MINI Complaints

AFTER COMPLAINING REPEATEDLY TO THE MANUFACTURER ABOUT A RATTLING NOISE FROM OUR VEHICLE ENGINE AT START UP, THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND HAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED OUR ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER REPEATEDLY CLAIMED THE NOISE WAS "NORMAL" ENGINE NOISE AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. NOW THAT NOT ONLY IS THE TIMING CHAIN BROKEN, BUT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN DESTROYED FROM THE SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE. THERE IS A PETITION ONLINE (CURRENTLY OVER 800 SIGNATURES) FROM MINI OWNERS CLAIMING TO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT LOW MILEAGE AND SIMILAR EXPERIENCES DEALING WITH MINI OF NORTH AMERICA IGNORING THE ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.MINICOOPERSPEED.COM/MINI-COOPER-COLD-START-KNOCKING-NOISE-ISSUE-2007/. *TR

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATES SYSTEM IS EITHER OFF OR INOPERATIVE - IT DOES NOT MATTER IF SOMEONE IS SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SEAT OR NOT. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. AFTER REVIEWING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON MINI FORUMS, IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM IS COMMON AND DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SENSOR UNDER THE SEAT COVER. SINCE I RARELY CARRY PASSENGERS, THIS CONDITION IS DEFINITELY NOT DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR. AS IT STANDS, I HAVE NO WAY TO ASCERTAIN IF THE AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT SITUATION. THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO ANYONE RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR EVEN THE DRIVER. A LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE OR EVEN AN OLDER VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS TYPE OF SAFETY ISSUE. MINI CUSTOMER SUPPORT OFFERED NO HELP DUE TO CAR BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. INDEPENDENT SHOP IS DOING THE REPAIR FOR $1210.00 DUE TO LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN MINI. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 40 MPH WHEN THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 42,000. UPDATED 08/29/12*LJ UPDATED 08/29/12

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT INDICATES SYSTEM IS EITHER OFF OR INOPERATIVE - IT DOES NOT MATTER IF SOMEONE IS SITTING ON THE SEAT OR NOT. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. AFTER REVIEWING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON MINI FORUMS, IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM IS COMMON AND DUE TO A DEFECTIVE SENSOR UNDER THE SEAT COVER. SINCE I RARELY CARRY PASSENGERS, THIS CONDITION IS DEFINITELY NOT DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR. AS IT STANDS, I HAVE NO WAY TO ASCERTAIN IF THE AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT SITUATION. THIS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO ANYONE RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OR EVEN THE DRIVER. A LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE OR EVEN AN OLDER VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS TYPE OF SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. IT HAS OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE THEN.

I WAS TOLD MY WARRANTY EXPIRED END OF JUNE. I BOUGHT MINI-S 08 USED IN FEBRUARY FROM A MINI DEALERSHIP IN WESTCHESTER, ELMSFORD, NY. I NOTICED A KNOCKING NOISE THAT TO ME DIDN'T SOUND NORMAL NOT TOO LONG AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE PEOPLE AT MINI TOLD ME IT WAS FROM SOMETHING ELSE, A LOOSE PIECE AND THAT THEY "FIXED THE PROBLEM." THIS NOISE ONLY BECAME WORSE, AND NOW THE CAR IS AT 45,000 MILES AND NOT EVEN 6 MONTHS FROM PURCHASE. THE NOISE BECAME EVEN LOUDER, WHICH THEN IT SOUNDED LIKE A TRACTOR TRAILER. I CHANGED THE OIL, THE NOISE WASN'T AS LOUD BUT STILL THERE. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THE TIMING BELT IS GOING TO SNAP SOON, AND IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, AND ONCE IT BREAKS, THE WHOLE ENGINE WILL BE DESTROYED. *TR

THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR ACTIVATES, SAYING THAT THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT WHEN ONE IS NOT PRESENT. IT OFTEN REMINDS THIS "PASSENGER" TO BUCKLE THEIR SEAT BELT. OTHER TIMES IT IS SILENT BUT STILL INDICATES THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF WHEN THERE TRULY IS A PASSENGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

LOST POWER STEERING UNEXPECTEDLY IN MY CAR. POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN WERE REPLACED 6/3/2010. ON 6/29/2011, I AGAIN LOST POWER STEERING UNEXPECTEDLY MILEAGE- 96250 . POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN WERE REPLACED AGAIN. ON 6/26/2012 I YET AGAIN LOST POWER STEERING - MILEAGE -111834, PUMP AND FAN WERE REPLACED FOR THE 3RD TIME. EACH TIME THE FAN HAD FAILED AND THE PUMP OVERHEATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED FOR THE FAILURE NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,000. UPDATED 9/10/12 *CN