MINI Complaints

THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED. IT COMES FROM THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE AND ALSO MADE THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY GO BAD. IT BECAMES VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. *JS

POWER STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY UPON WARM ENGINE RE-START. THE SMELL OF OVERHEATING COMPONENTS IS IN THE PASSENGER CABIN. *JS

CAR MISFIRED AND HAD BACKFIRED; CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK CAR RIGHT TO DEALER , THEY TOLD US IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND DOING NOTHING BUT CHARGING CUSTOMERS FOR THE REPAIR. THE TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING TENSIONER HAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT IS RECOGNIZED BUT NOTHING DONE. IF FULL FAILURE ON ROADWAY CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ISSUES TO ME AND OTHERS . *JS

TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILED RESULTING IN SLACK IN THE TIMING BELT. FINAL RESULT WAS THE TIMING BELT SLACK CONTACTED PLASTIC CHAIN GUARDS WHICH BROKE OFF AND LODGED INSIDE THE ENGINE. AFTER BEING TOWED TO MINI SERVICE, THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENTIRE ENGINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CRITICAL TIMING CHAIN FAILURE LED TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF SMOKE AND I HAD INITIAL CONCERN THAT THE CAR WAS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE. I WAS LUCKY THAT THE INCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK ON THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY POWER ENDANGERING MYSELF AND OTHER DRIVERS. MINI IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER, BUT HAS FAILED TO PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MINI EVEN HAS A BAG FULL OF BENT RODS AT HIS DESK THAT HE SHOWED ME AND TOLD ME HE HAS HAD MULTIPLE CARS COME IN WITH THE SAME ISSUE. *JS

THE POWER STEERING WASN'T WORKING. IT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF, BACK ON AGAIN, AND MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL FROM SIDE TO SIDE SLIGHTLY, THE POWER STEERING RE-ENGAGED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. EVERYTHING ELSE WITH THE CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING NORMAL. *JS

THERE IS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE (MOST LIKELY THE TIMING BELT) AND THE CAR KEEPS JUMPING. *JS

I HAD RETURNED HOME TO CALIFORNIA AFTER LIVING IN HAWAII FOR A FEW MONTHS. I GOT IN MY CAR, DROVE IT FOR A FEW DAYS, ONLY TO FIND THAT WHILE ON ONE OF THOSE DRIVES MY AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. NOT ONE PERSON HAD DRIVEN MY CAR SINCE I HAD BEEN GONE. I TOOK MY CAR INTO BMW AND AFTER PAYING $180 FOR JUST A DIAGNOSTIC FEE, I AM NOW TOLD THAT MY "PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR MAT SENSOR" HAS GONE BAD AND WILL NEED REPLACING FOR $1,600. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE MY ENTIRE SEAT FOR THIS. BMW HAS, SUPPOSEDLY, RECOGNIZED THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE IN OTHER BMW MODELS ON THE PASSENGER FLOOR SIDE AND IS INDEED A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND HAS RECALLED BMWS ACCORDINGLY. HOWEVER, WITH THE MINIS, THEY HAVE NOT FESSED UP TO THIS BEING A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND THE DEALER NOW WANTS $1,600 FROM ME. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO MOTIVATION TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT DID NOT BREAK UNDER MY WATCH, AND SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. MY CAR WAS SITTING IN A GARAGE UNDER A CAR COVER FOR 3 MONTHS, AND THERE IS NO WAY WITH JUST 50,000 MILES ON MY CAR THAT THIS SHOULD BE HAPPENING. BECAUSE I REFUSE TO GIVE THEM $1,600, MY PASSENGERS ARE NOW AT RISK FOR AN AIRBAG EITHER A) GOING OFF WHEN NOT SUPPOSED TO, OR B) NOT WORKING AT ALL. I PAY TOP DOLLAR FOR THIS CAR AND IT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE THAT BMW WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ABOVE ALL. I AM REALLY HOPING THAT SOMEONE WILL NOT HAVE TO LOSE THEIR LIFE OVER THIS FAULTY AIRBAG THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. I EXPECT TOP SERVICE FROM A TOP BRAND LIKE MINI AND BMW, AND SO FAR THEY HAVE NOT TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR AN ISSUE THAT IS CLEARLY THEIR FAULT. *TR

6/2011, VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING LOUD RATTLING NOISE AFTER STARTING UP IN THE MORNING AND DURING ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING. TOOK IT TO LOCAL MINI SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR, NOISE WAS RELATED TO TYPE OF GAS BEING USED (IF NOT CHEVRON OR SHELL, GAS COULD CAUSE NOISE IS WHAT I WAS TOLD). 4/2011, NOISE BEGAN TO GET WORSE. SCHEDULED SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH SAME LOCAL SERVICE CENTER FOR MAY 7TH, 2012 (A MONTH OUT FOR FIRST APPOINTMENT) AS WELL AS TO ADDRESS A RECALL ISSUE RELATED TO RECALL CAMPAIGN 12V-008 ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP. WORK NOT COMPLETED BECAUSE ON 4/13/12, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THEN VEHICLE STALLED OUT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER LOCAL REPAIR SHOW DIAGNOSED, FAILURE WAS FOUND TO BE WITH TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING CAUSING DAMAGE TO ENGINE. SOLUTION=REPLACEMENT OF ENGINE AT A COST OF $6,300. MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS 62,218. REPAIRS NOT COVERED BY MINI AS VEHICLE IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. REPAIRS NOT COMPLETED. RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED TO HAVE THIS COMMON AND KNOWN FAILURE FIXED. *TR

THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME MAKING DRIVING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. HAVING ONLY 12 MILES TO TRAVEL SHE DROVE HOME FIGHTING THE STEERING ALL THE WAY HOME WHEN SHE ARRIVED HOME I OPEN THE HOOD AND COULD SMELL AND SEE SMOKE FROM WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL MELT DOWN ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE ENTIRE WIRING CONNECTORS ARE MELTED AND ASH AND UN USABLE. WE WERE LUCKY THE CAR DID NOT CATCH FIRE. HOWEVER THERE IS CLEAR EVIDENCE THE WIRES WERE ON FIRE. *TR

TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER FAILURE AT 39K, COMMON PREMATURE FAILURE PART ON THIS ENGINE WHEN I LOOKED ONLINE. WE LOVE OUR CLUBMAN, BUT JUST GLAD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN WE WERE ON THE INTERSTATE! *TR