MINI Complaints

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2004 MINI COOPER S HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER WHEN THE PUMP STROPS WORKING WITHOUT WARNING AND MY WIFE NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS INTERMITTENT FAILURE. I CHECKED ONLINE AND THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE VERY SAME PROBLEM.. STOPPING THE CAR AND SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF AND THEN RESTARTING IT, CLEARS THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE AIR BAG SENSOR THAT WAS FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

AUTOMATIC CVT TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 77,000 MILES. CAR STOPPED WHEN GOING DOWN INTERSTATE, PRESSING GAS, NOTHING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR SAFELY, TURNED IT OFF, RESTARTED IT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND EP (TRANSMISSION) WARNING LIGHT CAME ON.MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP SAYS MIN IS VERY AWARE OF THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, AND STOPPED PUTTING THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS IN, APPARENTLY IT WAS EXPERIMENTAL. CANNOT REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION, AND MINI ESTIMATES $7100 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, AND WILL ONLY GIVE ME $2500 ON IT AS A TRADE IN DUE TO THE KNOWN TRANSMISSION ISSUE. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER S. CAR OVER HEATED AND POWER STEERING FAILED. PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FAN ON POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, CAUSED PUMP TO FAIL AND CAR TO OVER HEAT.

WE PURCHASED A BRAND NEW MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN IN EARLY AUGUST 2011. HOWEVER, BY AUGUST 24,2011. WE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE GRINDING. WE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGREED THAT THE BRAKES WERE GRINDING AND CHANGED THE BACK BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS AND WE EVENTUALLY HAD TO GO BACK THE SECOND TIME BECAUSE THE GRINDING WAS STILL THERE; THEN THEY CHANGED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS & ROTORS. HOWEVER, THIS DID NOT HELP THE ISSUE. THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO HAVE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND WE WENT BACK THE THIRD TIME WITH THE DEALERSHIP OFFERING THAT THEY HAVE SOMEONE IN THE FACTORY VISITING THE SHOWROOM AND WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE BRAKES AGAIN BUT AFTER THEIR THIRD INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP REFUSE TO ASSIST FURTHER ON THIS ISSUE. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE CALIFORNIA STATE NEW VEHICLE BOARD WHO RECOMMENDED THAT WE MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE NHTSA. I FEEL THAT GRINDING BRAKES ARE A SAFETY CONCERN AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

ON 9/20/2011 I PULLED ON TO THE HIGHWAY WITH MY MINI AND TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER WHICH DID NOT WORK. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND THERE WERE NO LIGHTED INDICATOR LIGHTS. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE LIGHT WENT ON AND THEN WENT OFF. I TURNED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER AND IT WAS NOW WORKING. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER THE TEMPERATURE LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN SO I TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER, ENTERED THE RIGHT LANE AND SLOWED DOWN. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE CONTINUED TO GO ON AND OFF AND THEN I SMELLED SMOKE. WHEN I LOOKED IN MY REAR-VIEW MIRROR, I SAW DARK SMOKE AND THEN MORE SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR OUR FROM UNDER MY HOOD. I PULLED MY CAR OFF THE ROAD AND OPENED THE HOOD AFTER A WHILE. OIL WAS SPLATTERED ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND I NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT TANK WAS BONE DRY. I WAS TOWED TO HASSLE MINI WHERE MY VEHICLE STILL IS. AFTER INSPECTING MY CAR, HASSLE TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T REPAIR THE ENGINE EVEN THOUGH MY WARRANTY WAS STILL IN EFFECT. THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS MY FAULT AND I SHOULD REPORT IT TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I WAS ALSO TOLD IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $15,000.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HASSLE WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE SHOULD BEHAVE LIKE THIS. MY LIFE WAS ENDANGERED IN THIS SITUATION. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS I BELIEVE MINI SHOULD HONOR MY CAR'S WARRANTY: 1. ALL REQUIRED SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AND RECORDS PROVIDED. 2. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED ONLY 700 MILES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND FOUND TO BE IN RUNNING ORDER. 3. THE CAR HAD A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF FAULTY INDICATOR LIGHTS. 4. THERE WERE ONLY 13,674 MILES ON THE CAR. 5. MINI HAS A HISTORY OF ENGINE FIRES. *TR

LOST POWER STEERING ON FREEWAY AT 70 MILE AN HOUR. NEXT DAY IT WORK FOR 40 MILES THEN FAILED AGAIN ON FREEWAY AT 70 MILES AN HOUR, THERE IS NO WARNING OR FLUID LOSS,JUST COMPLETE STEERING LOSS . THEN IT IS VERY HARD TO CONTROL. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL WENT ALMOST COMPLETELY RIGID AND THE WHEEL REQUIRED A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT TO TURN. TURNING THE WHEEL WAS FAR MORE DIFFICULT THAN IN ANY VEHICLE I HAVE DRIVEN WITHOUT POWER STEERING, AND THERE WAS A PULSE OF DIFFERING PRESSURE AGAINST THE TURNS AT TIMES. AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND STARTING AGAIN, THE STEERING WAS BACK TO NORMAL. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED AFTER 27,000 MILES. INTERMITTENTLY WORKS FOR 5 MINUTES IN THE MORNING AND SOMETIMES INTERMITTENTLY FUNCTIONS WHEN DRIVING WHICH CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAD THE MINI DEALER INSPECT IT FROM MINI CORPORATES RECOMMENDATION. DEALER INDICATED THE ELECTRONICS ARE MALFUNCTIONING AND THAT THEY HAD PLENTY OF REPLACEMENT UNITS IN STOCK FOR CIRCA $1,600.00. MY CLAIM WAS REJECTED BECAUSE IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR EARLIER MINI COOPER POWER STEERING UNITS TO FAIL. I HAVE INVESTIGATED AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPANIES NOW IN THE BUSINESS OF REBUILDING/REMANUFACTURING SPECIFICALLY MINI COOPER POWER STEERING UNITS. ODD THAT A RELATIVELY LOW VOLUME VEHICLE COULD GENERATE SO MANY BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT APPARENTLY DOES NOT EXIST. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES, CAR MADE HOWLING TYPE NOISE WHEN REACHED APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND THE NOISE BECAME VERY NOTICEABLY ONCE IT REACHED 60+ MPH. TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER AT SOUTH BAY MINI TWICE, BOTH TIME SOUTH BAY CLAIMED THAT IT WAS 'TIRE' NOISE. TOOK THE CAR TO LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN DEALER, THEIR COMMENT WAS THE NOISE CAME FROM THE TRANSMISSION, ALTHOUGH THEY CAN NOT PINNED DOWN EXACTLY WHERE AS THE TRANSMISSION IS A CLOSED COMPARTMENT. EXTENDED WARRANTY (FIDELITY) REFUSED TO COVER COST OF REPLACEMENT AS THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY NEED THE DEALER TO TEAR APART TRANSMISSION COMPARTMENT AND IDENTIFY WHERE THE PROBLEM HAPPENED EXACTLY. DOWNTOWN DEALER REFUSED TO TEAR APART TRANSMISSION COMPARTMENT. CAR IS STILL HAVE NOT FAIL (AS OF 2011-10-28) BUT THE NOISE MAY (OR MAY NOT) CAUSE FAILURE AT ANYTIME GOING FORWARD. AS AN OWNER, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR KNOWING THAT IT MAY FAIL CAN CAUSE CASUALTY TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. *TR