MINI Complaints

THE OIL LINES THAT SUPPLY THE TURBOCHARGER ARE LEAKING OIL AND IT CONTINUES TO GET WORSE, STARVING THE TURBO OF COOLING OIL AND SPRAYING OIL ALL OVER THE ENGINE. *TR

TECHNICALLY THERE WERE 3 INCIDENTS WITH MY 04 MINI COOPER. OUT OF NOWHERE, WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY STREET, THE POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, AND SLOWED ENOUGH TO VEER TO THE ROADSIDE AND CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WITH MINI'S. HOWEVER, I DID NOT ASK THEM TO REPLACE MY PUMP, I WANTED A SECOND OPINION. OUT OF NOWHERE MY CAR STARTED TO DRIVE WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WHATSOEVER. I GOT A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD IN ABOUT A YEAR, IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THEY TOO MENTIONED THIS ISSUE WITH MINI'S. I WAS SHOCKED. WEEKS LATER, I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I BARELY MISSED A BUS STOP ON THE CORNER, FULL OF PEOPLE. SHAKEN, I AGAIN CALLED MINI AND ASKED ABOUT A RECALL OR ANY PROCEDURES TOWARD HAVING ONE MADE. OBVIOUSLY, THEY WERE UNHELPFUL, BUT THEY TOO DIVULGED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MY CAR STARTED TO DRIVE NORMALLY ONCE MORE, BUT I DROVE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE WHILE I CONTINUED MY RESEARCH. A THIRD TIME, I COULDN'T EVEN GET MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND I DECIDED THAT WAS IT. I WAS JUST GOING TO TAKE IT TO A MINI DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THE PUMP REPLACED. WHEN I CALLED WITH MY SITUATION AND THEN TOLD THEM I BELIEVED MY POWER-STEERING PUMP WAS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED, THEY DIDN'T ARGUE OR SAY THEY'D LOOK INTO IT, THEY BASICALLY AGREED, AND GAVE AN ESTIMATE. I TOOK IT IN AND THEY AGAIN ASKED NO QUESTIONS, THEY DIDN'T LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. $1200 LATER, I LEFT WITH NO QUESTIONS ANSWERED, WITH A HOLE IN MY POCKET. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP. WHAT IF I HAD HIT THAT BUSTOP FULL OF PEOPLE, OR WORSE? I CAN STILL TELL THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY STEERING. MINI NEEDS TO DO A RECALL. YESTERDAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000. UPDATED 03/15/12 *BF

ENGINE DEVELOPED A KNOCKING, RATTLING SOUND WHICH GREW LOUDER OVER TIME. THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED A TIMING CHAIN GLIDE AND TENSIONER FAILURE. REPLACED THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. WAS TOLD MINI REALIZED THE GLIDES WERE INFERIOR AND WAS NOW USING UPGRADED GLIDES IN THE REPLACEMENT KITS. WHEN ASKED IF THIS SHOULDN'T BE A WARRANTY REPLACEMENT SINCE IT COULD LEAD TO TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE, WAS TOLD THIS WAS UP TO MINI-USA, NOT THE DEALER. THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE TIMING CHAIN BREAKS WHILE DRIVING, SEIZING THE ENGINE, AND LEADING TO LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG DETECTOR IS FAULTY. WHEN NO ONE IS SITTING ON THE SEAT, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THIS WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT 44300 MILES. THE WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON ONCE AGAIN AT 67000 MILES AND HAS STAYED ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACT AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURBO CHARGER WAS NOT PROPERLY SHIELDED AND THE HOOD DID NOT HAVE ANY INSULATION. AS A RESULT, THE HOOD WOULD BECOME EXTREMELY HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22. UPDATED 03/14/12*BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER PROVIDED ADDITIONAL HEAT SHIELDS. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT COMPLETELY CORRECT THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 05/10/10

WHILE DRIVING THE 2003 MINI, THE POWER STEERING FAILED MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. SINCE THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT, THE POWER STEERING WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. RESEARCH SHOWS THE LIKELY REASON FOR THE PROBLEM IS A POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. I AM ORDERING A NEW PUMP TO REPLACE THE FAILED PUMP. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH MINI FOR THIS YEAR MODEL. MINI SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR INCLUDING LABOR AS THE PUMP APPEARS TO HAVE HAD ISSUES SINCE 2002. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER ABNORMALLY AND WOULD SPORADICALLY STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS FAILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 65,000.

WITH OUT ANY ADVICE, THE STEERING TURNS RIGID AND HARD TO MANIPULATE,I CHECKED THE FLUID AND IT LOOKS FINE AND CLEAN. *TR