MINI Complaints

I ALWAYS MAINTAINED MY 2002 MINI COOPER AND AT 80K MILES THE TRANSMISSION BLEW UP JUST BEFORE I WAS TO ENTER A VERY BUSY FREEWAY IN LOS ANGELES, DOWNTOWN AREA. THERE WAS PLENTY OF OIL IN THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT A FAULT OF MY CARE AFTER THE MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT UPON TOW IN. IT JUST STOPPED FAST AND SHORT WITH A HUGE JERK FORWARD AND EXPLOSIVE NOISE. THE MECHANIC SAID IT BLEW IN BIG CHUNKS. I COULDN'T MOVE IT FROM TRAFFIC IN NEUTRAL AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP. 80K IS EARLY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND I SEE MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THIS HAPPENED WITH EVEN LESS MILEAGE, 34K, 48K ...NO REPLACEMENTS AND SO MANY FAILURES LIKE THIS? MINI TURNS THEIR HEADS; WOULD NOT REPLACE OR EVEN TALK TO ME. PREVIOUSLY TOO THE POWER STEERING PUMP ALSO JUST STOPPED AND NO MOVEMENT ON THE WHEEL. SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP ONE TIME IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, I HAD AN OIL LEAK. AT THE TIME THE AMOUNT THEY WANTED ME TO PAY WAS HIGH, 700.00 OR SO (JUST AFTER WARRANTY ENDED). I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. HE TOOK ME UNDER THE CAR AND SHOWED ME THERE WAS NOT A SPOT OF OIL UNDER THAT CAR IN ANY NOOK OR CRANNY. IN THINKING ABOUT THIS AFTER TRANSMISSION PROBLEM I REALIZE THESE THINGS ARE TELLING ME MINI KNOWS ABOUT THEIR MINI MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. ALSO WHEN THE NEW ($4350.00) TRANSMISSION WAS PURCHASED, LA, MINI TOLD THE MECHANIC THEY HAD 5 TRANSMISSIONS IN STOCK IN THEIR PARTS DEPARTMENT AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE THIS WAS SO COMMON. THAT'S PROOF THEY KNOW IT'S A PROBLEM. YET NO RECALL TO PEOPLE WITH THESE ISSUES AND THESE CAN CAUSE SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING PROBLEMS. *TR

THE FOLLOWING IS MY COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED WITH MY 2007 MINI COOPERS . ' MARCH 12TH TO MARCH 16TH TRIP TO MYRTLE BEACH AND BACK TO MY HOUSE IS APPROXIMATELY 490 MILES. THE CAR'S PERFORMANCE WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT ON THIS TRIP. THE VEHICLES ON-BOARD COMPUTER PROVIDES NO INDICATION OF ENGINE PROBLEMS. ' FRIDAY MARCH 18TH DEPARTED HOME FOR UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. TRIP TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IS APPROXIMATELY 222 MILES. THE CAR'S PERFORMANCE WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT AND ON-BOARD COMPUTER PROVIDES NO INDICATION OF ENGINE PROBLEMS. ' SATURDAY MARCH 19TH LEFT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS FOR RESIDENCE. AT JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA I PULLED INTO RIVER CITY MARKETPLACE. UP TO THIS POINT IN THE TRIP THE VEHICLE HAS TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 162 MILES FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TO RIVER CITY MARKETPLACE. THE CAR'S PERFORMANCE WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE VEHICLE'S ON-BOARD COMPUTER PROVIDED NO INDICATION OF ENGINE PROBLEMS. AS I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT I HEARD A LOUD BANGING SOUND AND THEN THE CAR STOPPED. THE CAR ON-BOARD SYSTEM SHOWED NO EMERGENCY INDICATOR WARNINGS WHATSOEVER ON THE TRIP FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TO RIVER CITY MARKETPLACE UP UNTIL THE TIME THE CAR STOPPED. I NOTICED NO OIL LEAKS BENEATH THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS WAITING TO BE TOWED. ON MONDAY MARCH 21ST I SPOKE WITH MY MINI COOPER SERVICE ADVISER,TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE CONDITION OF MY VEHICLE. IN SUMMARIZING OUR CONVERSATION THE ADVISER STATED THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN INITIALLY INDICATED MY VEHICLE ENGINE HAD BEEN 'RUN DRY' OF ENGINE OIL AND IF THIS WAS THE CASE MY VEHICLE WARRANTY WOULD NOT BE HONORED BY THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS ASTOUNDED AT HEARING THIS INFORMATION AND THE SERVICE TECH THIS COULD NOT BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE I HAD CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL ON MARCH 11TH AND THE DIPSTICK CLEARLY SHOWED "FULL". THERE HAD BEEN NO ON-BOARD COMPUTER NOTIFICATION OF ANY ENGINE OIL CONDITION. THE SERVICE TECH STATED THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT CONTAIN THIS FEATURE WHEN MY VEHICLE MANUAL CLEARLY INDICATES SUCH A FEATURE. *TR

