MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

2007 MINI COOPER HARDTOP PURCHASED MAY 7, 2015 SUFFERED MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN & TIMING TENSIONER ISSUES, RESULTING IN LOUD TICKING INSIDE OF THE ENGINE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE..ESTIMATES TOTALING UP TO $2400.00 IN REPAIRS.....VEHICLE AT THIS POINT IS INOPERABLE.

I COMPLAINED WITH MINI COOPER BACK IN 2011 WHEN MY WARRANTY EXPIRED AND DEALERSHIP SAID THAT REPLACEMENT WILL BE DONE OUT OF POCKET. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR AT RISK; MORE OFTEN THAT NOT, I DO NOT DRIVE MY CAR WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. FAST FORWARD TO 2015 WITH RECALL BUT UNABLE TO EXECUTE THE RECALL DUE TO LACK OF PARTS. NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE WHAT THE CAUSE OF DELAY AND SINCE THE ORIGINAL PART WORKS ALBEIT BAD DURABILITY, FORCE MINI COOPER/BMW TO PERFORM STOP GAP REPAIRS WITH OLDER PARTS, BYPASS SENSOR OR CHANGE SOFTWARE CODE TO DISREGARD BAD SENSOR INPUT. THE BURDEN IS TOO GREAT FOR ME TO USE MY CAR WITH NO PASSENGER OR PASSENGER AT RISK. STOP GAP REPAIRS, INCLUDING CHANGING THE SOFTWARE CODE AND ELIMINATE SENSOR INPUT TO DISABLE THE AIRBAG CAN BE A TEMPORARY REPAIR. HOW HARD IS IT FOR BMWQ TO SHORT OR "FAKE" THE SENSOR SIGNAL, SO THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT DISABLE THE AIRBAG; HENCE IT WOULD DEPLOY WHEN THERE'S A PASSENGER ONBOARD. PUT A STICKER ON THE DASHBOARD THAT SAYS AIRBAGS ARE TEMPORARY ACTIVE AND CHILD SEATS NOT ALLOWED. MY SAFETY INSTINCT TELLS ME IT IS PREFERRED TO HAVE THE AIRBAG ACTIVE AND DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED. THE NUMBER OF POTENTIAL CHILD SEAT IS MOST LIKELY A VERY LOW NUMBER THAT MOST OWNERS WOULD PREFER TO HAVE AN ACTIVE AIRBAG. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS IS TAKING SO LONG, AND PUTTING THE OWNERS AT RISK WHEN THERE ARE STOP GAP MEASURES AVAILABLE. BYPASSING THE SENSOR AND HAVING THE AIRBAGS ACTIVE SEEMS TO BE THE MOST LOGICAL ONE EXCEPT NHTSA MAY BE THE PROBLEM FOR COMING UP WITH AUTO-SENSORS TO PREVENT CHILD SEAT ACTIVATION. NHTSA SHOULD MAKE A CHOICE AND DECIDE WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT, SAFETY OF THE PASSENGERS, OR HAVING TO GIVE BMW INSTRUCTION AND WAIVERS TO ALLOW STOP GAP AND NOT PUT ME AND MY PASSENGERS AT RISK.

MY MINI COOPER HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP THAT WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I NOTICED THAT 2002 THROUGH 2005 HAS BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE BUT NOT 2006? AND NOW I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY POWER STEERING?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 11/18/15*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED SHE PAID FOR AN AIR BAG SENSOR TWO YEARS. UPDATED 12/15/15. *JB

THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY IS FAILING AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 5,000 MILES AFTER BUYING IT USED FROM A MINI DEALERSHIP WHO HAD PERFORMED THEIR USUAL INSPECTIONS AND RESALE MAINTENANCE. APPARENTLY THE TIMING CHAIN IS INSIDE THE ENGINE CASING AND THE METAL CHAIN RUNS ALONG A PLASTIC GUIDE. THE TOP PORTION OF THE PLASTIC GUIDE HAS, IT APPEARS, FAILED, CAUSING A VERY LOUD ENGINE NOISE AND RISKING COMPLETE TIMING FAILURE WHICH, OF COURSE, COULD POTENTIALLY PRESENT SERIOUS MECHANICAL AND SAFETY ISSUES IF IT HAPPENS AT HIGH SPEED. I HAVE FOUND WIDE REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING SIMILARLY IN OTHER CARS, HOWEVER AFTER A QUICK SEARCH, I DON'T SEE THIS ISSUE LISTED ON THIS NHTSA SITE, SO I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE ADDED. SEE THESE LINKS FOR REFERENCE: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/NEWS/CONSUMERS-COMPLAIN-OF-MINI-COOPER-TIMING-BELT-FAILURES-080113.HTML AND HTTP://BLOG.AUTOWORKSTX.COM/2014/10/MINI-COOPER-TIMING-CHAIN-ISSUES/

FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG SIGN WAS COME OUT, EVEN THOUGH PASSENGER IS SEATING AND GETTING SEAT BELT. ANY DAMAGE DIDN'T BE GOTTON ON THE PASSENGER SEAT, IT IS JUST SUDDENLY APPEARED. IT WILL MAKE SERIOUS SITUATION WHEN I GET ACCIDENT. AIRBAG IS REALLY RELATED WITH SAFETY. I STRONGLY BELIVE THAT IT HAS TECHNICAL PROBLEM AT MINI. THIS PROBLEM WILL COME OUT MORE AND PEOPLE MAY BE INJURED BY THIS PROBLEM. I SAW ARTICLE ABOUT AIRBAG PROBLEM AT MINI, AND MINI MADE A PROGRAM THAT RECALLS TO FIX AIRBAG MAT. HOWEVER, IT AFFECTS TO UNTIL 2008MINI. I DON'T THINK THIS PROBLEM ONLY AFFECTS TO UNTIL 2008 MINI. BWM MINI HAVE TO INVESTIGATE NEWER MODEL AND RECALL THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG AS WELL.

WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT START, CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. A FEW DAYS LATER IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKE. WITH ONLY 69,000 MILES IT IS UNHEARD OF THAT A TIMING CHAIN BREAKS. THE REPAIR COST WAS $5159.60.

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AS USUAL, I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY WHEN I FELT A JOLT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THE ENGINE SEEMED TO SPUTTER AND AS SOON AS I SLOWED DOWN TO 30 MPH OR SO THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT BACK UP TO THE HIGHER GEARS. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY A QUARTER MILE FROM HOME SO I PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND DROVE VERY CAREFULLY INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND GOT OUT TO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS DRASTICALLY WRONG ( ANY LEAKS, SMOKE, ETC.). NOTHING APPEARED TO BE MALFUNCTIONING SO I PUT THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE AND INSTANTLY STALLED THE ENGINE . I THEN CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY LOCAL MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD NEED AN ENTIRELY NEW CVT TRANSMISSION.

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR FOR A 300 MILES TRIP, NEVER HAD AN ISSUE BEFORE. AFTER STOPPING IN SAN ANTONIO THE FANS KEPT RUNNING FOR AT LEAST 15MIN. STOPPED AT A CONVEINIENCE STORE AND TOPPED OFF COOLANT WHICH WASNT MISSING ANY AND CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL AND ADDED ONE QUART OF OIL. TAKING ON THE TRIP TO AUSTIN TX, THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AT 70MPH WHEN MY LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON. TEN SECONDS LATER PULLED TO THE SIDE AND SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE. LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND FIRE STARTED BLAZING THROUGHOUT THE CAR BURNING ALL OUR BELONGINGS.