MINI Complaints

DRIVING DOWN HONDA PARKWAY I HEARD POP SOUND. TPMS LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD. I PULLED OFF OF ROAD INTO A GAS STATION. AT THAT TIME I DIDN'T HAVE ANY POWER BRAKES.THE CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN ABOUT 10 MINS. THE FIRE DEPT PUT OUT FIRE.

I RECENTLY TEST DROVE A MINI COOPER CLUBMAN S. I DID NOT LIKE THE VEHICLE, AND ONE OF THE REASONS IS THE WAY THE LIGHTING (FRONT AND REAR) IS DESIGNED. THE REAR OF THE CAR HAS VERY LARGE LIGHTS THAT GO ACROSS THE 'BARN DOORS' THAT APPEAR TO BE BRAKE LIGHTS. WHEN I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP I NOTICED ANOTHER CLUBMAN IN THE PARKING LOT BEING PARKED WASN'T LIGHTING UP THE LARGE LIGHTS AS IT SLOWLY BACKED INTO A PARKING SPACE. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION I REALIZED THE LARGE LIGHTS ON THE REAR DOORS ACTUALLY DO NOT LIGHT UP WHEN BRAKING. INSTEAD THERE ARE VERY SMALL LIGHTS AT THE ABSOLUTE BOTTOM OF THE BUMPER THAT INDICATE BRAKING. NOT ONLY ARE THE LIGHTS IN AN INAPPROPRIATE LOCATION BUT THEY ARE SO SMALL YOU DON'T EVEN NOTICE THEM. WHEN YOU EXPECT YOU ARE LOOKING AT BRAKE LIGHTS AND SOMEONE IN FRONT OF YOU BRAKES, YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW THAT ACTUALLY YOU HAVE TO LOOK DOWN ALMOST TO THE GROUND TO SEE THEIR INDICATOR LIGHT UP. THESE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. WHY WOULD THE LARGE LIGHTS ON THE BARN DOORS IN YOUR LINE OF SIGHT THAT ARE PROBABLY 70% OF THE WIDTH OF THE CAR NOT BE THE BRAKE LIGHTS? IT IS DANGEROUS AND BMW-MINI SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL AND/OR STOP SELLING THESE VEHICLES UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS CORRECTED. I WOULD NOT PUT MYSELF OR MY FAMILY IN JEOPARDY DRIVING ONE OF THESE POORLY DESIGNED VEHICLES. PLEASE SEE THE LINK TO A WEBSITE WHERE OTHER PEOPLE EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN TOO. HTTPS://M.REDDIT.COM/R/CARS/COMMENTS/3MJ3XE/2016_MINI_CLUBMAN_HAS_THE_STUPIDEST_BRAKE_LIGHTS/?UTM_SOURCE=MWEB_REDIRECT&COMPACT=FALSE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ABNORMAL ODOR COMING FROM THE AIR VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ODOR WAS COMING FROM THE MICRO FILTERS IN THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED MULTIPLE TIMES; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,670.

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND INSTEAD LURCHED AND CHOKED. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY BROKE FREE OF ITS HOUSING. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR TO AN OFF-RAMP THAT SLOPED DOWNHILL TO GET TO SAFETY.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. WITHOUT WARNING, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TIGHT, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN, AND SEIZED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE EXTREME FORCE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE EACH TIME THE FAILURE PROGRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. UPDATED 08/03/16*LJ UPDATED 08/09/16.*JB *CN

AT 55000 MILES STARTED TO HEAR ENGINE RATTLE AND ROUGH RUNNING AT IDLE. TOOK TO DEALER FOR SERVICE AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE HAS MULTIPLE OIL LEAKS, A FAULTY CAMSHAFT ADJUSTMENT SOLENOID AND FAULTY TIMING BELT. THE TIMING BELT HAS CAUSED THE OIL LEAKS AND FAULTY SOLENOID. THIS WILL CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. MINI WILL NOT COVER EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED AND IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT.

MY '06 MINI COOPER S WITH ABOUT 87,000 MILES IS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID AND HAS BEEN DOING SO FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS OR 20,000 MILES. I'VE BEEN TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP. I BELIEVE MINI SHOULD HAVE TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP UNIT BECAUSE IS LIKELY A FAILURE SIMILAR TO THE POWER STEERING FAILURE DOCUMENTED AND COVERED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000. WHILE THE STEERING MECHANISM IS STILL FUNCTIONING, CAN A CATASTROPHIC POWER STEERING FAILURE BE FAR OFF?

