2007 MINI COOPER S Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,500. UPDATED 7/10/15*CN UPDATED 07/16/15.*JB

PASSENGER AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINS LIT AT ALL TIMES WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT OPEN OR OCCUPIED BY A PASSENGER (150 LBS). *TR

IN 2013 MY MINI STARTED TO OVERHEAT. I HAD THE FLUIDS CHECKED AND EVERYTHING WAS OK. I DROVE APPROX., 10 MILES AND THE CAR COMPLETELY OVERHEATED, THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR SMOKED AND ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP (MINI NORTHWEST IN FIFE WA,) THEY SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND I NEEDED A NEW MOTOR AND COOLING SYSTEM. I PAID 7500$$ FOR A NEW ENGINE INSTALLED BY THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN JULY 2013 AT MY OWN EXPENSE. ON DEC, 23RD 2014 I DROVE MY MINI APPROX. 12 MILES AND PARKED THE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CAR WAS NOT OVERHEATING, NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, 15 MINUTES LATER THE CAR HAD FLAMES SHOOTING OUT FROM THE HOOD. FIRE EXTINGUISHER WOULD NOT PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CAR THEN MOVED APPROX. 5 FEET FORWARD UP AGAINST THE HOUSE AND BECAME COMPLETELY ENGULFED. THE TIRES BLEW UP THE SUNROOF BLEW UP AND THEN THE BACK WINDOW BLEW OUT. THE CAR IS A COMPLETE LOSS. MINI CLAIMS THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE, YET THERE ARE SEVERAL ARTICLES OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHER CARS, INCLUDING A CLASS ACTION SUIT AND RECALLS. *JS

THIS IS A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER FOR THE MINI COOPER WHICH IS KNOWN TO BE FAULTY. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BEGIN RATTLING AND WAS INSPECTED AT A MINI DEALERSHIP. THEY STATED THAT IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MINI. REPAIR FOR THIS JOB IS 2000 USD. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS PRICE TAG.THIS CAN LEAD TO A VERY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE HIGHWAY HEADING TO WORK. IMAGINE GOING 65 ON THE HIGHWAY THE CHAIN SNAP. LOST POWER AND CONTROL OF THE CAR. NOT ONLY THE DRIVER IS AT RISK BUT OTHER AS WELL. WHAT IF IT CAUSE A FAMILY IN THE CAR AN ACCIDENT. LET'S SAY 3 CAR WERE INVOLVED FILLED WITH FAMILIES BUT ONE PERSON DIED. YOU ARE CAUSING A LIFETIME OF HEARTACHE FOR NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE FAULT IN YOUR ENGINE. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT PEOPLE LIVES ARE AT STAKE. IT'S BETTER THAT MINI SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. IS MONEY SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO MINI THAN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE. THE LIVES OF FAMILIES. IF FUTURE ACCIDENT CAN BE AVOIDED. IT MUST START NOW. DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE THIS RECALL HAPPEN. DON'T LET ME START ON CARBON BUILDUP. ENGINE DESIGN WASN'T TESTED THOROUGHLY. EVERYONE SHOULD BE GIVEN A COURTESY CLEAN EVERY 70000 MILES OR SO. ALREADY SHOW SIGN OF CARBON BUILDUP WITH 48K MILES. *TR

ON 27-OCT-2014, WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT GAVE A MESSAGE ABOUT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. LUCKILY I WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND THE MESSAGE JUST SAID TO SLOW DOWN WHICH I DID. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY SINCE IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE.IT WAS REAL SHAKY AND DIDN'T FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE. THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 3 DAYS AND CHECKED EVERYTHING FROM THE COILS, SPARK PLUGS, RAN A COMPRESSION TEST WHICH SHOWED THAT CYLINDER 3 WAS NOT GETTING ENOUGH POWER, ETC. THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO LEAKS OR FLUIDS FOUND IN THAT AREA LIKE THEY HAD EXPECTED SINCE THAT WAS THE ONLY CYLINDER THAT WAS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. I CONTACTED MINIUSA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD FIX THE VEHICLE OUT OF GOODWILL BECAUSE THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES/ENGINES (R56). NEEDLESS TO SAY, MINIUSA WOULD NOT FIX THE REPAIR NOR WOULD THEY RESPOND TO MY EMAILS. MINI OF CONCORD OFFERED TO COVER 25% OF THE COST LEAVING ME TO PAY $3600 OUT OF POCKET FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY KNOW IS FAULTY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

