MINI Complaints

AN ELECTRONIC BOARD IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT MALFUNCTIONS CAUSING THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG TO BECOME DISABLED. APPARENTLY, FROM ALL OF THE COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET AND YOUR SITE, THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN IN THAT THE ELECTRONIC BOARD HAS A FLAWED COMPONENTS. A REPLACEMENT BOARD FROM MINI WILL ALSO FAIL WITHIN TIME BECAUSE NO MODIFICATIONS OR IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THIS BOARD. I HAVE REVIEWED THE COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA AND YET YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS FAILED TO REQUIRE A RECALL. *TR

MY FATHER PURCHASED A 2010 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN S IN LATE 2009. HE HAS MAINTAINED PROPER MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR SINCE DAY ONE. IN FEBRUARY 2014 HE GAVE THE CAR TO ME. THE CAR ONLY HAS 57,000 MILES ON IT AND WE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND WE TOOK IT TO MINI OF LOUISVILLE. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR OVER 1 MONTH TO REPLACE THE VALVE BODY BECAUSE THE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER. WE WERE ADVISED THAT IF WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IT COULD CAUSE THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL EVEN WHILE DRIVING. IF IT IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER, AND FOR OVER 30 DAYS, I WONDER HOW MANY OTHER MINI'S ARE HAVING THE SAME REPAIRS. THE TOTAL COST FOR THE REPAIRS WERE JUST UNDER $2800. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60K MILES ON IT AND WAS JUST SLIGHTLY OVER THE WARRANTY, WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED AT NO CHARGE. BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL SLIPPING AND IS WORSE THAN IT WAS BEFORE THE REPAIRS AND WE HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR BACK FOR 3 DAYS. I HAVE READ MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THE 2010 MINI. I ALSO SAW THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST BMW FOR THE 2002-2008 MINI COOPER FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *TR

IN NOVEMBER THE DEALER INFORMED ME MY OIL FEED LINES TO THE TURBO WERE LEAKING AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THE COUPLINGS THAT ATTACHES THESE LINES TO THE TURBO ARE DEFECTIVE. ON THE INTERNET THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOT A RECALL AND WILL COST APPROX: $1200.00. THE DEALER ALSO SAID THE NEW COUPLINGS ARE MANUFACTURED BY A NEW COMPANY AND THE DEFECT HAS BEEN FIXED. WITH SO MANY EFFECTIVE SHOULDN'T MINI BE FIXING THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE 2008 MINI COOPER S STARTED MAKING THE INFAMOUS "DEATH RATTLE" NOISE. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO SPECIALIZES IN IMPORTS. HE CHANGED THE OIL, WHICH WASN'T DUE FOR ANOTHER 2,000 MILES, AND HE CHANGED THE OIL FILTER. THE NOISE CONTINUED SO HE ADDED OIL STABILIZER TO ENSURE THAT OIL WAS BEING FILTERED. THE NOISE STILL PERSISTS AT START-UP, AND GOES AWAY AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP FOR A COUPLE MINUTES. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME I'D HAVE TO GET THE TIME CHANGING BELT REPLACED TO FIX THE "DEATH RATTLE," WHICH IS A COMMON THING IN MINI CARS. *TR

MY POWER STEERING JUST TOTALLY WENT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORNER AND I CAME WITHIN INCHES OF PLOWING THROUGH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL ON THIS SOON. POWERS STEERING WILL NOW COME ON INTERMITTENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE STARTED THE ENGINE AND BEFORE SHE COULD SHIFT INTO GEAR, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD TAPPING NOISE BEFORE IT STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000. UPDATED 10/18/16*LJ UPDATED 10/27/16.*JB

THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS VEHICLE IS KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE BY MINI USA. THE CAR IS UNDRIVABLE AND UNSAFE AS THE TRANSMISSION COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME, STRANDING THE DRIVER OR CAUSING A FIRE. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR HAS TRIGGERED THE RED AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH BOARD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. CURRENTLY I AM DRIVING A VEHICLE WITHOUT OPERATING AIRBAGS AS IT IS $1,000 FOR THE PART. IT WAS ALREADY REPLACED TWICE IN THE PAST UNDER WARRANTY. I READ THAT BMW JUST ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR FOR THEIR CARS BUT NOT THE MINI WHICH IS OWNED BY BMW. HOPEFULLY I AM NOT GOING TO FAST WHEN THE POWER STEERING MOTOR BURNS OUT... *TR

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 MINI COOPER POWER STEERING ITS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUIDS ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE AND SOMETIME I SMELL BURNING. *TR

MY 2006 MINI COOPER AIR BAG LIGHTS (PASSENGER SEAT LIGHT AS WELL AS DASH BOARD AIR BAG SYSTEM LIGHTS) ARE INTERMITTENTLY COMING ON AND STAYING ON WHEN I START MY MINI. THE DASHBOARD LIGHT APPARENTLY COMES ON WHEN A FAULT IS DETECTED IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, AND AS A RESULT THE SYSTEM IS DEACTIVATED. THIS IS VERY SERIOUS SINCE I'M NOW DRIVING IN A MINI COOPER WITH NO AIRBAG PROTECTION. THE SEAT LIGHT INDICATES THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS TURNED OFF DUE TO SOMEONE OF LIGHT WEIGHT SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THIS LIGHT IS NOW COMING ON WITH ANY AVERAGE ADULT OR NO ONE AT ALL SITTING IN THAT SEAT. I DECIDED TO CHECK THE INTERNET FOR THIS ISSUE AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. EVEN MORE SHOCKING WAS REPAIR COST FOR THIS ISSUE. DEALERS ARE CHARGING CUSTOMERS $1000 TO $2000 TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR WHICH APPEARS TO BE THE MOST COMMON CULPRIT. INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE SENSOR ITSELF, THE ENTIRE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. EVEN SAW SOME CUSTOMERS HAD THE SAME ISSUE REOCCUR 1 TO 2 YEARS AFTER THIS FIX. SPOKE TO MY LOCAL BMW/MINI DEALERSHIP WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT BMW HAD THE SAME ISSUE WHICH IS NOW UNDER RECALL, BUT MINI DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND FIXED ... SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED BECAUSE OF IT! I LOVE MINI BUT AM HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED WITH HOW THIS ISSUE IS BEING HANDLED. MY DAUGHTER WANTS TO BUY A MINI ... I WILL STRONGLY RECOMMEND SHE DOES NOT. *TR