MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE TPMS SENSOR WARNING LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000. UPDATED 03/24/15*LJ UPDATED 04/27/2016*JS UPDATED 9/17/2017*CN

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY AT FIRST AND NOW STAYS ON ALL OF THE TIME, REGARDLESS IF SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR NOT. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL MINI DEALER (INTERNATIONAL AUTOS, MILWAUKEE, WI) AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A "FAULTED AIR BAG OC3 MAT" THAT COULD BE REPAIRED/REPLACED FOR $1163.00. AS THIS WAS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE UNRELATED TO THE AGE OR ACCUMULATED MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE, I FELT THAT MINI USA SHOULD AUTHORIZE A NO-COST REPAIR OR, AT A MINIMUM, PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT PART(S) AT NO COST. THE COST TO REMEDY OTHER WEAR-RELATED ISSUES NOTED DURING THE INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE ARE CLEARLY MY RESPONSIBILITY. A SUBSEQUENT PHONE CONVERSATION WITH MINI USA ON 01/27/2015 DISCLOSED THAT, WHILE THIS WAS AN LEGITIMATE VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE, THEY DID NOT FEEL THAT THIS WAS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT I SHOULD PAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT NECESSARY TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE DEFECT. *TR

VEHICLE LOST ALL OIL SUPPOSEDLY DUE TO A FAULTY OIL FILTER HOUSING CAR STOPPED AND WAS SMOKING. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED TO TURN OFF WITH VEHICLE. RESULTED IN BATTERY BEING DRAINED AND ULTIMATELY LOSS OF POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING PUMP, FAN, AND FLUID HAD TO BE REPLACED AS A RESULT OF FAN BECOMING SEIZED, PUMP OVERHEATING AND FAILING. *TR

I HAVE A RELATIVELY NEW MINI COOPER (2010 HATCHBACK) WITH 51,000 MILES. RECENTLY, I STARTED HEARING A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPON DOING A SEARCH ONLINE, I CAME ACROSS HUNDREDS OF OTHER OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCE THE SAME EXACT ISSUE - KNOW AS THE DEATH RATTLE, THE TENSIONER AND TIMING CHAIN COMES APART (A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT) AND CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO EITHER STALL WHILE IN MOTION AND CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE - AS THE CHAIN IS METAL. THE ISSUE HAS RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION AND EXTREME FRUSTRATION - LEADING MINI TO TRY TO SILENTLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE ON A ONE-OFF BASIS RATHER THAN ISSUING A VOLUNTARY RECALL. FOR CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLAIN (EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY), MINI HAS BEEN PAYING FOR HAVING THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER FIXED. FOR THE HAPLESS CONSUMERS THAT DO NOT KNOW, EITHER THEY PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE FIXED OR FIND THEMSELVES IN AN ACCIDENT. MINI COOPER IS ALLOWING A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT TO CONTINUE UNADDRESSED AND FOR THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS WHO HAVE A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE COULD BE SUBJECT TO EXTREME RISK - IF THE TIMING CHAIN/TENSIONER FAILS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS REDDITT POST - PLEASE SEE THIS REDDIT POST: HTTP://WWW.REDDIT.COM/R/MINI/COMMENTS/2RVH26/MINI_DEATH_RATTLE/ - WHICH EXPLAINS HOW MINI HAS BEEN PAYING FOR CERTAIN REPAIRS TO SILENT THE CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLAIN THE MOST. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE - IF MINI IS PAYING FOR REPAIRS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, THEY CLEARLY ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM/DEFECT BUT ONLY ARE RESOLVING THIS ON AN AD HOC BASIS - WHY SHOULD OWNERS WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS "FIX" BE SUBJECT TO DRIVING A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE VEHICLE? *TR

THE CAR DEVELOPED ENGINE TROUBLE AT 51,934 MILES. WE CALLED OTTO'S MINI DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. WE THEN TOOK CAR TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACING DUE TO FAULTY TIMING CHAIN THAT RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER HEAD AND PISTONS. UPON RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM IT APPEARS THAT IT IS VERY COMMON. WE PROCEEDED WITH THE REPAIR AT THE LOCAL SHOP AND FILED WITH MINI TO REQUEST COVERAGE. COVERAGE WAS DENIED SINCE WE DID NOT HAVE CAR SERVICED AT THE DEALER. THE NATURE OF THIS REPAIR AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF REPORTED ISSUES WOULD SUGGEST ONE TO EXPECT MINI TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. DEALER AND INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP SAY THE SEAT SENSOR NEED TO BE REPLACED. IT IS LOCATED IN THE SEAT AND THE WHOLE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $1200. TO 1500. US DOLLARS. THE PASSENGER SEAT IS RARELY USED. THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I DON'T KNOW IF THE AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY. APPARENTLY ALL BMW'S WERE RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT NOT THE MINI COOPERS WHICH ACCORDING TO POSTED THREADS ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

MY FUEL RAIL WAS SIPPING WITH GASOLINE. WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR TO A MINI DEALER, THEY CLAIMED THAT IT WAS A WEAR AND TEAR PROBLEM AND REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW. THE FUEL RAIL WAS PLASTIC AND THE LEAK WAS AT THE SEAL BETWEEN THE PLASTIC PARTS. IF THE FUEL RAIL IS METAL AND IS SOLDERED, THIS PROBLEM WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. HAVING A FUEL RAIL THAT LEAKS COULD SEVERELY DAMAGE THE ENGINE AND CAUSE A FIRE. *TR

I OWN A 2008 MINI COOPER S AND IT HAS 38600 MILES ON IT I HAVE OWNED IT FOR A YEAR AND HAVE TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD THE TIMING CHAIN CHANGED ONCE BEFORE AT 13,485 BY A MINI DEALER. AS FOR THIS TIME IT IS STILL DRIVABLE AND HAS NOT CAUSED ANY INCIDENTS. *TR

MY TIMING CHAIN HAS NOW STARTED TO FAIL FOR THE 4TH TIME ON THIS CAR. THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS FAIL AND MINI DOES NOTHING TO CORRECT THE ISSUE PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *TR