MINI Complaints

UPON ENTERING AN EXIT ONLY LINE ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE END OF A 400 MILE JOURNEY, TRAFFIC BACKED UP AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE EXIT ONLY LANE. WHEN TRAFFIC STARTED MOVING AGAIN, MY CAR WHICH HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM NEUTRAL INTO 1ST GEAR (OR ANY GEAR). I WAS STOPPED AND UNABLE TO MOVE WITH TRAFFIC MOVING 50-60 MPH BEHIND ME AND NEXT TO ME. CARS SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ME AND ONE ALMOST HIT ME AFTER SLAMMING ON ITS BREAKS AND TURNING SIDEWAYS. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST TERRIFYING EXPERIENCES I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED. A STATE POLICE OFFICE PULLED UP BEHIND ME AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES AND WAS ABLE TO PUSH ME TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. THERE WAS A TERRIBLE BURNING SMELL AND CONSIDERABLE SMOKE FROM UNDER THE CAR WHICH INDICATED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP WHERE I LATER LEARNED THE CLUTCH MATERIAL HAD DISINTEGRATED ENTIRELY AND THE FLYWHEEL WAS CRAZED AND BURNED FROM THE EXTREME HEAT. BOTH THE CLUTCH AND FLYWHEEL HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST TO REPAIR THE CAR WAS OVER $4000. THE CAR HAD 78,067 MILES ON IT AND PRIOR TO THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE CLUTCH THERE WERE ONLY 2 INDICATIONS OF A POTENTIAL CLUTCH PROBLEM WHEN THE TACHOMETER FLUTTERED WHEN SHIFTING INTO HEAR AT ABOUT 300 MILES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND THEN ABOUT 25 MILES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, INDICATING TO ME THAT THE CLUTCH WAS STARTING TO SLIP. OTHER THAN THAT, THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER INDICATIONS OF A PROBLEM. THE CAR IS ROUTINELY SERVICED BY THE DEALER AND WHENEVER THERE IS ANY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. I DO NOT DRIVE CARS HARD. THIS CAR IS STILL ON ITS FIRST SET OF BRAKES AND ONLY ITS SECOND SET OF TIRES. I HAVE DRIVEN MANUAL SHIFT CARS FOR MANY YEARS AND KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF A FAILING CLUTCH. I CONSIDER THE NEAR CATASTROPHE THAT I EXPERIENCED THE RESULT OF A MAJOR DEFECT IN EITHER THE CLUTCH OR THE WARNING MECHANISM.

THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE 16600MILES. THE WARNING LIGHT FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG GOES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE LIGHT FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG ILLUMINATES "OFF". TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND FOUND THE PASSENGER SEAT MAT FAULTY. STARTED FLICKERING WHILE DRIVING BUT NOW THE LIGHT IS ON CONSTANTLY WHEN START CAR AND DRIVING. I HAVE READ THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED UP TO JULY 2008. MY MINI S SHOWS A PRODUCTION DATE 8/01/08. I HAD THIS CAR BUILT TO MY SPECIFICATION IN JULY 2008. I HAVE PAID FOR THE PART BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IS FOR THE SAFETY FOR WHOM EVER RIDES WITH ME BUT THE PART IS ON BACKORDER AND WE ARE WAITING FOR IT TO ARRIVE FROM GERMANY. BMW/MINI HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUE IF IT IS STILL HAPPENING. THE COST TO REPAIR IS APPROX.$ 2153.00. IF I WAIT TILL I GET A RECALL AND THERE IS A FATALITY.....? IF AT A LATER DATE A RECALL IS MADE FOR MY VEHICLE CAN I GET THE FULL COST REIMBURSED?

DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN TIMING CHAIN BREAKS AND CAUSES THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF DAMAGE TO ENGINE. COMPRESSION TO ENGINE STOPS AND CAR STALLS OUT. ONE MOMENT TOTALLY FINE, THE NEXT WRECKED ON FREEWAY.

POWER STEERING PROBLEMS, AIR BAG OFF AND ON, CLUTCH WENT OUT NEAR ACCIDENT, ELECTRICAL ISSUES(MANY) WINDOWS UP AND DOWN ON THEIR OWN, EVER BRAKE NOT WORKING PROPERLY NUMEROUS ITEMS I HAVE THEM DETAILED ON PAPER

LOSS OF POWER STEERING. AND REGARDING THIS: NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER :15V660 MANUFACTURER :BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC MAKE / MODEL YEARS :MINI / 2002-2005 SUBJECT : ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING LOSS I CAN TELL YOU THE PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE THE LOCATION OF THE COOLING FAN CAUSES IT TO BE CONTINUALLY BOMBARDED WITH ROAD SALT AND DEBRIS, SO IT FAILS, THEN THE PUMP BURNS OUT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM. THE 2006 MINI COOPER CVT TRANSMISSION HAS HAD NUMEROUS FAILURES. A CALIFORNIA JUDGE RECENTLY RULED IN FAVOR OF A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST BMW(MINI COOPER). WE JUST BECAME AWARE OF THE TRANSMISSION GOING OUT IN OUR CAR. IT STILL RUNS AND SHIFTS BUT OUR CONCERN IS THAT IT COULD QUIT AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. MINI HAS SHOWN NO MORAL OR ETHICAL INTEREST IN REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION AT NO COST OR REDUCED COST TO THE CONSUMER.

I WAS DRIVING AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR AND THE CAR ABRUPTLY SLOWED DOWN THEN SPED UP WITHOUT ANY WARNING, IF ANOTHER CAR WAS BEHIND ME, IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE. NOW MY CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR. I WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION IS GONE. AFTER REACHING OUT TO MINI USA, THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH THIS TRANSMISSION AND IT'S PASS THE WARRANTY DATE. IF THE FOLKS AT MINI USA HAD BEEN HONEST WITH ME I COULD HAVE MADE THE DEADLINE FOR A SETTLEMENT PERTAINING TO THE SAME PROBLEM THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NO IDEA ABOUT. THIS PRODUCT NEED TO BE RECALLED! AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH THE CVT TRANSMISSION HAVE HAD PROBLEMS ALL ALONG AND THE COMPANY HAVE BEEN SETTLING CLAIMS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. WHY ARE THEY ALLOWED TO RUN HARD WORKING FOLKS INTO DEATH BECAUSE THEY KNOW MOST OF US CAN'T AND WOULDN'T PURSUE THIS MATTER. IT WILL COST ME 6500.00 FOR THE PART AND ANOTHER $2200 FOR LABOR, THE CAR IS NOW VALUED AT $5500.00. IT THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS?

WHEN STARTING CAR, I GET A GRINDING, RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS THE CHAIN TENSIONER ON THE CAR

SUDDENLY OUT OF NOWHERE AS SOON AS I STARTED THE CAR TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY & GO TO WORK THE STEERING WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP, ONLY HAVING APPROXIMATELY AN INCH TO INCH AND A HALF OF MOBILITY IN EITHER DIRECTION. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF, LET IT SIT OFF FOR ABOUT 5 MINS THEN RE-STARTED IT AND THE STEERING WAS STILL THE SAME WAY.