2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN Complaints

AIR BAG NOT ACTIVE / NO PASSENGER LIGHT STAYS ON EVEN WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT. IT WILL RANDOMLY TURN ON AND OFF. SAME COMPLAINT AS THE 2008 RECALL. *TR

CAR STARTED MAKING RATTLING NOISE ON START UP, DROVE IT TO MINI, THEY SAY MY TIMING CHAIN IS STRETCHED AND HOUSING BROKEN, AROUND $2500, TO REPAIR. READING ONLINE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, EVEN THE BASIS OF A LAWSUIT AND I FEEL IT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. *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

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 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

MY CAR OVERHEATED AFTER DRIVING ONLY 15 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY. THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON (RED- STOP LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN) THEN WENT OFF THEN CAME BACK ON (ORANGE- CONTINUE ON YOUR JOURNEY; LET ENGINE COOL DOWN SOON). BY THE TIME I LOCATED THE SYMBOL TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS I WAS AT MY EXIT. THE CAR SPUTTERED AND STALLED ON THE OFF RAMP AND I COULD SEE BLACK SMOKE AND SMELL BURNING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PUSHED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED FOR HELP. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO OIL OR WATER IN THE CAR AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I JUST HAD IT SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP 28 DAYS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED AS I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH MY KEY FOB NOT RELEASING AND WAS CONCERNED THIS MIGHT BE AN INDICATION OF A BIGGER PROBLEM. THE FOB FINALLY RELEASED AFTER 40 MINUTES OF SITTING IN A PARKING LOT! THEY PERFORMED A COMPLETE INSPECTION AND CHANGED THE OIL, AIR FILERS, BRAKE FLUID AND GAVE THE CAR A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FOR $400 AND 28 DAYS LATER I HAVE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND THEY QUOTED ME $9000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE! I SAW SEVERAL POSTS OF SIMILAR ISSUES ON MINI BLOG SITES AND FELT COMPELLED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I HAVE A BASE MODEL AND NOT AN "S" WHICH WAS PART OF A MINI RECALL FOR ELECTRICAL/WATER PUMP ISSUES. IF THERE IS A CONSISTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHERE THE THERMOSTAT FAILS OR WATER PUMP FAILS ON THE BASE MODEL THEN MINI SHOULD ADDRESS IT. *TR

REAR DOOR SPRUNG OPEN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY. STOPPED BUT DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THERE WAS A NOTED SERVICE BULLETIN ON PROBLEM BUT NOT A RECALL. I HAD TO INCUR FULL REPLACEMENT COST OF DEFECTIVE DOOR LATCH $315. *JS

DESPITE PERFORMING REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND COMPLAINING ABOUT OUR TIMING CHAIN MAKING A NOISE FROM THE FIRST MONTH, MINI NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM ALWAYS INSISTING THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL OR THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. EVENTUALLY OUR TIMING CHAIN JUMPED THE RAILS AND DESTROYED OUR ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE AND MINI USA DECLINED TO FIX THE ISSUE. ONLY ONCE DID THEY TRY TO FIX IT BY REPLACING THE TENSIONER. THE PART THEY USED WAS AN OLDER DISCONTINUED PART. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE AND SO THE TIMING CHAIN CONTINUED TO RATTLE AND THEN DESTROYED THE ENGINE. *TR

BROUGHT VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR REGULAR SERVICE. SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WAS LEAKING AND COMING LOOSE. TOLD ME IT WAS GOING TO BE 1500 DOLLARS TO REPLACE . I WAS READING ONLINE THAT THOUSAND OF VEHICLES LIKE THIS ONE HAVE HAD THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BROKEN AND HAVE A RATTLE NOISE AND ENGINE VALVES COMPLETELY BREAK. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL, IT SEEMS THAT TOO MANY VEHICLES ARE AFFECTED BY THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE CLOSED THE DOOR, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT QUICKLY ENOUGH AND CAUSED THE DOOR TO SEIZE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000....UPDATED 07-10-13 *BF