MINI Complaints

ENGINE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING ON THE 6-LANE HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. JUST A SUDDEN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER, ALL VEHICLE OPERATION STOPPED. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON THE OUTSIDE LANE, AND I WAS AT AN EXIT THAT WENT DOWN HILL, SO I COASTED DOWN THE OFF RAMP BEFORE IT ROLLED TO A COMPLETE STOP. SOME BYSTANDERS ASSISTED ME IN PUSHING THE VEHICLE OFF THE SIDE OF THE BUSY 4-LANE ROAD. TURNS OUT IT IS THE TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM WITH MANY MINI COOPERS, 2007 - 2012. THERE IS A FAULTY OR MISSING PART, THAT IF NOT ADDRESSED, RESULTS IN "CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE". MY VEHICLE HAD 50K MILES ON IT; I PURCHASED IT NEW, SO I HAVE ALL VEHICLE RECORDS, ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED; ALL RECALLS PERFORMED, AND MY RECORDS ARE 100% COMPLETE. THE REAL KICKER IS - MY SERVICE RECORDS CLEARLY SHOW THAT SEVERAL TIMES I REPORTED A "RATTLE" FROM THE ENGINE (WHILE UNDER WARRANTY) AS FAR BACK AS 2012. AND THE SERVICE RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE DEALERSHIP "COULD NOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT OF RATTLE". THE NOTORIOUS "RATTLE" IS THE FIRST SYMPTOM OF THIS ENGINE FLAW THAT CAN RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE, AND IT WAS KNOWN BY THE AUTO INDUSTRY IN 2012. COST - $8K, COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT REQUIRED. DEALERSHIP AND BMW DENY ANY WRONG DOING, AND DENY ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE "ENGINE" ISSUE. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, I SPENT A MONTH OF MY TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED, WHY, HAD IT TOWED TO THREE PLACES, LOTS OF PHONE CALLS, RESEARCH, ETC. LUCKILY NO ONE DIED. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN, AND THE PEOPLE THAT STOPPED TO HELP ME PUSH THE CAR WERE VERY BRAVE. I LOOKED PRETTY PATHETIC I AM SURE - LONE, PETITE FEMALE TRYING TO PUSH A CAR ON A VERY BUSY 4-LANE ROAD DURING RUSH HOUR, IN 90 DEGREE HEAT. LUCKY FOR BMW/MINI THAT NO ONE DIED. I GUESS THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO FORCE THEM TO RECOGNIZE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE SERVICE ENGINE, COOLANT, AND OIL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT COOLANT WAS ADDED ON TWO OCCASIONS, BUT THE COOLANT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ONE WEEK LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP, AND ENGINE WERE MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

REFERENCE MY CALL IN REPORT REF. # 10598125: THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" LIGHT (LOCATED IN THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE) REMAINS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE SYSTEM DOES IT'S INITIAL CHECK AT START UP. IF ANYONE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE LIGHT GOES OUT. THE SYSTEM DID NOT OPERATE THIS WAY UNTIL THE CAR REACHED APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES. ORIGINALLY THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON FOR A FEW SECONDS AT START UP THEN GO OUT. AFTER CHECKING SEVERAL OWNER BLOGS ONLINE, I FOUND OUT THAT ALL OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN GETTING A DEFINITIVE EXPLANATION FROM THEIR DEALERS. SOME DEALERS REPAIRED THE ISSUE BY REPLACING THE SEAT PAN SENSOR OR REPAIRING THE UNDER SEAT CONNECTOR. SOME DEALERS HAVE SAID THE CONDITION IS NORMAL. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY DEALER, "SOUTH MINI OF MIAMI" AND WAS INITIALLY TOLD THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS PROBLEM AND SCHEDULED THE CAR FOR TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPAIR. AFTER THE SCHEDULED SERVICE, I WAS TOLD THAT THE SYSTEM WAS CHECKED AND THAT ALL COMPONENTS WERE OPERATIONAL AND NOTHING WAS FAULTY. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE LIGHT REMAINING ON WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT WAS NORMAL. MY CONCERN IS THAT NONE OF THE USA MINI DEALERSHIPS CAN DEFINITIVELY EXPLAIN THE CORRECT OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM OR WHY IT SUDDENLY STARTED WORKING IN A DIFFERENT WAY. IT CAN'T BE CORRECT BOTH WAYS; IT WAS EITHER FAULTY FOR THE FIRST 15,000 MILES OR IT IS FAULTY NOW. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH SEVERAL MINI COOPERS AND SOME BMW MODELS. I BELIEVE FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED GIVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE "SMART AIRBAG SYSTEM" . *TR

