MINI Complaints

View complaints related to MINI. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2009 MINI COOPER
    - SAN DIEGO, CA

    WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CAR, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG GOT DISCONNECTED AND THE LIGHT CAME ON. NOW THE LIGHTS INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG IS OFF REMAIN ON AT ALL TIMES. AT THE EXACT SAME TIME THE LIGHT INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT WAS NOT FASTEN CAME ON AS WELL AND IT REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES WHILE THERE IS NOBODY ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE LIGHT REMAINS ON EVEN IF I FASTEN THE SEATBELT. I WENT TO MINI DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO PAY $140 IF I WANTED THEM TO INSPECT MY CAR, I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSTEAD WHO TOLD ME AFTER INSPECTION ($95 FOR THE INSPECTION) THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE SENSORS IN THE SEAT AND THAT THE ENTIRE SEAT HAD TO BE REPLACED ($1100 TO REPLACE IT). THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE SINCE THE AIRBAG WILL NOT OPERATE IN CASE OF ACCIDENT. I KNOW SEVERAL MINI OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME INCIDENT BUT MINI DEALERS REFUSE TO ASSUME THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2006 MINI COOPER
    - SIERRA MADRE, CA

    70K AND ON MY THIRD SERPENTINE BELT ,BATTERY LIGHT GOES ON AND INCREDIBLY HARD TO STEER LEFT OR RIGHT AND CAR DIES. WHEN THE BELT SHREDS OR BREAKS THE CAR DIES AND ONLY MOVES AT BELOW 5 MPH ,ONLY WARNING IS A BATTERY LIGHT ... PEOPLE BUYING THIS CAR FOR TEENS DONT ! HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION AT 30 K ... IF YOU BUY THIS CAR USED WITH LOW MILEAGE GET THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED . NOTE : TRANSMISSION CHECK REQUIRES THE ENGINE TO BE PULLED OUT AND WILL COST $500.00 OIL PAN CONSTANTLY LEAKS. IF VW IS BAD BMW /MINI COOPER IS WORSE AND GETTING AWAY WITH HIGHWAY ROBBERY . SEAT BELTS ALWAYS GETTING TWISTED AND REQUIRE THE NEED TO PUL OFF ROAD TO FIX BECAUSE THEY TIGHTEN AND WON'T RELEASE TENSION. LOOK INTO DRIVER AND PASSENGER LEATHER SEATS FALLING APART ... WAITING FOR SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG TO GO OFF BECAUSE OF POOR MATERIAL AND TEXTILE USE . IF IT'S RUBBER IT ROTS OR RATS EAT IT BECAUSE THEY CAN ENTER CAR ENGINE WITHOUT ISSUE. WITH THE CLASS ACTION SUITS ,SERVICE WARNINGS,AND RECALLS IT LOOKS LIKE MINI COOPER NEEDS A HARDER MORE INTENSE INVESTIGATION . IN REGARDS TO EXACT DATES I HAVE REPAIR BILLS ,CLASS ACTION INFO. REGARDING TRANSMISSION ...WORTHLESS AS I HAVE WRONG YEAR ,ALSO CAR IS ON A CONSTANT CYCLE OF MALFUNCTION ... BRAKE LIGHTS AND HEAD LIGHTS CONSTANTLY NEED BULB REPLACEMENT . PLEASE MAKE MINI COOPER RESPONSIBLE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2002 MINI COOPER S
    - BLOOMFIELD, NJ

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V66000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2006 MINI COOPER
    - RALEIGH, NC

    I HAVE HEARD FROM MORE THEN 3 DOZEN OTHER INDIVIDUALS OWNING BOTH THE MINI COOPER AND MINI COOPER S RANGING FROM YEARS 2006 TO 2010 THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS REGARDING THE AIR CV JOINT AXEL AND/OR POWER ARM CONTROL A CONSTANT PROBLEM REGARDING THE GENERAL MODULE ELECTRONIC COMPONENT. THIS ISN'T JUST A COINCIDENCE AND MAY END UP BEING THE CAUSE OF SERIOUS ACCIDENTS IF ONE OR TWO OF THESE COMPONENTS ARE DEFECTIVE. FOR THIS MANY CONSUMERS TO BE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES, SAME SOUNDS AND REVISITED VISITS TO MINI DEALER SHOPS AROUND THE GLOBE SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. I KNOW FOR ONE THING THIS CONTROL ARM IS A HUGE PROBLEM IF IT FAILS CONSIDERING IT'S LOCATION COULD BE THE CAUSE OF MANY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE DEATHS DEPENDING ON THE SPEED AND SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT WHEN IT TAKES PLACE. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT ON THE ROAD DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE NOISE AND REACTION TO THE VEHICLE WHEN BEING OPERATED AND IT IS A SCARY THING. THEY WANT TO CHARGE A ABSURD AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT QUITE FRANKLY MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING RECALLED A LONG TIME AGO, AND WASN'T BECAUSE A LOT OF CONSUMERS ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROCESS SUCH AS MYSELF UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN AN ATTORNEY FRIEND OF MINE STARTED TO DIG AROUND A BIT AFTER HEARING MY STORY AND THE STORIES OF MANY OTHERS I HAVE SPOKEN TOO.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2008 MINI COOPER S
    - MEADVILLE, PA

