MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE HOWEVER, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO MOVE OUT OF REVERSE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE SHIFT CABLE WAS DETACHED FROM THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V201000 (POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY) HOWEVER, THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS INELIGIBLE FOR RECALL REPAIRS. THE PART WAS ORDERED AND THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR REPAIRS WHEN THE PART BECAME AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,200. ....UPDATED 12/20/12 *BF UPDATED 12/27/2012*JS

LEFT HOME WITH NO POWER STEERING ISSUES. HALF WAY TO WORK, DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND BEGAN TO TAKE A RIGHT HAND CURVE IN THE ROAD AND OUT OF NO WHERE THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. NO WARNING OR INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG PRIOR TO THIS. LUCKILY I REACTED QUICKLY AND THE CURVE WAS NOT TOO SHARP BECAUSE I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE WITH CARS TO THE LEFT OF ME AND BEHIND ME. WOULD HAVE BEEN BAD NEWS HAD THE CURVE BEEN A LITTLE SHARPER. I CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS FULL. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. DROVE THE CAR AGAIN LATER IN THE DAY, WHEN I STARTED THE CAR EVERYTHING WAS WORKING PERFECTLY AND THEN PART WAY TO MY DESTINATION THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE SEIZED AND STOPPED ABRUPTLY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE OIL SUCTION PUMP. THE PUMP FAILED INTERNALLY AND DUE TO THE DESIGN THAT TIED IT DIRECTLY TO THE OVERHEAD CAM, IT CAUSED THE CAMSHAFT TO SEIZE, STRETCHED AND BROKE THE BOLT CONNECTING THE TIMING GEAR AND CHAIN TO THE CAMSHAFT, WHICH THE FELL INTO THE LOWER ENGINE AREA AND CAUSED FURTHER ENGINE DAMAGE. FORTUNATELY, THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT OCCURRED IN A RELATIVELY SLOW TRAFFIC SITUATION AND THE CAR WAS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND PUSHED OFF TO THE SIDE. DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND CONSISTENT WITH MULTIPLE OTHER REPORTS OF SIMILAR FAILURES. THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW (IN MY OPINION AS AN ENGINEER) IN THAT THE SHEAR POINT BEING ON THE CAMSHAFT INSTEAD OF THE PUMP CAUSES INSTANTANEOUS ENGINE FAILURE WITHOUT WARNING AND COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS CRASH OR INJURY. IN ADDITION TO THIS FAILURE, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE OIL SYSTEM THAT MAY HAVE TRIGGERED THIS PUMP FAILURE. MINI HAD ALLEGEDLY PERFORMED SOME 'VALVE CLEANING' APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MILES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY SUCH 'CLEANING' WHEN THE ENGINE WAS OPENED. I HAVE EXTENSIVE PHOTOS OF THIS ENGINE AS IT WAS DISASSEMBLED, SHOWING THE PUMP, BOLT AND OTHER PARTS AND WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE. *TR

AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM MY HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND POPPED THE HOOD TO FIND SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I WAS ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BEFORE IT DID EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. CAUSE OF FIRE WAS FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP. *TR

WAS DRIVING BACK FROM VACATION, AND UPON GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY WE HAD NOTICED A LOUD RATTLING WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. BROUGHT THE CAR TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAD FAILED, RESULTING IN THE TIMING CHAIN TO BE LOOSE AND DESTROY THE RAILS IT RODE ON. UPON LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE FURTHER, DISCOVERED THERE IS A TSB OUT ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT IT IS NOT A RECALL YET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

I TURNED THE SEAT HEATER ON AND IT MELTED A HOLE IN THE LEATHER SEAT AND THE FOAM PADDING STARTED TO BURN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE LANES WHEN I NOTICED THAT MY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND MANEUVER, AS IF THE POWER STEERING FEATURE HAD BEEN DISABLED. INITIALLY, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD MAKING HANDLING OF THE CAR DIFFICULT, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO PERSIST EVEN AFTER I EXITED THE FREEWAY. WHILE PERFORMING LEFT-TURNS AND RIGHT-TURNS ON THE SIDE STREETS, I HAD TO EXERT TREMENDOUS LABOR TO COMPLETE THE TURN, AND ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS I ALMOST HIT ADJACENT CARS ON THE ROAD BECAUSE I COULDN'T FORCIBLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL ENOUGH. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, I TURNED OFF MY ENGINE, RE-STARTED IT, AND TO MY RELIEF AND AMAZEMENT, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EASY TO MANEUVER AGAIN, WITHOUT A TRACE OF THE STEERING PROBLEMS THAT HAD JUST OCCURRED. *TR

RESTRAINT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WARNING CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALER SAYS CLOCK SPRING FAILED COST 1300 TO REPAIR NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR A RECALL AND THE CAR AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IF NOT REPAIRED. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED MY 2005 TRUCK FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE AIR BAGS IS THIS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE FOR BMW / MINI PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANK YOU *TR

2006 MINI CVT TRANSMISSION MADE A WEIRD NOISES AND STOPPED MOVING, JUST PRIOR TO THIS THERE WAS HESITATION IN ACCELERATION AND VERY LOUD NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. *TR