MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,700. UPDATE 01/15/16 MA;UPDATE 04/25/18*JB THE CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON NOV. 26, 2015 BY THE OWNER. *TR

I WAS LEAVING WORK LATE AT NIGHT WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE THE CAR OUT OF THE PARKING LOT THE STEERING DISAPPEARED. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR AT THE MINI DEARLSHIP EARLIER IN THE WEEK TO REPLACE LIGHT BULBS SO I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHERE WHAT THIS COULD BE, WHERE I COULD CHECK THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVELS. THEY WERE NOT THAT HELPFUL. THEN LATER I LOOKED ONLINE AT ALL THE STEERING COMPLAINTS AND CALLED THE DEALERSHIP BACK AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND MY CAR (VIN#) WOULD BE COVERED FOR 13 YEARS/150,000. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE ALL MINI'S WITH THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE COVERED. DEALERSHIPS SHOULD CHECK VEHICLES FOR RECALLS WHEN CUSTOMERS CALL WITH PROBLEMS. I LIKE MY DEALERSHIP BUT I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAD TO RESEARCH THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM.

2007 MINI COOPER SOLD TO ME WITH A BAD TIMING CHAIN, TIMING TENSIONER, CAMS AND ENGINE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER SIDE CARPET WAS EXTREMELY WET. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DRAINED THE TUBE LEADING FROM THE AIR CONDITION UNIT, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500.

I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED WITH 86,100 MILES ON IT. WHEN DRIVING WITHIN THE FIRST 500 MILES, THE AIRBAG LIGHT AND SEAT BELT RESTRAINT SYSTEM INDICATED ON MY DASH (BOTH THE TACHOMETER AND THE SPEEDOMETER). AN ALERT FOR THE AIRBAG APPEARS AS AN ICON ON THE TACHOMETER. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO INDICATED THE AUTO GOT WET WHICH CAUSED THE AIR BAG MODULE TO FAIL, WHICH NOW NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT A RIDICULOUSLY HIGH COST.

AFTER MINI/BMW REPAIRED THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AND THE TIMING CHAIN, MY TURBO OIL SUPPLY LINE DEVELOPED A SIGNIFICANT LEAK (WITHIN A WEEK/ WITHIN 200 MILES OF MINI SERVICE) CAUSING SMOKE TO ESCAPE FROM THE BONNET, OIL TO COVER THE FRONT ENGINE/TURBO/EXHAUST. OIL NOW PUDDLES BENEATH THE CAR WHEN PARKED. THE CAR HAS 89,XXX MILES. I FIRST NOTICED THE SMELL OF BURNING OIL WHEN DRIVING ACROSS TOWN AT A SPEED OF 40MPH. WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE, UPON IDLE THE SMOKE BILLOWED FROM THE BONNET OF THE CAR. ACCORDING TO MINI FORUMS, THIS PROBLEM OF A FAILED O-RING IN THE TURBO OIL SUPPLY LINE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM RESULTING IN NUMEROUS FAILURES THAT CAN LEAD TO CATASTROHIC DAMAGE TO THE TURBO, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND ENGINE.

AIR BAG WARNING WITH THE FAULT CODE 93C3 WHICH HAS CAUSED A RECALL OF 91 THOUSAND VEHICLES... MY MINI S IS NOT A RECALL CAR. (ON THE SAME GRID AS THE RECALLED MINI'S...SAME OEM REPAIR PARTS) MINI USA REPRESENTATIVE [JAMIE] SUGGESTED I REMOVE THE AIR BAG AND PUT A SIGN UP IN THE DASH INDICATING 'NO AIR BAG" IF I DID NOT WANT TO PAY THE $1500.00+ IN REPAIIR COST... AND THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO PASS THE STATE INSPECTION.

POWER STEERING FAILED AT LOW SPEED WHILE TURNING AT A STOP SIGN IN A SCHOOL ZONE. STEERING EFFORT INCREASED DRAMATICALLY THEN SHORTLY AFTER THE BATTERY LIGHT, THEN ALTERNATOR LIGHT CAME ON. WAS ABLE TO JUST MAKE IT HOME. I LOOKED ONLINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT MINI IS OFFERING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I CALLED MINI AND GAVE THEM MY VIN. THEY TOLD ME MY 2005 COOPER S IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. IT SEEMS THAT MINI IS NOT CAPTURING ALL THE VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER NOTIFYING ME OF THE ISSUE. LOT OF FORUMS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. SO GLAD THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE HWY.

CPSC: MINI COOPER: CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD DISENGAGE. *SS THE CONSUMER STATED DISCOVERED WHEN USING THE CLUTCH AND DOWN SHIFTING THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE. THE FIRST TIME HE TRIED THE CRUISE CONTROL, WHILE DOWN SHIFTING THE VEHICLE MAINTAINED SPEED AND SHOT FORWARD INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V20500 (AIR BAGS) BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.