MINI Complaints

I HAVE A MINI S 2006. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AGO THE DASH AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THEN WENT OFF. NOW THE LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY. I WAS TOLD THIS IS A 1300.00 JOB. MY CAR IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. THE CAR HAS A DEFECT SOMEWHERE, 75000 MILES? THE AIR BAG SENSOR SHOULD NOT BE FAULTY. *TR

PASSENGER AIR BAG DISABLED LIGHTS (DASH AND ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR) ARE ON INDICATING NO PASSENGER IS PRESENT (THUS DISABLING THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SYSTEM) EVEN WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL IS OCCUPYING THE SEAT. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND BOUGHT THE SUPPLEMENTAL BMW WARRANTY WHICH I WAS TOLD EXTENDED THE SUPPLIED WARRANTY FROM 4 YEARS/50,000 MILES TO 6 YEARS/100,000 MILES AND COVERED THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BUT WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. AND THE PRIOR YEAR MODEL OF MINI (2006) DID HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ADDRESSED AND THE WARRANTY EXTENDED TO 10 YEARS RELATING TO THE SAME SENSOR FAILING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK WHEN USING THE KEY FOB. IN ORDER TO ENTER THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT NO FAILURE WAS PRESENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AND DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,481.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. IT IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE, WHERE I WILL BE DRIVING FOR SEVERAL MILES WITH THE POWER STEERING INTACT, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT GOES OUT MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO TURN AND CONTROL. LATER THE POWER STEERING RETURNS. I HAD THE VEHICLE EXAMINED BY THE MINI DEALER, THE INSURANCE COMPANY MECHANIC, AND MY PERSONAL MECHANIC. NONE OF THEM WERE ABLE TO NOTICE ANY DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING. THE FLUID LEVEL IS INTACT AS WELL AS THE PUMP. THE MINI DEALER STATED THAT THEY'VE "SEEN A LOT OF THIS" ISSUE, BUT THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR OPEN CAMPAIGNS. THE DEALER BELIEVES THE ISSUE IS DUE TO AN INTERNAL ELECTRONICS FAILURE AND WILL NOT AGREE TO FIX IT IN GOOD FAITH. IN CALLING MINI USA, THERE ARE NO OPEN CAMPAIGNS OR RECALLS FOR THE ISSUE EITHER, DESPITE OVER ~50,000 CARS OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR REPORTEDLY HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND FRUSTRATING SITUATION WITH THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS DUE TO AN UNPREDICTABLE LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE REGAINED POWER STEERING FUNCTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,774.

VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT COLD START, DEALER INFORMED ME IT'S THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONER, TOTAL COST ABOUT $1950.00. DEALER INFORMED ME IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM BUT THERE IS NO RECALL FROM MINI USA. *TR

STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT WHILE DRIVING REQUIRING FULL ARM STRENGTH TO TURN WHEEL. AN ACCIDENT COULD EASILY HAVE OCCURRED IF OTHER VEHICLES WERE IN THE AREA WHERE I WAS TURNING. VEHICLE NOW REQUIRES WIDE RADIUS TO TURN. A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAVE A STRONG UPPER BODY BUT ANYONE DRIVING 2004/05 MINIS WITH THIS STEERING PROBLEM SHOULD TAKE CARE AND HAVE DEALERSHIP FIX AND PAY FOR THE REPAIR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR LOST ALL POWER STEERING. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE CAR. THE CAR WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN THAN A CAR THAT HAS NO POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IT WAS WORKING ONE MOMENT, THEN AFTER A SHORT DRIVING FOR A SHORT PERIOD IT JUST CEASED TO WORK. CHECKED POWER STEERING FLUID AND THE FLUID LEVEL WAS OK. AFTER RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING WORKED AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. THE POWER STEERING WILL JUST QUIT WORKING WHILE DRIVING. YOU ARE GIVEN NO WARNING THAT IT IS NO LONGER WORKING, UNTIL YOU ATTEMPT TO TURN AND THE CAR DOES NOT RESPOND. *JS

HAVE BEEN NOTICING MY MINI'S FAN HAS BEEN SOUNDING LOUDER THAN NORMAL THOUGHT MAYBE A COOLING ISSUE GOING ON HOWEVER LAST WEEK THE POWER STEERING RANDOMLY WENT OUT IN THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. I MANAGED TO PULL THE CAR OVER AND TRIED TURNING CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT, POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. I THOUGHT IT WAS A WEIRD FLUKE AND CHECKED ALL MY ENGINE FLUID LEVELS WHEN I GOT HOME. ALL FLUIDS WERE AT NORMAL LEVEL AND THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. TODAY AGAIN POWER STEERING QUIT THIS TIME EARLY IN THE MORNING AS I WAS GETTING READY TO LEAVE FOR WORK (CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE PREVIOUS NIGHT). I HAD TO DRIVE INTO WORK WITH NO POWER STEERING AS I COULD NOT CALL OUT AND SAME THING DRIVING HOME TODAY POWER STEERING WAS STILL OUT. I STARTED SEARCHING ONLINE AND SAW THERE HAD BEEN SUPPOSEDLY A "SAFETY RECALL" ON 2005 MINI COOPER'S FOR "CAMPAIGN - POWER STEERING FAN RELAY WIRING MODIFICATION -NOTES :SI M32 03 04" STATING: "SERVICE ACTION: CORRECT THE WIRING FOR THE POWER STEERING FAN RELAY". I JUST CALLED MY LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP (BOSTON) GAVE THEM THE LAST 7 OF MY VIN FOR THEM TO LOOK UP IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON MY CAR, THEY STATED MY CAR IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST DESPITE THIS RECALL WAS SUPPOSEDLY ON MODELS R50 AND R53 (MY MODEL IS R50). I CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR NOW WITHOUT PERFORMING THIS REPAIR, MY CAR HAS JUST TURNED 60,000 MILES (STILL CONSIDERABLY LOW I THINK FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS). IN MY SEARCHING I HAVE FOUND THERE ARE 14 OTHER COMPLAINTS LITERALLY JUST LIKE MINE SINCE JUST JANUARY OF THIS YEAR!!! HOW IS THIS NOT ON A RECALL LIST ? I LOVED MY CAR UP UNTIL NOW, I FEEL LIKE MINI HAS A HUGE PROBLEM THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT AND ARE STICKING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH PAYING A BILL FOR SOMETHING THEY PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED AS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THEIR CARS. *KB