MINI Complaints

THE PASSENGER SEAT HAS A PRESSURE MAT BUILT INTO THAT HAS FAILED AND IT IS CAUSING THE SRS/AIRBAG LIGHT TO STAY LIT. THIS IS TURNING OFF THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG OFF WHICH CAUSES THE PASSENGER TO NOT HAVE AIRBAG PROTECTION. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON ALL 2005 UP MINI COOPERS. *TR

MY 2006 BMW MINI COOPER S PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT SPORADICALLY IS SHOWING THAT IT IS DEACTIVATED REGARDLESS IF THERE IS A FULL SIZED ADULT OR NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS HAS BEEN A ON GOING PROBLEM/CONCERN WILL MY PASSENGERS BE PROTECTED IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH SINCE THE AIR BAGS ARE SHOWING THAT THEY ARE SHUT OFF WILL THEY STILL WORK? I HAD IT CHECKED OUT AT AUTHORIZED MINI DEALER AND THEY SAID THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE SEAT SENSOR WAS SENDING OFF FAULTY SIGNALS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS - $2000! I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS AND IT IS AN ONGING ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. BMW HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR MODELS AND IT HAD TO BE RECALLED. THE SAME SHOULD HAPPEN WITH THIS CAR. THEY ARE PUTTING PEOPLES LIVES AT RISK WITH THEY INSTALL FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT SENSORS AND ARE CHARGING AN ARM AND A LEG TO FIX THEIR FAULTY PART. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. *JS

VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES. LATEST IS TRANSMISSION WHICH SHIFTS ERRATICALLY FROM 2ND GEAR TO 3RD GEAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE'S TACHOMETER TO RACE FROM 2,000 RPM TO NEARLY 8,000 RPM WITHIN A SECOND OR TWO. THE VEHICLE THEN ACCELERATES/JERKS FORWARD ERRATICALLY. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE THAT WOULD COST $10,500 TO REPAIR/REPLACE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT MINI COOPER S TRANSMISSIONS YET THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER IS UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. *JS

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I WENT IN FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. I LIVE 2.5 HOURS FROM A MINI SERVICE CENTER. THE DIAGNOSTIC AT AUTOZONE JUST LISTED A BUNCH OF MISFIRES AND NOTHING ELSE. THAT EXPLAINED THE HARSH SOUNDING START AND SPUTTERING. AS DAYS HAVE GONE BY, CAR WILL LOSE POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, STRUGGLE UP HILLS, FAIL TO MAINTAIN SPEED LIMIT, AND STRUGGLE TO START IN THE MORNING. ALL THESE EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER BEING SERVICED AT SEATTLE MINI. I'M SURE I'M UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT HAVING TO DRIVE 2.5 HOURS IF I CAN MAKE IT THERE, FOR SOMETHING THEY SEEM TO HAVE BEEN HAVING COMPLAINTS ABOUT. *TR

IN WEATHER BELOW ZERO F WHEN THE CAR IS LEFT OUTSIDE FOR OVER 8 HOURS THE ENGINE SOMETIMES STARTS IN "LIMP" MODE AND DOES NOT ALLOW FULL POWER UNTIL FULLY WARMED UP. THIS CAN TAKE OVER 10 MILES OF DRIVING, IDLING ALONE DOES NOT WARM UP THE ENGINE VERY QUICKLY IN BELOW ZERO WEATHER AND LIMP MODE. THE DANGER IS THAT LIMP MODE IS VERY LIMITED TO ENGINE POWER AND ONE BECOMES A HAZARD TO OTHERS WHEN SHARING THE ROAD. IN THE CLIMATE I LIVE IN THIS OCCURS A FEW TIMES A WINTER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. MY 2007 MODEL WAS RETRO FITTED WITH A REVISED INTAKE AND THAT RESOLVED THE ISSUE, BUT NO SUCH FIX HAS BEEN OFFERED. *TR

LEAK IN TURBO OIL LINE DUE TO CRACKS IN PLASTIC O-RING. AFTER HUNDREDS OF HEAT CYCLES, THE O-RING COOKS ITS SELF AND STARTS TO LEAK OIL ONTO THE TURBO. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE PRODUCT RECALL AND INSTALLATION OF THE OIL LINE HEAT SHIELD BY NTSB SHOULD HAVE ALSO INCLUDED RECALL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE TURBO OIL LINE. THE OIL LINE HEAT SHIELD HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF THE BAKED O-RING IN THE TURBO OIL LINE AND THEREFORE THE TURBO OIL LINE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER MANUFACTURER RECALL/DEFECT! *TR