WHEN PASSENGERS OR ITEMS WERE PLACED ON THE PASSENGER SEAT THE SEATBELT AND AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE DASH, BUT WOULD GO OUT AFTER PASSENGER OR ITEMS WERE REMOVED, AND/OR SEATBELT WAS FASTENED. AS OF NOW BOTH THE AIRBAG WARNING AND SEATBELT WARNING LIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED, AT ALL TIMES, ON THE DASH AND WILL NOT RETURN TO NORMAL STATE WHETHER SEATBELT IS FASTENED OR NOT. THE AIRBAG SAFETY SYSTEM IS NOW DISABLED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING OPERATION DUE TO THESE FAILURES (AIRBAG/SEATBELT NOT READY STATE). *TR

MINI USA WAS WELL AWARE OF THE MASSIVE TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM (AFFECTING 500,000 MINI COOPERS),BUT REFUSED TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I'VE COMPLAINED OF THE CANTANKEROUS RATTLE DURING A COLD START WHICH WAS CLEARLY RELATED TO THE FAILING TIMING CHAIN DUE TO A DEFECTIVE AND POORLY DESIGNED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. (APPARENTLY MINI HAS COME OUT WITH A NEW ONE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM). THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED ME $1800 TO REPLACE THE WHOLE CHAIN ASSEMBLY. I ULTIMATELY TOOK IT AN INDEPENDENT MINI MECHANIC AND HAD IT REPLACED FOR LESS ($1144). NOW I AM HEARING THAT MINI DEALERSHIPS ARE REPLACING THIS DEFECTIVE PART BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NOW A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE TENSIONER AND CHAIN. THEY SHOULD HAVE REPLACED IT WHEN THE PROBLEMS WERE OBVIOUS AND SHOULD NOW COMPENSATE THOSE WHO'VE PAID OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS FOR THIS POORLY DESIGNED PART. *TR

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND MY POWER STEERING SUDDENLY GOES OUT, ALMOST HIT 2 CARS TRYING TO GET OFF FREEWAY. PARKED THE CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES, STARTED IT BACK UP AND STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED HALF A DOZEN TIMES. I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO GET THIS REPAIRED WITHOUT IT COSTING ME $$$$. I FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT THE COMPANY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF. *TR

MY CAR STARTED TO ACT FUNNY. ALMOST SOUNDING LIKE IT WAS SUFFOCATING. IT WOULD DIE ABOUT TEN TO FIFTEEN TIMES EVERY MORNING BEFORE I WOULD FINALLY GET THE CAR STARTED. IT WOULD SHUT OFF WHEN I STOPPED AT INTERSECTIONS. THE ONLY TIME IT RAN DECENT WAS WHEN I WAS DRIVING HIGHWAYS SPEEDS FOR 20 MINUTES OR MORE. I CHANGED OUT FILTERS, SPARK PLUGS, AND FLUIDS BUT NONE OF IT CHANGED THE WAY IT WAS RUNNING. COME TO FIND OUT IT THAT THE CHAIN AND CHAIN TENSIONER HAD BROKEN. THIS DAMAGE CAUSED ROUGHLY $1000 TO FIX. LUCKILY I CAUGHT IT IN TIME BEFORE IT DID ADDITIONAL DAMAGES TO THE CRANK SHAFT. WITH LOW MILES THE MECHANIC EVEN TOLD ME ITS A FAULT PART AND BRAKES EASILY. HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE NUMEROUS AMERICAN MODEL MINIS IN ITALY. MY COUNTRY CODE IS 39 IF YOU CALL. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ROUGHLY 30 MILES AND HOUR WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON ME IN A TURN. ALMOST HIT ONCOMING TRAFFIC PRIOR TO STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I DROVE IT TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT WHERE IT SAT FOR TWO WEEKS BEFORE A LOCAL MECHANIC COULD LOOK AT IT. I WAS QUOTED AT OVER $1,500 TO FIX THE PART BECAUSE THE WHOLE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING CONTROL BOX HAS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE WAY IT WAS MANUFACTURED. *TR