MINI Complaints

I HAD AN ACCIDENT ON 6-30-2016 WHERE I LOST CONTROL OF MY CAR DUE TO HITTING FIRST A SOFT SHOULDER OF THE HWY. SR145 TRAVELLING AT A SPEED OF APPROX. 50-55 MPH. I GRAZED A POWER POLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND RAN THROUGH THREE LARGE WOODEN POSTS ON A RANCHERS PROPERTY. THE CAR SPUN AT AN180 ANGLE LEAVING ME IN THE FIELD FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FOR WHICH I WAS HEADED. NOT ONE AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON IMPACT!!! I AM CONCERNED THAT THESE AIRBAGS AND/OR INSTALLATION IS FAULTY AND CHP OFFICE SAID I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD NOT BLOWN CAUSING ME TO VEER JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE POWER/TELEPHONE POLE. POWER TO THE AREA WAS KNOCKED OUT FOR APPROX. 1 HOUR. I DO HAVE COPIES OF THE POLICE REPORT AND ABOUT 18 PICTURES OF THE ACCIDENT WITH TWO PICTURES BEING A CLOSEUP OF MY 2009 MINI COOPER. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE?

MY MINI HAS UNDER 50,000 MILES AND IS A 2009, AND TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING IT, ONE WEEK AFTER A NEW OIL CHANGE A RATTLING STARTED IN THE TIMING CHAIN REGION UNDER THE HOOD. THERE ARE SEVERAL ONGOING AND RECENT LAWSUITS INVOLVING THE FAULTY TIMING COMPONENTS, HOWEVER BMW HAS REFUSED TO DO A RECALL. I HAVE NO OTHER OPTION WHERE I LIVE THAN TO TAKE IT TO A MINI DEALERSHIP, WHICH IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS SITUATION, QUOTING A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF $2000-$4000 FOR A COMPLETE DIAGNOSTICS/REPAIR. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW COMMON THE PROBLEM IS AND THE FACT THAT A COMPANY THAT IS KNOWN FOR BEING REPUTABLE, BMW, IS BEING SO UNPROFESSIONAL IN ADMITTING THE FAULT. ALSO, I HAD TO TOW MY MINI TO PREVENT THE CHAIN FROM SPONTANEOUSLY BRAKING ON MY WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL, JUST ANOTHER FEE, TO PREVENT INCURRING AN EVEN PRICIER DAMAGE TO THE TURBO ENGINE, JUST UNBELIEVABLE.

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR MAT FAULTY. SAME ISSUE AS OTHER MINI COOPERS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED. WAS TOLD I HAVE TO REPLACE ENTIRE SEAT. $1,000. WAS TOLD THERE IS A NATION WIDE BACK ORDER FOR THE SEAT. THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED BY MINI (BMW).

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT INDICATED THE AIR BAG WAS NOT ENGAGED. THE PASSENGER SEAT STARTED GETTING VERY HOT (THIS MODEL DOES NOT HAVE HEATED SEATS). WE REMOVED THE SEAT FROM THE VEHICLE AND INNVESTIGATED. WE FOUND THAT THE AIR BAG SEAT MAT WAS OVERHEATING. THE CIRCUIT WAS MELTED FROM THE HEAT. IF WE HAD NOT REMOVED THE SEAT FROM THE CAR IT WOULD HAVE CAUGHT FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS DRIVEN EARLIER IN THE DAY AND THE LIGHT WAS ON THEN TO INDICATE THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS NOT ON. THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR THIS 2010 MODEL FOR THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER OWNERS ON THE WEB. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. FIXING THE PROBLEM IS EXPENSIVE TOO.

WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE BOTTOM WHERE IT MEETS THE HOOD OF THE CAR. DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DOES NOT GO DOWN. I ONLY HEAR A CLICKING SOUND. WATER PUMP, OIL PAN AND VALVE COVER GASKETS FAILED PREMATURELY. I CAN'T SHIFT THE CAR INTO FIRST GEAR WITHOUT MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS.

PLEASE CHECK THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT PHOTOS (HALFWAY DOWN, THIS PAGE: HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/R55-CLUBMAN-TALK-2008/293675-2016-CLUBMAN-13.HTML). I WAS FOLLOWING ONE OF THESE CARS THE OTHER DAY AND IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC THE LOWER BRAKE LIGHTS ARE SIMPLY NOT VISIBLE! THE LARGE (TURN SIGNAL) LIGHTS JUST BELOW THE REAR WINDOW "LOOK" THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BRAKE LIGHTS BUT, OBVIOUSLY, DON'T COME ON WITH BRAKING. NO QUESTION, THIS WILL RESULT IN COLLISIONS, SOME SERIOUS. NHTSA NEEDS TO BE PROACTIVE AND FORCE A CORRECTIVE REPAIR; THIS IS TRULY A PUBLIC HEALTH.SAFETY ISSUE!!!

MY CAR ONLY HAS 47,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS THE SAME PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG ISSUE. IT STARTED OFF AT TIMES HAVING THE PROBLEM, NOW IS ON ALL THE TIME. MINI WANTS $125 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, WHICH SEEMS EVIDENT. ALSO PAID $425 TO FIX ELECTRICAL WIRING THAT CORRODED AND $1,700 2 MONTHS EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN WHEEL SENSOR WENT BAD AND 3 LIGHTS WENT OFF IN THE CAR.

