MINI Complaints

WHILE TURNING INTO A SHOPPING PLAZA PARKING LOT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL OR COMPLETE THE TURN. THANK GOD I WAS DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED AND PEDISTRIANS WERE NOT NEAR BY. I EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING WHEN I WAS LEAVING TO RETURN HOME AND TWO MORE TIMES AFTER THAT. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ,INNOCENT LIVES ARE AT RISK. *TR

THE O2 SENSOR FAILED ON MY CAR. MINI ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON 2006 MODELS BUT MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT I HAVE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING NEARLY HIT THE OUTER BARRIER BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF FORCE REQUIRED TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. I FEEL IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR WRECK. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH THE MINI COOPER. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING CANADA HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING PUMPS. WOULD LIKE TO LOG A COMPLAINT TO SEE IF WE CAN GET MINI USA TO TAKE SOME ACTION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR HOME FROM WORK ON FRIDAY NIGHT, 2/22, WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP ON ME AND I HAD A HARD TIME TURNING IT. IT THEN STARTED WORKING FINE AGAIN AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THEN IT LOCKED UP AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. SINCE IT WAS ON A HIGHWAY I WAS DOING OVER 60 M.P.H. IT WAS TERRIFYING NOT HAVING COMPLETE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AT THAT SPEED. *TR

WHEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE, 2006 MINI COOPER, THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AT THE TIME. THERE WAS AN AUGUST, 2008 BMW RECALL ON 150,000 2002-2006 MINI COOPER'S FOR THIS SAME PASSENGER LIGHT AIRBAG ISSUE. BMW EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS ON ALL OF THESE RECAILED VEHICLES BY VIN#. I HAD THIS DIAGNOSED BY A BMW SERVICE CENTER & A FAULTY PASSENGER SENSOR PAD IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE. THE SENSOR PAD IS ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PASSENGER SEAT SO BOTH ITEMS HAVE TO BE REPLACED WHICH WILL COST APPROX.$1,200. I SPOKE TO MINI USA & MY VIN# WAS NOT ON THE 2008 RECALL. I THEN ASKED MINI USA HOW DO I GET MY VIN# ON THE RECALL LIST & WAS TO TOLD TO GO TO THIS WEBSITE & FILE A COMPLAINT. AFTER YOUR INVESTIGATION, MINI USA TOLD ME THAT YOU CAN HAVE MY VEHICLE VIN# ADDED TO THE AUGUST, 2008 RECALL. MINI USA WAS ALSO UNABLE TO TELL ME IF MY PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG WILL PROPERLY DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A ACCIDENT. I CONSIDER THIS AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE (POSSIBLE DEATH) IF THE AIRBAG DOES NOT PROPERLY DEPLOY BECAUSE OF A FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR PAD! PLEASE HELP.....THANKS *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAN THEN PUMP FAILED RESULTING IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ASSISTED STEERING. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STEERABLE, THE LOSS WAS SURPRISE AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN TURNING OFF A ROAD. IT TOOK A VERY SIGNIFICANT FORCE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND I ALMOST HIT A CONCRETE ABUTMENT. I DOUBT THAT A YOUNG TEEN OR ANY PERSON WHO WAS NOT THAT STRONG, WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WHEN PRESENTED WITH THE REPAIR KNEW OF THE ISSUE AND OF MANY REPORTS OF A NEAR ACCIDENT LIKE MINE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON I95 GOING AROUND A CURVE, MY STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES BUT I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND WASN'T SURE WHAT TO TELL MY MECHANIC SINCE IT WAS SO RANDOM. THIS WEEKEND AS I DROVE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION MAKING A LEFT TURN, WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR, IT LOCKED UP AFTER MONTHS OF NOT RECURRING. I WAS ABLE TO STOP IN TIME BEFORE COLLIDING WITH ONCOMING CARS AT THE RED LIGHT BUT IT WAS VERY SCARY FOR ALL OF US. I AM APPALLED MINI HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL CONSIDERING THE PRECIOUS LIVES THAT ARE AT STAKE. I SUPPOSE IT WILL TAKE A FATALITY FOR SOMEONE TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

ON 2/4/13 HAD MY CAR TAKEN TO GLOBAL IMPORTS BMW/MINI DEALERSHIP ON 5925 PEACHSTREET IND.BLVD.ATLANTA,GA. (THE CYLINDER HEAD COVER HAD TO BE REPLACED,WAS LEAKING, I PAID $1291.45 FOR THE SERVICE). I PICKED UP MY CAR ON 2/5/13, ACCORDING TO THEM IS WAS GOOD TO GO. STARTED HEADING BACK HOME, WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT POPPED UP AGAIN, THE CAR STARTED SMOKING,SHAKING,IT WOULD NOT DRIVE HIGHER THAN 40MILES., GOT OFF I-75 IN MACON GA, CALLED ROADSIDE SERVICES, HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP MENTIONED ABOVE FOR REPAIRS. THEY KEPT IT FOR A WEEK. THEY CALL ON 2/20/13 TELLING MY THE CAR WAS READY FOR PICK UP. I RETURNED TO ATLANTA THE FOLLOWING DAY 2/21/13. THEY CHARGED ME FOR SERVICE $3,991.57 . HEADED BACK TO FLORIDA ON 2/23/13, AND NOT EVEN HALF WAY, ON I-75, THE ENGINE LIGHT POPPED UP AGAIN, THE CAR WOULD NOT HIGHER THAN 40MILES, HAD CAR TOWED TO THE MINI OF SOUTH ATLANTA DEALERSHIP IN UNION CITY,AND IM AWAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM WHEN TO COME AND PICK UP MY CAR. WHEN THE RECALL WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED,I TRIED TO CONTACT BMW/MINI HEADQUATERS, THEY TOLD ME I WILL RECEIVE A LETTER IN THE MAIL REGARDING THE RECALL,WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED. I NEED HELP FORCING THESE PEOPLE TO BE RESPONSIBLE, FIX MY CAR OR IF NOT REIMBURSE ALL THE MONEY I HAVE INVESTED IN REPAIR (NOT ONLY IN ATLANTA BUT IN FLORIDA AS WELL). PLEASE I NEED YOUR ADVISE. A VERY FRUSTRATED MINI COOPER S DRIVER . *TR

AFTER DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CAR COULD STILL BE TURNED, BUT ONLY WITH GREAT EFFORT AND HAD THERE BEEN ANY NEED TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE OR PEDESTRIAN, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE. AFTER TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTRARTING, THE POWER STEERING RESUMED WORKING. THE SAME FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OTHER OCCASIONS BUT IS ONLY INTERMITTENT. *TR

POWER STEERING ASSIST INTERMITTENTLY FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES TODAY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN SEEMS TO TEMPORARILY FIX THE PROBLEM BUT AFTER SOME TIME, THE POWER ASSIST WILL FAIL AGAIN. CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER WITHOUT POWER ASSIST. *TR