MINI Complaints

INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. OCCURS WHETHER VEHICLE IS HOT OR COLD. CAN OCCUR AFTER VEHICLE HAS SAT OVERNIGHT. WILL START WORKING AGAIN AFTER SHUTTING DOWN AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. *JS

LOUD SUDDEN DIESEL LIKE RATTLE (COMMONLY KNOWN AS "THE DEATH RATTLE" BY IMPACTED MINI OWNERS) FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON A METICULOUSLY WELL MAINTAINED 2008 MINI COOPER S TURBO. DIAGNOSED BY MECHANIC AS DEFECTIVE TIMING BELT TENSIONER AND IF LEFT UNATTENDED WOULD RESULT IN A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AND POSSIBLE SERIOUS INJURY. COST OF REPAIR IS $1,800. BMW/MINI IS WELL AWARE OF THIS COMMON AND SYSTEMIC TENSIONER DEFECT (DEFECTIVE ORIGINAL PART). THEY SHOULD "DO THE RIGHT THING" AND RECALL AND/OR REIMBURSE GOOD FAITH PURCHASERS FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. *JS

WHILE PROCEEDING DOWN A NORMAL DRY ROAD I MANUALLY SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION (USING MANUAL MODE ON THE CVT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) FROM 3RD GEAR TO 4TH GEAR. THE SHIFT NORMALLY WOULD BE SMOOTH HOWEVER ON THIS OCCURRENCE THE ENGINE IDLED EXTREMELY HIGH AND THE GEAR KICKED IN AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS WITH A LOUD BANGING SOUND WHEN THE GEAR FINALLY TOOK HOLD. THE CAR BEHAVED ITSELF FOR A WHILE BUT THIS EVENT STARTED HAPPENING MORE AND MORE UNTIL IT BECAME A REGULAR OCCURRENCE. MOST OF THE TIME THERE WAS NO LOUD NOISE BUT THE 4TH GEAR WOULD NOT CATCH AND I ADJUSTED MY DRIVING SO THAT I WOULD SHIFT FROM 3RD GEAR TO 5TH GEAR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO AVOID THE OVER REVVING. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP. THEY LOOKED IT OVER AND ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS NO WAY OF REPAIRING THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE IT ENTIRELY. I AM CURRENTLY WORKING TO LOCATE A NEW TRANSMISSION AS DURING THE LAST OCCURRENCE (JULY 21, 2012) THE CAR DID NOT GO INTO 4TH GEAR AND I WAS STUCK ON A HIGHWAY WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO MOVE, I.E. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY GEAR. AFTER PULLING OVER TO SAFETY I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR UP TO 3RD GEAR AND RETURN HOME. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY UNUSABLE. I AM NOT WORKING WITH THE MANUFACTURER / DEALER AS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN ME THAT THEY ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND FINANCIAL GAIN IS THERE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE. IN ADDITION ALL THE INTERNET BLOGS THAT I HAVE REVIEWED, AND JOINED / COMMENTED ON HAS SHOWN ME THAT BMW / MINI DOES NOT WORK WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS TO RECTIFY THIS BAD, UNSAFE PRODUCT. I AM HOPING THAT BMW / MINI WILL WORK WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE STUCK WITH HIS BAD PRODUCT AND I AM ON A LIST TO SUPPORT A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THEM. *TR

MY 2004 MINI COOPER INTERMITTENTLY LOSES IT'S POWER STEERING AND IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT YET WARMED BUT SOMETIMES HAPPENS RANDOMLY. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL WHEN TURNING AND TODAY I JUST MISSED A PEDESTRIAN TURNING A CORNER IN A CROWDED DOWNTOWN AREA. *TR

FAULTY POWER STEERING PUMP CAUSING A LOSS OF COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. 80,000+ INCIDENTS REPORTED WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL OF VEHICLE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF VEHICLE MANUFACTURER. THE PUMP HAS SINCE BEEN RE-MANUFACTURED TO FIX THE ISSUES BUT MINI OF NORTH AMERICA REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE SERIOUS SAFETY ASPECT OF THEIR FAILING PART. *TR

