MINI Complaints

AT 18XXX MILES THE CLUTCH IS GONE. TRANSFER CASE FOUND DEFECTIVE. THE CLUTCH HAS BEEN FAILING ON THE ALL4 MODELS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND DEALERS ARE BLAMING USER ERROR, EVEN AS FAST AS 1500 MILES. $2500 FOR A NEW CLUTCH ON A BRAND NEW VEHICLE IS ABSURD. *TR

LOUD AND PERSISTENT WHINNING NOISE FROM POWER STEERING PUMP, INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAD PAST PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING FAN (JUNE 2011). *TR

THE POWER STEERING QUIT WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE (I85) ON MARCH 3, 2012. WE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE CAR SO WE TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER AND HE HAD THE PUMP AND RESERVOIR REPLACED (TOOK 2 WEEKS). POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT AGAIN (09/26/12) WITH SAME SYMPTOMS (SPORADIC OPERATION - MAINLY NOT WORKING) WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. *TR

ON THE MORNING OF SUNDAY MAY 13TH 2012 (MOTHERS DAY), I DROVE THE VEHICLE APPROX 11 MILES TO MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S HOME. DURING THIS 11 MILE RIDE ALL SEEMED NORMAL WITH THE VEHICLE. AFTER VISITING FOR A FEW HOURS I DROVE IT APPROX 5 MORE MILES TO A STOP & SHOP, AGAIN ALL SEEMED FINE WITH THE VEHICLE. WITHIN THE 10-15MINUTES I WAS INSIDE PURCHASING MOTHERS DAY FLOWERS, STOP AND SHOP EMPLOYEES HAD NOTICED A FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT. I WALKED INTO THE PARKING LOT TO FIND THE POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERS APPROACHING MY CAR. WHEN I GOT TO IT THERE WAS NO MORE FIRE BUT STILL PLENTY OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WELL. I TOOK A LOOK UNDER THE CAR TO SEE THAT THERE WAS NO MORE FIRE, SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LEFT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO START THE CAR SO I JACKED UP THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHAT HAD CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE ELECTRIC/HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP. THE SOCKET ON THE PUMP WAS STILL SMOKING A LOT AND VERY MELTED. THE PLUG CONNECTOR ON THE 12V/GROUNDING CABLES FEEDING THE PUMP WAS ALSO VERY MELTED. SINCE THIS FIRE OCCURRED ON A 12V LINE IT ALSO SHORTED OUT THE BATTERY COMPLETELY. I WAS ABLE TO JUMP THE CAR STARTED IN ORDER TO DRIVE IT ABOUT 15-16 MILES HOME. SINCE THEN THE PUMP HAS BEEN DISASSEMBLED TO FIND THAT THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS COMPROMISED (BURNED/ASHES). I DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT AFTER I HAD RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE EXTENSIVELY. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MOST SIMPLY FAIL, EITHER CAUSING ACCIDENTS OR MERELY MAKING IT EXTREMELY HARD DO DRIVE. FEW OTHER UNLUCKY OWNERS HAVE THERE PUMPS BURST INTO FLAMES. MINI IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT OFFERS MINIMAL TO NO COMPENSATION. IN CANADA A RECALL HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE DEFECTIVE PUMPS. I CAN ONLY HOPE AND PRAY THAT NHTSA ALONG WITH MINI USA CHOOSE TO ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE THIS CAUSES A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT (IF IT HASN'T ALREADY). *TR

I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON IT. BEING A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE CAR MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. HAD SOMEONE WITH LESS ARM STRENGTH BEEN IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT THEY COULD HAVE HIT ONCOMING TRAFFIC HEAD ON AND KILLED SOMEONE. *TR

THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FEEL LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING: HESITATION, WHEELS SKIDDING, ROUGH ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES AFTER 2 TRIPS TO MINI COOPER IN WHICH THE CAR'S COMPUTER WAS "RESET" BECAUSE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION WERE FOUND. THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED ABOVE PERSISTS, BUT THERE WAS ALSO ONE EPISODE WHERE THE CAR DID NOT START AND LATER TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING ON A CONGESTED NYC ROAD. *TR

AFTER DRIVING ONE EVENING A SHORT DISTANCE TO THE STORE AND FEELING A STRANGE PULLING OF THE CAR BUT NOT REALLY MOVING AS FAST AS IT SHOULD, I TOOK IT TO BE CHECKED OUT AT THE MINI OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A FAULTY TRANSMISSION BUT THAT I COULD STILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT SHORT DISTANCES. THIS COST $138. SO AFTER A COUPLE OF SHORT TRIPS TO WORK, I WAS ON MY WAY HOME ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH WHEN IT STARTED TO "SHUT DOWN", IT WAS REVVING VERY LOUDLY BUT ONLY MOVING AT ABOUT 20MPH AT THE MOST. I HAD TO PULL OVER MANY TIMES DUE TO ANXIETY, FEAR AND CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAD TO FIND A BACK WAY HOME BECAUSE I COULD NO LONGER DRIVE ON ANY OF THE MAIN ROADS SINCE IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I WAS GOING TO GET HIT FROM BEHIND! *TR

MY POWER STEERING FAILED. CAUSE UNCONFIRMED AS YET, BUT THIS APPARENTLY IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. POWER STEERING STARTED AGAIN WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, BUT NOW THE PUMP MOTOR (OR PERHAPS THE FAN) WON'T SHUT OFF AND THERE IS NO FUSE TO DISABLE. MUST DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO SHUT IT OFF AND AVOID DRAINING THE BATTERY. STEERING DID NOT LOCK UP, BUT VERY DIFFICULT TO OVERCOME THE RACK-AND-PINION STEERING LINKAGE RESISTANCE. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP STOPS OPERATING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. IT HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES TO DATE: THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS AT LOW SPEED IN A PARKING STRUCTURE; THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEED; THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A SURFACE STREET WHILE DECELERATING TO A STOP. IN EACH CASE, CONTROL OF THE CAR WAS MAINTAINED BUT WAS VERY DIFFICULT. THE PUMP FUNCTION WAS RESTORED BY STOPPING AND CYCLING THE VEHICLE IGNITION TO OFF AND THEN RESTARTING THE ENGINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PARK THE VEHICLE BUT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING HAD BECOME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,065.