MINI Complaints

TRANSMISSION PREVIOUSLY REPLACED AT 48K MILES BY MANUFACTURER DUE TO NOISE. MY TRANSMISSION IS BROKEN. MY TIRES CHIRP EVERY TIME I PUSH ON THE GAS BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT KNOW WHAT GEAR TO BE IN DUE TO THE BAD BODY CONTROL VALVE. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE I CANNOT VERIFY HOW MUCH MECHANICAL DAMAGE HAS TAKEN PLACE DURING THE TIME THAT THE VALVE BODY HAS BEEN BROKEN. ONCE THE VALVE BODY BREAKS DOWN, THE MECHANICAL UNIT ALSO BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN. MINI NEEDS TO ISSUE A SERVICE BULLETIN TELLING THE DEALERS TO COMMENCE SERVICING THE AISIN TRANSMISSIONS EVERY 40K BY REPLACING THE FLUID. BMW/MINI'S TRANSMISSION FLUID IS NOT LIFETIME. VOLKSWAGEN ISSUED A SIMILAR BULLETIN A FEW YEARS AGO BECAUSE IT ALSO USES THE AISIN TRANSMISSION. THE INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS MAY NOT REPLACE THE FLUID RIGHT BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS HARD TO DRAIN AND IN MANY CASES IF IT'S NOT DONE RIGHT, GREAT DAMAGE IS DONE THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER POWERED UPON ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK, AND BUCK. THE VALVE BODY IN THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO BREAK DOWN BECAUSE THE SHAVINGS FROM THE TRANSMISSION GEARS BEGAN TO CLOUD THE FLUID AND INHIBIT COMMUNICATION FROM THE VALVE BODY SOLENOIDS TO THE MECHANICAL COMPONENTS. UPDATED 03/23/16.*JB

PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR WILL NOT RESET AND LIGHT IS ON CONTINUOUSLY. DON'T KNOW IF SYSTEM IS WORKING OR NOT.. NO FIX AVAILABLE AND NO PARTS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE. DEALER SAYS, TRY IN A MONTH. FROM WHAT I READ EARLIER MODELS WERE RECALLED DO TO THIS DEFECT. WHY NOT ALL OF THEM. NO ONE CAN TELL ME THAT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING) ; HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN A PASSENGER OCCUPIED THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000.

THIS CAR HAS TERRIBLY PLACED TAILLIGHTS. THE LIGHTS ARE NOT PLACED IN A VISIBLE LINE OF SIGHT. THE MINI CLUBMAN I SAW HAD VERY SMALL LIGHTS BELOW THE LARGE LIGHTS ON THE REAR DOORS. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE LARGE LIGHTS THAT APPEAR TO BE TAILLIGHTS SHOULD BE MADE FUNCTIONAL. THE TAILLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE WHAT APPEAR TO BE REAR FOG LIGHTS AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE CAR. THIS IS AN AWFUL SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU CANNOT SEE THE LIGHTS IN TRAFFIC. I'M SURPRISED THERE HAVEN'T BEEN SEVERAL ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT EITHER THE MAT SENSOR OR CONTROL MODULES WERE DEFECTIVE. UPDATED 03/23/16.*JB UPDATED 04/14/16*LJ *JS *LN*AS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. AFTER TURNING OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE 30 MINUTES LATER, THE POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL, BUT THEN FAILED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 181,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

SPOTTED NEW CLUBMAN IN FRONT OF ME ON HIGHWAY. VEHICLE CAME TO STOP ABRUPTLY WITHOUT APPARENT WARNING. THANKFULLY I WAS PAYING ATTENTION. APPARENTLY TAILLIGHTS ARE NOT THE LARGE LIGHTS ON THE TRUNK, BUT THESE SMALL LIGHTS PLACED DIRECTLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE REAR END, ALMOST INVISIBLE IN STOP/GO TRAFFIC. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION TAILLIGHTS HAD TO BE PLACED HIGHER UP AND WOULD HAVE BEEN THE LARGE LIGHTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REAR SECTION OF THE CAR, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE WITH THIS CAR. I CAN SEE THIS MODEL OF CAR GETTING REAR ENDED QUITE FREQUENTLY WHEN PEOPLE UNEXPECTEDLY MISS THE TERRIBLY PLACED LIGHTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR. THE LARGE LIGHTS YOU EXPECT TO BE BRAKE LIGHTS ACTUALLY ARE USED AS TURN SIGNALS ACCORDING TO ONLINE RESEARCH. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT GENIUS DEVELOPED THIS AWFUL IDEA, BUT IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHICH PLAGUES OUR HIGHWAYS. I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD EVEN BE ALLOWED TO PASS FMVS.

2007 MINI COOPER WITH 31,000 MILES. I AM USUALLY THE ONLY ONE IN THE CAR. ON THIS DAY MY HUSBAND AND A FRIEND WERE WITH ME. WE MOVED THE PASSENGER SEAT UP TO ALLOW THE THIRD PERSON TO GET IN THE BACK SEAT. LATER IN THE DAY THE LIGHT ON THE DASH WHICH SIGNIFIES THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF STARTED GOING ON AND OFF. I THOUGHT MAYBE THERE WAS A LOOSE WIRE UNDER THE SEAT, BUT WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT I NEEDED A NEW AIRBAG SENSOR. THE PART COSTS 1100.00 AND WAS ORDERED TWO MONTHS AGO. I AM STILL WAITING. THE LIGHT IS ON ALL THE TIME NOW. APPARENTLY, MINI HAS RECALLED OVER 90,000 CARS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE CARS MADE IN 2006 ARE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AS WELL AS 2007 CONVERTIBLES. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM FOR ALL 2007'S TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? THIS IS AN ESPECIALLY ALARMING PROBLEM BECAUSE THE MINI IS SUCH A SMALL CAR. LUCKILY, WE HAVE TWO CARS AND I DO NOT HAVE TO PUT ANYONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT UNTIL THIS IS FIXED.

AT 30000 MILES THE TIMING CHAIN WAS REPLACED DUE TO A RECALL. CAR RATTLED FOR A FEW MONTHS PRIOR TO REPLACEMEN. AT 55OOO MILE MY CAR ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND LOST POWER. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP IT IN TO WORK ABOUT ANOTHER 5 MILES. MY HUSBAND DROVE IT TO MINI DEALERSHIP ANOTHER 10 MILES AWAY AND THEY STATED THAT IT BLEW A VALVE OR A PISTON QUOTING HIM A HEAD REPLACEMENT OF $5000 OR REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE FOR $10000. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND I HAVE MAINTAINED IT TO A T. READING ON LINE THIS SEEMS TO ALL BE RELATED TO THE TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. MINI IS NOT STANDING BY THEIR CAR AND REFUSING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY. HOPEFULLY IF WE ALL CONTINUE TO SQUEAK WE CAN GET THEM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILTY FOR FAULTY VEHICLES. I HAVE A NICE LOOKING NON RUNNING WORTHLESS CAR SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY...ANYONE WANT IT!