MINI Complaints

THIS IS THE SECOND COMPLAINT I'VE MADE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF PURCHASE: I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH WHEN THE REDUCE SPEED ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO REDUCE SPEED THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE FAST LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR BEHIND ME SWERVED AS I MANAGED TO RESTART MY 2009 MINI COOPER S AND PULL INTO THE SLOW LANE. I MANAGED TO AVOID COLLISION AND PLACED HAZARDS ON. I GOT MY MINI TO BRADY'S AUTO REPAIR. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS DUE TO TURBOCHARGE FAILURE ON AN ORIGINAL MINI PART. HE SAID THAT BMW DONE A RECALL FOR THE SAME PART WHICH IS IN THE 2009 MINI COOPER S AND COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THEY HADN'T DONE IT FOR MINI. THE TURBOCHARGE WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED ON MY MINI AT THE EXPENSE OF $2778.47. I CONTACTED MINI WHICH STATED THAT THERE IS NO RECOURSE AND NOTHING THEY CAN DO. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS AT ALL AS I HAD MY TWO CHILDREN IN THE MINI WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AND IT COULD HAVE LEAD TO LOSS OF LIFE IF THE DRIVER BEHIND ME HADN'T TAKEN ACTION. I HOPE THE NHTSA DOES INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER IN ALL MINI COOPERS. *TR

MY MINI HAS HAD REGULAR SERVICE AT HABBERSTAD MINI SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT ENGINE NOISE IN NOVEMBER 2011 AND THEY FOUND THE OIL WAS LOW AND REFILLED IT. AT EACH SERVICE I MENTIONED THE NOISE AND NOTHING WAS FOUND EXCEPT TO TELL ME I NEED INDUCTION SERVICE, REPLACE LEAKING WATER PUMP (EVEN AFTER THE RECALL FOR THIS PART WAS DONE ALREADY) AND COOLANT EXCHANGE FOR $1300. THE LOUD RATTLING ENGINE NOISE PERSISTED AND CAR BECAME ALMOST UNDRIVEABLE. IT TOOK THEM 3 DAYS TO FIND THAT THE TIMING CHAIN ETC. NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, WHICH AFTER SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I HAD ALREADY FOUND TO BE THE PROBLEM. OF COURSE MY WARRANTY WAS NOW UP SO I HAD TO PAY $3000. AND MY CAR ONLY HAS 38,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS AND I SHOULD CALL MINI DIRECTLY AND LODGE A COMPLAINT, WHICH I DID. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS ISSUE INVESTIGATED, AS MINI MUST CERTAINLY HAVE HEARD FROM MORE CUSTOMERS BESIDES ME AND THEY ARE DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. THE CUSTOMERS ARE GETTING STUCK PAYING FOR A DESIGN FLAW. PLEASE DO AN INVESTIGATION AND MAKE THEM ISSUE A RECALL TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT AND REFUND OUR REPAIR COSTS. MINI NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR MOTORER PLEDGE AND GIVE US THE QUALITY PRODUCT THEY ADVERTISE. *TR

