MINI Complaints

IN SEPTEMBER 2011, I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 MINI COOPER S AT 55MPH ON A RURAL TWO LANE HIGHWAY WHEN I EXPERIENCED A MOMENTARY LOSS POWER STEERING OF POWER STEERING. THIS RESULTED IN THE WHEEL BECOMING VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. WHEN POWER STEERING RETURNED (WITHOUT WARNING), MY CAR SWERVED BUT I WAS ABLE TO KEEP IT ON THE ROAD. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE NEXT 20 MILES BEFORE I LOST POWER STEERING AND IT DID NOT RETURN.WHEN I ARRIVED HOME, I CHECKED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND IT WAS NON-OPERATIONAL. I REPLACED THE PUMP AND ITS DEDICATED COOLING FAN. IN AUGUST 2012 (125000 MILES), I AGAIN LOST POWER STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE SECOND FAILURE WAS IDENTICAL TO THE FIRST (SUDDENLY CAME AND WENT BEFORE CUTTING OUT AND NOT RETURNING). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE ENGINE FAN FAILED TO DEACTIVATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000.

THE STEERING ON MY '03 MINI COOPER STARTED MAKING WHINING/ GROANING NOISES THAT WERE NOT THE NORMAL STEERING NOISES. THE STEERING HAS LIMITED POWER BOOST, SOMETIMES NEAR NORMAL, OTHER TIMES ALMOST NO BOOST. THE STEERING DOESN'T RETURN TO STRAIGHT AS IT USED TO. AFTER MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN, THE CAR KEEPS TRYING TO TURN THE LAST DIRECTION STEERED. WITH EFFORT, I CAN HOLD THE CAR STRAIGHT, BUT IT PULLS NOTICEABLY THE LAST DIRECTION TURNED. THE ELECTRIC STEERING MOTOR GROANS, CHANGING SPEED UP AND DOWN, EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS NOT MOVING. ALL FLUID LEVELS ARE NORMAL AND THERE ARE NO LEAKS OR DRIPS OF ANY FLUID. THE POWER STEERING FAN AND RADIATOR COOLING FAN ARE OPERATING CORRECTLY. THE STEERING EFFORT IS NOT CONSISTENT. SOMETIMES AT EXPRESSWAY SPEEDS, AS WELL AS SLOWER SURFACE STREET SPEEDS, THE STEERING STIFFENS UP WHERE IT REQUIRES MUCH EFFORT TO CONTROL, THEN MINUTES LATER, WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL BOOST LEVELS. THIS OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN NEGOTIATING LANE CHANGES OR EXPRESSWAY RAMPS WITH WHAT SHOULD BE A STEADY RATE TURN. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATES THE ELECTRO- HYDRAULIC STEERING PUMP IS CAUSING THESE ISSUES AND THAT BMW IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED THE ENGINE HAD A LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THE WATER PUMP AND THE TURBO CHARGER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

STRANGE KNOCKING/RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 2007+ MINI COOPER. FROM THE MINI DEALER REPAIR DETAILS IT APPEARS TO BE A ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER SYSTEM. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT WITHOUT BEING FIXED THE CAR WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE AND POSSIBLE MOTOR DESTRUCTION. THIS COULD OCCUR WHILE DRIVING AND I COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING A CRASH. MINI WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT WITHOUT THE VEHICLE STILL BEING UNDER WARRANTY. I CALL FOR A RECALL. *TR

LOSS OF POWER STEERING ON MY 2004 MINI COOPER. THIS PROBLEM COMES AN GOES AND MY LOCAL SERVICE STATION SAID THE PUMP HAS A CRACK. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN TO MINI OF THE WOODLANDS TO HAVE RECALL WORK DONE TO THE VEHICLE AND WHILE IT WAS THERE HAD THEM DO A DIAGNOSTIC TO ENSURE CAR WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A NEW TIMING CHAIN AND THAT I SHOULDN'T DRIVE IT. WAS TOLD TO TOW IT HOME OR LEAVE IT WITH THEM AND THEY WOULD FIX IT FOR CLOSE TO $2500. THE CAR HAS 37,000 MILES. REALLY? FEEL LIKE THERE'S A NICE SCAM GOING ON WITH A PRODUCT THAT HAS OBVIOUS DEFECTS WITH THIS TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. THERE ARE COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. NO VEHICLE SHOULD NEED A NEW TIMING BELT WITH THIS LOW OF MILEAGE. MINI NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE "PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF" ALARM LIGHTS CAME ON ON BOTH THE SPEEDOMETER PANEL AND THE LIGHT ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. WHILE I'D HAD AN ADULT PASSENGER EARLIER IN THE DAY, THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS UNOCCUPIED AT THE TIME. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO TURN THE LIGHT OFF, TO TEST THE BAG, OR TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I SEE BY DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH THAT THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MINI COOPERS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SEE NHTSA BULLETIN NUMBERS SI M-65-02-0 AND 720106. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY MINI COOPER USA RATHER THAN PAID FOR BY THE CONSUMER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FIVE TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

I LIVE WHERE THE WEATHER GETS INTO THE TEENS REGULARLY THIS TIME OF YEAR. MY CAR STARTED MAKING A WEIRD NOISE WHEN I STARTED IN ONE MORNING. THEN WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE IT, IT HAD NO POWER. I TOOK IT IN AND HAD TO HAVE THE THROTTLE BODY AND NEW INTAKE MANIFOLD PUT IN FOR THE COST OF OVER $1100. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT THEY HAVE ONLY HAD TO DO THIS REPAIR ON MINI'S THAT LIVE IN COLD CLIMATES AND THAT IT WAS NO FAULT OF MINE. HOWEVER THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS DEFECT AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY? *TR