MINI Complaints

I DROVE LESS THAN A MILE AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE. THE TURBOCHARGER WAS LEAKING OIL ONTO THE ENGINE, WHICH ALMOST CAUSED THE CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE. *TR

BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 2008 AND HAVE HAD VERY FEW ISSUES. THIS MONTH (NOVEMBER 2011) THE CVT (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) WENT OUT. ONLY REPAIR APPARENTLY IS "REPLACEMENT" - RECEIVING QUOTES BETWEEN 7K AND 9K FROM THE DEALER AND AAMCO. NOW FINDING OUT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL MINI COOPER CVT'S. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. REPAIR COST NOW EXCEEDS CAR'S VALUE. WON'T DO IT. FOOL ME ONCE... SHAME ON YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT FUEL LINE WAS CLOGGED, WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE FUEL TO FLOW FREELY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 29,643.

ABOUT A YEAR AND HALF AGO THE CAR WAS LEAKING STEERING FLUID, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE COOLING FAN ON THE STEERING PUMP WAS A BAD DESIGN, HE ADJUSTED IT AND IT LASTED UNTIL NOVEMBER OF 2011 AGAIN THE LEAKING STARTED, GRINDING NOISE FROM THE FRONT LEFT,STEERING WAS DIFFICULT ON TURNS. I HAD ALL THE STEERING COMPONENTS REPLACED AT A COST OF @ $1,100. MECHANIC STILL BELIEVED IT IS A DESIGN FLAW, SHOULD HAVE A RECALL. *TR

GOING INTO A TURN ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF I-465 IN INDIANAPOLIS AND THE MINI COOPER'S POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I BRAKED HARD AND PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. *TR

IN THE EARLY FALL, SEPTEMBER 2011, I ENCOUNTERED ISSUES WITH MY CAR NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. IT'S AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SO I KNOW THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD BE DOING TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AND DRIVEN WITH CARE WHILE IN MY POSSESSION(I'M THE SECOND OWNER. NO SIMILAR ISSUES ON CARFAX REPORT). WHILE THE ENGINE IS COOL AND NOT YET AT ITS OPTIMAL TEMPERATURE THE DRIVE IS FINE AND YOU MAY NOT EVEN NOTICE A PROBLEM; HOWEVER, EVERY RIDE, ONCE WARMED UP THE CAR BEGINS TO SHIFT INCREDIBLY VIOLENTLY AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY STRUGGLING TO SWITCH GEARS. THIS OCCURS ALSO WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND THE CAR IS DOWNSHIFTING CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE "SLUNG" INTO A CAR FROM BEHIND(THIS HAPPENED IN THE MID SUMMER OF 2011). AFTER DROPPING THIS CAR OFF SEPTEMBER 15TH TO THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP, I DID NOT HEAR FROM THEM FOR ALMOST THREE WEEKS. IN THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER I WAS CONTACTED AND TOLD IT LOOKS LIKE MY CAR IS VERY EASILY FIXABLE AND SHOULD BE READY SHORTLY. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT A SEAL HAD BROKEN ON THE TRANSMISSION LEAKING FLUID ONTO IT CAUSING THIS SHIFTING MALFUNCTION. WHEN THEY FINALLY TOLD ME I CAN PICK UP MY CAR(APPROXIMATELY OCTOBER 18TH) THEY REGRETTED TO INFORM ME THE PROBLEM WAS NOT ABLE TO BE FIXED AND I WOULD HAVE TO BRING IT ELSEWHERE AS THEY DO NOT REBUILD TRANSMISSIONS. NOW IT IS BACK IN MY POSSESSION WHERE I AM FORCED TO COMMUTE IN IT DAILY, DRIVING WORSE THAN IT WAS BEFORE I DROPPED IT OFF. IT NOW DISPLAYS "PE" FOR ITS CURRENT GEAR FROM TIME TO TIME. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY COMPLAINT I HAVE FILED FOR THIS CAR MATCHING OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. I AM A VICTIM OF THEIR FAILED POWER STEERING AS WELL. *TR

THIS CAR GOES INTO LIMP MODE AT VERY IN OPPORTUNE TIMES, BEFORE THIS LATEST TIME (AGAIN TO THE SHOP) IT NEARLY GOT ME T-BONED IN AN INTERSECTION, THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR ENGINE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, THIS IS A KNOW DEFECT WITH THE WIRING HARNESS-I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE COVERED IN A RECALL FOR A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. PUMP REMAINED ON AFTER CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND DRAINED BATTERY, NOW CAR WILL NOT RUN. VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE! *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCKS WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TALKED TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER BELIEVES THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE STEERING PUMP. I RESEARCHED IT ON THE NET AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. *TR

ON 29SEP2007, MY 2006 MINI COOPER S WAS SERVICED TO PERFORM THE LOW MILEAGE SERVICE AT 3,354 MILES. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN ON 30SEP2007. ON 01OCT2007, THE CAR WAS DRIVEN A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE EACH WAY TO A BUS STOP. THE CAR WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN THE GARAGE BENEATH MY TOWNHOUSE. AT 6:00 AM ON 02OCT2007, WHEN I WANT TO THE LOWER LEVEL OF MY TOWNHOUSE AND OPENED THE DOOR TO THE GARAGE, I SAW THAT THE GARAGE WAS FILLED A "FOGGY SMOKE" AND THERE WAS A "BURNING ODOR". THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. AS THE SMOKE BEGAN TO SPREAD INTO THE UPPER LEVEL OF MY HOME, THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED AS BACK-UP. THE FIREMEN LOCATED THE SOURCE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR AND DETERMINED THE SMOKE TO BE FROM A "BURNED POWER STEERING BELTON THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE". THE FIREMEN MOVED THE CAR TO THE PARKING LOT AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DIVING THE CAR. THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE CAR WITH A NEW 2007 MINI COOPER S ([XXX]). I WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT MINE WAS AN "ISOLATED INCIDENT" BUT HAVE NOW BECOME AWARE THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH MINI COOPER S FROM 2007-2009. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER, I WAS ADVISED TO NOT PARK MY CAR IN THE GARAGE UNTIL THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DETERMINED OR IF THERE IS A RECALL. I NOW AM NOT PARKING IN THE GARAGE. I AM SUBMITTING THIS REPORT ON THE 2007 INCIDENT SINCE IT WAS NEVER REPORTED AND I AM AFRAID THAT THE RATE OF OCCURRENCE MAY BE UNDER-REPORTED. THANK YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR