MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MINI OF SAN DIEGO (5202 KEARNY MESA RD, SAN DIEGO, CA) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS INTENDED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURED PART, WHICH MEANT THAT NO PARTS WERE REPLACED AS THE DEALER ORIGINALLY STATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY HAD NO RECORDS OF THE VEHICLE BEING SERVICED PER THE RECALL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AGAIN AND STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS SERVICED IN MARCH OF 2017. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 164,000.

ON MARCH 29,2018 MY DAUGHTER PARKED HER 2016 MINI COUNTRYMAN IN MY DRIVEWAY AND CAME IN TO VISIT. 10 MINUTES LATER MY WIFE WENT OUTSIDE AND SAW THE MINI ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ON FIRE. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED, THE MINI AND MY 2 CARS WERE ON FIRE. ALL 3 WERE TOTALED, MY DRIVEWAY WAS RUINED AND THE SIDING ON MY GARAGE WAS DAMAGED BY THE HEAT OF THE FIRE.. I REMEMBER MINI RECALLING THEIR VEHICLES WITH TURBOS IN 2012. THE RECALL STARTED BECAUSE MINIS WITH TURBOS WERE STARTING ON FIRE AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND PARKED.THE SYSTEM TO COOL THE TURBOS WASN'T WORKING AND THE TURBOS OVERHEATED. THE NAPERVILLE FIRE DEPT REPORT SAID THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE MINI BUT THAT THEY COULD NOT TELL HOW IT STARTED. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS TOTALLY BURNED TO ASHES. OUR STORY FITS THE SAME PATTERN OF THE STORIES I READ CONCERNING THE RECALL OF 2012.I WANT TO SOUND AN ALARM BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN BE INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT MAY BE THAT THE TURBO RECALL ISSUE WASN'T FIXED.

AIRBAG LIGHT IS SHOWING THAT PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF EVEN THOUGH MY 100 LBS DAUGHTER IS SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT. I'VE ACTUALLY HAD A 2009 MINI COOPER S, 2011 MINI COOPER S AND NOW MY CURRENT 2013 MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS WITH THE SAME EXACT TAIL LIGHT ISSUE. THE DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT BURNT OUT IN THE EXACT SAME WAY ON ALL 3 CARS. MY VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND IN MOTION WHEN THE BOTH ISSUES OCCURRED.

MY CAR BEGAN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" LIGHT STAYING LITE WHETHER OR NOT A PASSENGER IS IN THE CAR. I PAID $110.00 TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE MY CAR AND THEY SAID THE PROBLEM IS THE SEAT MAT SENSOR, AND THEY WANT $1,500.00 TO REPLACE IT. I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM AND I FOUND THAT THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN TO COOPER OWNERS. WE HAVE NO KIDS AND NOBODY BUT MY WIFE AND/OR MYSELF USE THIS VEHICLE, SO THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT IN THE PAST THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM TO OLDER MINI COOPERS, SO I GUESS THE PROBLEM PERSISTS WITH NEWER VEHICLES. ADDITIONALLY I FOUND THAT THIS IS SUCH A COMMON FAILURE ON ALL MINI COPPERS THAT E-BAY AND OTHERS SELL WHAT THEY CALL A "SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT SENSOR BYPASS EMULATOR" AND WHAT THIS DOES IS SIMPLY SUBSTITUTE THE VEHICLE SENSORS SO THAT THE AIR BAG IS ALWAYS ARMED IN CASE THERE IS A ACCIDENT. OF COURSE THIS PREVENTS FROM PLACING CHILDREN OR CAR SEATS IN THE FROM SEAT. THIS EMULATOR ALSO ELIMINATES THE DREADED AIR BAG LIGHT AND/OR CODE FOR THE SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR. AFTER LOOKING AT THE AVAILABILITY OF ALL THESE AFTERMARKET EMULATORS AND PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE SENSORS, OTHERWISE THERE WOULD NOT BE AN AFTERMARKET PART TO PARTIALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I AM NOT WILLING TO RISK USING THIS AFTERMARKET PART.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BROKE, CAUSING NUMEROUS AND SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS IN REPAIR COSTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 MINI COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED BY HIS WIFE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES WHILE PARKED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S LOT WHERE IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. *TT THE CONSUMER STATED BMW PAID THE DEDUCTIBLE FOR HIS DAUGHTER'S VEHICLE BUT NOT THE OTHER CAR OR HOUSE. * FD REPORT CONCLUSION: UNDERTERMINED- DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE INVESTIGATORS WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE PROBABLITY EXISTS THAT DUE TO THE BEADED BATTERY CABLE FOUND THAT A SHORT ENSURED THUS CAUSING THE FIRE. THERE IS ALSO A PROBABILITY THAT A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION/ FAILURE ENSUED, BUT INVESTIGATORS WERE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE IF THIS WAS A CAUSE, DUE TO THE OWNER STATEMENTS RECORDED IN NYPD INTERVIEWS THAT SHE DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 9/25/18*JP

AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ILLUMINATED. WE ARE UNSURE IF THE SYSTEM IS WORKING PROPERLY. WE HAVE NOT RUN DIAGNOSTIC CODES ON THE SYSTEM.

THE HORN CONTACTS ARE CORRODED AND THE HORN WILL NOT WORK CONSISTENTLY. IT MAY TAKE 5 OR 6 TIMES PUSHING THE HORN TO GET IT TO ACTIVATE, OR HOLD IT DOWN FOR A LONG TIME AND TRY TO MOVE IT AROUND TO SCRAPE THE CORROSION OFF THE CONTACTS TO GET ACTIVATION. IT OCCURS WHETHER DRIVING OR STATIONARY. MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM ON A MINI COOPER FORUM. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 20,000 MILES ON IT.

LATCH ON TRUNK UNLOCKS AND RELEASES THE TRUNK WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAN CAUSE THE CONTENTS OF THE TRUNK TO FALL ON TO THE ROAD ENDANGERING OTHER DRIVERS. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT ON THE MINI OWNER SITE

THE BARN STYLE TAILGATE DOORS SWING OPEN WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, INCLUDING WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. IF PRESSURE IS ACCIDENTALLY APPLIED TO THE REMOTE, ONE OF THE DOORS WILL SWING OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY, POTENTIALLY CAUSING ACCIDENTS.