2009 MINI COOPER S - I, LIKE SO MANY OTHER MINI COOPER OWNERS, HAVE JUST FALLEN VICTIM TO THE "DEATH RATTLE" OF THE [KNOWN BY BMW] DEFECTIVE/FAULTY AND NON-RECALLED TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. IT'S ABSURD THAT WE CONTINUE TO EXPOSE THIS FAR TOO COMMON DEFECT OF A PRODUCT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY DEEMED AS A "NON-SERVICE" ITEM GOOD FOR THE OPERATING LIFE OF THE ENGINE. MOST OWNERS EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITHIN THE FIRST 50,000 MILES. I PURCHASED THIS WELL MAINTAINED (AT A LOCAL MINI DEALER) MINI FROM A PRIVATE PARTY JUST DAYS AFTER THEY PERFORMED AN EXPENSIVE 'WALNUT TREATMENT' TO CLEAR OUT EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILD UP. WITHIN 100MI OF THIS SERVICE, THE 'DEATH RATTLE' STARTS. I AM NOW BEING TOLD THAT IT WILL RUN JUST OVER $2400 (I'VE UNCOVERED ABOUT $400 IN TOTAL PARTS) TO CORRECT AN ISSUE BMW HAS BEEN HIDING BEHIND FOR YEARS; THEY'VE EVEN ISSUED A WARNING TO SERVICE ADVISORS TO NOT RE-INSTALL THE DEFECTIVE PARTS, BUT DENY THE PART TO ACTUALLY BE DEFECTIVE OR IN NEED OF RECALL. WHEN WILL ANYONE STAND UP FOR THE LITTLE GUY, THE CONSUMER, AND DEMAND THIS WELL KNOWN, OFTEN OCCURRING, EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DEFECT BE CORRECTED AT THE COST OF THE MANUFACTURER? I NOW HAVE AN $11,500 PAPER WEIGHT. *TR

THE ENGINE WAS RATTLING HEAVILY WHEN THE CAR IGNITION WAS ON AROUND 5 PM AT THE WORKPLACE PARKING LOT . IN THE MEANTIME, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. THE CAR FAILED TO DELIVER THE POWER TO THE TRANSMISSION. A FEW DAYS LATE, MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND DIAGNOSED WITH LEAK OIL FROM ONE OF TIMING BELT TENSIONERS AND A BROKEN TENSIONER. THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO REPLACE THE BROKEN ONE WITH A NEW TIMING BELT KIT TOGETHER WITH TENSIONERS AS A GOODWILL FROM THE MINI COOPER USA (85% WARRANTY DEDUCTIBLE). EVEN THOUGH, I FELT THE QUALITY OF THIS IMPORTANT ENGINE PARTS WAS UNACCEPTABLE WITH SUCH A LOW MILEAGE ON THE CAR. THE TIMING BELT OF THIS MODEL WAS A METAL CHAIN LOCATED INSIDE THE ENGINE BOX AND SUPPOSED TO LAST LIFE-LONG WITHOUT WORRY. I WAS LUCKY THAT THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED JUST IN THE PARKING LOT. I COULD NOT IMAGINE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES IF THIS INCIDENT HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURE BMW/MINI SHOULD BE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH A DEFECT PRODUCT AND A PROPER ACTION BY THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO AVOID SUCH AN INCIDENT HAPPENING TO OTHER CUSTOMERS WHO OWN THIS MODEL. *TR

WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATING ON THE FIRST AND SECOND GEAR, THERE WAS A SMALL JERKING MOTION. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY DIDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. ONE THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT DATE, 01/08, WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE CAR HAVE A LOUD ENGINE SOUND, SOUNDS LIKE THE CAR IS CHOCKING FOR AIR. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON WITH THE RPM POINTER RUNNING UP AND DOWN (GAS PADDLE IS UNTOUCHED). TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE NEXT DAY AND THEY FOUND THERE IS OIL LEAKING FROM THE OIL FEED LINE TO THE TURBO. $1200 TO REPLACE THE PART. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND MANY MINI OWNER HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

WE PURCHASED A USED 2010 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE FROM SCHWARTZ MAZDA IN, SHREWSBURY, NJ ON DEC. 27, 2014. AFTER TWO SEPARATE MINI COOPER DEALER SERVICE DEPTS CONFIRMED THAT THE TIME CHAIN WAS BEYOND SPECIFICATION BY 6 MM AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, WE GOT NO WHERE OR SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION WITH THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN. WE FEEL THAT OUR SAFETY IS AT RISK AND SHOULD BE FIXED, AS EXPRESSED IN THE LIMITED WARRANTY OF THE VEHICLE GIVEN BY SCHWARTZ MAZDA. *TR