MINI Complaints

WHY IS MY VIN # NOT ADDED TO THIS RECALL? IT HAS ALL THE SAME SYMPTOMS.. I CALLED MINI USA WITHOUT GETTING ANYWHERE. DID I JUST A BUY A LEMON? SEE INFO BELOW: THE COLD START ISSUE HAS BEEN A COMMON THEME POPPING UP IN THE FAULTS AND FIXES THREADS ON VARIOUS MINI FORUMS. SPECIFICALLY, MCS OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT A PECULIARLY LOUD ENGINE RATTLE ON START-UP. NOW THE R56 IS A N?INTERESTING" SOUNDING ENGINE TO BEGIN WITH. THE DIRECT FUEL INJECTION SOLENOIDS GIVE THE CAR A VERY DIESEL-ESQUE SOUND AT IDLE. BUT THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT SOUND ALTOGETHER. BMW HAS DETERMINED THAT THE COLD START RATTLE WAS/IS BEING CAUSED BY THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER (WHICH IS IN TURN POWERED BY AN OIL-PRESSURIZED PISTON). MORE SPECIFICALLY THE SOUND IS CAUSED WHEN THE TENSIONER PISTON DOESN'T EXTEND ALL THE WAY (OR AT ALL) WHICH THEN ALLOWS THE TIMING CHAIN TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE GUIDES ON THE ENGINE COVER. AFTER TWO YEARS OF RESEARCH INTO THE ISSUE MINI NOW HAS OFFICIAL REPAIR INFORMATION AT DEALERS THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE ISSUE. THE PUMA MEASURE NUMBER THAT WILL NEED TO BE REFERENCED IS 10686850-13 (WE'VE SEEN 10686850-12 MENTIONED BUT WE BELIEVE 13 IS THE LATEST) AND THE PART NUMBER IS 11.31.7.598.956. ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION WE'VE SEEN, ALL CARS AFFECTED IN WITH THE ISSUE WILL GET A NEW TIMING CHAIN, CHAIN GUIDES, CAM SPROCKETS AND VANOS UNIT. AT THIS STAGE MINI IS HANDLING THIS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS WHEN THE OWNER COMPLAINS ABOUT THE SOUND. WERE GUESSING THEY WOULD LIKE TO STEER CLEAR OF SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF A RECALL (VOLUNTARY OR OTHERWISE) DUE TO THE COST OF THE SERVICE. HOWEVER DON'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE AND HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THE OFFICIAL FIX SOON. IN THE MEAN TIME IF YOUR 2007-2009 MCS IS AFFECTED WED URGE YOU TO CALL AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT YOUR LOCAL DEALER. *KB

2003 MINI COOPER, POWER STEERING PUMP JUST QUIT MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TOO DRIVE. WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON THING WITH THE MINI COOPER AND AFTER CHECKING ON LINE I SEE THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM! I THINK BMW NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TAKE CARE OF THIS!!! AFTER ALL 800 DOLLARS FOR A NEW ONE IS A BIT MUCH!!! *KB

ON THE DATE OF INCIDENT I PARKED MY CAR IN A WELLS FARGO BANK PARKING LOT AFTER GOING TO THE GYM. UPON RETURNING TO MY CAR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD PARKED NEXT TO ME INFORMED ME THAT "YOUR CAR IS SMOKING" I LOOKED AND WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD TO INSPECT IT AND SAW WHITE SMOKE WHICH SMELLED ELECTRICAL. THE INDIVIDUAL WHO NOTICED SMOKE CAME OUT OF HER SUV TO HELP. SHE AND I LOOKED AND SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE SAW A SMALL FLAME COMING FROM UNDER THE ENGINE. I SAW IT AND EXTINGUISHED IT WITH A BOTTLE OF WATER I HAD. I THEN HEARD AN ELECTRICAL SPINNING/HUMMING AS IF SOMETHING WAS STILL ELECTRICALLY CHARGED. THE SMOKE THEN BEGAN TO INTENSIFY AND GOT SO OUT OF CONTROL I WAS TEMPTED TO CALL 911 BUT THEN I THOUGHT TO DISCONNECT ANY POWER TO THE CAR BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY. THIS ACTION CUT ALL POWER TO THE CAR AND STOPPED THE SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL SPINNING/HUMMING. I CALLED AAA AND HAD MY CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. ON THE EVENING OF 12/23/2011 MY MECHANIC CALLED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT MY POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED AND ESTIMATED THE REPAIRS AT $1,046. ON 12/26/2011 MY CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME BY MY MECHANIC WHO SHOWED ME THE FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP WHICH MELTED OTHER WIRES AND COMPONENTS OF THE POWER STEERING MECHANISM. TOTAL OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES WAS $1,053. *TR

POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING, 1ST TIME WHILST AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, 2ND TIME WHILST PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. STEERING BECOMES VERY HEAVY, ALMOST UNMANAGEABLE. I HAVEN'T USED THE CAR IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS AS I HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY, I NEED TO LOOK INTO REPLACING THE STEERING PUMP, FAN AND A COVER. *TR

MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN TURNED OFF. SHE RE-STARTED THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED FINE AFTER THAT. IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHEN I WAS ALSO BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT LAST NIGHT. I AM AFRAID THIS COULD BECOME A BIG ISSUE IF THIS HAPPENS IN TRAFFIC THUS THE REPORT. FROM AN INTERNET SEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE SO THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WHICH MINI NEEDS TO FIX BEFORE THIS ENDS TRAGICALLY FOR SOMEONE. *TR

AS A BACKGROUND, ON NOVEMBER 25, 2011, I DELIVERED THE CAR, A 2007 MINI COOPER S TO A MINI DEALERSHIP WHERE I ALWAYS HAVE IT SERVICED. THE REASON I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE WAS DUE TO THE OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT BEING TRIGGERED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE ADVISOR ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS IN COMPLETE WORKING ORDER AND THE REPAIRS MADE THE CAR AS GOOD AS NEW. ON THAT NOVEMBER 25TH, VISIT, I HAD PAID $1,817.40 FOR A NEW WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, SPARK PLUGS, AND WATER PIPE REPLACEMENT DESPITE THE FACT THEY ARE COMMONLY 100,000-MILE SERVICES. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 41,000 MILES. 10 DAYS AFTER MY CAR WAS SERVICED, THE SAME OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. IN RESPONSE TO THIS REPEATED ISSUE, ON DECEMBER 11, 2011, I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHO TOLD ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP. DURING THIS SECOND VISIT, I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE OVERHEATING ISSUE FOR A SECOND TIME. DURING THIS SECOND VISIT, THE MINI DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FLUSHED THE RADIATOR SEVERAL TIMES, AGAIN, IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE OVERHEATING ISSUE. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE CONSULTANT ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS IN COMPLETE WORKING ORDER AND THE REPAIRS MADE THE CAR AS GOOD AS NEW. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT THIS CAR WAS IN PROPER WORKING ORDER. NOW, FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST 24 DAYS, THE OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT HAS CAME ON AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON DECEMBER 18, 2011. FRUSTRATED, AT THE LEAST, I PROMPTLY RETURNED THE CAR FOR FURTHER SERVICE BY YOUR DEALERSHIP. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THE SERVICE ADVISOR CONTACTED ME ON DECEMBER 21, 2011 TO INFORM ME THAT AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED. THE CAR HAS FEWER THAN 41,000 MILES AND HAS ONLY EVER BEEN SERVICED BY LICENSED MINI DEALERSHIPS. *TR

I HAVE HAD PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF, I HAD TO GET IT REPLACED. THEN I HAD ISSUES WITH THE CHAIN AND CHAIN TENSIONER AND HAD TO GET THAT REPLACED TOO. NOW THE STEERING HAS FAILED ON ME, I CAN'T START THE CAR OR EVEN MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. MY STEERING IS LOCKED NOW; I HAD THE CAR RUNNING, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO RUN FINE AND THE STEERING WORKED FINE. ONCE I SHUT THE CAR OFF I COULDN'T START THE CAR BACK UP AND MY STEERING LOCKED UP. I HAD TO GET MY CAR TOWED HOME. I WISH BMW WOULD DO SOME KIND OF A RECALL ON THIS CAR SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH MONEY OUT OF OUR OWN POCKETS! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT ENGINE START UP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE OCCUPANCY SENSOR FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED.THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MERGE TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF. ONCE RESTARTED, THE STEERING RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING AND PROCEEDED TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS WITH NO WARNING, SOMETIMES AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED AND IN TURNS. THE POWER STEERING PUMP QUIT FOR GOOD APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS LATER. I COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED - OR WORSE, HURT SOMEONE ELSE. THE MINI COOPER IS VERY HARD TO STEER WITHOUT POWER STEERING. I'M A STRONG WOMAN BUT IT TAKES SOME SERIOUS UPPER ARM STRENGTH AND CORE STRENGTH TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE MANUALLY. THE MOST DISTURBING PART IS THE LACK OF WARNING. THERE IS NO CLUE THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO LOSE POWER. THESE PARTS ARE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE AND THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF MECHANICS WILLING TO WORK ON THESE CARS IN OUR AREA. I DON'T KNOW IF THE POWER STEERING FAN WAS AFFECTED, AS WELL, BUT I SUSPECT IT BROKE SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIME, TOO. I KNOW THERE ARE INCIDENTS OF THESE CARS CATCHING FIRE, AND THANKFULLY, WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THAT. PLEASE HELP. THIS IS SO DANGEROUS. *TR