2006 MINI COOPER S. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SOMETIMES STALLS AND STOPS WHILE DRIVING *TGW THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT MISTAKES WERE MADE IN REPROGRAMMING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THE ENGINE WOULD MISFIRE, BUT THEY ASSURED THE CONSUMER THE PROBLEM WOULD BE CORRECTED BY CHANGING THE SPARK PLUGS. ALSO, THE ELECTRONICS SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE, WHICH CAUSED THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM TO GIVE FALSE DIRECTIONS. THE ABS, ENGINE AND STABILITY CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED TO THE CONSUMER AND THE DEALER STATED THERE WERE NO DEFECTS. HOWEVER, AFTER DRIVING FOR 10 MINUTES, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. EACH TIME THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE CONSUMER WOULD TURN THE ENGINE OFF, RESTART IT AND THE LIGHT WOULD NOT COME BACK ON. WHEN THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE DEALER, THEY REPLACED THE PAD WEAR SENSOR, PULSE GENERATOR, AND BRAKE LIGHT PRESSURE SWITCH. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ABS LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AFTER THE PARTS WERE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATING WAS THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE OXYGEN SENSOR THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE EVEN THOUGH A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED. *JB THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE A STATUS UPDATE. 05/10/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE RACK OF THE RACK AND PINION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE MECHANIC REPLACED BOTH THE RACK AND POWER STEERING PUMP. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WAS STIFF AND IT WAS SOON EVIDENT THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS STARTING TO FAIL. THE FAILURE WAS SUDDEN. AFTER PULLING BACK INTO THE PARKING SPOT, SHUTTING THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING BECAME FUNCTIONAL. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO STEER. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. POWER STEERING NOW APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY NON-FUNCTIONING. COINCIDENTALLY, THIS CAR HAS ALREADY HAD A STEERING PUMP REPLACEMENT IN DECEMBER 2004 WITH 23070 MILES ON IT. THE FIRST POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE WAS GRADUAL, BUT ALARMING FOR SUCH A LOW-MILEAGE VEHICLE. THIS MOST RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WITH LESS THAN 48000 MILES ON THE NEW PUMP AND SUGGESTS A FAULTY PART/DESIGN WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE MORE SERIOUS INCIDENTS.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT THAT PROMPTED THE LIGHT TO COME ON. APPARENTLY, MINIS PRODUCED THREE MONTHS AFTER THIS VEHICLE ARE INCLUDED IN A RECALL OR "EXTENDED WARRANTY" BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHTS, BUT NOT THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE. BASED ON DISCUSSIONS WITH DEALER SERVICE, IT COULD BE A VERY COSTLY REPAIR, ESTIMATED AT $1200. IT SEEMS VERY STRANGE THAT VEHICLES MANUFACTURED SO CLOSE TO THE COVERED TIME PERIOD ARE ALSO HAVING ISSUES. PERHAPS MINI NEEDS TO CONSIDER EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF THE AIRBAG SENSOR EXTENDED WARRANTY.

ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT SEEM NOTICEABLE ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP STARTED TO FAIL I WAS USING EXTRA PRESSURE TO STAY IN MY LANE. THE PUMP WOULD THEN WORK AGAIN AND THE CAR WOULD LURCH OFF TO THE SIDE I WAS FAVORING AND I ALMOST WENT INTO A GUARD RAIL. WHEN COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND NOT KNOWING THE PUMP WAS QUITTING AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE TO JUMP INTO EMERGENCY MODE TO NEGOTIATE THE TURN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND HARNESS WAS MELTED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 5/24/11 *CN THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND WIRING HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 06/10/11

ACUTE LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S. I WAS DRIVING NORMALLY AND WAS PULLING ONTO THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO STEER THE VEHICLE BUT IT REQUIRED A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT IT DOESN'T INVOLVE THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAN...THE FAN HAS BEEN TESTED AND IS WORKING OK. THE COST FOR THE REPAIR IS GOING TO BE APPROXIMATELY $1160. MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT FAILURE OF THE P. S. PUMP IN THIS YEAR AND MODEL MINI COOPER IS COMMON. *TR

I HAD A GOODYEAR RUNFLAT TIRE THAT WAS OEM AND LESS THAN 2 YRS. OLD W/ 20,000 MILES BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL. IT WAS REPLACED AT DISCOUNT TIRE. THE TIRE COST $257 ON A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE. TIRES ARE EXCELLENCE ROF AND NOT INTEGRITY SINCE YOUR SITE MISTAKENLY DOES NOT GIVE THE CORRECT OPTION. *TR