MINI Complaints

POWER STEERING WENT OUT MAKING VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. WAS TOLD BY MINI DEALER $1500 TO REPLACE. *TR

THE TURBOCHARGER OIL INLET FITTING BEGAN LEAKING OIL (2-3 ML/MIN) ONTO THE HOT TURBOCHARGER, RESULTING IN SMOKE AND A STRONG OIL-BURNING SMELL. THE OEM TURBO INLET FITTING UTILIZES A POLYMER O-RING THAT FAILED DUE TO EXPOSURE TO HEAT FROM THE TURBO. THIS IS, APPARENTLY, A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE TURBOCHARGED MINI ENGINES. THIS IS DEFINITELY A FIRE HAZARD. *TR

2004 MINI COOPER OCCASIONALLY WOULD LOSE POWER STEERING ONCE EVERY COUPLE MONTHS AFTER A FEW YEARS OF OWNING IT. TURNING OFF CAR AND STARTING IT BACK UP WOULD ALWAYS RESOLVE IT. WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AT 60MPH, LOST POWER STEERING. COULD NOT PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY. TOOK EXIT RAMP WITH A SHARP CURVE, COULD BARELY MAKE IT AROUND THE CURVE, ENDED UP ON THE SHOULDER. EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT, OR WORSE. *TR

CAR DIED AT 65MPH. TOLD IT WAS AN AUXILIARY WATER PUMP THAT OVERHEATED AND BURNED OUT THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BOARD. EVEN THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS DIED OUT. *TR

AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY IN DASH AND PASSENGER AIRBAG "OFF" ILLUMINATES ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. WHEN SOME SITS IN THE SEAT IT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN YOU CHECK THE CONNECTORS UNDER THE SEAT IT GOES OFF WITH WIGGLING. DIAGNOSED BY MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP AS "CRACKED SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR" INSIDE THE SEAT. NOT REPAIRABLE ONLY REPLACEABLE. AIRBAG WILL NOT GO OFF IF PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. MINI COOPER HAS COVERED THIS FOR OTHER MODELS, BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED. INCURRING ME A $1600 QUOTE FOR MAKE MY CAR SAFE FOR PASSENGERS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY MINI COOPER S '05, I SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING, WHICH MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. I FEEL THREATENED DRIVING MY CAR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, ON A SLIGHT INCLINE IS WHEN I NOTICED THE RPM WAS HIGH AND THE SPEED REDUCING. (ALONG WITH SOME CRACKLING, ROUGH NOISES FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR) I LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL (LOWERED THE RPMS), TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T REGAIN SPEED THE CAR EVENTUALLY REDUCED DRIVING SPEED TO 30MPH WITH RPM AT 5. I MOVED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY AND WAITED FOR HELP. WITH A CHILD IN CAR. TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD NOT FAIL ON A VEHICLE AT 50,000MILES. VERY SCARY SITUATION. I HOPE THIS ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR VEHICLE IS ADDRESSED. THAT ISSUE COULD SERIOUSLY HARM ALOT OF PEOPLE I HAVE READ TOO MANY SIMILAR STORIES ONLINE. *TR

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON. AT FIRST THE LIGHTS WERE COMING ON AND OFF NOW THEY JUST STAY ON. NO INCIDENTS ON A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE. BOTH A MINI DEALERSHIP AND ANOTHER MECHANIC BOTH SAY IT IS THE AIR BAG WEIGHT SENSOR IN THE SEAT AND THAT THE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILS- CAR LOSES ALL POWER ASSISTED STEERING PUPM CONTINUES TO RUN AFTER ENGINE SHUT OFF, POSSIBLE FIRE RESULT. *TR

THE OIL FEED LINE FOR THE TURBOCHARGER LEAKED ENOUGH OIL TO ALLOW ENOUGH SMOKE INTO THE CABIN TO GREATLY DECREASE VISIBILITY. THE FITTING IS COMPRISED OF A BANGO FITTING THAT IS CRIMPED TO THE FEED LINE WITH AN O-RING IN THE FEED LINE. THE O-RING IS THE COMPONENT THAT FAILED AND MY ENGINEERING BACK ROUND HAS LED ME TO THE ROOT CAUSE BEING THAT THE O-RING HAS SEEN ENOUGH THERMAL CYCLED TO DETERIORATE LEADING TO THE LEAK. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FROM A RELIABILITY STANDPOINT AND I KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY MINI OWNER THAT HAS HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEM. MINI NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THIS DESIGN FLAW. *TR