I HAVE ONLY TWO WEEKS WITH MY NEW CAR, AND ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! HOWEVER, THERE APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE LIGHTS. ON TWO OCCASIONS, TRUCKS HAVE RODE UP ON MY TAIL AND HAD TO ALMOST SLAM THEIR BRAKES BEFORE WINDING UP INSIDE THE TRUNK/BOOT. AT THE TIME, I JUST THOUGHT THESE WERE INATTENTIVE DRIVERS. HOWEVER, I HAD READ ON A FORUM SOMEONE ELSE TOO POINTED OUT A SIMILAR INSTANCE. IF ONE LOOKS AT THE BACK OF THE CLUBMAN, THERE ARE LARGE RED LIGHTS ON THE REAR OF THE BARN DOORS. THIS IS WHAT APPEARS TO BE BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE 'FOCAL POINT' THAT THE DRIVERS BEHIND YOU ARE WATCHING. HOWEVER, THESE ARE NOT THE BRAKE LIGHTS; THEY ARE MERELY THE RUNNING LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS. THEREFORE, THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC HAS THEIR FOCAL POINT ON WHAT THEY THINK ARE YOUR BRAKE LIGHTS AND DON'T SEE THE TWO LITTLE LIGHTS IN THE BOTTOM REAR OF THE BUMPER UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. WORSE IS WITH TRUCKS, SUV, AND SEMIS WHERE THEY DON'T SEE THEM AT ALL - BECAUSE THEY ARE BELOW THEIR FIELD OF VISION. I TOO HAVE READ SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT INDICATING THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAN'T BE EXCLUSIVE TO THE OPENING REAR DOORS, HENCE NOT BEING THE BRAKE LIGHTS. MY PROPOSAL WOULD BE FOR BMW/MINI TO EITHER RE-CODE, CHANGE THE SOFTWARE, OR RE-WIRE TO MAKE THESE LIGHTS THAT ARE PRESENTLY THE TURN SIGNAL ALSO FUNCTION AS BRAKE LIGHTS, IN ADDITION TO THE TWO IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BUMPER. PLEASE ADOPT A SIMPLE FIX, WHEREAS WE CAN KEEP MOTORING AND ENJOYING OUR NEW CLUBMAN'S; PLEASE TOO UNDERSTAND BMW/MINI, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAR AND I AM NOT TRYING TO COMPLAIN OR FIND FAULT. THE DESIGN IS EXCEPTIONAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS SAFETY CONCERN THAT COULD CAUSE MANY UNNECESSARY REAR END COLLISIONS, INJURIES, AND OR DEATHS. PLEASE JUST ADOPT A SIMPLE FIX, WHEREAS WE CAN KEEP MOTORING AND ENJOYING OUR NEW CLUBMAN'S.

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE 2016+ MINI COOPER CLUBMAN MODELS. THE DESIGN OF THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS CAN NOT BE SEEN WHILE FOLLOWING THE VEHICLE AT A CARS LENGTH OF DISTANCE. THE LARGEST TAIL LIGHTS ON THE REAR HATCH OF THE VEHICLE ARE NOT THE ACTUAL BRAKE LIGHTS WHERE YOU ASSUME YOU WOULD SEE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE. INSTEAD THEY ARE ON THE BUMPER BELOW THE REAR DOORS. WHEN IN TRAFFIC OR FOLLOWING LESS THAN 2 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND THE CEHICLE THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN TELL THE VEHICLE IS EVEN STOPPING IS THE SMALL 3RD BRAKE LIGHT. PRIOR TO ANYONE BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A REAR COLLISION I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE SUGGESTION THAT BMW AND MINI ILLUMINATE THE LARGE TAIL LIGHTS IF THE REAR BARN DOORS ARE CLOSED AND ILLUMINATE THE LOWER LIGHTS ONLY WHEN THE BARN DOORS ARE OPEN DURING DRIVING. I'VE MADE THIS FORMAL CLAIM ON RECORD IN CASE ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE IN THE FUTURE. I'VE INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS FOR REFERENCE: 1. FOLLOWING AT 2 CAR LENGTHS WITH BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED 2. FOLLOWING AT 1 CAR LENGTHS WITH BRAKES ILLUMINATED 3. SIDE VIEW OF DISTANCE WHEN BRAKE LIGHTS WERE COMPLETELY OBSCURED DUE TO LOCATION.

CAR WAS TAKEN IN TO DEALER JUST AFTER REPORT OF MINI AIRBAG RECALL OF EARLIER MODELS [INCLUDING 2006]. SINCE CAR WASN'T LISTED ON RECALL LIST BUT I HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERAL MONTHS OF PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT PROBLEMS [ FOR NO APPARENT REASON]; I WAS CONCERNED AND ASKED FOR REPAIR. THE PIECE REMOVED AND REPLACED LOOKED LIKE IT HAD MELTED. I WAS TOLD IF MY MODEL WAS EVER RECALLED THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME THE COST OF THE REPAIR. I DO NOT SEE MY COMPLAINT ON YOUR LIST AND SURPRISED AS I THOUGHT I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE REPORTED BY THE DEALER. AFTER THE REPAIR, I ASKED FOR THE DAMAGED PART; HOWEVER, IT MYSTERIOUSLY COULD NOT BE FOUND. MY QUESTION WOULD BE ARE THESE SAFETY TYPE ISSUES REQUIRED TO BE REPORTED BY DEALERS? I REVIEWED YOUR LIST OF COMPLAINTS AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS TO MINE [8 POSTINGS BY OWNERS AND 2 MANUFACTURER COMMENTS]. I HOPE MY DRIVERS SIDE COMPONENTS NEVER FAIL AS I AM NOT SURE IT WAS REPLACED. MECHANIC DIAGNOSIS; RAN SHORT TEST FOUND PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR BAD. REPLACED SEAT MAT SENSOR NO FAULT FOUND AFTER REPAIR.