MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S TEMPERATURE STARTED TO INCREASE AND THE TEMPERATURE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 84,000.

I STOPPED AT A GROCERY STORE ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK AT APPROX. 6:30 PM ON 11/17/11. I PARKED THE CAR, TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND LOCKED IT. WHEN I EXITED THE STORE APPROXIMATELY 13-15 MINUTES LATER, I FOUND THE CAR A SMOLDERING SHELL SURROUNDED BY FIREFIGHTERS. IT APPEARED TO HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY GONE UP IN FLAMES. FIREFIGHTERS COULD NOT DETERMINE A CAUSE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT (CAR PERFORMED "NORMALLY" AND THERE WERE NO ALARM OR FLASH INDICATORS ON THE CONSOLE SUGGESTING A PROBLEM.) *JB

MINI COOPER 2007 - RATTLES WHEN COLD. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. FELT TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN. I DID SOME RESEARCH. IT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM AND CAN LEAD TO THE ENGINE SEIZING DURING DRIVING. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE THAT MINI IS WELL AWARE OF. MY CAR ONLY HAS 40,000 MILES ON IT. THE REPAIR WOULD COST ~$2500. IF I DON'T REPAIR IT, I WORRY ABOUT THE ENGINE FAILING WHILE I'M ON THE HIGHWAY - OR WORSE, WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR DURING A DRIVE. MINI KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND HAS DIRECTED DEALERS SPECIFICALLY ON THIS PROBLEM. COUNTLESS ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING. MINI SHOULD OFFER A RECALL AND FIX THIS KNOWN DEFECT BEFORE ANYONE LOSES CONTROL OF A CAR WHILE DRIVING AND SOMEONE GETS HURT. UPDATED IVOQ 07/09/12. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS ALONG THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT THE TACHOMETER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000. ..UPDATED 07/11/12 *BF THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 60 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN CHANGED DOWN TO 2ND GEAR( THE VEHICLE HAS SIX FORWARD GEARS) CAUSING HUGE ACCELERATION AND THEN SLOWING OF THE VEHICLE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC WORK BY THE MECHANIC, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TACHOMETER HAD FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO DOWNSHIFT TO 2ND GEAR. THE FAILURE ALSO NECESSITATED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION.

POWER STEERING FAILED, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN WHEEL WHILE STOPPED. MY WIFE CAN BARELY DRIVE THE CAR. FROM RESEARCHING THIS SITE AND OTHER SITES, MY SITUATION SEEMS TO BE THE SAME AS THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, AND I WOULD LIKE MY NAME TO BE ADDED TO THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION. *TT

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT A MONTH AGO IN A PRIVATE SALE. A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE MINI DEVELOPED A STRONG POWER STEERING WHINE. THIS IS NOT THE ELECTRICAL BUZZING NOISE TYPICAL OF THESE MODELS BUT A NOISE HEARD ABOVE THE ENGINE AT ALL SPEEDS OR IN NEUTRAL REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU TURN THE WHEEL. SEVERAL DAYS AGO, THE STEERING BEGAN TO STIFFEN UP ESPECIALLY WHEN PARKING. YESTERDAY, IT FAILED ENTIRELY AND THIS WAS WHILE DRIVING! NOW, I'M A 6' 180 LB MALE AND WAS ABLE TO REACT AND WRESTLE IT SAFELY BUT I'M THANKFUL THAT MY 5' 100LB WIFE WAS NOT BEHIND THE WHEEL. MAKE NO MISTAKE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ADDRESS!! JUST RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND YOU WILL SEE HUNDREDS (PROBABLY THOUSANDS) OF COMPLAINTS ACROSS THE GLOBE ABOUT THE SAME THING AND IT APPEARS TO BE PRIMARILY 2001-2007 MODELS. OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE MANDATED A RECALL BUT NOT THE SAFETY CONSCIOUS U.S. WHICH SURPRISES ME GREATLY. WHEN OTHER MAJOR MANUFACTURERS HAVE LISTED RECALLS FOR THINGS LIKE SEAT BELT ANCHORS "THAT COULD CRACK" OR AIR BAG SWITCHES "THAT COULD CORRODE" WHY THE HECK ISN'T A MINI COOPER RECALL DONE FOR POWER STEERING SYSTEMS "THAT ARE FAILING"? IF YOU VALUE YOUR FAMILY'S SAFETY, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND STEER (NO PUN INTENDED) CLEAR OF THIS VEHICLE. I WILL BE DUMPING THIS T URD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. MY FAMILY IS TOO IMPORTANT TO WASTE ON A FAD CAR. *TT

THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN ACTING STRANGE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, THE STEERING WOULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES, AND ON THE OTHER OCCASIONS WOULD WORK JUST FINE. A TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP REVEALED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED. THIS SEEMS LIKE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MOST OF THE 2004 MINI COOPERS, A DEFECTIVE PART WAS PUT INTO THE CAR WHILE MANUFACTING. MINI IS NOT TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY OF IT, AND THE DEALERSHIP IS ASKING FOR $1200 TO REPLACE IT. DUE TO THE POWER PUMP FAILURE, THE TEMPARATURE RISES AND MAY HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO A FEW HOSES AROUND THAT AREA. *TT

2011 MINI COUNTRYMAN S ALL4 MANUAL TRANSMISSION AFTER REPEATED INCIDENTS OF THE CLUTCH "SMOKING" UNDER HEAVY USE, AND REPORTING SAID INCIDENTS TO THE DEALER, AND HAVING THE DEALER INSPECT THE CAR AND CLAIM ALL WAS FINE, THE CLUTCH FINALLY WORE DOWN SUFFICIENTLY AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT ONLY 4965 MILES. WE ARE VERY EXPERIENCED DRIVERS OF MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND DID NOT ABUSE THE CLUTCH IN ANY WAY. MINI USA COMPLETED THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY AS A GOODWILL MEASURE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF PREMATURE CLUTCH WEAR/FAILURE ON MINI ENTHUSIAST WEB SITES AND EVEN NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE PUBLICATIONS EXPERIENCED SAME (AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE'S LONG TERM TEST CAR HAD CLUTCH FAILURE AT 15K MILES). *TT

TOOK MY CAR INTO THE MINI DEALER TODAY DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS IDLING LOW, SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL WHEN IT TURNED ON AND MADE A KNOCKING NOISE. MINI LET ME KNOW THAT IT WAS IN FACT MY TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER SYSTEM THAT WAS MAKING THIS SOUND AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED, I COULD HAVE EXPERIENCED COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. MY MINI IS NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM, THEREFORE I FEEL LIKE MINI SHOULD COVER THE COST OF FIXING MY TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER SINCE IT IS GOING TO COST ME APPROXIMATELY $2,500 TO FIX IT. I GUESS I SHOULD BE THANKFULLY THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET MY MINI TO THE DEALER BEFORE IT SUFFERED A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITION WAS ON AND BEGAN TO BLOW OUT WARM AIR. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHAKE SO HE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER. UPON LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS OIL SPILLED EVERYWHERE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.