MINI Complaints

WHILE PULLING UP TO A SIGNAL WITH THE CLUTCH PEDAL DOWN, WE HEARD A CLUNKING SOUND IN THE CENTER OF THE CAR. THE REST OF THE DRIVE, THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT (6 SPEED MANUAL) INTO ANY GEAR. TOOK THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE LINKAGE WAS FINE. THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE THROW OUT BEARING HAD FAILED, REQUIRING A $2300 CLUTCH REPAIR. THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY EXPENSIVE AND PREMATURE FAILURE. *TR

MY MINI COOPER S HAS LESS THAN 60000 MILES ON IT WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE AND HAS HAD FAILURE OF THE FRICTION WHEEL (AKA TIMING CHAIN OR TENSIONER SYSTEM). THE FIRST SIGNS OF THE ISSUE ARE A VERY LOUD, RATTLING NOISE DURING ACCELERATION AND AS THE PROBLEM GETS WORSE, IT CONTINUES TO RATTLE DURING IDLING. THE MINI CORPORATION IS VERY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WHILE THE DEALERSHIP ITSELF WORKED WITH ME TO LOWER THE COST BECAUSE THEY SAY IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY EVEN WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR AND WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE CORPORATION WOULDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE OR HELP WITH THE COST TO FIX IT. ALSO, IF THE PROBLEM ISN'T FIXED IMMEDIATELY, IT WILL LEAD TO A BLOWN ENGINE. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE READ THAT SEVERAL MINI OWNERS HAVE REPLACED THE FRICTION WHEEL ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM REAPPEAR NOT LONG AFTERWARDS. THIS IS AN ISSUE OF FAULTY MANUFACTURING AND MINI NEEDS TO STAND UP AND ABSORB THE COST TO FIX IT AND/OR RECALL THE MINIS AFFECTED TO ENSURE IT NO LONGER HAPPENS. *TR

I HAVE LOST POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS. IT CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL AND MAKES THE CAR UNDRIVABLE AND THERE IS NO WARNING. I PULL OVER AND RESTART IT AND IT HAS POWER STEERING AGAIN. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT ON THE FREEWAY. *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR 2ND TIME. THE 1ST. WAS 08-11-10 @ 81,539 MILES.THE CONTROL UNIT FOR THE AIR BAG WAS REPLACED. PN: 65-77-184-432. COST FOR THE MODULE WAS $507.00. PART HAS A 2 YEAR WARRANTY FORM BMW. STARTED CAR FRIDAY MORNING TO GO TO WORK AND THE WARNING LIGHT CAME BACK ON. WILL TAKE BACK TO DEALER. PART SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 1 1/2 YEARS. THIS IS A EXPENSIVE PART AND LABOR WAS $400.00 THE LAST TIME IT WAS REPLACED. AM I THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE THIS AIR BAG PROBLEM. I DO NOT THINK THE AIR BAGS WILL WORK WITH THE LIGHT ON. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM TO ME. *TR

I CAME HOME FROM WORK AND PARKED THE CAR IN HIS NORMAL PARKING SPACE ON THE BLACK TOP. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR WITH THE PARKING BRAKE AND LOCKED THE DOOR. A MINUTE LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT REPORT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A KEY LEFT IN THE IGNITION.

VEHICLE FIRE 5/2/2012. CAR PARKED FOR 4 HRS. RETURNED TO CAR & DROVE IT <50 YARDS FOR ~2 MINUTES (MOVED IT FROM STREET TO PARKING LOT). TURNED IT OFF AND WENT IN STORE. RETURNED ~4 MINUTES LATER, NOTICED SMOKE/EXHAUST SMELL; PRESUMED IT WAS ADJACENT CAR. UNLOCKED CAR. CAR WOULD'T START (NO LIGHTS/ELECTRICAL AT ALL). I THEN NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM HOOD. OPENED HOOD THEN NOTICED FLAME/FIRE INSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WENT IN STORE, GOT FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT FIRE OUT. INVOICE WAS >$3500 FROM MINI DEALER. THE DEALER'S ASSESSMENT: "VERIFIED POWER STEERING PUMP HAS OVERHEATED TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS BURNED UP INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY (MELTING ALL THREE CONNECTORS AND THE WIRING LEADING TO THEM). INSPECTED POWER STEERING COOLING FAN AND VERIFIED COOLING FAN IS SEIZING UP WHICH VERY LIKELY LED TO THE OVERHEATING AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. REMOVED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX TO EXAMINE MEGAFUSE POWERING THE POWER STEERING PUMP, FUSE IS INTACT AND DID NOT BURN UP. INSPECTED POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE AND IT APPEARS THE RUBBER SECTION OF THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE WAS SUBJECTED TO THE HEAT/MELTING OF THE MAIN POWER CONNECTOR (IT'S IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CONNECTOR) AND IT APPEARS THE HOSE HAS TAKEN A LEVEL OF DAMAGE FROM THE HEAT. RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING PUMP, THE WIRING SECTION/CONNECTOR PIGTAIL FROM THE FUSE BOX (THIS IS THE MAIN POWER CONNECTOR), THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS (CONTAINS TWO OTHER ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS TO THE PUMP WHICH RECEIVED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE), THE POWER STEERING FAN (LIKELY CAUSE OF FAILURE), POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE (HIGH PRESSURE HYDRAULIC LINE WHICH HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO THE MAIN CONNECTOR MELTING AND SUBSEQUENT HEAT), AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE COMPONENTS (O-RINGS, CRUSH RINGS, HOSE CLAMPS ECT...)" *TR

THE CAR HAD BEEN PERFORMING NORMALLY AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE IT WAS SUDDENLY EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. AFTER COMING OUT OF THE STORE THE CAR RESUMED STEERING CORRECTLY. THEN A FEW DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED-IT WAS TERRIBLY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE VEHICLE. I CALLED MY MECHANIC WHO SUGGESTED CHECKING THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL. I WAS UNABLE TO FIND IN MY OWNERS MANUAL WHERE THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR WAS LOCATED. THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE FLUID THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND FOUND THE LEVEL TO BE NORMAL. HE INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING IN OTHER CARS OF MY TYPE. I ENDED UP HAVING TO HAVE EVERYTHING REPLACED-PUMP, FAN AND RESERVOIR AT A COST FOR PARTS ALONE AT $1033. I FEEL THAT IF THIS PROBLEM WAS KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURING COMPANY THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALLED ITEM FOR SAFETY SAKE. THE RECALL EXTENDED ONLY TO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2004. MY VEHICLE WAS MADE IN FEBRUARY 2005. *TR

I WAS MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY I-25, TAKING A SHARP TURN AT 50 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. I NEARLY MISSED THE TURN AND ALMOST CRASH DOWN THE ON-RAMP, WHICH WOULD'VE PLACED ME HEADING PERPENDICULAR STRAIGHT INTO HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE FROM A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE, BLACK SMOKE EMITTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT UNDER THE HOOD WITH A GARDEN HOSE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CONTACTED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE CONTROLLED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CURVE AND PUNCTURED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE. IN ADDITION, THE WAS AN ABNORMAL HUMMING HEARD FROM THE ENGINE AND THE BATTERY FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000.