MINI Complaints

MINI ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON FAILED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS IN 2009. SERVICE BULLETINS SIM-11-02-07 AND PUMA MEASURE NUMBER 10686850-13. THE BULLETIN STATES THAT WHEN A CUSTOMER COMES IN WITH A TENSIONER PROBLEM THAT ALL CARS AFFECTED WILL RECEIVE A NEW TIMING CHAIN, CHAIN GUIDES, CAM SPROCKETS AND VANOS UNIT. ON 6/23/10 MY VEHICLE REQUIRED THIS REPAIR. BECAUSE I WASN'T AWARE OF THE SERVICE BULLETINS THE MINI DEALERSHIP ONLY REPLACED MY VEHICLES TENSIONER WITHOUT REPLACING THE OTHER PARTS...THE TENSIONER IS AN EASY REPLACE AND THE ACTUAL TIMING CHAIN IS A 9.9 HOUR JOB SO I'M ASSUMING THEY TOOK THE EASY ROUTE WITH LESS ACCUMULATING LABOR. NOW WE'RE 23 MONTHS INTO THAT REPAIR AND THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER HAS GONE BAD...AGAIN. THIS TIME THE TENSIONER GOING OUT ALSO CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO FAIL ALONG WITH THE CHAIN GUIDES. MINI WILL REPLACE THE TENSIONER AGAIN, WHICH IS A 26 DOLLAR PART, BECAUSE IT IS WITHIN THE 24 MONTH WARRANTY...BUT BECAUSE THE MINI DEALER THAT LAST REPLACED THE TENSIONER DID NOT FOLLOW THE BULLETINS ISSUED AND REPLACE THE OTHER PIECES INVOLVED IN THE BULLETIN, THEY SAY I'M RESPONSIBLE. MINI NOW WANTS TO CHARGE ME 1967 DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR OF THE TIMING CHAIN AND CHAIN GUIDES BECAUSE IT SAYS THE OTHER PARTS ARE NOT COVERED. THE CAR HAS 50,062 MILES (WARRANTY IS TO 50K). THERE ARE WELL OVER 200 ENTRIES THAT I FOUND ON THE INTERNET WITH THIS PROBLEM AND A PETITION WITH OVER 650 SIGNATURES. WHEN IS SOMETHING GOING TO BE DONE? *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY REGAINED POWER STEERING. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

INITIALLY WE WERE PARKED WITH A LARGE ADULT WHO WEIGHS ~200LBS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. SHIFTING AROUND AND UNBUCKLING-REBUCKLING SEATBELT CAUSED THE LIGHTS TO GO OFF FOR A BIT. WE BEGAN TO DRIVE ANYWAY, THE TERRAIN WAS MOUNTAINOUS, AND EVENTUALLY THE LIGHTS WENT OFF. THAT NIGHT. IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS AND MONTHS, IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, SOMETIMES UPON GETTING SEATED AND STARTING TO DRIVE, OTHER TIMES ONCE WE WERE IN MOTION, VERY UNPREDICTABLE. THE PROBLEM SOMETIMES RESOLVED BY SHIFTING HIS WEIGHT OR FUSSING WITH THE SEATBELT TO GET THE LIGHTS OFF, BUT FOR THE PAST MONTH IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM. *TR

THE POWER STEERING IS NOT WORKING. I AM A 280 POUND MAN AND I CAN BARELY TURN . ALSO WHILE DRIVING AT TIMES IT FEELS HARDER TO TURN, ONCE AGAIN LIKE POWER STEERING NOT WORKING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, HE NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

EXECUTING A LEFT TURN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS ISSUE. DAMAGE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF CAR AGAINST CURB. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ON A RECALL!

THE AIR BAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRENTY IN 2009. THE SENSOR HAS MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN IN 2011. THE DEALER SAID THEY DO NOT COVER IT UNDER WARRENTY BECAUSE THE VEHICLE AND THE PART WERE PAST THE WARRENTY PERIOD. THEY WANTED OVER $1000 TO FIX IT. I CONVEYED TO THEM THAT THEY HAVE A SAFETY PROBLEM RELATED TO THIS SENSOR AND APPARENTLY THEY HAVE NOT CORRECTED IT YET, SO WHY WOULD I PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED BY A PART THAT WILL MALFUNCTION AGAIN. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT BMW/MINI ARE IGNORING!

I DROVE MY 2003 MINI COOPER S TO MY LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO RENEW MY DRIVER'S LICENSE. NOTHING ABNORMAL OCCURRED ON THE TRIP TO THE DMV. WHEN I GOT IN AND BEGAN TO DRIVE HOME, THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. LATER THAT EVENING, I STARTED THE CAR WHEN IT WAS COOL AND THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK UNTIL THE CAR WARMED UP. THE RADIATOR FAN AND THE POWER STEERING FAN DO NOT FUNCTION UPON DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS EXTREMELY OFTEN IN 2002-2007 MINIS. I ALSO FOUND, POSTED ON A MINI FORUM BY SOMEONE CLAIMING TO BE AN ENGINEER, A DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM. CARBON DUST FROM THE ELECTRIC MOTOR THAT OPERATES THE POWER STEERING PUMP GETS INTO THE CONTROL UNIT ATTACHED TO IT. SINCE THE CHIP WAS NOT PROPERLY SEALED WITH A LACQUER, IT CAUSEES A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE CHIP. THIS CAUSES THE PUMP TO FAIL. ANOTHER POSSIBLE CAUSE IS THE FAILURE OF THE COOLING FAN FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE FAN CAN SEIZE, STOP COOLING THE PUMP, AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL OVERHEAT. THIS ALSO TRIPS A FUSE THAT STOPS THE RADIATOR FAN. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE CAN ALSO OVERHEAT. I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE FAN HAS STOPPED WORKING. SINCE I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR SINCE THE MIDDLE OF WINTER AND THE HAS BEEN THE ONLY WARM DAY I HAVE DRIVEN IT, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED IT. I PLAN TO AVOID THE $1000 CHARGE TO HAVE IT REPLACED AT THE DEALER BY REPAIRING IT MYSELF BUT MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT THIS FORTUNATE. I BELIEVE THIS DESIGN FLAW CAN AND WILL CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS TO OCCUR. IF MY MOTHER, SISTER, OR GIRLFRIEND HAD BEEN DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT FAILED, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STEER RESULTING IN A SERIOUS CRASH. WHILE PERUSING VARIOUS MINI FORUMS, I HAVE READ STORIES OF SEVERAL SERIOUS CRASHES. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECALL ON ALL 2002-2007 MINI COOPERS SO THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN NOT HARM SOMEONE.