MINI Complaints

THE OIL INPUT LINE TO THE TURBO HAS STARTED TO LEAK. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY SIDELINED BECAUSE OF CHANCE OF FIRE OR FAILURE OF THE TURBO. *TR

THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN GOING IN AND OUT FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH AND THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. TURNING TOOK A LARGE AMOUNT OF EFFORT. AFTER ARRIVING AT HOME AND TAKING IT OUT THE NEXT DAY IT WORKED FINE AND THEN WENT OUT AGAIN WHILE GOING 35 MPH AND TRYING TO MAKE A CURVE IN THE ROAD. WE TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS AND WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN WORKED FINE BUT THE POWER STEERING WAS INTERMITTENT WHEN DRIVEN. A POWER CONNECTOR FOR THE PUMP WAS REPAIRED AND THE NEXT DAY THE CAR STARTING LOSING THE POWER STEERING AGAIN. IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND/OR INJURIES. I'VE READ TOO MANY STORIES ONLINE FOR THIS TO BE A FAULT WITH THE DESIGN. *TR

AFTER DRIVING AROUND TOWN FOR 15 MINUTES POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND HAD TO STRUGGLE TO TURN A CORNER. HAD TO MAKE A WIDE TURN. IF ANOTHER VEHICLE HAD BEEN APPROACHING, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THIS VEHICLE WHEN POWER STEERING FAILS. THIS LOSS OF POWER STEERING HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES WITHIN LAST TWO WEEKS. RESEARCH ON INTERNET SHOWS THIS TO BE MORE THAN A COMMON PROBLEM; IT SEEMS TO BE WIDESPREAD. THIS MUCH I DO KNOW: IT SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME AND IS DANGEROUS. IF BMW DOESN'T VOLUNTARILY FIX THE PROBLEM, THEN THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD FORCE A RECALL ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIES. *TR

THE TIMING TENSIONER ON MY MINI COOPER S BACKED OUT, RESULTING IN A MASSIVE OIL LOSS WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE BY MINI, BUT NO KNOWN RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED AT THIS POINT. *TR

12/14/12: I DROVE HOME FROM WORK. I HAD NO PROBLEMS DRIVING, BUT HEARD A BIT OF A COLD START KNOCK. 12/15/12: CAR DIDN'T START IN THE MORNING. I IMMEDIATELY GOT THE CAR TOWED TO HERB CHAMBERS IN BOSTON, WHERE I HAD EXCLUSIVELY TAKEN IT TO EVERY MAINTENANCE CHECK-UP AND ISSUE I HAD SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW AT THE SAME LOCATION, EVEN AFTER MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. 12/16/12: HERB CHAMBERS PERFORMED A DIAGNOSIS FOR $135, AND SAID THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKEN, WHICH WOULD COST $2,500 TO FIX. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO SAID THAT OTHER ENGINE PARTS MAY BE BROKEN, BUT THEY WOULDN'T KNOW UNTIL THEY STARTED WORKING ON THE TIMING CHAIN. AS YOU CAN SEE, I WAS NOT HAPPY AT ALL WITH THIS INCONCLUSIVE DIAGNOSIS. DO I PAY $2,500 FOR THEM TO THEN TELL ME IT ACTUALLY NEEDS A NEW ENGINE FOR CLOSE TO $10,000, OR DO I TOW IT ELSEWHERE? 12/17/12: TOWED CAR TO GERMAN PERFORMANCE SERVICE FOR A MORE COMPLETE DIAGNOSIS, WHICH SHOWED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER WERE BROKEN, AS WELL AS MOST VALVES AND OTHER ENGINE PARTS. WE CONCLUDE THAT IT IS CHEAPER TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE ($3,213 + $1,980 OF LABOR = $5,193) THAN TO FIX EVERYTHING INDIVIDUALLY, WHICH WOULD BE MORE LABOR INTENSIVE. 12/21/12: I CONTACTED MINI USA TO INFORM THEM ABOUT MY SITUATION AND HOW UNPLEASED I WAS WITH HERB CHAMBER'S EXTREMELY VAGUE DIAGNOSIS, AS WELL AS MINI'S MAJOR TIMING CHAIN FLAW. MINI USA COMPLETELY IGNORED MY REQUEST FOR THE SOLE REASON THAT I TOOK MY CAR TO A 3RD PARTY MECHANIC. THEY SAID THAT IF I HAD STAYED AT THE DEALER (EVEN THOUGH THEY GAVE ME AN INCOMPLETE DIAGNOSIS), THAT THEY MAY HAVE HELPED ME OUT. 12/30/12: I CONTACTED HERB CHAMBERS BOSTON WITH THE SAME CONCERNS. THEY UNDERSTOOD MY POINTS, BUT SAID THAT UNFORTUNATELY THEY CANNOT FORCE THE MANUFACTURER TO DO ANYTHING THEY DO NOT WANT TO DO. AS A SMALL GESTURE, THEY DID GIVE ME BACK WHAT THEY CHARGED ME FOR THEIR INITIAL DIAGNOSIS ($135). *TR

THE MINI COOPER WAS SITTING IN THE GARAGE. MY FAMILY NOTICED A DISTINCT BURNING SMELL. WE DID NOT KNOW WHERE IS WAS COMING FROM. THE BURNING SMELL WAS TRACED TO THE GARAGE, BUT STILL DID NOT IDENTIFY THE SOURCE. THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN, THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. UPON INSPECTION AND REMOVAL OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP, ALL THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO THE UNIT WERE MELTED. THE POWER STEERING UNIT AND THE WIRING HARNESS LEADING TO THE UNIT ARE DAMAGED AND MUST BE REPLACED. IN CONCLUSION THE UNIT DREW POWER WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF AND FRIED THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP SUDDENLY WENT OUT ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S. FORTUNATELY FOR ME (ALTHOUGH THIS EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN TRAGICALLY UNFORTUNATE FOR SOMEONE ELSE) THIS HAPPENED IN A SCHOOL ZONE, WHICH MEANS I WAS DRIVING VERY SLOWLY. BUT WITH LITTLE CHILDREN AROUND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH I FIND THIS SUDDEN POWER STEERING FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON EARLY MINI COOPERS. THE PUMP HAS BEEN RECALLED IN CANADA, BUT WHY NOT IN THE U.S.A? CAN YOU TELL ME WHY THIS IS NOT A RECALL ITEM HERE? *TR

POWER STEERING WENT OUT AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. POWER STEERING STILL OUT. I JUST READ UP AND IT SEEMS EVERYONE'S WAITING FOR THE RECALL. THIS IS DANGEROUS!! *TR

2005 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CATASTROPHIC ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY, RAPIDLY MOVING TRAFFIC, THE ELECTRIC STEERING FAILED. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR HAD STOPPED, QUITE LIKELY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE AUXILIARY FAN. THE CONSUMER WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $ 1100 FOR THE PARTS ALONE.

POWER STEERING FAILED AS I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN FROM ONE STREET TO ANOTHER. WHILE 1/2 WAY INTO THE TURN THE STEERING NO LONGER RESPONDED AND STARTED TO GO STRAIGHT INTO ONCOMING OPPOSING TRAFFIC. IT TOOK QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT TO YANK THE STEERING WHEEL AND AVOID A CRASH (MUCH MORE EFFORT THAN STEERING MY 54 CHEVY PICK UP TRUCK). HAD CAR TOWED TO BMW/MINI DEALER - DIAGNOSED AS "POWER STEERING PUMP SHORTING". COST OF REPAIRS TO REPLACE POWER STEERING PUMP (INCLUDING NEW P/S HOSES): $1977.62. *TR