MY WIFE AND I LIVE IN MUNICH, GERMANY, WHERE SHE WORKS FOR THE US GOVERNMENT. LAST WEDNESDAY, WHILE ON THE AUTOBAHN OUR CAR BEGAN TO MAKE SOUNDS AS IF IT WAS DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OR THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF FLUID BEING SPLASHED ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE CAR. BECAUSE IT WAS A SUNNY DAY, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND I WAS PREPARING TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE SOUND. BEFORE I COULD DO SO HOWEVER, I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND SUDDENLY THE CAR BECAME FLOODED WITH A THICK WHITE/GRAY SMOKE FROM THE VENTS AND DASH. I PULLED OVER AS QUICKLY AS I COULD AND BY THE TIME I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, THE ENTIRE HOOD AND INSIDE CABIN WAS ENGULFED IN SMOKE. RATHER THAN POP THE HOOD, I FIRST RAN TO THE TRUNK AND GRABBED A REFLECTOR (WHICH IS REQUIRED BY LAW HERE) AND RAN 20-25 FEET BEHIND THE CAR TO PLACE IT ON THE GROUND, TO WARN ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NO SOONER HAD I DONE THIS, WHEN I HEAD AN EXPLOSION, QUICKLY TURNED AROUND AND SAW THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT HALF OF THE MINI WAS NOW ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I COULD DO NOTHING BUT SIT AND WATCH, AS WITHIN MOMENTS THE FIRE HAD SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE CAR AND SOON BECAME AN COMPLETE FIREBALL. GERMAN POLICE AND FIRE OFFICIALS SHOWED UP 15-20 MINUTES LATER AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS A CHARRED FRAME OF METAL. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT PHYSICALLY HURT BY THE EXPLOSION OR THE FIRE. HOWEVER, MENTALLY I HAVE REPLAYED THE EXPERIENCE A HUNDRED TIMES AND EACH TIME I ASK MYSELF, WHAT IF I HAD POPPED THE HOOD FIRST, OR WHAT IF I HAD TAKEN EVEN AN EXTRA 30 SECONDS IN PULLING THE CAR OVER? THINKING ABOUT IT JUST MAKES MY BLOOD RUN COLD AND FEELS ME WITH DREAD. WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN '08 IN VIRGINIA AND NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH IT AND IT WAS EVEN IN THE SHOP EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHERE THE FLUIDS WERE ALL TOPPED OFF AND EVERYTHING WAS TOLD TO BE IN EXCELLENT RUNNING CONDITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT POWER STEERING FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, WHICH HAD BECOME INOPERABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,916 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,960.

2007 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH FUEL LINE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED SHE NOTICED A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE NEXT DAY, THE SMELL WA WORSE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HER LOCAL MECHANIC TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, THE FUEL LINE HAD BEEN WORN THROUGH FROM IMPROPERLY INSTALLED HEATER HOSE CLAMPS, WHICH WAS AN ORIGINAL INSTALLATION FROM THE FACTORY. OVER TIME, THE CLAMPS RUBBED THROUGH THE FUEL LINE, WHICH LED TO GAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL LINE, AND SPRAYING ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL LINE HAS SINCE BEEN MODIFIED ON LATER MODELS. *JB

I HAVE A 2004 MINI COOPER THAT HAD NINE MONTH OLD PIRELLI EUFORI RUN FLAT TIRES ON ALL FOUR WHEEL THAT IS EXCLUSIVELY DRIVEN BY MY WIFE. I USED THE CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVERAL MONTHS AND NOTICED ABNORMAL HANDLING ON THE VEHIICLE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL TIRE STORE TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES HAS SPLIT DOWN THE CENTER GROOVE OF EACH TIRE (PHOTOS AVAILABLE). ON THE MOST BADLY DAMAGED TIRE, THE STEEL BELT WAS VISIBLE AND HAD NEARLY WORN THROUGH THE STEEL BELT. THE STORE MANAGER WARNED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE VEHICLE WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON THE EXISTING SET OF TIRES. *TR

I RETURNED HOME AFTER DRIVING FOR 15 MINUTES. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND A MOTOR KEPT RUNNING. I RESTARTED THE CAR TO SEE IF A ELECTRICAL FAN HAD KEPT RUNNING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AGAIN, BUT THE NOISE OF A FAN OR PUMP WAS STILL HEARD. I LOOKED FOR A FUSE TO REMOVE, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE ONE THAT STOPPED THE NOISE. I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, SO THE WIRING WOULD NOT OVERHEAT. I RECONNECTED THE BATTERY THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND THE NOISE STILL PERSISTED. I CALLED THE DEALER FERMIN MINI OF TAMPA BAY TO ASK WHAT THE NOISE COULD BE. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR A REPLACEMENT STEERING PUMP AND FAN. *TR