MINI Complaints

MY POWER STEERING PUMP IS FAILING. VERY LOUD AND WHINY. READY TO FAIL AT ANY SECOND. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING. THE POWER STEERING RETURNED AFTER PARKING THE CAR AND STARTING ON THE NEXT TRIP. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED SEVERAL MORE TIMES. IT COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAPPENS AT THE WRONG TIME. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING A 35MPH. STOPPED AND RESTARTED VEHICLE NO CHANGE, AN HOUR LATER PUMP WORKED AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

THE VERY WELL KNOWN "TIMING CHAIN FAILURE". THE EVENT STARTED WITH RATTLING NOISE IN THE ENGINE BAY ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, THEN THE BIG MESSY OIL LEAKED AND THE ENGINE WAS DRYING UP AND CHOKED (MADE A VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION).LUCKILY, I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY!! BMW DENIED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR COST OF THIS FAULT DESIGN/ENGINEERING. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR ILLUMINATES AT ALL TIMES INDICATING NO PASSENGER EVEN WHEN PASSENGER IS PRESENT, THEREBY PREVENTING THE AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT IS EXTREMELY WIDESPREAD AND FOUND ON COUNTLESS BLOGS ON THE INTERNET. AT THIS POINT, PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY DISABLING THE SYSTEM THROUGH A DEVICE FOUND ONLINE JUST TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF - MEANWHILE PUTTING THEIR PASSENGERS AT RISK. BMW (MANUFACTURER OF MINI) HAS RECALLED THE SAME ITEM ON NUMEROUS BMW'S AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THOSE PARTS DUE TO THE INHERENT SAFETY CONCERNS. HOW THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED YET OR LOOKED PAST FOR THE MINI IS COMPLETELY BAFFLING. SOMEBODY APPEARS TO NOT BE DOING THEIR JOB! SO ALONG WITH THE OTHER MULTIPLE POSTS ON THIS PARTICULAR SITE, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD MINE AND REQUEST PLEASE THAT SOMEBODY LOOK INTO THIS SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS REPEATEDLY COSTING MINI CUSTOMERS LARGE SUMS OF MONEY OR THEIR SAFETY. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. THANK YOU. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 MINI COOPER WITH 16,000 MILES IN DECEMBER 2011 THROUGH A DEALERSHIP. IN THE SPRING OF 2012 THE CAR SAT IN MY DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING BOTH WINDOWS WERE COMPLETELY DOWN. IT HAD RAINED 5 INCHES DURING THE NIGHT AND THE PIE WAS AN AQUARIUM. I HAD JUST HAD AN OIL CHANGE AT A MINI DEALERSHIP SO I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THEM. THE DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WATER DAMAGE. THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AND PAID FOR THROUGH A CLAIM ON MY INSURANCE POLICY. I TOLD MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO NOT PAY THE CLAIM BECAUSE THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION OF THE CAR. AFTER THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED THE WINDOWS AGAIN LOWERED ON THEIR OWN ACCORD BUT THIS TIME THEY ONLY WENT DOWN HALF WAY. THE DEALER THEN SAID THEY REINITIALIZED THE COMPUTER. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS RANDOMLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN HOUSTON, MERGING ONTO THE FREEWAYS, WHILE DRIVING IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MINI DEALER IN HOUSTON AND THEY KEPT THE CAR BUT CLAIMED IT NEVER STALLED WHEN THEY DROVE IT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO STALL RANDOMLY. EACH TIME THE CAR STALLED I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND AFTER NUMEROUS TIMES OF BEING TOLD THERE WERE NO CODES SHOWN BY READING THE FOB I QUIT TAKING THE CAR TO THEM. THE CAR CONTINUED TO RANDOMLY STALL. IN MARCH 2014 THE CAR STALLED IN 4:00PM TRAFFIC WHILE I TOPPED AN OVERPASS ON A FRIDAY. AFTER A WRECKER TOWED THE CAR TO A MECHANIC THE DIAGNOSIS IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A SECOND OPINION AND HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET. THIS MINI COOPER TRULY HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS AND IS A HAZARD TO BE ON THE ROAD. I NO LONGER DRIVE THE MINI, WILL NEVER DRIVE ANOTHER MINI AND I NO LONGER HAVE TO SAY A PRAYER BEFORE I GET IN MY CAR. I HOPE THE NHTSA CAN PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE WITH THIS SITUATION . *TR

REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING PUMP PER RECALL, BUT UNABLE TO STEER WITHOUT REPLACEMENT OF U JOINT ALSO. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, PARTS OF THE ENGINE SOUND AS IF THEY WERE LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 60,000. UPDATED 06/10/14*LJ

AS I WAS DRIVING THE CAR, THE HOOD IN THE FRONT STARTED TO RELEASE SMOKE. THERE WAS ALSO A SMOKING SMELL. THIS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE RIDE. BROUGHT THE CAR TO A MECHANIC WHO INDICATES THAT THE CAR IS LEAKING OIL ONTO THE ENGINE, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS IT CAN CAUSE A FIRE. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES TO EXIST AFTER I REPLACE THE OIL PIPE. *TT