MINI Complaints

PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE 34,500 MILES, WHILE THE DEALER REPAIRED THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY THEY INFORMED ME ABOUT THE CLUTCH BEING TOO SMALL TO DOWNSHIFT THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN. I DIDN'T SPEND NORTHWARDS OF 40K ON A SPORTS CAR ONLY TO BE TOLD ALL SLOWING DOWN SHOULD BE DONE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. YOU BUY A STICK SHIFT CAR TO BE ABLE TO DO THESE THINGS NORMALLY. TO BE TOLD BY THE DEALERS SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THE CLUTCH IS INADEQUATE FOR THIS NORMAL DRIVING PRACTICE WAS QUITE A SURPRISE HAD THE SALESPERSON TOLD ME THIS I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I GUESS THE REAL SURPRISE WILL BE WHEN IT GOES OUT AGAIN AND I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE A DESIGN FLAW REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. THIS CLUTCH PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE PREVALENT IN THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE VERSION WHERE APPARENTLY THE FRICTION COEFFICIENT OF 4 WHEELS TO THE PAVEMENT EXCEEDS THAT OF THE CLUTCH.

TRANSMISSION ISSUE: WHEN INDICATOR DISPLAY OF TRANSMISSION STATUS IS NOT THE SAME AS SELECTED ON THE STICK. THEREFORE, CAR ALWAYS STUCK WHEN EVER TRANSMISSION IS PUT ON PARK MODE. SAFETY ISSUE IS MOST PEOPLE LAND THE TRANSMISSION ON NEUTRAL MODE TO AVOID LOCKING WHEN PARKING. THIS ISSUE CAN EFFECT SAFETY WHEN PARKED ON UP OR DOWN HILL CAUSE IT'S NOT ON PARKED MODE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE CONTACT, A CERTIFIED MECHANIC, DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT OFFER ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

I WAS AT A STOP BECAUSE TRAFFIC WAS BACKED UP IN TOWN NEAR THE HIGHWAY ENTRANCE AND A CAR REAR ENDED ME, PUSHING ME INTO THE CAR AHEAD. THE REAR CAR WAS MOVING AT AT LEAST 20 MPH. WITH A REAR END AND HEAD ON COLLISION AT THAT SPEED, MY AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED BUT DID NOT.

WHILE TRAVELING ON I90 AT APPROXIMATELY 72MPH, I HEARD A VERY LOUD POP AND PART OF MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. ONCE AT A SAFE STOPPING PLACE, I TOOK A LOOK AT THE SUNROOF AND I DIDN'T NOTICE ANY OUTSIDE FORCE THAT CAUSED THIS. I WAS NOT TRAVELING NEAR ANY OVERPASSES WHEN THIS OCCURRED.

I'M JUST NOTICING A COOLANT LEAK PUDDLING UP UNDER FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THE THERMOSTAT OR IT'S HOUSING OR BOTH.. MY ENGINE SOUNDS LIKE IT'S RUNNING WITH NO OIL. I GO TO CHECK THE DIPSTICK AND THE OIL AT THE VERY END OF IT SEEMS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCURATELY READ, BECAUSE IT'S NOT UNIFORM IN IT'S COATING AT THE TIP OF IT. LIKE IF IT WAS SPLASHED ON. NOT SURE IF THE AUXILIARY COOLING SYSTEM IS EVEN WORKING ANYMORE, WHICH USED TO RUN FOR A MINUTE OR TWO AFTER ENGINE SHUT DOWN. I'M ADDING THE OEM SPECIFIED COOLANT ALONG WITH WATER, 50/50, EVERY DAY NOW, BECAUSE THE RESERVOIR SHOWS IT'S LOSS OF COOLANT. VIN CHECK SHOWS NO RECALLS, BUT I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUES AS THE RECALLS. I JUST WANT MY VEHICLE RUNNING LIKE IT WAS WHEN I FIRST GOT. I BEGAN FINANCE ON THE VEHICLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, AND I STILL OWE 16K ON IT. I SHOULDN'T BE WORRIED ABOUT THE CAR DYING OUT ON ME ALREADY. BAD ENOUGH I WORK 35 MINUTES AWAY AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INCLUDING HELP FROM ANYONE IS ALSO PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE. IT'S STRESSING ME OUT BIG TIME. I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET FIRED. WHERE I WORK, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT MY ISSUES. I ALSO REQUIRE AN IID EQUIPPED VEHICLE, SO RENTALS ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION, OTHERWISE, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE WRITING THIS MESSAGE! THANK YOU. I REALLY FEEL UNSAFE BEING ON THE HIGHWAY AS WHO KNOWS IF MY CAR'S ENGINE EVEN HAS OIL. OR IF THE COOLANT HOSES WILL JUST BLOW OFF. EITHER WAY, I FEEL LIKE I'M RIDING WITH DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT. I TRIED TO BABY THIS CAR DRIVING, BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD A 16K BROKEN CAR. I FEEL TRAPPED.

PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW 2017 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN S AWD FROM DEALERSHIP IN SEPTEMBER 2017, DAY AFTER PURCHASE ON THE WAY FROM TEXAS TO OKLAHOMA VEHICLE STALLED ON HIGHWAY IN A SPEED ZONE OF 75, THE VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND PERFORMANCE WAS REDUCED AND STARTED SHAKING AND VEHICLE WENT FROM 70 MPH DOWN TO 55MPH IMMEDIATELY. DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION LIGHT WAS LIGHT UP AS WELL AS SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT. DEALERHSIP TOWED VEHICLE AND WAS SUPPOSE TO FLASH/UPDATE SOFTWARE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE SPARK PLUGS AND COILS AFTER THAT VEHICLE WOULD DISPLAY DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION AND WOULD LOSE POWER AGAIN. ON 02/28 ON THE WAY BACK FROM TEXAS AGAIN VEHICLE DID SAME THING ALMOST CAUSING A WRECK WHEN VEHICLE DECELERATED AND SHAKED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AGAIN AND WAS ADVISED THAT VEHICLE SOFTWARE NEEDED FLASHED/UPDATED.

THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON ONE DAY WHEN STARTING THE CAR. I TOOK IT INTO A MINI SPECIALIST AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE INDICATOR SENSOR IN THE SEAT. OTHER MINI MODELS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN RECALLED. HE QUOTED $600-700 TO REPAIR IT. HE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THE AIR BAG WOULD DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS SEEMS LIKE A NO BRAINER.

HIGH PRESSURE FUEL RAIL DEVELOPED A CRACK AT A BRAZEN JOINT. HIGH PRESSURE FUEL WAS THEN BEEN RELEASED IN THE VICINITY OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. STRONG FUEL SMELL IN CABIN AND NEAR VEHICLE. NO FIRE OR DAMAGE RESULTED. VEHICLE REPAIRED AT OWNERS EXPENSE.

THE REAR VIEW MIRRORS ON THE DOORS ARE BOTH MOUNTED TOO LOW FOR OVER HALF OF THE SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS. YOU CAN NOT SEE CARS APPROACHING AS MIRROR IS BLOCKED BY THE DOOR FOR ANYONE UNDER 5FT 9INCHES OR SO.