MINI Complaints

THERMOSTAT FAILURE, AS DIAGNOSED BY DEALER. CAR UNDRIVEABLE. WORLD WIDE BAC KORDER ON THE PART FOR 2007-2010 MINI COOPERS. NO KNOWN DATE OF WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE (OR IF) AND THE DEALER IN BEDFORD NH, STATED OVER 17,000 OF THESE PARTS ARE ON BACKORDER. A FAILED THERMOSTAT CAN LEAD TO STRANDED MOTORISTS, ENGINE OVERHEATING AND EXTENSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE. THIS PART IS NOTORIOUS FOR PREMATURE FAILURE. SHOULD THIS NOT BE A RECALLABLE ISSUE? *JB

THERMOSTAT HOUSING DEVELOPED A LEAK RESULTING IN LOSS OF COOLANT, ENGINE OVERHEATED AND WARPED THE HEAD AND BENT VALVES. *JB

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. ONCE IT CAME BACK ON IT DOESN'T SHUT OFF RUNNING THE BATTERY DEAD. *JB

MINI COOPER CALLED FOR RECALL LATELY TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT AND THERMOSTAT HOUSING ON ALL MINICOOPER S TYPE MANUFACTURED ON THE YEAR 2007-2008. THEY USED EXACTLY THE SAME THERMOSTAT AND THERMOSTAT HOUSING IN ALL MINI COOPER NON- S TYPE AS WELL. I HAVE A MINI COOPER MANUFACTURED IN DEC. 2007 AND IT WAS RELEASED ON 2008. RIGHT NOW, IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT I NEED NEW THERMOSTAT AND THERMOSTAT HOUSING IN MY MINI COOPER BUT THE MINI COOPER DEALER SAID THAT IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS A NON-S TYPE ONE THAT WAS ALSO MANUFACTURED IN THE YEAR 2007-2008. THOSE NON-S TYPE MINI COOPERS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL AS WELL. THEY USED COMPLETELY THE SAME PARTS WITH THE S-TYPE ONE. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP TO THE MINI COOPER RECALL DEPARTMENT ASAP. THEY SHOULD NOT GET AWAY WITH IT. THEY SHOULD RECALL THE NON-S TYPE AS WELL FOR THE YEAR 2007-2008. PLEASE HELP ME TO GET THIS CASE IN THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP! HAPPY LABOR DAY! *JS

UPON ACCELERATION WHEN THE TURBO CHARGER ENGAGES THERE IS A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL WHICH CHANGES TONE DEPENDING UPON THE ACCELERATION. AFTERWARDS SMOKES STARTS LEAKING FROM THE HOOD SCOOP AND SIDES OF THE HOOD ITSELF. IT SMELLS OF BURNED OIL. I NOTICED OIL POOLING AT A CONNECTION POINT NEAR THE TURBO CHARGER UNIT. IN MID-AUGUST THE CAR FAILED IT'S EMISSIONS TEST DUE TO A CRACKED VALVE COVER. I HAD THE MINI DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE VALVE COVER WHICH WAS ENOUGH TO PASS INSPECTION. HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD AN OIL LEAK IN A LINE TO THE TURBO CHARGER THAT COULD START A FIRE AND TO WATCH MY OIL LEVEL CLOSELY. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS (AFTER NEARLY $900 ON THE VALVE COVER) IS SIMPLY BEYOND MY MEANS PRESENTLY. SINCE LEARNING ABOUT THE POSSIBLE DANGERS THE CAR IS NO LONGER PARKED IN THE GARAGE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, HE NOTICED A WHINING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

WITH JUST OVER 16000 MILES ON MY 2011 MINI COOPER S COUNTRYMAN, MY CLUTCH IS BURNED OUT! HAVING IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST MINI DEALERSHIP AT 70 MILES AWAY, THEY ARE SAYING THE FAILURE IS DUE TO ABUSE AND IS NOT COVERED BY MINI USA WARRANTEE. I HAVE BEEN DRIVER FOR OVER 40 YEARS WITH MOST OF MY CARS BEING MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, THE CLUTCH SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE 2011 & 2012 COUNTRYMAN MODELS AND NOW HAVE SAID...'AS PART OF THE CONTINUAL REFINEMENT AND OPTIMIZATION OF MINI VEHICLES' THEY WERE MODIFYING THE CLUTCH ON THEIR 2013 MODELS! I AM STILL IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH MINI USA ON WHO WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIRS ON WHAT I SEE AS DEFECTIVE PARTS THAT SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON THEM.

