MINI Complaints

CONSTANT REPLACING OF THE SEAT BELTS. CURRENTLY BACK SEAT BELT NOT WORKING AGAIN SERIOUS SAFTEY HAZARD . NO LONGER RECEIVING A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER. CANNOT RIDE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PASSENGERS IN THE REAR. HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK MULTIPLE TIMES

MY POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. I HAVE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN I TURN THE CAR BACK ON, THE POWER STEERING COMES BACK. WHEN THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT, IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST MONTH.

I REPORTED A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT MY POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. IT IS A 2005 MINI COOPER, AND SOME 2002-2005 MINI COOPERS WERE EFFECTED, BUT SUPPOSEDLY NOT MY MINI WITH MY VIN NUMBER. THE RECALL HAD ENDED IN FEBRUARY 2005 AND MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN APRIL 2005. HOWEVER I BELIEVE THAT BMW (MAKERS OF MINI COOPER) WERE USING FAULTY POWER STEERING UNITS AFTER FEBRUARY 2005. MY CAR HAS LOW MILES, I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND I TAKE PRISTINE CARE OF MY MINI. AS A RESULT, I HIT A CURB AND HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT LEFT TIRE CHANGED. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR, NO RAIN AND MY TIRES ARE ALL JUST ABOUT BRAND NEW RUN FLAT TIRES. THE RANGE OF MINI COOPERS AFFECTED NEEDS TO INCREASED. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM AND BMW (MAKERS OF MINI COOPER) SEEM TO NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. MY POWER STEERING IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP

KNOWN ISSUE WITH THERMOSTAT HOUSING & SENSOR - MINI HAS ACKNOWLEDGED A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE THAT CAUSES COOLANT TO LEAK ONTO THE THERMOSTAT SENSOR. FULL REPLACEMENT IS RECOMMENDED WITH UPDATED DESIGN AT CUSTOMER'S COST. MANUFACTURER SHOULD COVER THIS COST SINCE THIS IS AN ENGINEERING DESIGN DEFECT AND MAY LEAD TO POTENTIAL ELECTRICAL FIRES. AFFECTED PARTS ARE THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING, THERMOSTAT, THERMOSTAT SENSOR, UPPER RADIATOR HOSE & CROSSOVER TUBE. PLEASE REFER TO MANUFACTURER'S COMMUNICATION POST: 10049421, 10046779, & 10045301.

I HAVE A 2013 COOPER S AND WANTED TO REPLACE THE BLADES TO SOMETHING WITH A BIT MORE QUALITY (THE FAR RIGHT SIDE OF THE PASSENGER BLADE DOES NOT CONTACT THE LOWER CORNER OF THE WINDSHIELD). AFTER 2 WEEKS USING NEW OEM WIPERS THEY LOSE THEIR FLEXIBILITY AND ARE LESS ABLE TO WIPE CLEANLY. MINI CHANGE DESIGN WIPER BLADE AND ONLY POOR QUALITY OEM BLADES AVAILABLE FOR REPLACEMENT, NO AUTOMARKET ALTERNATIVE. I HAVE CRITICAL SAFETY CONCERN ABOUT OEM MINI COOPER WIPERS

BASE MODEL BLUE TOOTH TELEPHONE INTERFACE WITHOUT ON-BOARD VOICE CONTROL DISABLES PHONE HANDS FREE FUNCTION (E.G "SIRI" ON IPHONE) INVITING DISTRACTION TO USE PHONE FUNCTIONS. COMMON ALSO ON SIMILARLY EQUIPPED BMW MODELS. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE WITH EARLIER YEAR MODELS WITH SIMILAR EQUIPMENT.

THE "PASS AIR BAG OFF" WITH SEAT ICON/2 LIGHT (LOCATED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR) BEGAN TO COME ON INTERMITTENTLY WITH OR WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHEN THE ODOMETER READ ABOUT 50,000 MILES. THE LIGHT CAME ON PERMANENTLY AT AROUND 70,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED, DID NOT FIND A LOOSE CONNECTION, AND SAID THE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE CONTACTED THE MINI CORPORATION BUT WERE INFORMED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR OTHER 2007 MINI COOPER PASSENGER SEAT SENSORS FOR THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE TWO-DOOR HARDTOP. WE REPLACED THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR FOR THE AIR BAG SYSTEM AT OUR OWN EXPENSE.

THE METAL CLADDING ON THE PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE DETACHED AND WHEN I GRABBED THE HANDLE TO GET INTO THE CAR THE METAL CUT INTO MY INDEX FINGER, REQUIRING 5 STITCHES TO CLOSE THE WOUND. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY AND PARKED IN MY SPACE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

MINI COOPER S - NUMEROUS ISSUES FOUND HAVING PURCHASED A USED 2007 MINI COOPER S FROM A SMALL DEALER IN TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, WE DID OUR RESEARCH UP-FRONT WITH A 'CARFAX REPORT' WHICH SHOWED NO ISSUES, WE ALSO DID A VIN DATABASE SEARCH FOR RECALLS AND FOUND NO OPEN RECALLS AND ASSUMED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO PURCHASE WHICH WE DID FOR JUST OVER $5,000. NOW THAT WE ARE NEARING A YEAR INTO OUR 4-YEAR PAYMENT PLAN, ON JANUARY 17, 2016, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING NORTH ON I-75 IN GEORGIA AND AT APPROX. MILE MARKER 211, THE ENGINE SEIZED AND SHE REQUIRED A TOW OFF THE INTERSTATE. LUCKILY, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY- BUT IT SEEMS THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED OUR CASE' UPON ATTEMPTING REPAIRS, WE FIND NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE (2007 R56/N16 4 CYLINDER TURBOCHARGED) INCLUDING TIMING CHAIN, WATER PUMP, VACUUM PUMP, ETC' BELOW ARE PHOTOS OF REMOVED PARTS FROM THE ENGINE ' THE VACUUM PUMP SEIZED AND BENT THE METAL COMPONENTS ' SINCE THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE 'EXHAUST CAMSHAFT', WHEN IT SEIZED IT SEIZED THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT ' ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THIS CAMSHAFT IS A SPROCKET WHICH CONNECTS THE TIMING CHAIN (ANOTHER KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE) ' THE BOLT AND SPROCKET DROPPED INTO THE ENGINE AND TIMING CHAIN AREA, CREATING A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHICH IT APPEARS WE ARE GOING TO BE 'LEFT HOLDING THE BAG' FOR

POWER STEERING PUMP GOES OUT FROM TIME TO TIME, BROUGHT IT TO MINI DEALERSHIPS ONCE AND WAS WORKING FINE WHEN WE BROUGHT IT IN, AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG, AND WAS SENT ON OUR WAY. NOW HAD TO DISCONNECT BATTERY TO REPLACE A PART, AND WHEN RECONNECTING THE BATTERY, POWER STEERING PUMPS RUNS AND WONT SHUT OFF. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. PLEASE HEP, AND THANK YOU.