2003 MINI COOPER S Complaints

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper S equipped with Falken Tires, Tire Line: Sincera SN250 A/S, Tire Size: 235/45R17, DOT Number: FMHR3120. The contact stated that while washing the vehicle, he noticed that a bubble had developed on the front driver’s side tire. The contact was concerned for his safety while driving the vehicle. The contact stated that he rotated the tire to the rear driver’s side but was concerned and uncertain if the bubble might cause a risk to his safety while driving. The vehicle had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

I WAS STARTING MY VEHICLE AND IT MADE A BAD KNOCKING NOISE THEN IT WAS LIKE CRUNCHING NOISE SO I STOPPED TURN IT OFF AND WAITED FOR A WHILE WENT BACK TO THE CAR STILL MAKING A STRANGE NOISE BUT ONCE I PUT IT IN THE DRIVE IT STOPPED MAKING NOISE DROVE DOWN THE ROAD A BIT AND TALKING ABOUT APPARENTLY SLIPS OFF OF THE CAR SO IT JUST PULLS OVER INSIDE ALL THE ALL THE WEARING LIGHTS CAME ON SO PULLED OVER APPARENTLY THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN BUT THE HARMONIC BALANCER SEPARATED AND WITH SPINNING AGAINST ITSELF AND KNOCKED THE PIECES OFF OF IT AND THROUGH THE SERPENTINE BELT SO THAT NEEDS TO REPLACE NOW THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IT'S ONE PIECE IS THIS ONE PIECE THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR THESE WHATEVER CARS HAD THESE HARMONIC BALANCERS IS DANGEROUS AND IT COULD BLOW YOUR CAR UP THANK YOU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON THREE OCCASIONS, THE MAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE WARNING LIGHT BEING ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MINI OF BIRMINGHAM LOCATED AT 2001 TOM WILLIAMS WAY, BIRMINGHAM, AL 35210, 205-267-4505. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $1,200. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE PART MAY ALSO BE AVAILABLE AT THE LOCAL JUNKYARD. THE MAT SENSOR WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT SHOULD BE REPLACED WHICH WAS STILL PENDING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

WE KNOW OF TWICE THAT OUR CAR'S POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE IN MOTION. AFTER BMW WAS FINALLY FORCED INTO A RECALL FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE AND WE RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION, WE TOOK OUR CAR TO CENTURY BMW IN GREENVILLE, SC. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CHECKED OUR WORK REGARDING REPLACEMENT PUMP, FAN, ETC. AND DEEMED IT 100% SATISFACTORY. WE SUBMITTED THE PAPERWORK AND INVOICE FOR THE REPAIR AND WAITED (REQUESTED . AFTER 16 WEEKS AND NO REIMBURSEMENT OR NOTIFICATION, WE CALLED AND WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER THAT BMW WOULDN'T PAY US ANYTHING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T USE OEM PARTS. WHY WOULD WE KEEP REPLACING THE PUMP (THIS WAS THE 3RD PUMP THAT WE KNOW OF) WITH A DEFECTIVE ONE (BY ZF) THAT KEPT QUITTING? WE REPLACED IT WITH DORMAN (WELL-KNOWN MANUFACTURER OF QUALITY PARTS) WHICH HAD A LIFE-TIME WARRANTY (LIFE-TIME!) AND WAS MUCH CHEAPER. THE SD MANAGER EVEN SAID THAT SINCE HE'D SEEN SO MANY REPAIRS USING THAT BRAND OF POWER STEERING PUMP HE HAD RESEARCHED THEM AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM. BUT BMW DECIDED THEY WOULDN'T PAY FOR THIS. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE RECALL LETTER THAT SAID OEM HAD TO BE USED OR THEY WOULDN'T REIMBURSE FOR REPAIRS. I BELIEVE BMW SAW SO MANY DORMAN PUMPS USED THEY KNEW THEY COULD SAVE A LOT OF MONEY BY REFUSING TO PAY. WE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE SC DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS BUT BMW WOULDN'T ANSWER THEM SO THEY JUST DROPPED IT, LETTING BMW GET BY WITH THIS. WE WERE ONLY REQUESTING $721.04 WHICH IS LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT A REPAIR SHOP WOULD HAVE CHARGED. CAN YOU DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? WE FILED THE COMPLAINT WITH SC CONSUMER AFFAIRS IN DECEMBER OF 2017, TOOK THE CAR TO BMW IN MAY OF 2017 SO THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. HAVE OTHER OWNERS HAD THIS PROBLEM? HAS A LAWSUIT BEEN STARTED AGAINST BMW?

