MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROGRESSING CONDITION IN WHICH THE STEERING WHEEL MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TIMING CHAIN BROKE WELL BEFORE 10 YEAR OR 100000 MILES. THIS TIMING CHAIN BREAKAGE CAUSED MY ENGINE TO FAIL DUE TO PISTON DAMAGE OR CYLINDER DAMAGE. MY ENGINE NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. MY VEHICLE WAS MOVING WHEN THE SOUND OCCURRED. WHEN I RESEARCHED THIS SOUND, I LEARNED IT MAY BE THE TIMING CHAIN AND TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE TO BE REPLACED. THE GARAGE REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN AND WHEN THEY TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, IT DIDN'T SEEM TO BE RUNNING RIGHT AND AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUINED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER CAME LOOSE CAUSING AN OIL LEAK AND THE TIMING CHAIN TO SLIP/SKIP WHICH IN TURN CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR AND NOW MY CAR NEEDS A NEW TIMING CHAIN & NEW MOTOR WHICH IS COSTING AROUND $9K. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 35K MILES ON IT & THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED! I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN ALL MY OIL LEAKED OUT, CAUSING LIGHTS TO FLASH & LOUD NOISES. ONCE PULLED OVER TO A GAS STATION AND FOUND ALL THE OIL WAS GONE, A MECHANIC THERE NOTICED THE TENSIONER COMING OUT, TIGHTENED IT, THEN REFILLED THE OIL. THE CAR HELD THE OIL AT THIS POINT BUT THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER TOWING IT TO A SHOP, THEY SAW THAT IT WOULD NEED A NEW TIMING CHAIN BUT DIDN'T WANT TO DO A FULL BREAK DOWN OF THE CAR SINCE IT IS VERY INVOLVED AND THERE COULD BE MOTOR ISSUES SO HE SUGGESTED I CONTACT MINI USA & A MINI DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD TO HAVE IT THERE TO DETERMINE THE ISSUE & SEE IF THE MANUFACTURER WOULD COVER THE COSTS. SO I TOWED THE CAR AGAIN TO A MINI DEALERSHIP & THEY SAID IT NEEDS A NEW MOTOR SINCE THE VALVES WERE DAMAGED ALSO. AFTER SENDING THIS INFO TO MINI USA (THE MANUFACTURER), THEY REPORTED TO ME THAT THEY WOULD PAY $4K OF THE $9K IN COSTS (NOT EVEN HALF). GETTING ADVISE FROM A LAWYER, THIS ENTIRE ISSUE SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND I ALREADY PAID TOO MUCH JUST BY HAVING IT TOWED TWICE WHEN THIS IS A FLAW IN THE CAR. THE CAR ONLY HAS 35K MILES & THIS TENSIONER SHOULD NOT HAVE COME LOOSE IN THE 1ST PLACE CAUSING ALL THIS DAMAGE. IN THE END, I AM STILL FIGHTING WITH MINI USA (AFTER BEING WITHOUT MY CAR FOR ALMOST 4 WEEKS) TO COVER ALL COSTS OF REPAIR FOR THIS AND ASKING THAT THIS BE REPORTED AS A "KNOWN ISSUE" ON THE TSB SO OTHER PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING!! I HAVE ATTACHED THE EMAIL I GOT FROM SEATTLE MINI FOR THE DIAGNOSIS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY SEE HAPPENED!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MINI COOPER S COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO START. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,900. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

