTHER PEOPLE. I AM ALSO AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS A RECALL FIX FOR PREVIOUS YEAR MINI COOPERS. THIS FAULT HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS WARNING LIGHTS TO STAY ON ALL THE TIME WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT FOR PASSENGER SEAT HAS COME ON AND WILL NOT EXTINGUISH. THE LIGHT REMAINS ON WHETHER THERE IS SOMEONE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR NOT. THE LIGHT IS ON WHEN STATIONARY OR WHEN I AM DRIVING, AND WHETHER THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT OR NOT.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2010 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN ON AN INTERSTATE IN MICHIGAN IN APRIL 2018 GOING 70 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE JUST QUIT, LOSING ALL POWER. I WAS FOLLOWING HER IN A VEHICLE THAT I HAD JUST PURCHASED SO I PULLED OFF THE INTERSTATE BEHIND HER. THERE WAS NOT ANY INDICATION OF EXTERNAL LIQUIDS ESCAPING THE ENGINE SO AFTER 15 MINUTES OF EXAMINING THE VEHICLE I STARTED IT BACK UP AND DROVE THE 9 REMAINING MILES TO OUR HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT UNTIL I PARKED THE VEHICLE IN OUR GARAGE, LIFTED THE HOOD AND STEAM WAS COMING OUT OF THE OIL CAP WHEN I OPENED IT. I PROCEEDED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A FOREIGN IMPORT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $8,800 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AS THEY INDICATED THE ENGINE COOLANT HAD BECOME MIXED WITH THE ENGINE OIL. NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THE $8,800 AT THAT TIME I STORED THE MINI IN OUR BARN FOR A YEAR. NOT WANTING JUST TO JUNK THE CAR AFTER HAVING IT FOR ONLY 6 MONTHS BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED, I DECIDED TO HAVE A FOREIGN IMPORT CAR REPAIR FACILITY REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF $7,300! AFTER EXPRESSING MY CONCERN ONCE IN AN EMAIL AND THEN IN A LETTER TO THE CEO OF MINI USA, MINI SAID THAT THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THEY WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. A CAR WITH 100,000 MILES ON IT AND HAVING BEEN WELL TAKEN CAR OF WITH A CARFAX TO SHOW THAT, SHOULD NOT HAVE A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. UNFORTUNATELY I AM NOT THE ONLY CUSTOMER WITH THIS PROBLEM. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF MINI COOPER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ENGINE FAILURE AS I HAVE. LOOKING AT ANY MINI COOPER FORUM OR EVEN ON MINI USA'S WEB SITE WILL SHOW ENGINE FAILURES AT AN ABNORMAL RATE. THE FACT THAT MINI IS STICKING THEIR HEAD IN THE SAND JUST SAYING THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY IS ABSURD. MINI NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DESIGN FLAWS IN THEIR VEHICLES.

DIFFICULTY STARTING THE VEHICLE. ON CITY STREETS OR THE HIGHWAY THE CAR ACTS LIKE IT ISN'T GETTING CONSISTENT FUEL THEREFORE IT "HESITATES" AS IF IT WERE GOING TO DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE. WE BELIEVE IT IS THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AS WE HAVE HAD THE HEADS CLEANED OF ALL CARBON AND SPARK PLUGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. FURTHERMORE THERE IS A CURRENT RECALL ON THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FOR THE YEARS 2007, 2008, AND 2009.

TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER HAS HAD ISSUES WHEN THE CAR HAS LOW MILES. REPLACED TENSIONER IN 2014 AND THEN AGAIN IN 2017 (2017 - ONLY 78,019 MILES). TIMING CHAIN HAD TO BE REPLACED IN 2017(AGAIN ONLY 78,019 MILES).