OCCASIONALLY THE STEERING OVER MY MINI COOPER S IS BECOMING VERY HARD. IT SEEMS LIKE THE POWER STEERING IS FAILING. THE CAR THEN CAN ONLY BE STEERED WITH A LOT OF DIFFICULTY. I CAN NO LONGER RISK TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER OR WIFE DRIVE THIS CAR. I CHECKED THE STEERING FLUID AND IT IS AT OPTIMAL LEVELS. IT USUALLY HAPPENS AT LOWER SPEED, BUT I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT ON THE FREEWAY SINCE THIS ISSUE STARTED TO APPEAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL FILTER HAD A LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

AFTER BATTERY WENT DEAD, REPLACED WITH NEW BATTERY AND SHORTLY AFTER AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. HAD INDEPENDENT SHOP CLEAR CODE IN 2015 INSPECTED HARNESS FOUND NOTHING OUT OF ORDINARY. 3 DAYS LATER AIR BAG LIGHT RETURNED. NOW IN FEBRUARY 2018 HAD MINI OF TOWSON DIAGNOSE AIR BAG LIGHT THINKING THE DEALERSHIP CAN RESET AIR BAG LIGHT PROPERLY. DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED UPGRADING WIRING HARNESS UNDER SEAT FOR 525 DOLLARS. I HAVE BEEN ON MULTIPLE FORUMS AND THIS AIR BAG LIGHT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 02-03 MINIS, INCLUDING 05-06, AND 12-15 YEAR MINIS. MY CONCERN IS THAT MINI KNOWS THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART FROM THE MANUFACTURER BUT REFUSES TO STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT EVEN WHEN IT COULD AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE PURCHASER OF ITS VEHICLES. IN THE EVENT NHTSA RECEIVES ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO FORCE MINI TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, I WOULD LIKE TO BE INCLUDED AS ANOTHER DISSATISFIED CONSUMER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, GARRETT

I WAS APPROACHING A CORNER ON A BACK ROAD AND HALF WAY THROUGH THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO GO OFF THE ROAD ROLLING TWO AND A HALF TIMES LANDING ON THE ROOF.

THE MANUAL TAILGATE RELEASE CABLE WAS NOT FITTED IN THIS AND OTHER EARLY PRODUCTION MINI COOPER S CARS, THOUGH THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATES THAT THIS SAFETY FEATURE IS PART OF THE DESIGN. THE MANUAL TAILGATE RELEASE CABLE ALLOWS ACCESS TO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT, WHICH IS IN THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE, WHEN THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION SUCH AS A BATTERY FAILURE. WITHOUT THE MANUAL RELEASE CABLE, THE BATTERY IS INACCESSIBLE IN THE EVENT OF A FAILED BATTERY OR OTHER ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. THE BATTERY IN MY CAR FAILED AND LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH NO CONVENIENT ACCESS TO REMOVE THE BATTERY. FURTHER, THE ABSENCE OF THIS MANUAL RELEASE CABLE MEANS THAT THE TAILGATE COULD NOT BE USED AS AN EGRESS FOR VEHICLE OCCUPANTS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY.

POWER STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION; MINI USA ADVISED IT WAS STILL DRIVEABLE, BUT TO BE CAUTIOUS DUE TO LACK OF CONTROL/POWER STEERING; WHEN PARKED, SMOKE BEGAN TO PLUME FROM UNDER HOOD WHERE A FIRE WAS NOTICED IN BACK OF ENGINE. CALLED MINI USA BACK AND THEY ADVISED US TO NOT DRIVE VEHICLE, AS IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. CONTACTED MINI TO SET UP RECALLED PART (HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING), BUT THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALER (120 MILES FROM MY RESIDENCE).