MINI Complaints

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT ABOUT 35 MPH STEERING THROUGH A CURVE WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. IT REQUIRED MAJOR EFFORT TO KEEP THE CAR TURNING THROUGH THE CURVE TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS SEEMS TO BE COMMON OCCURRENCE ON FIRST GENERATION MINI COOPERS AND COULD EASILY RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IF MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO TYPICALLY DRIVES THE CAR HAD BEEN AT THE WHEEL AT THE TIME THIS COULD HAVE HAD CATASTROPHIC RESULTS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE STEERING OF THE CAR. A CAR SHOULDN'T BE AT RISK OF HAVING MAJOR COMPONENT FAILURES WITH ONLY 50,000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT WAS OCCUPIED WHEN THE AIR BAG DEACTIVATED WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER REPLACED THE SEAT MAT SENSOR BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT REMEDY THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, WHICH CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE SEAT MAT SENSOR. THE DEALER DID NOT REPLACE THE SEAT MAT SENSOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

I HAVE A 2006 MINI COOPER CONV S, APROX 53,000 MILES, HAS A CVT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, AT THIS TIME SHIFTING IN 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD GEARS HAS BEEN ERRATIC, WITH VERY JERKY SHIFTING AND SPEED. *TR

THE BMW MINI COOPER 2006 HAS THE SAME SAFETY PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN THE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : EA08001, NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER : 08V384000 BUT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE VEHICLE RECALL LIST. THERE ARE MANY MANY OWNERS HAVING TO PAY $1000 - $2000 FOR REPAIRS CONCERNING DEFECTS TO THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG OCCUPANT DETECTION MAT. THE BROKEN CIRCUIT CAN LEAD TO THE DEACTIVATION OF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG AND THE ILLUMINATION OF BOTH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND THE PASSENGER AIR LIGHT. THE REPAIR OF THE DETECTION MAT FORCES THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. MY VEHICLE IS NOW ONE OF THE INCREASINGLY LARGE NUMBER OF MINI COOPERS WITH THE FAILED SAFETY SYSTEM. MANY STATES HAVE YEARLY SAFETY INSPECTIONS AND THE AIRBAG SAFETY SITUATION NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE THE INSPECTION PASSES. THE MINI COOPER "R" SERIES VEHICLES NEED TO BE ADDED INTO THE EA08-001 NHTSA RECALL 08V384000. *TR

ENGINE NOISE DUE TO TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER DEFECT. IF THE CHAIN OR TENSIONER FAIL COMPLETELY THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL IN MOVING TRAFFIC OR CREATE A ROADSIDE HAZARD. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED I OR MY HUSBAND HAVE LOST POWER STEERING IN OUR 2005 MINI COOPER S. THIS ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER STEER PUMP & FAN HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING PROBLEM IN THESE MINIS. (THIS HAS BEEN A COMPLETE RECALL IN CANADA.) THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING MAKES THE VEHICLE VERY UNSAFE AS IT IS A SUDDEN ONSET. IT IS PROBLEMATIC AT SLOW OR FAST SPEEDS. I CAN BARELY STEER THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS OCCURS. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IN/OUT OF OUR GARAGE OR IN/OUT OF PARKING SPACES. I HAVE HAD TO FIND PARKING IN STRATEGIC AREAS MOST OFTEN WHERE I COULD PULL STRAIGHT IN A SPOT AND PULL STRAIGHT OUT. IT IS ALSO SCARY ON RAMPS OR INTERSTATE AS INSTEAD OF HAVING A RESPONSIVE SPORTY CAR IT FEELS LIKE YOU ARE DRIVING A TANK THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES IN LAST 10-12 MONTHS. IT HAS BECOME MORE FREQUENT IN LAST FEW MONTHS. WE RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR "WARRANTY EXTENSION/ REPAIR REIMBURSEMENT" AND CALLED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BUT WERE TOLD MINI HAD BEEN UNABLE TO GET THE PARTS. WE CALLED AND THEY NOW SAY THEY HAVE THE PARTS SO WE DROVE NEARLY 1 HOUR TO DEALERSHIP AND NOW THEY WILL NOT REPAIR IT BECAUSE THE PART HAS NOT FAILED. THEY STATE THEY DROVE IT AND THERE HAS BEEN NO FAILURE. I WOULD GUESS IT HAS STOPPED WORKING WHILE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT ABOUT AVERAGE 1X/WEEK BUT MORE FREQUENT AS TIME PROGRESSES. THE FAILURE MAY END UP BEING ME... IN A CASKET! *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED (CVT). VEHICLE HAS LOW MILES AND COST TO REPAIR IS OVER $8,000. *TR

