MINI Complaints

I AM DEAF I DRIVE MY 2008 MINI CLUBMAN S MY MOTHER , BROTHER AND FRIEND HEARD MY ENGINE NOISE ENGINE ,I DON'T KNOW I CAN'T HEAR SO I OPEN OIL CAP I SAW BROWN PLASTIC PIECE I FOUND TIMING CHAIN GUIDE IS BAD, THAT IS SHORT LIFE THAT IS WRONG. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY CAR FAILED WHEN I WAS TRYING TO GO THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNING SIGNS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS GOING TO STOP WORKING. I WAS LEFT STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION BECAUSE OF THIS. I WAS NEARLY HIT SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF MY LOCATION. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE MINI DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOW PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT AND THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION. *TR

TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER, A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS... I WORKED MY A** OFF FOR A YEAR SAVING UP FOR ONE OF THESE CARS AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW THE TENSIONER GOES... MINI DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU OR THE CAR THEY SELL, ITS ALL ABOUT TAKING WHATS IN YOUR WALLET AND PUTTING IT IN THERES, DONT BUY ONE OF THESE CARS AND NOT EXPECT TO PAY FOR IT TWICE LITERALLY IN FIXING IT..

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY AND THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVEN SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE VACUUM PUMP CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,000.

2007 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE FIRE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. *SMD THE FIRE OCCURRED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND IS NOW BACK ON THE ROAD. *JB

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON! PASSENGER LIGHT TURNS OFF AND ON WITH PASSENGER IN SEAT. PASSENGER WARNING LIGHT GOES OFF WITH OUT PASSENGER IN SEAT. I LOOKED ON SEVERAL INTERNET FORMS AND THIS SEAMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT MINI HAS HAD FOR SOME TIME WITHOUT A RECALL. THE FIX FOR MOST PROBLEMS IS AN EXPENSIVE 1200.0 TO 1400.00 SEAT SENSOR . I FILL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN WHICH MINI SHOULD ADDRESS . *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S FAILED, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE CAR. A SERVICE SHOP INDICATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE MINI'S. MY IS OUT OF THE WARANTEE, HOWVERE IT ONLY HAS 45K MILES. WHEN I CALLED BMW/ MINI NORTH AMERICA TO DISCUSS A REMEDY BUT THEY TOLD ME THE VIN NUMBER FOR MY CAR WAS NOT ONE COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHILE MY CAR IS A 2005 WITH VERY LOW MILAGE THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WHATSOEVER TO HELP ME REPLACE THE PART AS MY CARS PRODUCTION DATE IS JUNE 2005, WHICH IS PAST THE PRODUCTION DATE FOR CARS GETTING THE EXTENDED WARANTEE ON P/S PUMPS. IT SEAMS UNSCROPLOUS TO HIDE FROM RESPONSABILITY OF FAULTY PARTS, ALSO POTENTIAL SAFTY ISSUE. WHILE MY CAR MAY BE PRODUCED A FEW MONHS AFTER THE PRODUCTION DATE FROM THE CARS THEY ARE WILLING TO WARANTEE, IT APPERARS I AM SUFFERING FROM SAME ISSUES AS THE OTHERES THEY ARE WARANTEEING. VERRY DISCURAGING BMW/MINI. *TR

EXITING THE HIGHWAY, THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2006 MINI COOPER STOPPED WORKING. I WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE CAR ON THE PAVEMENT. THE CAR LEFT THE ROADWAY, NARROWLY MISSING A HIGHWAY SIGN (WOODEN POST), AND STOPPED IN A GRASSY AREA OFF THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. MY WIFE AND I WERE SHAKEN BUT UNHURT. THE VEHICLE BODY DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE DAMAGED. HOWEVER, THERE IS NOW A LOUD RATTLE COMING FROM THE REAR OR UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING IS ALSO COMPLETELY GONE. THE CAR CAN BE DRIVEN BUT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO SO. *TR

I HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED MY SECOND TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE WITHIN A THREE YEAR PERIOD. COUNTLESS REPORTS ARE SURFACING AROUND THE GLOBE OF THE FAULTY DESIGN, AND THE MANUFACTURER (BMW) HAS ACKNOWLEDGED A DESIGN FLAW. THEY HAVE YET TO ISSUE A RECALL AS THE FEDERAL GOVT HAS NOT YET MANDATED THE REPAIR. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION (AND EXPENSIVE ~ $2K) SHOULD THE SYSTEM FAIL. THE ONLY NOTICE IS A RATTLING SOUND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT PRIOR TO FAILURE. BMW CLAIMS THE TENSIONER SHOULD BE GOOD FOR UPWARDS OF 120K MILES. MY VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50K AND THIS IS THE 2ND FAILURE I'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST 3 YEARS. CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF MINI COOPER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, A NATIONWIDE RECALL IS THE ONLY MEASURE TO ENSURE THIS PROBLEM IS ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, A LOUD POPPING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE BEFORE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.