MINI Complaints

PLAYING GOLF, CAR IS IN PARKING LOT. ENGINE CATCHES FIRE, DESTROYED FRONT HALF OF CAR, ENGINE FELL ON PAVEMENT . *TR

I HAVE BEEN A MINI COOPER OWNER SINCE 2007 AND LOVED MY MINI. IT WAS A 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC AND EVEN THOUGH IT HAD APPROX. 127K MILES, IT DROVE GREAT AND I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT IN THE SIX YEARS I OWNED IT. IN JULY 2013, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT 65MPH AND HEARD A VERY FAINT PERCOLATING SOUND COMING FROM INSIDE THE DASH. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS SO I KEPT DRIVING BECAUSE I WAS IN A DESERTED AREA AT NIGHT. APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES LATER, I SAW A FLAME OUTSIDE MY RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND SAW THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM BEHIND THE PASSENGER TIRE OF THE VEHICLE AND FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I CALLED 911 BUT WITHIN MINUTES, THE ENTIRE HOOD AND FRONT SEATS OF THE CAR WERE IN FLAMES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, THE CAR WAS A COMPLETELY ENGULFED BY THE FIRE. NOTHING FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE COULD BE RECOVERED. OTHER THAN THE FAINT PERCOLATING SOUND AND A SLIGHT ODOR IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I SAW THE FLAMES, THERE WAS NO WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RULED THE FIRE AN UNDETERMINED MECHANICAL CAUSE AND SAID IT STARTED ON THE RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR

THE FIRST OF MULTIPLE STEERING FAILURES OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT, THANKFULLY. NONE HAS YET TO HAPPEN ON INTERSTATE OR AT A DEADLY RATE OF SPEED, WHICH THAT WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE VERY FAST IF A CHILD RIDING ON THEIR BIKE UNEXPECTEDLY DARTED IN FRONT OF YOU. IF THE STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AT THAT MOMENT IT WOULD BE OVER FOR THE KID. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A KNOWN, POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS, ISSUED GOES UNADDRESSED. I'M BEWILDERED. *TR

RE: EHPS EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE I RECEIVED A LETTER FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR A POWER-ASSIST STEERING ISSUE WHICH I HAD ALREADY REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE. WHEN I CALLED TO INQUIRE, WAS TOLD CLAIMS FOR REIMBURSEMENT WOULD BE PROCESSED IN 6-8 WEEKS. I SUBMITTED MY CLAIM JUNE 12, 2013. YESTERDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013, I CALLED TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE STATUS OF MY CLAIM AND WAS TOLD THAT, DUE TO "OVERWHELMING" RESPONSE, CLAIMS FOR REIMBURSEMENT WERE TAKING MUCH LONGER AND THAT MY CLAIM HAD NO STATUS (MEANING NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE WITH IT). AT MINI'S RECOMMENDATION, I RESUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT BY EMAIL TODAY. I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO BE AWARE OF THE DELAYED PROCESSING AS I AM SURELY NOT THE ONLY PERSON AFFECTED. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I HAD JUST PARKED IN OUR GARAGE AND GOT OUT TO GET ITEMS OUT OF THE TRUNK OF THE CAR. MY LEG TOUCHED THE TAIL PIPE OF THE CAR AND THERE WAS IN INSTANT BURN TO THE CALF OF MY LEG. IT ONLY TOOK ONE SECOND. IT WAS THE SIZE OF A QUARTER AND SKIN WAS BURNED OFF INSTANTLY. IT IS QUITE PAINFUL. I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE INJURY AND I ALSO TOOK A PICTURE OF THE TAIL PIPE TO SHOW THAT IT STICKS OUT BEYOND THE BUMPER. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A POOR DESIGN IN REGARDS TO SAFETY. *TR

THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE STOPPED WORKING. IT IS AN AUTOMATIC WINDOW WITH A ONE-TOUCH FEATURE. AT FIRST, THE ONE-TOUCH FEATURE STOPPED WORKING. THEN NOTHING WORKED TO GET THE WINDOW TO GO UP OR DOWN. UPON PRESSING THE BUTTON THAT CONTROLS THIS WINDOW, THE WINDOW DID NOTHING AND A FAINT CLICKING SOUND COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S DOOR/FOOTWELL AREA. I TOOK THIS CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY KEPT IT FOR 3 BUSINESS DAYS. THE WINDOW WORKED WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR AND CONTINUED TO WORK FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF. THEN THE WINDOW STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP ON JULY 16, 2013. THE DEALERSHIP STILL HAS MY CAR, AND THE WINDOW HAS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED. *TR

DESPITE PERFORMING REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND COMPLAINING ABOUT OUR TIMING CHAIN MAKING A NOISE FROM THE FIRST MONTH, MINI NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM ALWAYS INSISTING THAT THE NOISE WAS NORMAL OR THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. EVENTUALLY OUR TIMING CHAIN JUMPED THE RAILS AND DESTROYED OUR ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE AND MINI USA DECLINED TO FIX THE ISSUE. ONLY ONCE DID THEY TRY TO FIX IT BY REPLACING THE TENSIONER. THE PART THEY USED WAS AN OLDER DISCONTINUED PART. THIS DID NOT SOLVE THE ISSUE AND SO THE TIMING CHAIN CONTINUED TO RATTLE AND THEN DESTROYED THE ENGINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SHIFT LINKAGE HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 02V201000 (POWER TRAIN). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 34,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WE HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING AND FAN GO OUT ABOUT 3 TIMES ON THIS CAR. WE HAVE OWNED IT NEW FROM 2002. THERE WAS A RECALL AND WE ONLY RECEIVED $525 DOLLARS WHEN WE SPEND OVER $2000. WHY WOULD WE NOT RECEIVE A FULL REFUND AS WE HAD THE WORK DONE ALWAYS AT THE MINI DEALER AND WE HAD TWO RECEIPTS FROM THE DEALER SHOWING THE DEFECT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE WARRANTY IS NOT INCREASED TO 13 YEARS AND 150000 MILES. WHEN THE DEFECT HAPPENS THE CAR GETS NOISY FROM THE PUMP AND WHEN IT FAILS THE STEERING BECOMES SLUGGISH. WHY WOULD THEY BE ALLOWED TO ONLY REIMBURSE PART OF THE AMOUNT WHEN THIS IS SUCH A BIG ISSUE. $2000 FOR STEERING REPAIRS ON A $27,000 DOLLAR CAR SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED. *TR

THIRD COMPLAINT AND COUNTING..... I WENT TO START MY MINI, ONLY TO NOTICE IT WAS LEAKING OIL HEAVILY UNDER MY CAR. I BROUGHT IT TO MY REPAIR SHOP WHO TOLD ME IT MIGHT BE THE O RING. THEY REPLACED IT AND TOLD ME TO BRING IT BACK A WEEK LATER. I RETURNED FRIDAY JULY 19TH TO HAVE THEM LOOK UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS OIL EVERYWHERE. ALL OVER THE ENGINE. THE SEAL WAS FINE! IT TURNS OUT THE VACUUM PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND POSSIBLY THE TIMING CHAIN AT A LATER DATE. THE COST FOR THE PUMP AND LABOR IS $574.00. SO FAR I HAVE SPENT ALMOST $4000.00 ON REPAIRS. I DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATE FOR THE TIMING CHAIN, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE. I ONLY BOUGHT MY MINI IN FEBRUARY AT 49K MILES AND SHE'S BEEN IN THE SHOP LONGER THAN SHE'S BEEN DRIVEN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANY MORE AND WISH THAT BMW/MINI WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL R56 ENGINES ARE DEFECTIVE. IF I KNOWN I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ANOTHER BETTER RELIABLE CAR THAN A MINI AND THAT IS COMING FROM A PERSON WHO LOVES MY MINI. *TR