MINI Complaints

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED COUNTLESS TIMES WITH 2005-2006 MINI COOPER S VEHICLES. THE IDENTICAL PART FROM BMW WAS PART OF A RECALL IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP WONT SHUT OFF AFTER VEHICLE IS DISABLED, CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DIE. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WILL DISABLE WHILE DRIVING. *TR

VEHICLE SERVICED REGULARLY FOR MAINTENANCE. PRE-INCIDENT ZERO WARNING VIA ON-BOARD SENSORS/INDICATOR. LAST MAINTENANCE PERFORMED AT 52K. VEHICLE HAD 56K MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT. INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE MORNING: TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED UPON START UP. DUE TO THIS FAILURE THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED REQUIRING A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. A SERIOUS ISSUE REQUIRING A RECALL. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON DUE TO FAULTY OC SENSORS, AND FAULTY OC SENSOR CONNECTORS. MINI USA REFUSES EXTENDED WARRANTY ON SENSOR, OR RECALL WHILE PASSENGER SAFETY IS IN JEOPARDY. *TR

MY 2003 MINI COOPER (R50), WITH MANUAL SHIFT AND 83,567 MILES, WAS PARKED ON A CITY STREET WHEN A PASSERBY NOTICED SMOKE AND FIRE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AREA. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE TIME FROM THE CAR BEING PARKED UNTIL THE FLAMES WERE EXTINGUISHED IS ESTIMATED AT 10 TO 20 MINUTES. THE CAR WAS TOWED THE FOLLOWING MORNING TO A MINI DEALER SERVICE CENTER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE AUXILIARY POWER STEERING COOLING FAN HAD FAILED. THE OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE ESTIMATED TO NEED REPLACEMENT ARE THE POWER STEERING PUMP, ENGINE WIRING HARNESS, AUXILIARY WIRING HARNESS, POWER STEERING PUMP RESERVOIR HOSE AND POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE. AT THE TIME I WAS ON A TRIP OUT-OF-TOWN 600 MILES AWAY FROM HOME AND THE CAR IS STILL AT THE OUT-OF-TOWN DEALER. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT NO SIGNS OF ANYTHING SUSPECT WITH THE CAR WERE NOTICED. APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT THE BONNET OF THE CAR WAS OPENED AT A MILITARY ENTRANCE GATE VEHICLE INSPECTION AND NO SIGNS OF ANY ISSUES WERE NOTICED AT THAT TIME. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT IN THE AFFECTED AREA. I AM THE 2ND OWNER OF THE CAR HAVING PURCHASED IT AT 35,086 MILES MID-2007 FROM A LONG-TIME FRIEND WHO WAS THE FIRST OWNER. I MAINTAIN THE CAR AND KEEP ALL MAINTENANCE RECORDS. I BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL REPAIRS AND THE RETURN OF THE CAR TO MY HOME. I HAVE READ ABOUT RECALLS BY TRANSPORT CANADA FOR 2002-2005 MINI STEERING PUMPS WHICH WOULD INDICATE THIS ISSUE IS WORTHY OF INVESTIGATION FOR RECALL. THIS IS A DANGEROUS VEHICLE DEFECT. PLEASE FORMALLY INVESTIGATE THIS INCIDENT. *TR

AS I WAS ACCELERATING WHILE MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY, AT APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH, IT FELT AS IF THE CAR LOST ALL POWER FROM THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE POWER REENGAGED ABOUT A SECOND LATER, AND OVER THE NEXT 5-10 SECONDS THE CAR LOST POWER/REENGAGED TWO MORE TIMES. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE TRIGGERED ON THE DASH. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR INTO DEALERSHIP AND REFERENCED SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER SIM12-02-11/NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 10040855. DEALER REPORTS THAT BECAUSE IT CANNOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND THERE ARE NO REPORTED FAULT CODES, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR, THEREFORE IT CANNOT CONFIRM IF I'M ON MOST RECENT SOFTWARE OR PERFORM SOFTWARE UPDATE TO FIX ERROR REFERENCED IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN DAMAGED THE ENGINE, RENDERING IT INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE ENGINE AND ADVISED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE CAUSING $1800 DAMAGE. WAS TOLD IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND COULD'VE BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO THE DAMAGE AND SAVED TIME, MONEY, AND POTENTIAL DANGER. THANKFULLY NOTHING HAPPENED TO HARM ANYONE. KNOCKING NOISE, SMOKE, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, RUNNING POORLY. HAS BEEN FIXED NOW. *TR

TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, HAS BROKEN GUIDES AND CAUSES VERY LOUD "DIESEL" SOUNDS. ONLY 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. OIL LEAK IN OIL LINE GOING TO TURBO. *TR

2009 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL CONCERNING ELECTRIC AUXILIARY WATER PUMP *TGW THE CONSUMER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE RECALL FIXED, BECAUSE IT WOULD REQUIRE HIM TO SHIP THE VEHICLE, AS THERE ARE NO LOCAL DEALERS WHERE THE CONSUMER RESIDES. THE CONSUMER STATED HE CAN NOT AFFORD TO SHIP THE VEHICLE. *JB