MINI Complaints

THE MOTOR MOUNT ON THE MINI COOPER IS NOTORIOUS FOR LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID AND NEEDING REPLACEMENT AFTER FEWER THAN 20,000 MILES OF SERVICE. MINE SHOWED FLUID LEAKAGE AT 18,000 MILES, AND MANY OTHERS ON THE INTERNET REPORT THIS DEFECT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 10,000 MILES. THE COMPANY HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN M22 01 06 FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT TREAT THIS CHRONIC AND DANGEROUS CONDITION AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THIS DEFECT COULD ALLOW THE MOTOR TO SHIFT, LEADING TO ACCIDENTS AND LOSS OF LIFE. HAVING BEEN AN AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC FOR YEARS, I NORMALLY EXPECT A MOTOR MOUNT TO LAST ABOUT 75,000 MILES. THIS UNACKNOWLEDGED MANUFACTURING DEFECT IS UNSAFE AND COSTLY TO REPAIR. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAD IT REPAIRED AT MINI OF NORTH SCOTTSDALE (AZ) AND IT COST ME ABOUT $245. *TR

POWER STEERING FROZE UP AS WE TURNED A CORNER AND THEN DIED OUT COMPLETELY. IT HAS NEVER RETURNED. VERY CLOSE TO CAUSING A COLLISION BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY MINI COOPER S ON THE FREEWAY GOING INTO A TURN, THE WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN WITH NO NOTICE. I COULD NOT MAKE THE TURN ALL THE WAY AND THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRES AND FENDER HIT THE CURB ON THE FREEWAY. I FOUGHT THE CAR OFF THE FREEWAY AND LET IT SIT FOR 15 MINS WHILE I CALLED MINI. THE DEALER SAID THAT MY POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. AFTER A WAIT OF 15 MINS THE CAR STARTED AND DROVE JUST FINE. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TESTED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND SAID THAT IT WAS GOOD AT THAT TIME. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM WITH JUST GIVING OUT AT RANDOM TIMES UNLESS I SPENT $4000 AND HAD ALL THE COMPONENTS REPLACED EVEN THOUGH IT TESTED GOOD AT THE TIME. THEY REPLACED ALL THE BUSHINGS AND STRUTS IN THE FRONT AT THAT TIME FOR $2000. THEY TOLD ME NOT TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING UNLESS IT TOTALLY STOPPED WORKING. THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS 5000 MILES LATER ON A ROUND ABOUT AT 35 MPH. THE STEERING HAD JUST FAILED AGAIN. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN THE DEALER TESTS THE SYSTEM AFTER A FAILURE AND CLAIMS THAT IT IS GOOD, AND THEN IT FAILS AGAIN WITH NO WARNING. I THINK THAT THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND HAVE ALL THE SYSTEMS UPGRADED TO NOT FAIL AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE AND IF THEY DO FAIL TO BE ABLE TO TRACK SUCH A FAILURE. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING,CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME UNRESPONSIVE TO NORMAL STEERING WHEEL OPERATION, RESULTING IN DRIVER HAVING TO TAKE UNEXPECTED AND SUDDEN STEERING CORRECTION TO AVOID RUNNING OFF THE ROAD OR COLLIDING WITH AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 2005 MINI COOPER, I WENT AROUND A CORNER AT ABOUT 30 MPH AND WHEN I TRIED TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE POWER STEERING HAD QUIT WORKING. IT ALMOST PUT ME IN THE DITCH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD. JUST THANKFUL OF NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *TR

I HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE TO WORK WITHOUT INCIDENT. STARTED VEHICLE AFTER WORK AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. DROVE THE VEHICLE 34 MILES AND PARKED IT FOR 30 MINUTES. WHEN I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING WAS AGAIN WORKING. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING 1 TO 5 TIMES PER WEEK. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY PATTERN TO IT, IT HAS HAPPENED AT COLD START, AFTER WARM START, HOT/COLD/WET/DRY WEATHER, LEVEL/SLOPED PARKING, WHILE DRIVING & STATIONARY, ETC. I'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH IT AS AN ANNOYANCE, UNTIL I RECENTLY HAD A VERY FRIGHTENING FAILURE THAT VERY NEARLY HAD *FATAL* CONSEQUENCES. I WAS DRIVING ROUGHLY 25 MPH, THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT, IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, WHEN A YOUNG CHILD (I ESTIMATE 4-5 YEARS OLD) RAN INTO THE STREET FROM BETWEEN TWO PARKED CARS 5 OR 6 CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF ME. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES (ABS FULLY ENGAGED) AND ATTEMPTED TO SWERVE INTO THE ONCOMING [EMPTY] LANE AT AVOID... BUT MY STEERING PUMP WAS OUT AND I COULD NOT ALTER MY COURSE SUFFICIENTLY. I CAME TO A STOP WITH THE CHILD BARELY THREE FEET OFF MY FRONT BUMPER! SO NO DAMAGE OR INJURY, BUT... THIS FAILURE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE! *TR

MY 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AFTER A SHORT TRIP, NOT RUNNING. I CAME OUT OF A STORE AND SAW SMOKE POURING OUT FROM ALL AROUND THE HOOD AREA. I RAISED THE HOOD AND THE SMOKE BEGAN TO SUBSIDE. SMELLED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS WARNING OF ANY KIND. THE REPAIRS INCLUDE THE ALTERNATOR, POWER STEERING PUMP, RESERVOIR, POWER STEERING PUMP FAN. AT A TOTAL OUT OF POCKET OF $1900.00. *TR

TURBO OIL SUPPLY LINE FROM ENGINE TO TURBO LEAKING EXCESSIVE OIL REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. POOR ENGINEERING DESIGN OF COMPRESSION FITTING LED TO PREMATURE FAILURE. CONTINUED OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITH THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE AND OR ENGINE TURBO FAILURE. *TR

CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED UP (TOTALED) IN MY DRIVEWAY AFTER IT WAS SHUT OFF. FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER I SHUT IT OFF AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. IT NEARLY BURNED DOWN MY HOUSE TOO -- FRONT STEPS AND FENCE CAUGHT FIRE BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. HAVE PHOTOS TO DOCUMENT. *TR