MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S CLUBMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SOMEONE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THE YELLOW AIR BAG LIGHT DOES NOT SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD SINCE THERE WAS NO ERROR CODE THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE TO REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT SAID THAT THE MANUAL STATED IF THE FAILURE OCCURRED THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,600. UPDATED 03/14/12*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE . THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEEDS OF 30 MPH, WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN ON WHEN THE POWER STEERING BEGAN TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,020.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING AND WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 98,000.

POWER STEERING SEEM A LITTLE HARD BUT WHILE CRUISING ON THE FREEWAY IT SEEMED LIKE IT ALMOST WENT COMPLETELY OUT. HASN'T HAPPENED LIKE THAT SINCE BUT ITS STILL A LITTLE HARDER TO TURN THAT WHAT I THINK IT SHOULD BE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES PER HOUR AND IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING AROUND A BEND, MY POWER STEERING GAVE OUT. AS THE CURVE WAS OF DECREASING RADIUS, THIS FAILURE WAS EVIDENT BY A SIGNIFICANT (>100%) INCREASE IN RESISTANCE TO STEERING ANGLE CHANGE AND UPON COMPLETION OF THE TURN A COMPLETE LACK OF AUTOMATIC RETURN TO A NEUTRAL STEERING PATH (THE CAR WANTED TO "STAY" IN THE TURN). RETURNING THE CAR TO NEUTRAL STEERING ANGLE ALSO REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT (>100%) ADDITIONAL APPLICATION OF FORCE. UPON PULL-OVER AND RESTART OF THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING RETURNED, BUT ONLY FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE OF DRIVING. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DRIVE THE POWER STEERING FLUCTUATED IN AND OUT MAKING DRIVING DIFFICULT. CAR WILL BE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR FAULT DIAGNOSIS THIS WEEK AS THE ISSUE HAS PERSISTED AND CONTINUED TO WORSEN (LONGER DROUGHTS OF POWER STEERING OPERATION) OVER THE PAST WEEK. *TR

BRAND NEW VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN FOR REPAIR AT 7,308 MILES 1/27/10 VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE DUE TO MISFIRES 1/27/810. MINI SERVICE CLEANED FUEL SYSTEM AND PROVIDED "COURTESY" FIRST TIME INJECTOR SERVICE. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME AND BROUGHT BACK THE NEXT DAY FOR THE SAME MISFIRE FAULTS 2/2/10, HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND FUEL RAIL WAS REMOVED. 7,318 MILES, 10 MILES LATER... THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN AGAIN FOR COMBUSTION MISFIRES 24,491 MILES 8/12/11 BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR STRANGE NOISE, MINI SAID IT WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. 24,783 MILES 8/18/11 VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN DUE TO ENGINE SEIZING...TURBO CARBON BUILD UP, TURBO FEED LINE ISSUES 33,124 MILES 01/31/12 VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISES, BROUGHT IN TO SERVICE, MINI SAID THEY WOULD NEED TO INSPECT THE CAR CLOSER TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I SCHEDULED A SERVICE AND LOANER FOR 2/1/12 (REPORT SAID THAT THERE WERE MISFIRE ISSUES, I WAS NOT INFORMED...UNTIL I NOTICED IT ON THE REPORT A WEEK LATER) 33,250 MILES 2/1/12 VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN ENGINE SEIZED, ENGINE COMPLETELY REPLACED. MINI CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NOT A LEMON IN ANY WAY AND THAT I WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR MY LEASE UNTIL THE CONTRACT END. I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING A CAR, WITH A TRACK RECORD OF SEIZING OR MISFIRING AT ANY TIME ON A HIGHWAY OR ROAD, PUTTING ME IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS, THE POWER STEERING ON OUR MINI WOULD GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY (AT SPEEDS OF 60-70MPH) AND DRIVING AROUND TOWN (SPEEDS OF 10-35). IT WOULD GO OUT RANDOMLY WITH NO WARNING. MY WIFE COULD BARELY STEER THE CAR AND ALMOST GOT INTO A CRASH TRYING TO TURN RIGHT ONE DAY. LAST WEEKEND, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT FOR GOOD. WE ARE TAKING IT IN ON MONDAY FOR MINI TO LOOK AT. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS ARTICLES OF THIS PROBLEM AND WANTED TO REPORT IT HAPPENING IN OUR VEHICLE. *TR

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS THE SENSOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT IS BAD. BMW HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND ISSUED A 10 YEAR 150,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND RECALL FOR APPROXIMATELY 150,000 VEHICLES OVER MODEL YEARS 2004 - 2006. FOR SOME REASON THEY REFUSE TO INCLUDE THE 2005 MINI COOPER S IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND WANT ~$2,000 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT BOTTOM FOR THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE CAUSED BY A KNOWN AND ADMITTED DEFECTIVE PART. MINI SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY AS THEIR PARENT COMPANY BMW HAS DONE FOR VARIOUS MODELS AFFECTED BY THE SAME DEFECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS EMITTING A NOISE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,800. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I SLOWED DOWN, AND I HEARD CLUNKING ROCK LIKE NOISES. MY CAR ROLLED TO A STOP. MY MECHANIC HAS VERIFIED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN IS BROKEN, WHICH IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN. THE MINI COOPER FORUMS HAVE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM IN 2007 MINI COOPER S MODELS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. MINI HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, BUT THEY NEED TO. IMMEDIATELY. *TR