LAST DECEMBER MY STEERING WENT OUT ON MY CAR. I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND THAT A POSSIBLE CLASS ACTION SUIT WAS IN THE PROCESS. I CALLED MINI NORTH AMERICA TO DISCUSS MY FINDINGS AND TO SEE IF A RECALL WAS IN THE WORKS. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT STATED SHE WASN'T AWARE OF ANY. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY DEALER AND HAD TO HAVE 4,000 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. WATER PUMP, SUPER CHARGER AND SEVERAL BEARINGS. I THEN GET A LETTER IN EARLY JUNE OF 2013 STATING THAT A RECALL WAS IN THE WORKS AND TO SEND ALL MY INFORMATION IN FOR POSSIBLE REIMBURSEMENT. I WAS TOLD THAT I QUALIFY AND THAT A CHECK WAS GOING TO BE CUT AND SENT OUT BY THE END OF JUNE OR EARLY AUGUST. WHEN THE CHECK DIDN'T ARRIVE, I CONTINUED TO CALL MINI NORTH AMERICA AND I KEEP GETTING THE RUN AROUND. I WAS TOLD IT WAS GOING TO BE LATE SEPTEMBER OR EARLY OCTOBER. I JUST CALLED AGAIN TODAY AND NOW I'M TOLD IT WILL BE CUT BEFORE THE NEW YEAR. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE PUT SOMEONE'S HAND ON THE FIRE AND GET THIS RESOLVED? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR INDICATORS, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I WAS STUCK IN A DANGEROUS PLACE, WITH HIGH-SPEED TRAFFIC FOR SOMETIME. THE DEALER WHO AS MY CAR SAYS: "THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS THE LOCKING UP OF THE VACUUM PUMP. CONSEQUENTLY THIS CAUSED THE BOLT ON THE EXHAUST CAM SHAFT SPROCKET TO SHEER OFF CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF TIME. THE PISTONS THEREFORE MADE CONTACT WITH BOTH INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES, VERIFIED WITH BOROSCOPE INSPECTION, THUS BENDING THE VALVES AND CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE ENGINE. $6850.00 MINUS DISCOUNT TO REPLACE ENGINE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE HAD A LOT ISSUES WITH VARIOUS MINI ENGINE PARTS DETERIORATING, DESPITE FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDED REGULAR MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES ' CLUTCH, FLY-WHEEL, THERMOSTAT, INTAKE SILENCER, SPARK PLUGS, TIMING CHAIN TWICE, WATERPUMP, RADIO HEAD UNIT, DRIVE BELT, HI-LO HORN, BOOT LATCH, BOOT CABLE, TO NAME A FEW. HOPEFULLY MINI WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE ISSUES. *TR

MY CAR OVERHEATED AFTER DRIVING ONLY 15 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY. THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON (RED- STOP LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN) THEN WENT OFF THEN CAME BACK ON (ORANGE- CONTINUE ON YOUR JOURNEY; LET ENGINE COOL DOWN SOON). BY THE TIME I LOCATED THE SYMBOL TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS I WAS AT MY EXIT. THE CAR SPUTTERED AND STALLED ON THE OFF RAMP AND I COULD SEE BLACK SMOKE AND SMELL BURNING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PUSHED THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED FOR HELP. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO OIL OR WATER IN THE CAR AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I JUST HAD IT SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP 28 DAYS BEFORE THIS HAPPENED AS I HAD AN INCIDENT WITH MY KEY FOB NOT RELEASING AND WAS CONCERNED THIS MIGHT BE AN INDICATION OF A BIGGER PROBLEM. THE FOB FINALLY RELEASED AFTER 40 MINUTES OF SITTING IN A PARKING LOT! THEY PERFORMED A COMPLETE INSPECTION AND CHANGED THE OIL, AIR FILERS, BRAKE FLUID AND GAVE THE CAR A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FOR $400 AND 28 DAYS LATER I HAVE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND THEY QUOTED ME $9000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE! I SAW SEVERAL POSTS OF SIMILAR ISSUES ON MINI BLOG SITES AND FELT COMPELLED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I HAVE A BASE MODEL AND NOT AN "S" WHICH WAS PART OF A MINI RECALL FOR ELECTRICAL/WATER PUMP ISSUES. IF THERE IS A CONSISTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHERE THE THERMOSTAT FAILS OR WATER PUMP FAILS ON THE BASE MODEL THEN MINI SHOULD ADDRESS IT. *TR