MINI Complaints

I WAS UNABLE TO GET MY VEHICLE SMOGGED. THE OBD WAS NOT COMMUNICATING WITH SMOG MACHINE. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND FOUND THE POWER STEERING ELECTRICAL WAS CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE SYSTEM. *TR

THE CRITICAL TIMING CHAIN FAILURE CAN LEAD TO PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE FAILING TIMING CHAIN CAN ALSO CAUSE THE MOTOR TO FAIL. THIS IN TURN LEADS TO A LACK OF POWER/ACCELERATION/MOVEMENT ENDANGERING THE DRIVER AND OTHER DRIVERS. CURRENTLY BMW/MINI HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ISSUE HOWEVER HAS FAILED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE DEFECTED ITEM OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THIS ISSUE ALSO DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN ISSUE FROM CERTAIN DATE OR ASSEMBLY LINE. IT HAS BEEN AFFECTING A WIDE RANGE OF MINI COOPER S AND JOHN COOPER WORKS MODELS WITH A DATE RANGE BETWEEN 2007-CURRENT. MINI COOPER DRIVERS AROUND THE U.S. AND WORLD HAVE BEEN REPORTING A STRANGE KNOCKING/RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 2007+ MINI COOPER. FROM THE MISC DEALER REPAIR DETAILS IT APPEARS TO BE A ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER SYSTEM. IT ALSO APPEARS THE WITHOUT BEING FIXED THE CAR WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE AND POSSIBLE MOTOR DESTRUCTION. ON A GOOD NOTE BMW/MINI KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS HOWEVER IS FAILING TO COME UP WITH OR ACKNOWLEDGE A PERMANENT SOLUTION. HOW MANY CUSTOMERS ISSUES WILL IT TAKE BEFORE BMW/MINI WILL ISSUE A FULL RECALL? WE ALL HOPE NOT MANY MORE. I AM IN THE SECOND GENERATION MINI GROUP MYSELF. EVERY MORNING I CROSS MY FINGERS IN HOPE THAT WHEN I PUSH THE START BUTTON THE SOUND OF ENGINEERING FAILURE DOESN'T SING FROM UNDER MY HOOD! *TR

SRS WARNING LIGHT REQUIRING OC3 MAT REPLACEMENT AT ONLY 60K MILES. PASSENGER AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF COLLISION. COST OF REPLACEMENT IS QUOTED AS $1374.83. *TR

TIMING CHAIN BROKE AT 80000K AFTER REPLACING TENSIONER AT 60000K FROM OIL LEAK. ALSO REPLACED WATER PUMP & THERMOSTAT DUE TO CAR OVERHEATING. NOW AT 82000K HAVE A BURNT OUT VALVE. BIG PROBLEMS ON MY MINI COOPER S '07. *TR

WAS TRAVELING AT NEIGHBORHOOD SPEED, TURNED INTO DRIVEWAY AND POWER ASSIST ON THE STEERING FAILED. HAD I BEEN AT SPEED THIS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN HITTING A TREE NEXT TOT HE DRIVEWAY. THE CAR WAS ESSENTIALLY UNSTEERABLE WITHOUT TREMENDOUS FORCE, A CONDITION COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED. AFTER TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTING IT, THE PROBLEM WAS NO LONGER THERE, SO OBVIOUSLY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM RECURRED ABOUT A MONTH LATER WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE AS I DID NOT NOTICE IT UNTIL DECELERATING TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RAMP, IT AGAIN BECAME NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MANEUVER. AFTER TURNING IT OFF AND BACK ON, THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. THIS HAS RECURRED ON AND OFF EVER SINCE. A LOCAL BMW/MINI SPECIALIST MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS NOT AN INFREQUENT PROBLEM WITH 2005 MINI'S. HE INDICATED THE POWER STEERING FUNCTIONS FINE EXCEPT FOR INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT CAUSE IT TO FAIL. THE PROBLEM HAS NOW COME BACK AND IS VERY FREQUENT. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME AT LOW SPEEDS, AND WHILE PARKING. I FEEL THERE IS SUFFICIENT INSTANCE OF THIS TO WARRANT A RECALL AS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH THE DESIGN OR ENGINEERING OF THE POWER STEERING IN FAR MORE CASES THAT JUST MY VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COPPER S. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR REPAIR WERE ON BACK ORDER UNTIL APRIL 13, 2012. THE CONTACT MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE THAT DATE, BUT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE LATER STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND TOWED TO A MINI SPECIALIST WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRIC AUXILIARY PUMP FAILED. THE FAILURE DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE STEERING WHEEL HAD TO BE TURNED WITH EXTREME FORCE AS SMOKE EMITTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE INITIATED IN THE STEERING PUMP COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AS WELL AS "AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. OCCURS WHEN PASSENGER IS AND IS NOT IN SEAT. AUDIO FOR SEATBELT OCCURS WHEN PASSENGER IS NOT IN SEAT. MINI DEALER REPAIRED INITIALLY AT ABOUT 30K MILES, OCCURRED AGAIN AT 48K MILES. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILS WHEN ENGINE IS TURNED ON. ALSO OCCURS WHILE DRIVING. MECHANIC STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. *TR

THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT JUST AFTER I PURCHASED IT. I SEE THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR NEARLY EVERY YEAR MODEL THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN PRODUCED FOR THE AMERICAN MARKET. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND I STATED THAT MESSAGE BOARDS ONLINE WERE LOADED WITH ANGRY CUSTOMERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING. THEY REFUSED TO ADMIT THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM AND WANT TO CHARGE ME $2500! PLEASE, NHTSA, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! *TR