2009 MINI JCW Complaints

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SAME ISSUE AS COMPLAINT NHTSA ID NUMBER 10809500 AND 10250135

NUMEROUS ENGINE RELATED ISSUES. BLOWN TURBO, THERMOSTAT CRACKED, TIMING WAS REDONE ON CAR, TMPS SENSOR CORRODED, SIDE MARKER LIGHTS CORRODED, WATER PUMP HOUSING CRACKED, ENGINE OIL PAN LEAK, CARBON BUILDUP ON INTAKE VALVES, OIL FILTER HOUSING NEEDED REPLACING, I TAKE REPLACED WITH "WINTERIZED" VERSION ALL HAPPENED AFTER 57000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI JCW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

THE TURBOCHARGER OIL INLET FITTING BEGAN LEAKING OIL (2-3 ML/MIN) ONTO THE HOT TURBOCHARGER, RESULTING IN SMOKE AND A STRONG OIL-BURNING SMELL. THE OEM TURBO INLET FITTING UTILIZES A POLYMER O-RING THAT FAILED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO HEAT FROM THE TURBO. THIS IS, APPARENTLY, A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE TURBOCHARGED MINI ENGINES. THIS IS DEFINITELY A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

THE OIL SUPPLY AND RETURN LINE CONNECTIONS AT THE TURBO HAVE FAILED AND SPRAYED OIL ONTO A VERY HOT TURBO CAUSING A HIGH RISK OF FIRE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI JCW. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE GARAGE IN HIS HOME WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND REPORTED TO THE SCENE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FLAMES CAUSED DAMAGE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS ALSO PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND ALSO CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RESIDENCE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY OVERHEATING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) BUT THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO VERIFY IF HIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

TURBOCHARGER OIL LINE CRIMP FITTING FAILED DUE TO O RING BECOMING HARD FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM TURBOCHARGER RESULTING IN SPRAY OF ENGINE OIL ON HOT TURBOCHARGER. DEALER REPLACED INLET AND OUTLET OIL LINES WITH NEWER DESIGN AND THE ADDITION OF AN OIL LINE HEAT SHIELD NOW BEING USED IN PRODUCTION OF 2011 AND 2012 MODELS. OIL SPRAY COULD CAUSE A FIRE AND THE DESIGN CHANGE FROM MINI INDICATES TO ME THAT A PROBLEM WITH OLD DESIGN EXISTS AND HEAT ISSUE IS PRESENT FROM THEIR ADDITION OF A HEAT SHIELD. MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER REIMBURSEMENT OR POLICY REPAIR WHEN A REQUEST WAS MADE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE DUE TO VEHICLE FIRE EXPOSURE. *TR

DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF TWO DEFLECTORS (UNDER THE VEHICLE'S FRONT BUMPER ' ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE CAR) APPARENTLY DESIGNED TO FLEX WHEN, AS A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE'S LOW GROUND CLEARANCE, SUCH DEFLECTORS CONTACT THE GROUND DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE (E.G., ON DRIVEWAY APRONS, SPEED BUMPS, ETC.). INSTEAD OF FLEXING, THE DEFLECTORS REPEATEDLY FAIL AS A RESULT OF THEIR DEFECTIVE DESIGN. THE DEFLECTORS ARE OBVIOUSLY DESIGNED TO BE FLEXIBLE BY FUSING HARD RUBBER TO HARD PLASTIC. HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF FLEXING, THE DEFLECTORS FAIL AT THE SEAM WHERE THE HARD RUBBER IS FUSED TO THE HARD PLASTIC. MINI HAS REPLACED ONE SET OF DEFECTIVE DEFLECTORS, WHICH PROMPTLY FAILED WITHIN WEEKS UNDER NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. MINI REFUSES TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE DEFLECTORS. BMW NORTH AMERICA, LLC REPEATEDLY REFUSES TO RESPOND TO INQUIRIES REGARDING WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE DEFLECTORS IN PLACE. SUCH REPEATED REFUSAL BY BMW NORTH AMERICA, LLC IMPLIES THAT THE VEHICLE IS INDEED NOT SAFE TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE DEFLECTORS IN PLACE. BMW NORTH AMERICA, LLC REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT THE DEFLECTORS ARE DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED, CITING 'OUTSIDE INFLUENCES' (WITHOUT EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT IS MEANT THEREBY) AS THE CAUSE OF THE REPEATED FAILURE OF THE DEFLECTORS. THE FUSING OF HARD RUBBER TO HARD PLASTIC ON A PART SUCH AS THE DEFLECTORS WHICH ARE TO BE FASTENED TO A CAR WITH SUCH A LOW GROUND CLEARANCE REPRESENTS A DESIGN SPECIFICALLY MEANT TO BE FLEXIBLE IN RESPONSE TO 'OUTSIDE INFLUENCES,' AND WHEN SUCH PART FAILS AT THE SEAM OF THE TWO DIFFERING SUBSTANCES, THE DESIGN IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST AND A LOUD SQUEALING NOISE FROM THE FRONT BRAKES UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, POSSIBLY CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE DEFLECTORS AND POTENTIALLY CREATING A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE RETAINED THE HARD RUBBER AND HARD PLASTIC PIECES OF THE DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED DEFLECTORS FOR INSPECTION. *TR

A LOUD RATTLING NOISE IS HEARD AND FELT WHEN ENGINE IS FIRST STARTED AND LASTS UNTIL THE ENGINE STARTS TO WARM UP DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY THE ENGINE BEGINS TO WARM UP. IN MY EXPERIENCE, SEVERAL MINUTES OF RATTLING. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL OF THE TIME. I'VE NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP (INSKIP MINI IN WARWICK, RI) MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE SERVICE MANAGER (JEFF S) SAID MINI IS AWARE OF THE COMPLAINT AND THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT REPAIRS FOR THIS ANOMALY,BUT WILL NOT EFFECT REPAIRS UNLESS THE RATTLE IS HEARD IN THE THEIR SHOP OR I CAN PROVIDE AUDIBLE PROOF. SINCE THIS HAPPENS SO INFREQUENTLY, AM I SUPPOSED TO KEEP AN AUDIO RECORDER OR CAMCORDERS IN MY CAR, SO I CAN JUMP OUT OF MY CAR AND RECORD THE RATTLE? THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE! THE DEALER NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS RATTLING CONDITION AT LEAST 8 TIMES ALREADY. *TR

ENGINE MAKES A LOUD RATTLING NOISE LIKE IT HAS NO OIL PRESSURE, NOT JUST ON STARTUP BUT FOR AS LONG AS A FEW BLOCKS OF DRIVING. IT HAS DONE THIS 6 TIMES IN THE FIRST 2,000 MILES OF OWNERSHIP. I AM CONCERNED THAT SEVERE INTERNAL DAMAGE IS BEING DONE TO THE ENGINE IF I CONTINUE TO DIVE IT THIS WAY. DEALER SAYS THEY ARE AWARE OF PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO FIX FROM MFR, OR DO NOT HAVE A FIX THAT ACTUALLY SOLVES THE PROBLEM. *TR