MINI Complaints

PASSENGERS AIR BAG APPEARS OFF WHEN SOMEONE ARE SEAT. THIS EVOLVE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN CASE OF ACCIDENT.

DROVE CAR ABOUT 4 MILES. PARKED AT SHOPPING CENTER, TURNED OFF CAR AND LOCKED IT. RETURNED 15 MINS LATER TO FIND FLAMES IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT!

AT 89,044 MILES MY 2009 MINI COOPER, PURCHASED FROM VISTA MINI SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC COOLANT LOSS DUE TO A CRACKED THERMOSTAT HOUSING, AND AS A DIRECT RESULT THE VEHICLE SEVERELY OVERHEATED IRREPARABLY DAMAGING THE ENGINE. I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE TURNPIKE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN THE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT FOR THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE CAME ON, AND BEFORE I COULD SAFELY PULL THE VEHICLE OVER THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY SLOWED TO A VERITABLE CRAWL (ALLOWING ME JUST ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD). THE VEHICLE WAS ULTIMATELY TOWED TO A MINI DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE ENTIRE ENGINE REPLACED. WHICH WOULD BE A RATHER COSTLY REPAIR, REQUIRING AN OUTLAY OF FUNDS FAR GREATER THAN THE VEHICLE'S VALUE. THEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF COMPLETING THE REQUIRED REPAIRS. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BELIEVING IT TO BE A QUALITY PRODUCT, AND ONE CAPABLE OF BEING DRIVEN FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. HOWEVER, THE EXPERIENCE I SUFFERED SEVERELY SHOOK MY CONFIDENCE IN THE PRODUCT, SO I BEGAN TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH ON THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. IT TURNS OUT THAT NOT ONLY MINI ENGINES, BUT ALSO THOSE MANUFACTURED BY BMW, SHARE A SIMILAR DEFECT, IN THAT THEY BOTH ARE PRONE TO THE THERMOSTAT HOUSINGS CRACKING AND CAUSING RAPID COOLANT LOSS. COUPLE THAT WITH THE WELL DOCUMENTED CRITICISM OF THE LOCATION OF THE COOLANT SENSOR IN THE ENGINE, AND YOU HAVE CREATED THE PERFECT NUCLEUS FOR GENERATING A CATACLYSMIC MELTDOWN OF THE ENGINE THAT LIES SECRETLY HIBERNATING WITHIN THE PRODUCT LINE. THEREFORE, I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS FAIR FOR ME TO HAVE TO BEAR THE BURDENSOME COST OF REPAIR FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS ENDEMIC TO THE PRODUCT LINE AS A WHOLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CONTUSIONS TO THE FACE AND LOST A TOOTH. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 213,000.

LOUD RATTLING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING COMING FROM THE ENGINE. WHEN I COME TO A COMPLETE STOP CAR HAS TURNED OFF, SOMETIMES IT CRANKS FOR A BIT TO START UP. ALSO WHILE DRIVING LOSSES POWER AND CAR DECELERATES SLOWS DOWN AND ALSO PULLS LIKE IF WAS OUT OF GAS. WHITE SMOKE WHEN YOU PRESS ON GAS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING) HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS UNAVAILABLE.

THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF A STATE HIGHWAY WHILE GOING AT CRUISING SPEED OF 35MPH ON THE RIGHT MOST LATE, AND WITH ENGINE DEAD POWER STEERING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE AND BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE CAR TO THE SIDE. THE CAR WAS LITERALLY DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY, WE HAD KIDS ON BOARD AND FOR A SMALL CAR, WE WERE REALLY THAT LUCKY PASSING CARS WERE ABLE TO SPOT US AND AVOID HITTING US. WHEN WE TOOK TOWED IT TO THE SHOP, THE ISSUE WAS THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED AND ALSO CRACKED THE ENGINE TOP COVER ON THE LEFT SIDE. ON SEARCHING THE INTERNET IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS THE "TIMING CHAIN, TENSIONER ISSUES" THAT BMW/MINI IS ALREADY AWARE OF HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT YET DONE A RECALL. THERE WAS ALMOST NO WAY OF TELLING THERE WAS THIS PROBLEM BREWING WITH THE VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH NOW IN RETROSPECT THERE WERE A FEW TELL-TALE SIGNS, WHEN IT WAS COLD, WE HAD HEARD A RATTLE SOUND, WHICH WENT AWAY IMMEDIATELY. ALSO THE SAME DAY THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED WHEN STANDING AT A SIGNAL, BUT STARTED UP AGAIN. NOW WE REALIZE THAT THESE SIGNS WERE RELATED TO THE PROBLEM THAT OTHER USERS HAD COMPLAINED TOO BEFORE THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING) AND THE DEALER SCHEDULED A REPAIR APPOINTMENT. THE DEALER LATER CANCELED THE APPOINTMENT, STATING THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR REMEDY FOR MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A DATE THAT THE PART WOULD BE SUPPLIED TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS NOT EXPERIENCING A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. ...UPDATED 04/12/16 *BF

DRIVERS FOOT WELL GETS SO HOT THAT YOU CAN NOT TOUCH THE PLASTIC BY THE ACCELERATOR AND YOUR FOOT STARTS COOKING AFTER 20 MINUTES OR SO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING). THE PART NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.