IN THE SPRING 2014 I PURCHASED A 2008 MINI COOPER 2D HATCH WITH AROUND 98,0000 MILES FOR $14,000 WITH WARRANTY IN IVRINGTON, NJ FROM SPRINGFIELD AUTO GROUP AUTO SALES. IN JANUARY 2015 I HAD A TUNE UP DONE AND THE MECHANIC REPORTED TO ME AFTER DOING A ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH MY IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MY WARRANTY COMPANY THAT WAS PROVIDED THROUGH MY THE CAR LOAN COMPANY CREDIT ACCEPTANCE. THE WARRANTY COMPANY REFUSED TO PAY FOR ENGINE TO BE DROPPED OUT OF THE CAR TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY ADVISE ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ENGINE TO BE DROPPED OUT OF THE CAR TO BE AND CHECKED OUT BEFORE THEY PAY FOR ANYTHING. IN OCTOBER 2015 THE MINI COOPER ENGINE FINALLY BROKE DOWN WHILE DRIVING I HAD TO PULLED IT OVER WHILE DRIVING UP ROUTE 280. THE WRECKER SERVICE TOOK THE MINI TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE AND THERE WAS MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE AND THE REPAIR BILL WILL BE FROM 2K TO REBUILD THE ENGINE AND 8K FOR A NEW ONE AND I STILL OWN 11K TO BANK FOR THE CAR. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 106K MILES ON IT. I'VE HEARD OF A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THOSE MINIS WITH THOSE SAME ISSUES HAPPENING ANYWHERE FROM 30K MILES TO OVER 100K MILES FROM 2007-2010 MODELS. NOTHING ELSE HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE CAR FOR REPAIR. I'M NOT WASTING ANYMORE MONEY ON THAT JUNK MINI COOPER. IT'S TO LATE FOR THE LEMON LAW TO BE APPLIED. CAN ANYTHING GET DONE SO THAT I CAN IMPLEMENT A LAWSUIT AND RECEIVE ANY MONEY FOR THAT FROM BMW OR AND THE DEALER OR IS IT A WASTE OF TIME? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V6600000 (STEERING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE RESULTS WERE UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WHICH INVOLVED DISABLING THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN EXPECTED DATE FOR THE PART TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

I HAVE A SAFETY RECALL (NO. 25V-205), AN AIR BAG PROBLEM, ISSUED LAST JUNE AND HAVE NOW RECEIVED ANOTHER RECALL ((15V-660). THE FIRST RECALL HAS YET TO BE REPAIRED.THE AIR BAG "OFF" LIGHT IS ON ALL THE TIME. I HAVE CONTACTED MINI AND THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NOT A FIX YET. I THINK 6 MONTHS IS LONG ENOUGH FOR AN AIR BAG PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE SECOND RECALL, A STEERING PROBLEM, BUT I ASSUME IT COULD HAPPEN. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO CREATES AN EXTRA DANGEROUS CONDITION. I ASKED MINI IF THEY WOULD PAY FOR A RENTAL WHEN I NEEDED TO HAVE A PASSENGER. THEY REFUSED. THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE AND I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.

THE POWER STEERING IN THE CAR HAS STOPPED WORKING, VERY HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL. I JUST REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY DUE TO THE BATTERY NOT CHARGING CORRECTLY, NOW THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP HAS FAILED AND THE BATTERY LIGHT ON THE CONSOLE HAS TURNED ON. I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR 2002 - 2005 CARS OF THE SAME TYPE FOR THIS REASON. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM TO BE THE SAME AND WOULD LIKE THE RECALL EXTENDED TO AT LEAST THE 2006 YEAR MODEL. WE WENT INTO AN OFFICE AND WHEN WE CAME OUT THE POWER STEERING IS NOT WORKING. WE DROVE IT HOME AND ARE NOW WAITING ON THE PARTS TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP.

TIMING CHAIN REPLACED AT 32K, JUST FAILED AGAIN AT 92K WITH MOBIL ONE OIL AND FILTER CHANGES EVERY 5K MILES. CHAIN JUMPED IN GARAGE DURING SHUT DOWN OF ENGINE. WOULD NOT RESTART. I CHECKED SPARK, FUSES FOR PRIMARY FUEL PUMP AND MADE A JUDGEMENT THAT IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND TOWED IT TO THE DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPLACEMENT. GOT THE CALL THE TIMING CHAIN JUMPED A LINK AND I WOULD NEED A REPLACEMENT AGAIN. CAN'T BELIEVE IT . THIRD CHAIN WITH GOOD LUBRICATION MAINTENANCE IN UNDER 92K.