HAD TO TAKE MY MINI COOPER S WITH JCW PACKAGE IN TO CORRECT A SERVICE LIGHT ISSUE. WAS CARBON BUILD UP ON THE VALVES. CLEANED IT FOR 1500.00. DROVE IT ABOUT A MONTH AND THE TURBO BYPASS SOLENOID VALVE FAILED. BACK TO THE MINI COOPER DEALER IN CLEAR LAKE. THEY REPLACED THE SOLENOID AND DID A OIL CHANGE FOR 550.00 GOT IT HOME AND NOTICED IT HAD A FAINT SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. THOUGHT IT COULD BE THEY GOT SOME OIL ON SOME PARTS THAT GET HOT. ONE WEEK AFTER THE TURBO SOLENOID WAS REPLACED I NOTICED A OIL SPOT ON MY GARAGE FLOOR. RAISED THE HOOD AND THE TURBO HAD A OIL FILM ON IT AND THE AIR INTAKE SUPPLY ON THE TURBO WAS LOOSE AND PRACTICALLY OFF THE TURBO. TOOK IT TO DEALER. THEY SAID LOOK LIKE OIL DRAIN BOLT LEAKING. REPLACED IT BUT THE ALSO CLEANED THE OIL OFF THE TURBO? NOT SURE WHY. I DIDN'T TELL THEM IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS LEAKING. MAYBE THEY KNEW? DROVE IT HOME AND IT STILL SMELLED LIKE SOMETHING BURNING. LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND THE TURBO WAS COVERED WITH OIL. BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY CAN FIX IT FOR 1200.00 IT IS THE TURBO OIL FEED SUPPLY AND RETURN LINE. ALSO THE OIL DETERIORATED THE AIR INTAKE LINE AND CAUSED IT TO DEFORM SO THAT IT NO LONGER WILL STAY ON THE TURBO INTAKE. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION LOOKS LIKE THE TURBO OIL FEED LINE IS A MAJOR ISSUE. MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THIS FAILURE. I ALSO SAW A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE HEAT SHIELD ON THE OIL FEED LINE. BUT THEY FAILED TO DO THE INSTALL ON MINE. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE HAD IT IN FOR SEVERAL SERVICES SINCE THE BULLETIN. THERE IS DEFINITELY A ISSUE WITH THE OIL FEED LINE TO THE TURBO. WON'T BE PURCHASING ANOTHER BMW PRODUCT. WILL NOT BE USING THIS DEALERS SERVICE IF I DECIDE TO KEEP THE MINI. *TR

THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING HAD A SMALL CRACK IN IT RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE COOLANT LEAK. DUE TO LACK OF TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND NO WARNING LIGHT, I WAS UNABLE TO TELL THAT MY ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING. THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO A FAULTY PLASTIC THERMOSTAT HOUSING. *TR

ENGINE HAD A COLD START RATTLE FOR A LONG TIME. THEN WHILE DRIVING, THE RATTLE GOT WORSE AND AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED AT THE DEALERSHIP, IT WAS DUE TO THE PLASTIC TIMING GUIDE BREAKING DUE TO NOT ENOUGH TENSION ON THE TIMING CHAIN. I HAD TO STOP DRIVING IMMEDIATELY AND GET MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. MY WARRANTY HAD RAN OUT SHORTLY BEFORE THE INCIDENT. *TR

OIL LEAK FROM TOP OF TURBO OIL LINE CONNECTOR NEAR BANJO BOLT. THIS IS DUE TO A FAULTY O-RING FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON FOR NO REASON, IT IS DUE TO A FAULTY SENSOR THAT MINI IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO CORRECT. I DON'T HAVE 1700 DOLLARS TO REPLACE PASSENGER SEAT - SO ALL PASSENGERS WILL BE AT RISK WHEN I DRIVE, AS THE AIR BAG WON'T DEPLOY OR WILL DEPLOY AT FULL FORCE. *TR

WHILE IN IDLE AND ANY RPM, A RATTLE/GROWLING SOUND COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM UNDER THE TIMING CHAIN HOUSING OF THE ENGINE. WHEN SHIFTING IT WAS HARDER TO PLACE INTO GEAR WITHOUT GRINDING AND VERY EASY TO MISS A GEAR WHEN SHIFTING. MASTER MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THIS HAS A FAILING/FAILED TIMING CHAIN. A NEW TIMING CHAIN WAS INSTALLED, COSTING ME $1,400. ONE WEEK AFTER BEING FIXED THE SAME SOUND IS ARISING FROM THE TIME CHAIN HOUSING AND NEED TO BE TAKEN BACK IN FOR A NEW CHAIN YET AGAIN. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE TIMING CHAIN HAS BEEN REPLACED ON THIS MINI COOPER, IT IS JUST THE 1ST WHILE I HAVE BEEN THE OWNER OF THE CAR AND SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE COOLANT HOUSING AND THE TRANSMISSION MOUNT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED. IT APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE BECAUSE ONCE I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM RETURNED TO NORMAL. I ALMOST RAN INTO A PARKED CAR BECAUSE I COULD NOT TURN WITHOUT A LOT OF EFFORT. *TR