STOPPED AT GAS STATION TO FILL UP. RESTARTED CAR AND BEGAN TO DRIVE...NOTICED EXTREME STIFFNESS IN STEERING AND PULLED OVER. SHUT ENGINE OFF AND THEN RESTARTED POWER STEERING RETURNED. LATER IN THE DAY...I WAS GOING FOR A DRIVE AND IT OCCURRED AGAIN. THIS TIME, IT WAS AFTER I HAD STOPPED AT THE GYM FOR AN HOUR, AND WAS RETURNING HOME. AGAIN, I PULLED OVER SHUT OF ENGINE AND THEN RESTARTED. POWER STEERING RETURNED.

IVE PERSONALLY DRIVEN MY 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN 11K MILES OF THE 34K IT HAS ON IT WITHOUT ANY ISSUE UNTIL ON JUNE 5TH, 2016 I PARKED IT NEAR MY WORK AND RETURNED TO IT THE NEXT MORNING.IT STARTED UP JUST FINE AND I JUST LET THE FIRST GEAR TAKE ME OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE. THEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE ONCE ON THE ROAD AND NOTHING... NO POWER. I PUT THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND NOTHING. I PULLED OVER AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A LABORED, CLANKY, ROUGH IDLE. GOT IT TOWED TO A SHOP, DIAGNOSTIC TEST SHOWED MAIN RELAY FAILURE AND SOMETHING ABOUT VALVETRONIC SERVOMOTOR AND LIMITATION AND PLAUSIBLE AIR MASS SENSOR ISSUE. MAIN RELAY PART REPLACED FOR $20.WORKED FINE AFTER THAT. EIGHTEEN DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WENT HOME AND AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND SCARY POSSIBILITIES COULD HAPPEN WITH MY MINI RELATED TO THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS, AIR INTAKE, WATER PUMP AND TIMING CHAIN SENSOR WORST OF ALL. THINGS THAT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE IF FAILED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH OR IN AN INTERSECTION OR IN TRAFFIC! TO DATE, ILL BE RETURNING TO THE SHOP THAT HELPED MEET BAND AID THE PROBLEM, THEN TO MY REAL PROFESSIONAL TO HELP ME DIAGNOSE AND TREAT FURTHER POSSIBLE ISSUES.

DRIVING PA TURNPIKE WHEN MY 2007 MINICOOPER TEMP LIGHT CAME ON, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED THE OIL AND ENGINE LIGHT. AS THE LIGHTS APPEARED, THE CAR WAS LOSING POWER. IT LOST POWER AS I WAS PULLING OFF THE ROAD. 3 MINUTES TOTAL. SMOKE POURED OUT. I OPENED THE HOLD TO SEE A 3 INCH HOLE MELTED AWAY. I CLOSED THE LID. CONTACTED MINI ROADSIDE SERVICE WHO WOULD NOT HONOR THE TOW. CALLED AAA WHO DID. CALLED MINI OF PITTSBURGH, JASON THOMPSON, WHO ONLY SERVICED MY MINI FOR 4 YEARS AND 35,000 MILES WHEN HE FIRST DIAGNOSED NEEDING A NEW ENGINE. I ASKED MANAGER CHRIS LASKO ABOUT ANY RECALLS? COULD IT BE A LEMON? NO THIS IS UNUSUAL FOR A MINI, WAS THE ANSWER. BEFORE AUTHORIZING REPAIRS I ASKED ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE EFFECTS OF OVERHEATING. NO ELECTRICAL ISSUES WHERE FOUND. THEY FELT CONFIDENT RECOMMENDING REPLACING A NEW ENGINE & PARTS. I OKAYED TO PUT IN ALL NEW STARTER, STARTER CORE, ENGINE, ENGINE CORE, ENGINE HARNESS, COLLAR SCREW, PING SENSOR, INTAKE MANIFOLD, CORE RETURN GASKET, IGNITION COILS, COLLAR SCREW, SCREW WITH WASHER, CORE RETURN WITH HEAT PR, SRP BELT, AND COOLANT, A WATER PUMP PULLEY, AND FEW OTHER 20 SOME PARTS TO GET IT BACK ON THE ROAD. A MONTH LATER, I RECEIVED A LETTER REVEALING A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE DURABILITY OF A VAPOR RECOVERY DIAGNOSTIC PUMP ON 07. FEDERAL EMISSIONS DEFECT WARRANTY COVERS 10YEAR OR 120K MILES. I CALLED THE DEALER, THEY SAID THAT IT DID NOT PERTAIN TO MY VEHICLE. 2015 DEJA VU AT 64K MILES. I WAS DRIVING, COMMUTING WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I DROVE 2 MILES TO MY MINI DEALER. THEY SAID THEY COULD FIX IT BY PUTTING IN A NEW ENGINE. I HAD IT TOWED HOME. I HAVE CALLED & LEFT EMAIL'S WITH BMW/MINI CUSTOMER SERVICE. I HAVE HAD ZERO REPLY FROM THEN. THEY CLAIM TO BE THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE. AS AN ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, I THINK THE MORE HONEST AND REAL CLAIM WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE FARSE MACHINE.