MINI Complaints

MULTIPLE TIMES, HOWEVER, NEVER WHEN THE DEALER LOOKS AT IT, MY "AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT COMES ON WHILE A PERSON OF ADEQUATE WEIGHT IS SITTING PROPERLY IN THE SEAT. ONCE IT COMES ON IT DOES NOT COME OFF UNTIL THE SEAT IS EMPTY OR THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. DEALER WON'T DO ANYTHING IF THERE ISN'T A FAULT CODE AND CAN NOT DUPLICATE ERROR. IT'S IN FOR THE FOURTH TIME FOR THIS PROBLEM. SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED. THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE POWER STEERING ELECTRICAL COLUMN, WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

WHILE DRIVING, I NOTICED IT BECAME MARKEDLY MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. I WAS ABLE, WITH EFFORT, TO DRIVE SAFELY TO MY DESTINATION. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO RETURN HOME, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING FOR THE FIRST 4 OR SO MILES, THEN IT GAVE OUT AGAIN. *TR

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AND AS I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN,I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED AND I HAD TO FIND THE STRENGTH TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BEFORE I RAN INTO THE BUILDING ON THE NAVY BASE WHERE I WORK. I HAD A POWER STEERING PUMP PUT ON. IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN A YEAR AND ALREADY I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING. I DO NOT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO BUY A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP EVERY YEAR. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. THE STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY LOCKS UP AND CAN'T BE TURNED. ON TOP OF THAT, IT'S COMPLETELY UNPREDICTABLE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS TAKING A RIGHT TURN OUT OF A ROUNDABOUT, WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WOULDN'T TURN COMPLETELY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS GOING SLOW ENOUGH THAT I COULD BRAKE SO THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A CAR WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT. IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. THE FAILURES HAVE BEEN OFF AND ON SINCE THEN. FAILURE IS USUALLY DURING IN TOWN DRIVING. *TR

VERY DISAPPOINTED TO FIND OUT THAT A VEHICLE I HAVE TAKEN EXCEPTIONAL CARE OF TO AVOID COSTLY REPAIRS HAS ALSO HAD THE OCCUPANCY MAT GO BAD OUT OF THE BLUE.... I WASN'T EVEN DRIVING THE CAR! I HELD OUT HOPE THAT THE REPAIR WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND WAS TOLD OFF THE RECORD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS HE RECEIVES AND IN HIS OPINION HAS COST MINI A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF REPEAT BUSINESS. IT IS VERY HARD TO SWALLOW THE $1400 REPAIR WHEN IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURES PROBLEM WHICH WILL COST SOMEONE THEIR LIFE ONE DAY; MAYBE THEN THEY WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIX THEIR PROBLEMS. LIKE TOYOTA; IT TOOK PEOPLE DYING FOR THEM TO ADDRESS THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEM. SAD, VERY SAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ASSISTANCE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING SYSTEM BECAUSE THE ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST PUMP COULD NOT BE REPLACED BY ITSELF. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,995 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 48,000. UPDATED 03/14/12*LJ ALSO, THE AUXILIARY COOLING FAN WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 04/18/12

NOTHING REALLY SPECIAL HAPPEND OTHER THAN THE AIRBAG LIGHT RANDOMLY CAME ON. I DIDNT HIT ANYTHING OR HIT A BIG BUMP. I ADJUSTED MY SEAT AND I HAVE READ THAT MINI COOPER MAY HAVE MADE THE WIRES UNDERNEATH THE SEAT TOO SHORT SO WHEN YOU RECLINE OR MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD FOR PASSENGERS IT COULD TRIGGER. *TR

AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY LOST POWER (NO NOISE OR OTHER INDICATIONS). THE WHEEL BECAME EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT TO TURN. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD, BUT THE STEERING WOULD NOT HAVE RESPONDED TO A SMALLER/WEAKER DRIVER. *TR