MY VEHICLE HAS A P0087 CODE WHICH MEANS LOW FUEL RAIL PRESSURE. I SPOKE TO MINI REP AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. MY RESEARCHING HAS SHOWN ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE PAST AND THEY WERE REPLACING THESE PUMPS UNTIL 2009 MINI AND BMW. WHY DID THEY STOP AT 2009 WHEN THERE HASN'T BEEN NO CHANGE TO THIS PUMP. BUT YET THEY KEEP FAILING AT DIFFERENT MILEAGE INTERVALS. 30,000 , MINE AT 65,000 REALLY I'VE OWN DOZENS OF CAR AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A FUEL PUMP. THERES DEFINITELY A PROBLEM HERE AND RIGHT NOW MINE IS INTERMITTENTLY, I WOULD HATE FOR SOMEONE TO GET HURT WHEN THEY STEP ON IT AND IT FAILS AT THE WRONG TIME, DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET HURT BEFORE IT BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE. PREVENTION SHOULD COME FIRST THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NEARLY RAN OUT OF GASOLINE BECAUSE THE GAS GAUGE IS NOT ACCURATE. AT AN INDICATED 1/2 FULL, THE CAR IS DOWN OVER 9 GALLONS AND THE TANK HOLD ABOUT 12.5 GALLONS. USING THE GAS GAUGE THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL HOW MUCH FUEL REMAINS IN THE TANK. *TR

THE PASSENGER'S SEAT MAT AIRBAG SENSOR HAS FAILED IN MY CAR AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINS LIT AT ALL TIMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW, THE FIRST TIME AT 28801 MILES AND NOW AGAIN AT 52300 MILES. I PAID $1200 FOR A FULL SEAT BOTTOM REPLACEMENT AT THE MINI DEALERSHIP TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND NOW, 3 YEARS LATER, THE NEW SEAT HAS FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER. BMW HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE FOR THEIR CARS FROM THE SAME YEAR WHICH USE THE SAME MALFUNCTIONING PARTS AND MINI NEEDS TO DO THE SAME FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE AND RECURRING KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR. I HAVE HAD 2 DIFFERENT MINI DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN COUNTLESS 2005 AND 2006 MODEL YEAR MINIS, YET THERE IS NO OFFER TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE DESPITE THE FACT THAT I ALREADY HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET ONCE. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR INSTALLATION OF THE HEAT SHIELD FOR TURBO FEED LINE. THIS IS A RECALL AND NEWLY INSTALLED PART TO PROTECT THE TURBO FEED LINE DUE TO OVERHEATING. ONCE IT WAS INSTALLED I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TURBO LINE IS FAILING AND THE DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE ME $1500 TO REPAIR THE LEAKING LINE. THE FAILURE OF THE LINE IS OBVIOUSLY DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT AROUND THIS LINE... THE SAME REASON THEY ARE INSTALLING A HEAT SHIELD. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND THE ITEM SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MALFUNCTIONED AND THE GAUGES DISPLAYED INACCURATE READINGS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CIRCUIT BOARD CONNECTION MALFUNCTIONED, BUT IT DID NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000...UPDATED 11/03/14 *BF UPDATED 4/28/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT (TYPICALLY ONLY ON WHEN SOMEONE UNDER-WEIGHT IE. CAR SEAT IS PRESENT) REMAINS ON REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE SEAT OR NOT. *TR