THIS VEHICLE HAS TWICE HAD A FAILURE OF THE TIMING CHAIN AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY TENSIONER, RESULTING IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED FROM A DEAD STOP IN A PARKING LOT SO THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE SAFETY ISSUE. THE SECOND INCIDENT, OCCURRING 12/03/2012, MANIFESTED AS THE VEHICLE WAS DE-ACCELERATING COMING OFF A HIGHWAY EXIT WITH A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE EXIT, IN A REMOTE AREA. MINI COOPER SENT THEIR TECHNICIANS IN 2007 A "SERVICE BULLETIN," SHORT OF A RECALL, WHEN THE TREND WAS DISCOVERED AMONG ITS "R56' MODEL ENGINES IN 2008. I HAD WARNED MINI OF SOUNDS WHICH LATER WERE DETERMINED BY INDEPENDENT EXPERTS TO BE THE TIMING CHAIN'S "DEATH RATTLE" PRIOR TO THE FIRST FAILURE, WHICH THEY ATTRIBUTED TO THE CAR'S "GO-KART LIKE START UP." AFTER 6 MONTHS OF STRUGGLING, MINI AGREED TO 80% OF THE REPAIR COSTS, WITH A NEW TIMING CHAIN UNDER A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. OTHER FAILURES SIDELINED THE VEHICLE FOR MONTHS IN THE INTERVENING TIME, AND DUE TO THE INCREDIBLE COST OF REPAIR THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE GARAGED UNTIL REPAIRED. SO ALTHOUGH OVER A YEAR PASSED BETWEEN TIMING CHAIN FAILURES, ABOUT ONLY ABOUT 39K MILES WERE DRIVEN IN THAT TIME. AS OF NOW, MINI IS ONLY OFFERING 50% CULPABILITY, THIS AFTER STARTING A VOCAL TWITTER CAMPAIGN. I STILL OWE $10K ON A VEHICLE THAT REQUIRES UP TO $5K IN REPAIRS- A REPAIR WHICH WILL ONLY REPLACE A DEFECTIVE PART WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART. *TT

AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT IS ON, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MINIS AND CERTAIN BMWS. MINI HAS VOLUNTARILY REPAIRED THE DEFECT IN SOME VEHICLES BUT IS REFUSING TO REPAIR OTHERS. MINI TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER, PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY'D THINK ABOUT A REPAIR. I HAVE NO FAITH IN THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE A REPAIR SINCE ETHER HAVE REFUSED THE REPAIR REPEATEDLY TO OTHER CONSUMERS. THIS IS A COMMON SAFETY ISSUE, AND APPEARS TO CLEARLY BE A DEFECT RATHER THAN AN EXPECTED WEARING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. *TT

RE: 2009 MINI COOPER AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT ON JUNE 19TH, 2013, AT @ 54,200 MILES, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE TACHOMETER GAUGE AND CENTER SPEEDOMETER GAUGE AND AN OVERHEAD LIGHT WARNED THAT "PASSENGER AIRBAG IS OFF". ON AUGUST 26, 2013, AT 61,396 MILES, THE MORRISTOWN, NJ MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $140 FOR THE DIAGNOSES OF THIS ISSUE. INDICATED ON RECEIPT THAT "MRS MODULE HAS AN INTERNAL FAULT..... FAULT CODE 93D7 INTERNAL CONTROL UNIT FAULT.... AIR BAG CONTROL UNIT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AND PROGRAMMED.... PARTS AND LABOR COSTS $1100." SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT PART WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND THAT EARLIER MODEL YEARS HAVE HAD CORRECTIVE ACTIONS PROVIDED AT NO EXPENSE TO THE CONSUMER. NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO THE 2009 MODEL YEAR. *TR