MINI Complaints

AROUND 2 YEARS AGO, WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT, THE LIGHT COMES ON INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS OFF. THIS IS EXTREMELY CONCERNING THAT THE CAR'S PASSENGER AIRBAG MIGHT NOT BE WORKING, PARTICULARLY WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN REPORTED ON OTHER FORUMS TO BE LINKED TO A FAULTY SENSOR IN THE CAR SEAT, AND A NHTSA SERVICE BULLETIN (ID NUMBER: 10043927) HAS BEEN FILED. I HOPE THAT NHTSA CAN CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER A RECALL SHOULD OCCUR, GIVEN THE SAFETY CONCERN OF POTENTIALLY NOT HAVING A PASSENGER AIRBAG GO OFF IF A PASSENGER IS IN THE FRONT SEAT AND AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR

-MY DEPENDENT DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH DURING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS WHEN POWER STEERING ASSIST TURNED OFF. STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. FOLLOW-ON OCCURRENCES WERE REGULARLY REPEATED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 - 15 MILES. DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS CEASED UNTIL REPAIRS MADE THEREFORE WAS UNABLE TO COMMUTE TO / FROM SCHOOL OF HIGHER EDUCATION. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO LOCAL REPAIR STATION AND A FAULTY POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE. SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS TOTALLY 934.00 USD APPEAR TO HAVE FIXED PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CONDITION, AND CHOSE TO PUT MY DAUGHTER AT RISK OR HARMS WAY IS SHAMEFUL. *TR

MY POWER STEERING IS FAILING. IT CAUSES MYSELF OR WHEN MY WIFE DRIVES (WITH BOTH MY YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR) TO COME AND GO INTERMITTENTLY. AT TIMES IN PARKING LOTS OR EVEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT WILL GO FROM NORMAL USAGE AND EASE OF USE TO HEAVY MANUAL STEERING. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED MORE THEN JUST "BEING LOOKED INTO." THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD/WILL CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE IF NOT RESOLVED PER BMW/MINI COOPER AND IT'S OWNERSHIP. I LISTED IT AS "CRASH" IN THE YES FORM. SO FAR IT HAS ONLY BEEN INTO THE CURB A FEW TIMES AT TYPICAL PARKING SPEEDS. SO FAR IS THE STATEMENT HERE. THIS WILL BECOME AN ISSUE IF NOT RESOLVED AND I HOPE THAT IT IS JUST A CURB AND NOT ANOTHER CAR/FAMILY THAT ARE AFFECTED DUE TO THIS "KNOWN" ISSUE. *TR

BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FEB. 2012 A FEW MONTHS LATER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS 15-20 TIMES, TO DATE. I HAVE LOST FULL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, NO STEERING CAPABILITY. SEVERAL TIME HAS BEEN WHILE TURNING OR EXITING THE FREEWAY, VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE. NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CAUSING COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. OUT OF WARRANTY SO MINI WON'T TOUCH IT. WILL COST $7500+. *TR

I TOOK MY MINI S IN TO THE SHOP FOR BRAKE MAINTENANCE, TO BE TOLD THAT THE TENSIONER HAD FAILED AND THE TIMING CHAIN KIT HAD TO BE REPLACED. UNNECESSARY TO MENTION, THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. AFTER DOING MUCH RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT THE TENSIONER IN THE MINI HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, SOME SITES HAVE QUOTED SINCE 2007. HAD I NOT TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR A COMPLETELY UNRELATED ISSUE, MY TIMING CHAIN COULD HAVE BROKEN, RESULTING IN A THROWN ROD AND A BLOWN ENGINE, WHICH CAN BE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. THIS TENSIONER IS A DEFECTIVE PIECE WHICH CAUSES SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE TIMING CHAIN AND AREA COMPONENTS WHEN IT FAILS. DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS ISSUE AND THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS SEEN ON THE WEB, A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL SHOULD BE MADE. *TR

ONLY RUN 12000 MILE LESS THAN YEAR THERE IS RATTLE SOUND ON SPEEDOMETER" SPECIALLY NAVIGATION SCREEN. THEY TRY FIX THE PROBLEM, AND TELL ME , THEY CAN NOT FIX, BECAUSE IT COMING FROM SPEEDOMETER. AND PRINT OUR ONE PIECE PAPER, WHICH IS MINI OFFICIAL PAPER AS BELOW" SUBJECT: BUZZING NOISE FROM SPEEDOMETER SITUATION: WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DECELERATION THE CUSTOMER MIGHT EXPERIENCE A BUZZING NOISE FORM THE SPEEDOMETER, WHEN SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE IS BETWEEN 0 AND 12 MILES PER HOUR. GENERAL INFORMATION: THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION????. WHAT?? NORMAL? THIS SOUND MAKE ME CRAZY, SAME SOUND EVERYTIME I RUN. I WAS TALK TO MINI TEC PERSON, MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT MINI U.S.A DON;T RECALL ANYTHING. THEY SHOULD RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, SINCE THEY AGREE THERE IS NOISE FORM SPEEDOMETER" I HAVE PRINTED PAPER FROM MINI. ALSO THERE IS NOISE INSIDE OF CAR, THEY ALREADY FIX THE DASHBOARD, AND ,SIDE DOOR NOISE. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE AND DRAINED BATTERY (RECENTLY REPLACED). CAR WILL NOT START, AND CAN NOT ACCESS PASSENGER OR TRUNK DOOR DUE TO ELECTRICAL FAILURE. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED AS I WAS DRIVING, UNABLE TO STEER CAR. AFTER SOME TIME, POWER RESUMED INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000.