MINI Complaints

MY MINI COOPER S WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW, AND HAD ALL REGULAR MAINTENANCE DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, ONCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED I TOOK THE CAR TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC WHO HAS PERFORMED WORK FOR MYSELF AND FAMILY FOR TWELVE YEARS. AFTER READING THIS WEBSITE, AND IT'S COMPLAINTS THE SAME PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED TO ME. THE OIL LINES BEGAN TO LEAK BECAUSE THERE WAS A CLOG, AND IT CAUSED THE TURBO TO BURN OUT. PARTS AND LABOR FOR A USED TURBO CAME OUT TO BE AROUND $1,800. A NEW TURBO ALONE WOULD HAVE COST ROUGHLY 2,000. NOW SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES LATER, THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK NOTICED UNDER THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS TIME, TO SEE WHAT THE EXACT PROBLEM WAS AND AN ESTIMATE BEFORE TAKING IT TO MY MECHANIC. THEY FOUND "SEVERAL LEAKS" OF WHICH THEY REPLACED THE WATER PUMP, THE WATER PUMP GASKET, VALVE COVER GASKET, AND FINALLY THE OIL FILTER GASKET. AFTER THE $1,800 BILL FOR THAT WAS PAID, A CALL WAS RECEIVED DECLARING THAT THE CRANK CASE NOW HAS A LEAK IN IT AS WELL AND NEEDS TO BE RESEALED. WITH THE OIL LEAKING FROM THAT, THE CLUTCH COULD ALSO BE BURNING OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED COSTING AN ADDITIONAL $5,400. THE REPAIR BILL ON THIS ALONE WOULD BE ENOUGH TO BRING NORMAL HARD WORKING PEOPLE TO TEARS. ALSO, THE COLD START RATTLE IDENTIFYING THE TIMING BELT ISSUES HAS BEGUN ON MY CAR. THERE ARE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON THE INTERNET. GLAD TO KNOW BMW TAKES CARE OF IT'S CUSTOMERS AND IGNORES THE COMPLAINTS. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2004 MINI COOPER HAS GONE OUT NOW FOUR TIMES. IT BECOMES VERY HARD TO STEER AND IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE A U-TURN OR PARALLEL PARK. IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING AND IS VERY DANGEROUS.I HAVE CONTACTED MINI OF SAN FRANCISCO AND THEY REFUSE TO MAKE THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS DESPITE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM BMW/MINI THAT THE PART IS FAULTY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT NO CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE WAS IDENTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

DEAR [XXX], I AM WRITING TO YOU IN REGARDS TO MY MINI COOPER VIN# [XXX]. FIRSTLY, I AM AWARE OF TWO RECALL NOTICES, ID# [XXX] AND ID #[XXX]. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THESE RECALLS BUT TO DATE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A LETTER. SEVERAL TIMES I INDICATED THE SENSORY WARNING CAME ON WITH ENGINE MALFUNCTION. THIS CONCERNS ME, BECAUSE SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE HAD CATASTROPHIC FAILURES BEFORE 45,000MILES. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE MINI SERVICE CENTER FOR THESE FAILURES, INCLUDING: REPLACING SPARK PLUGS, FAULTY COIL PACK, FAULTY LATCH, BRAKE REPLACEMENT, CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE, ON-BOARD COMPUTER REPLACEMENT, TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION AND CURRENTLY, THE SOLENOID VALVE REPLACEMENT WHICH IS NOT YET FIXED. I HAVE ENCLOSED COPIES OF MY INVOICES FOR THESE PROBLEMS AND SERVICE VISITS. [XXX], THE TECHNICIAN AT MINI OF CAMARILLO, STATED THIS LAST PROBLEM (THE SOLENOID VALVE) APPARENTLY IS RELATED TO THE VANOS ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON/OFF WITH CAUTION MESSAGE ENGINE MALFUNCTION CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I TOOK IT OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE WITH HIM IT STILL HAD THE SAME EXACT JOLT THRASHING BACK AND FORTH MOTION HARD ENOUGH IT IS FELT ON THE SEAT. [XXX] AT MINI OF CAMARILLO INFORMED ME IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE IGNITION COIL AND REPLACE THE SPARK PLUGS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED AT THE CALABASAS SERVICE CENTER I HAVE TO PAY A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN ORDER TO FIX THIS CURRENT PROBLEM. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS SINCE THE TIME I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE ON MAY 24TH THE CAR STILL SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHILE EXITING OUT OF THE FREEWAY AND ON FREQUENT STOPS. THESE CONTINUED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH MY MINI COOPER HAVE REQUIRED IT TO REMAIN UNREPAIRED AND OUT OF SERVICE AT THE MINI SERVICE CENTER NOW FOR A WEEK TO BE MECHANICALLY SAFE TO DRIVE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AFTER THE CAR WENT FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE SEAT BELT SENSOR (BEEPER) STOPPED WORKING. MINI WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS TO BE REPLACED. SAID IF THE SEAT BELT SENSOR WAS NOT WORKING, THE AIRBAGS MIGHT NOT DEPLOY. VERY COSTLY REPAIR (COMPUTER SYSTEM REPLACEMENT). SHOULDN'T SAFETY FEATURES (REQUIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT) BE FIXED, WITHOUT CHARGE, FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE? *TR

FIRST INCIDENT: VEHICLE MILEAGE 37004 (12/31/2009): 2004 MINI COOPER S WAS BEING DRIVEN ON SURFACE STREETS AND POWER STEERING WAS LOST WITHOUT WARNING MAKING THE VEHICLE EXQUISITELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. UPON ARRIVAL AT A MECHANIC, THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS DETERMINED TO BE FAULTY AND BOTH THE PUMP AND FAN WERE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INJURY. SECOND INCIDENT: VEHICLE MILEAGE ~55,000 (1/19/2013): SAME VEHICLE AS ABOVE WAS BEING DRIVEN ONTO A SHARP RIGHT BANKING ON RAMP TO THE I-10E FREEWAY WHEN THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CAR WAS OCCUPIED BY A DRIVER AND A PASSENGER. DESPITE THE DRIVER'S QUICK REACTIONS, THE CAR HIT THE CURVES OUTER CONCRETE RETAINING WALL NEARLY HEAD ON. THE WALL COULD NOT BE AVOIDED BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF WARNING OF THE POWER STEERING FAILURE, AS WELL AS THE MINIMAL SPACE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE CURVE, ESTIMATED BY THE DRIVER AS LESS THAN A CAR WIDTH WIDE. THE DRIVER WAS ESTIMATED BY A POLICE OFFICER TO BE DRIVING BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT. THE DRIVER RECEIVED CHEMICAL BURNS TO HIS UPPER EXTREMITY FROM THE AIRBAG, THE PASSENGER WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR THREE DAYS WITH A PNEUMOTHORAX AND REQUIRED A CHEST TUBE TO BE PLACED. AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WILL NOT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BEING INJURED, BUT A RECALL WILL. UPDATED 06/12/13*LJ UPDATED 07/10/13*LJ *TR

DRIVING ON ROAD WENT TO TURN ,AND STEERING LOSS ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENT.L *TR ## VIN FAILED ##

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE EXITING A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE CLOSED THE DOOR, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT QUICKLY ENOUGH AND CAUSED THE DOOR TO SEIZE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000....UPDATED 07-10-13 *BF

AIR BAG LIGHT ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR ILLUMINATES WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND FOUND MANY OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE, BUT HAVE NOT DISCOVERED A RECALL OR ANY INFORMATION TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. SEEMS IT SHOULD BE FIXED AS THEY DID WITH THE 2002 MODEL, COVERING THE REPAIR TO 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. *TR