MINI Complaints

POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT HAZARDOUS TO MANEUVER TURNING LEFT. I REPORTED THIS DECEMBER 14 2011 AND THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIND PROBLEM. REPLACED THE POWER STEERING FAN IN DECEMBER. REPLACED THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING PUMP JANUARY 30, BECAUSE POWER STEERING WOULD GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. I FEEL THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND THE POWER STEERING SHOULDN'T FAIL. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OF THIS PROBLEM. *KB

BEGINNING IN APPROXIMATELY APRIL OF 2009, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN ON CONSTANTLY. ANYONE WHO IS INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO USE ANY INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE CAN FIND HUNDREDS OF ACCOUNTS OF THE SAME ISSUE. DUE TO WHAT HAS BEEN INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED AS A WIRING PROBLEM IN THE SEAT SENSORS, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO DEPLOY WITH IMPROPER FORCE. THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE WITH MINI OWNERS, AND SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS HAVE ALL ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO A WIRING HARNESS UNDERNEATH THE SEAT THAT BREAKS DUE TO MOVING THE SEAT BACK AND FORTH. UNLESS I'M MISSING PAGES FROM THE MANUAL, MOVING THE SEAT BACK AND FORTH IS A NORMAL FUNCTION, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IF SIMPLY MOVING THE SEAT BACK AND FORTH CAN RENDER THE AIRBAG SENSOR USELESS. MINI ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ISSUE IN 2006, AND STATED 'IN THE INTEREST OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, WE ARE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE VEHICLE FOR DEFECTS THAT MAY OCCUR, FOR THIS SPECIFIC AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ISSUE, ON YOUR VEHICLE FOR 10 YEARS / 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. UNDER TERMS OF THIS WARRANTY COVERAGE, MINI WILL COVER ALL NECESSARY REPAIR COSTS RELATED TO THIS ACTION.' I HAVE BEEN TOLD THREE TIMES BY MINI THAT THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO MY CAR. THEY CANNOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHY IT DOES NOT APPLY. THEY JUST TELL ME THAT MY CAR IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS REPAIR DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT CLEARLY FITS THE BILL. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE WIRING IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE, AND NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE A DEFECT CORRECTED. MINI WON'T EVEN PAY TO HAVE A TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE MINI COOPER ON A BUSY ROAD WHEN THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. WE WERE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT OR HIT A PEDESTRIAN. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE DESIGN. THE VEHICLE SHOULD NEVER BE THAT HARD TO CONTROL EVEN WHEN THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THESE PARTS SHOULD BE RECALLED. I WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY OF MY FAMILY TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THERE IS A CHANGE IN DESIGN TO THE PART. SIMPLY REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP WITH A NEW OR REFURBISHED PART WITH A SIMILAR DESIGN WILL NOT MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ONLY FUNCTIONED INTERMITTENTLY. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

POWER STEERING PUMP SEIZED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. POWER STEERING FAN FAILURE AND ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. POWER STEERING HOSES LEAKING AND ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. OUTPUT SHAFT SEAL IS LEAKING, BUT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED AT THIS TIME. THESE REPAIRS COST ME APPROXIMATELY $1000! I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT POWER STEERING FAILURES IN THE 2004-2005 MINI. PLEASE MAKE BMW PAY FOR THIS! *TT

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE MAKING A TURN ON THE OFF RAMP OF THE HIGHWAY. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON INDICATION THAT THE AIRBAG IS NOT TURNED ON. *TT

PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON EVEN IF LESS THEN 25 LBS IS ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RESISTANT TO STARTING ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DRAINED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL SHORT IN THE ELECTRONIC WATER PUMP. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE SHORT CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DRAIN . THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER .THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED MOMENTARILY BEFORE RESUMING NORMAL OPERATION INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE AT LEAST TWICE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MINI COOPER S HATCH BACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL SPORADICALLY WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WOULD OFTEN RESIST STARTING ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE EVERY TIME THE STALLING FAILURE OCCURRED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE INSTRUMENT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED WHERE THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO EXCESSIVE CARBON BUILDUP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000. UPDATED 03/14/12 *BF THE TIMING CHAIN WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 04/18/12