MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS CONSISTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

ON THURSDAY,JULY 30, 2015 MY HUSBAND WAS HEADED TO WORK. HE WAS REAR ENDED WHILE HE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP. HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SEVERE WHIPLASH AND HAS SUSTAINED INJURIES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR THE PERSON WHO HIT MY HUSBAND ADMITTED FAULT IMMEDIATELY. TWO VEHICLE INSPECTIONS WERE DONE BY AN ADJUSTER. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING A MINI COOPER AND HE WAS REAR ENDED. THE ADJUSTER INFORMED HIM THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A STEEL PLATE. HENCE, THE IMPACT TO THE BACK OF HIS VEHICLE MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH GREATER. AFTER SPEAKING WITH AN ADVISOR AT THE CONCORD, CA MINI COOPER DEALER, I LEARNED THAT THE STEEL PLATE IN THE MINI COOPER IS STANDARD AND A REQUIRED SAFETY FEATURE. THE MINI COOPER WAS PURCHASED FROM CARMAX.COM ( CARMAX IN FAIRFIELD, CA ). MY CONCERN AND QUESTION IS WHETHER ON NOT CARMAX KNEW THIS AND DO THEY GENERALLY SELL USED VEHICLES THAT DO NOT MEET STANDARD SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED CARMAX ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2010 MINI COOPER S 50-55 MPH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE COME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FROM THEN ON, THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A RATTLING AND CLACKING NOISE AND THE OIL LIGHT EVENTUALLY CAME ON. PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND GOT OUT TO LOOK AT THE CAR. OIL WAS ALL OVER THE FRONTSIDE AND WHEELWELL OF THE CAR. ALL THE OIL HAD CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE. TOWED THE CAR TO A MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THE ENGINE WAS SEIZED AND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAD BROKEN LOSE AND SOMEHOW THAT ALLOWED ALL THE OIL TO POUR OUT OF THE ENGINE. HAD TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED FOR A COST OF A LITTLE OVER $5,000. A BMW SPECIALIST WANTED $8,500 TO DO THE SAME JOB. NOW MY NEW ENGINE THEY JUST INSTALLED IS LEAKING OIL FROM SOMEWHERE AND THERE'S A LIGHT CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. IM SO AFRAID IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGIAN, AND I KNOW THAT MINI USA WILL BE OF NO HELP. IT'S A SHAME THAT I HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT A TERRIBLE COMPANY THEY ARE IN THIS WAY. I NEEDED A RELIABLE CAR FOR MY NEW JOB AND ENDED UP WITH THE EXACT OPPOSITE, AN UNRELIABLE VEHICLE FROM A MANUFACTURER THAT HAS NO INTEGRITY WHATSOEVER. I LOVED THESE CARS, NOW I JUST HOPE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE.

WITHOUT BEING INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT, THE AIRBAG AND SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHTS STAY ON. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ON MINIS AND BMWS AROUND A FAULTY AIRBAG/PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR AND IT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT COULD BE RISKING MANY LIVES. MINI NEEDS TO DIAGNOSE/INVESTIGATE AND EXTEND RECALLS TO ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE FAULTY MANUFACTURING.

ON APRIL 20, 2015, I TOOK MY 2005 MINI S CONVERTIBLE TO MINI OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY IN DARIEN, CT BECAUSE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. I RECEIVED A VERBAL QUOTE OF APPROXIMATELY $1200 TO REPAIR. LATER THAT DAY I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE SHOP FOREMAN STATING THAT MINI WAS AWARE OF AN ISSUE WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR AND THAT MINI WAS LOOKING INTO A COURSE OF ACTION. A FEW DAYS LATER THE PRESS REPORTED THAT A RECALL WAS BEING DONE FOR THIS ISSUE AND I CALLED AGAIN, WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT A LETTER WOULD COME FROM MINI WITH DETAILS. SOMETIME BETWEEN THEN AND JUNE 15, I RECEIVED A LETTER (DATED "JUNE 2015") STATING THAT A RECALL WAS GOING TO BE ISSUED, AND I SHOULD NOT CARRY PASSENGERS IF THE LIGHT WAS ON (IT HAD BEEN ON SINCE APRIL), AND AGAIN CALLED MINI OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, WHERE THEY REITERATED THE INFO IN THE LETTER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FOR YET ANOTHER LETTER. I CALLED MINI CUSTOMER CARE BOTH ON JUNE 15 AND AUGUST 25 TO REQUEST INFORMATION ON THE TIMING, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION BEYOND WHAT THE DEALER TOLD ME. IT IS NOW AUGUST 25, AND OVER FOUR MONTHS THAT I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO SAFELY CARRY A PASSENGER IN THIS VEHICLE. I FEEL THAT THIS MEETS THE STANDARD NOTED IN THE RECALL LETTER "IF YOUR MINI DEALER IS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE DEFECT WITHOUT CHARGE OR WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME", ESPECIALLY WHEN I WAS GIVEN A VERBAL QUOTE IN APRIL TO FIX THE ISSUE. MINI HAS ALSO DECLINED TO PROVIDE A LOANER VEHICLE WHILE MINE IS DISABLED. I REQUEST THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE WHETHER MINI INTENDS TO PROPERLY CARRY OUT THIS RECALL (15V-205).

PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT (YELLOW CEILING LIGHT) WILL INTERMEDIATELY TURN AND STAY ON TO INDICATE AIR BAG IS OFF WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT.

YOUTUBE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=QWXHFEKSZ0W MINI COOPER S ROADSTER 6 SPEED MANUAL WHILE DRIVING SMELLED ODOR OF RUBBER BURNING, THEN ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE DEFROSTER VENTS AND THEN SOME SORT OF WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND COASTED TO A STOP BELIEVING THE ENGINE HAD OVERHEATED. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND THE SMOKE GOT WORSE AND WHEN THE PLASTIC IN THE DASHBOARD HAD MELTED AWAY I SAW FLAMES AND CALLED 911. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN LESS THAN 2 MINUTES FROM THE START TO CALLING 911. THE ENGINE WAS NOT DAMAGED AND THIS WAS FROM THE WIRING I BELIEVE. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW ON MAY 28, 2014. THE CAR WAS TOTALED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT LIGHT ILLUMINATED EVEN WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V205000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 86,000. MA 10/14 *CN

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY IN DICKSON, TN MY 2008 MINI COOPER LOST ALL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS DURING AN ICE STORM. WE HAD TO WAIT HOURS ON THE SIDE OF A HIGHWAY WITH NO HEAT, AND VEHICLES STRUGGLING TO STAY ON THE ROAD, UNTIL A TOW TRUCK DRIVER FROM AAA WAS ABLE TO PICK US UP, SAYING HOW LUCKY WE WERE TO HAVE NOT BEEN HIT. WHEN BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MINI DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DUE TO LOW OIL LEVEL. THE INCIDENT OCCURED IN FEBRUARY, MY OIL WAS CHANGED ON DECEMBER. UPON REPAIR FROM MY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN THAT COLLAPSED. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT MINI COOPER IS AWARE OF THE TIMING CHAIN DEFECT, AND IN FACT SENT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ON BEHALF OF CURRENT MINI DRIVERS AND POTENTIAL BUYERS I URGE YOU TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE IN HOPES OF PREVENTING POTENTIAL INJURIES OR DEATHS.