MINI Complaints

AT ABOUT 42000 MILES, I STARTED TO NOTICE A RATTLE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS FIRST STARTED. THE RATTLE WAS MOST NOTICEABLE BETWEEN 2000 AND 3000 RPM. THIS RATTLE ALSO COINCIDED WITH THE WEATHER TURNING COLDER. THE RATTLE CONTINUED TO WORSEN OVER TIME, AN OIL LEAK DEVELOPED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT EVENTUALLY CAME ON. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET AND CALLING MY MINI DEALERSHIP, I DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER WAS MOST LIKELY AT FAULT. I ORDERED THE PART AND REPLACED IT MYSELF. DURING THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE TENSIONER, I FOUND THAT THE OLD TENSIONER WAS LOOSE IN ITS SOCKET. AFTER REPLACING THE PART, THE ENGINE RAN SMOOTHLY AND CONTINUES TO RUN SMOOTHLY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND A LITTLE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND POPPED THE HOOD TO FIND THE OIL FEED LINE TO THE TURBO HAD LEAKED OIL ALL OVER THE TURBO AND WAS BURNING OFF. I KNOW THE PROBLEM IS A FAULTY LINE THAT USES RUBBER WASHERS AND OVER TIME HEAT FROM THE TURBO CAUSES THEM TO FAIL. IN 2010 MINI PUT IN A HEAT SHIELD TO PROTECT THE LINE, ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED PROPERLY, TO MANY PRE 2010 COOPER S ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

RATTLE AND OIL LEAK. LOSS OF FULL ENGINE POWER WHEN RESTARTED. DEALER SAYS ITS A TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY ISSUE. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S FAILED, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE CAR SAFELY IN TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO A SERVICE SHOP AND LATER DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. I CALLED MINI, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE VIN NUMBER FOR MY CAR WAS NOT ONE COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS A MODEL YEAR 2005. THEY OFFERED NO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WHATSOEVER TO HELP ME REPLACE THE PART. A NEW PART WAS QUOTED AS 1300 DOLLARS, AND THAT WAS ASIDE FROM THE LABOR. FOR COST REASONS, IT LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO INSTALL A REFURBISHED PART INSTEAD, WHICH GIVES ME CONCERNS ABOUT FUTURE FAILURES. *TR

PREMATURE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE MAY LEAD TO LOSS IN POWER, FURTHERING THE POTENTIAL FOR A WRECK. ENGINE ENTERS "LIMP HOME" MODE, WHICH REDUCES POWER CONSIDERABLY AND MAKES ACCELERATION MUCH SLOWER THAN NORMAL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, SEVERAL OBD-II DIAGNOSTICS CODES APPEAR. *TR

I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP AFTER I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. FROM ONLINE DESCRIPTIONS, I SUSPECTED IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER. I CONTACTED MINI CORPORATION AND OPENED A REPORT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT A WEEK LATER AND I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER NEEDED REPLACED. IT WAS A $3500 FIX. THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED MINI TO SEE IF THEY WOULD COVER THE REPAIR AND THEY REFUSED SAYING THE VEHICLE HAD TOO MANY MILES. THEY CHANGED THE OIL AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER MY SON WAS AT A RED LIGHT, STOPPED AND THE CARS STALLED. WE HAD IT FLAT-BEDDED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SNAPPED AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5700. I JUST SAW WHERE MINI ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AND I CONTACTED THEM BUT THEY HAVE NOT REPLIED. *TR

CAME HOME ON TUESDAY NIGHT FROM MY GIRLFRIENDS HOUSE THEN IN THE MORNING MY BATTERY WAS DEAD. AS CONFUSED AS I WAS SINCE I KNEW I DIDNT LEAAVE ANY LIGHTS OR ANYTHING ON WENT AHEAD AND DECIDED TO JUMP THE CAR AND AS SOON AS I CONNECTED THE CABLES I HEARD A NOISE ALMOST LIKE A FAN NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE CAR. I THEN PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE HOOD AND SEE OR TRY AND HEAR WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM. DECIDED TO LIFT THE CAR UP AND GET UNDERNEATH TO SEE WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS FROM INSIDE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. CHECKED FLUIDS AND WAS OK BUT FOR SOME ODD REASON THE PUMP JUST STAYS ON WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF SO TO PREVENT BATTERY DRAINAGE I HAVE TO DISCONNECT A BATTERY TERMINAL EVERY TIME I NEED TO USE THE CAR. IM REQUESTING THAT MINIUSA TAKE CARE OF THIS BEING THAT THERE IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES AND TENSIONER IN THE MINI COOPER ARE MADE FROM PLASTIC. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN CREATED BY MINI USA TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, BUT NO RECALL. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME, MAKING A TURN ACROSS A BUSY INTERSECTION, MY TENSIONER BROKE, WHICH CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO DIE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAD TO GET OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND PUSH IT ACROSS THE INTERSECTION WHILE CARS WERE DRIVING BY. ALTHOUGH IT IS COMMON FOR VEHICLE ENGINES TO DIE OF DIFFERENT ISSUES, THIS IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED AND ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM FOR MINI COOPERS, BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH OF A PUBLIC OUTCRY FOR A RECALL. THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS, AS IT CAN CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE WHICH CAN RESULT IN A COLLISION. THE REMEDY IS A REPLACEMENT OF A MANUFACTURER-ACKNOWLEDGED FAULTY PART. *TR

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN 1.2 MILES FOR FIRST RUN OF THE DAY. TEMP WAS 48 F. CAR WAS IN DRIVE AT STOPLIGHT WHEN ENGINE ACCELERATED BEYOND MAX RPM. CAR LUNGED FORWARD INTO INTERSECTION AND A LOT OF EFFORT HAD TO BE APPLIED TO BRAKE TO KEED CAR FROM GOING ANY FURTHER. DRIVER GRABBED GEAR SHIFTER AND SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND HAVING SLIPPED INTO REVERSE. ENGINE RPM THEN SUBSIDED AND VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN 14 MILES WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENCE. *TR

TURBO OIL COOLING LINES LEAKING ENGINE OIL ON TO HOT TURBOCHARGER. THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD. MANY MINI COOPER S MODELS ARE HAVING THIS FAILURE. *TR