2003 MINI COOPER S Complaints

NUMEROUS WINDSHEILD CHIPS IN LESS THAN 12,000 MILES. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE WITH A WINDSHIELD THAT CHIPS SO EASILY. THE SMALLEST OF DEBRIS WILL RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT CHIP. THE WINDSHEILD HAS TO BE TOO WEAK. HOW CAN THE WINDSHIELD PROTECT YOU WHEN IT IS SO WEAK. THE FIRST CHIP HAPPENED AT ABOUT 800 MILES ANOTHER AT ABOUT 8000 MILES AND THE LAST AT 11000 MILES. THE FIRST ONE WAS "REPAIRED" THE NEXT MORNING. BUT IT IS NOW SPIDERING.

THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2003 MINI COPPER S CRACKED RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER WHEN I SPRAYED IT WITH A HOSE WHILE WASHING IT. THIS WAS NOT A HIGH PRESSURE HOSE, JUST A REGULAR GARDEN HOSE. I BELIEVE IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO A TEMPERATURE CHANGE. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT A PARTICULARLY HOT DAY, BEING BARELY ABOVE 70 DEGREES. I HAVE WASHED THIS CAR AND ALL OF MY PREVIOUS CARS IN WEATHER HOTTER THAN THAT! ADDITIONALLY, A SEARCH OF THE WEB SHOWS THAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH "STRESS" CRACKS WITH MINI WINDSHIELDS. ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY DISTURBING AND (IN MY EXPERIENCE) VERY UNUSUAL.*AK

WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT 3 MONTHS USAGE AND 4,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I KNOW THIS TO BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THE COOPER AND COOPER S AS I HAVE MONITORED THE MINI COOPER MESSAGE BOARD FOR WELL OVER A YEAR NOW AND HAVE SEEN MANY FAILURES POSTED(MANY OF THEM MULTIPLE FAILURES). DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THE COMPANY TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AS IT MONITORS THE MESSAGE BOARD CONTINUOUSLY BUT HAS YET TO OFFER OWNERS ANY OPTIONS FOR THE POOR QUALITY OF THE VEHICLE GLASS.*AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WINDSHIELD. ALSO, STATED THAT THIS WILL BE THE THIRD WINDSHIELD. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT ROCKS WERE HITTING THE VEHICLE AND THAT WAS THE REASON WHY THERE WERE CRACKS ON THE WINDSHIELD.*AK

THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS BALD. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS NOT FROM ROUGH DRIVING. *NLM PH *JB

CRACKED WINDHSIELD ON MINI COOPER S. ONE OF PROBABLY THOUSANDS SUFFERED BY MIN OWNERS OWING TO THE GLASS BEING TOO THIN AND THE WINDSHIELD TOO UPRIGHT. THIS IA A DESIGN AND SAFETY ISSUE. MY WINDSHIELD CRACKED MONDAY APRIL 14. A SMALL STONE MAY HAVE HIT IT, BUT THE CRACK DID NO BEGIN UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING. RANDOM CRACKS DUE TO STONES AND ROCKS ARE TO BE EXPECTED FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT THE OCCURRENCE OF CRACKS ON THE MIJI COOPER S IS EPIDEMIC AND WIDELY KNOWN. THE COMPANY DENIES THIS IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING ISSUE, BUT THE FREQUENCY OF THESE CRACKS, ADMITTED BY THE MINI COOPER DEALER NETWORK, IS WIDELY KNOWN TO BR A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR, AND THERE IS NO POLICY TO REMEDY IT, OTHER THAN HAVING THE WINDHSILED REPLACED AT A COST EXCEEDING $600. THESE CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE MEANT THAT HUNDRED IF NOT THOUSANDS OF OWNERS ROUTINELY ARE FORCED TO DRIVE THEIR CARS FOR LONG PERIODS WITH CRACKED WINDSHIELDS--A CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOT THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE SIDE AIR BAG IN THE DRIVERS SIDE DEPLOY WITH NO REASON. DEALER AND MANUFACTURE WERE CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR ACTIVATED.

WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH ON HIGHWAY, CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE FROM THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDERS. TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE OUTISIDE WHEEL. FIRESTONE, P22575R16 STEELTEX.*AK CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SEPARATED TREAD WAS WRAPPED AROUND TAILPIPE AND DAMAGED WHEEL WELL. *YH

AT 65MPH REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD STARTED TO SEPARATE CAUSING A BLOWOUT OUT. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A VEHICLE CRASH. SIZE 22517R16, DOT UNKNOWN.*AK THE DOT OF THE TIRE IS VD1L1XD WITH A DATE CODE OF 368. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT. *JG

PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER, AND NOTICED THAT RIGHT REAR TIRE TREAD HAD BEGAN TO SEPARATE. TIRE WAS A FIRESTONE STEELTEX, R4S #LT 225/7516M/S. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT.*AK DOT#VD1L1XD298. *SLC