    PURCHASED AT 61,000 MILES 9/9/14; HAD SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGE 5/15; 9/29/15 CAR BEGAN TO HAVE A RATTLE BUT UNSURE IF IT WAS FRONT OF CAR OR BACK OF CAR. RATTLING STOPPED ON ACCELERATION. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. 10/4/15 CAR DIED AT 69,362 MILES WHILE DRIVING ON A TWO LANE ROAD ON A CURVE. WAS ABLE TO COAST TO GETTING HALF THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. BYPASSERS PUSHED ME OFF THE REST OF THE WAY. TOWED TO MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN GUARD THAT SPLIT OFF. CALLED MINI THEY SAID THEIR DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT HAD TO LOOK AT IT. HAD IT TOWED TO OH 70 MILES AWAY. THEY TOLD ME I HAD AN OIL LEAK WHICH CAUSED THE FOLLOWING TO BE DAMAGED - CRANK SHAFT, HARMONIC BALANCER, CYLINDER HEAD, TIMING CHAIN AND GUARD AND MAYBE OTHER STUFF BUT THEY COULDN'T TELL WITHOUT FURTHER EXAMINATION. TOLD $5,000 PLUS TO FIX, BUT I SEE MINI ESTIMATE STATES $3,500-4,500. MY LOCAL MECHANIC FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF AN OIL LEAK CAUSING THE TROUBLE, NOR DID I HAVE AN OIL SPOT WHERE I PARKED MY CAR IN THE GARAGE OR WORK PARKING LOT. NO OIL OR ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2009 MINI COOPER S
    - GLENDALE, CA

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND BEGAN TO JERK. IN ADDITION, A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVEN AND OILS LEAKS WERE DISCOVERED WHEN PARKED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2006 MINI COOPER S
    - SANTA CLARITA, CA

    SIGNS OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. WHINING NOISE RANDOMLY GOT LOUDER. FLUIDS TOPPED UP, NO LEAKS. THERE IS A RECALL FROM BMW THAT COVERS 2002-2005 MODELS. THIS PUMP ONLY HAS 82,400 MILES ON IT.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2005 MINI COOPER
    - MISSOURI CITY, TX

    I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM MINI COOPER IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL NOTICE BY MAIL AND CALLED TO TRY AND SCHEDULE A REPLACEMENT OF THE SEAT SENSOR. I WAS TOLD THAT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST MIGHT BE CHARGED FOR THIS AND IT WOULD BE $150.00 FOR THE REPLACEMENT. THIS IS FREAKING RIDICULOUS, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THEY TRY TO CASH OUT AT MY EXPENSE... NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: OPENS NEW WINDOW TAKES AWAY FROM VIN LOOKUP SECTION> 15V205 RECALL DATE: APRIL 3, 2015 MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER: NA

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2003 MINI COOPER S
    - GOLDEN, CO

    POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AT 69,000 MILES. PUMP AND FAN WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT DEALER REQUIRED ADDITIONAL WORK TO BE PERFORMED TO KEEP EXTENDED WARRANTY IN FORCE. THE WORK INCLUDED REPLACEMENT OF ALL POWER STEERING HOSES AT A COST OF OVER $600.00

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2005 MINI COOPER
    - MISSOURI CITY, TX

    SOMETIME WHEN AM DRIVING ON THE STREET OR HIGHWAY THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT AND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEELS, IT IS VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS! HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK AT DIFFERENT TIMES. IF I TURN THE WHEELS TOO MUCH, I NOTICE IT HAPPEN TOO.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE