MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HOOD SCOOP WAS DESIGNED WITH DEFECTIVE MATERIAL AND CAUSED IT TO MELT DUE TO THE HOT CLIMATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE HOOD BONNET SCOOP WAS REPLACED WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE MATERIAL AS THE PRIOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD WARRANTY THE DEFECTIVE HOOD BONNET SCOOP FOR A LIFE TIME YET, IF THE SCOOP SHOULD FAIL AGAIN, IT WOULD BE REPLACED WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE BONNET SCOOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,496.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND AN EXTREMELY LOUD NOISE SOUNDED FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED DRIVING, AND THE ENGINE PERFORMED AS THOUGH IT WERE ATTEMPTING TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000.

EVERY TIME I COLD START MY 2008 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN S THERE IS A VERY LOUD KNOCKING NOISE, THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL BUT I WORRY ABOUT THE STABILITY OF THE ENGINE TIMING. *TR

OUR 2005 MINI COOPER S HAS INTERMITTENT STEERING ISSUES. THE POWER STEERING COMES AND GOES. WHEN RESEARCHING THE FIX, I FOUND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THERE IS EVEN A GUY ON EBAY SELLING REMANUFACTURED POWER STEERING PUMPS AT AN AVERAGE OF ONE EVERY THREE DAYS. (BASED ON EBAY FEED BACK). *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING WHILE DRIVING. THIS MAKES TURNING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND HAZARDOUS AND HAPPENS AT WHAT SEEMS TO BE 'RANDOM' TIMES. I TOOK IT TO THE MINI DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME $125 TO TELL ME THAT MY POWER STEERING PUMP WAS FINE, BUT SHORTED OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES CAUSING THE DIFFICULTY IN STEERING. THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE $1060 FOR THE REPLACEMENT. FROM WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT EFFECTS 223,000 MINI DRIVERS AND YET THERE IS NO RECALL YET. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER S JUST HAD A POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILURE RESULTING IN AT LEAST $600.00 IN REPAIR COST. CAR ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILED, STEERING WENT TO MANUAL EFFORT, NO ASSIST, NO WARNING. FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING AND NOT MY WIFE AS SHE WOULD HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY COMPLETING THE TURN. I KNOW THE STEERING STILL OPERATES, BUT IF YOU AREN'T READY FOR THE DRASTICALLY INCREASED EFFORT REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A TURN, YOU WILL LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HALF-WAY THROUGH A TURN IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IS NO TIME TO FIND OUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FINISH IT. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OF IMPENDING FAILURE. TO HAVE A MAJOR SAFETY AND CONTROL SYSTEM OF YOUR VEHICLE FAIL THIS QUICKLY (ONLY 80,000 MILES) LEAVES ME WONDERING AS TO THE SAFETY OF THE OTHER VITAL SYSTEMS ON THE VEHICLE. MINI MADE CHANGES ON THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM ON LATER VEHICLES TO ADDRESS THIS WITHOUT HAVING ANY RECALL OR VOLUNTARY REPAIR PROGRAM FOR RETROFIT TO THE OLDER VEHICLES. THIS IS NOT FAIR AND DEFINITELY NOT SAFE. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED TO WORK, IT WORKED OFF AND ON FOR A SHORT PERIOD. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING IT. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 MINI COOPER S. BOUGHT NEW. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE ENGINE HAS A RATTLING NOISE WHEN ENGINE HAS STARTED ON A COLD DAY. THIS NOISE HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER EVERY WINTER. THE NOISE SUBSIDES AS THE ENGINE GETS WARM. HAVE TOLD MINI ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND NO ACTION. *TR

I OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER S AND LOST THE POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE NO LEAKS DETECTED BUT THE PS CANISTER WAS EMPTY. THE MINI WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM CROWN MINI IN RICHMOND, VA. WE ARE THE ONLY OWNERS OF THE MINI. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE MINI NOW AND WE WANTED TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE RECEIVED NO HELP FROM MINI AFTER SENDING THEM AN EMAIL AND CALLING THEM. *TR

TIMING CHAIN 2008 MINI COOPER S FAILURE. LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FROM ENGINE. UNDER WARRANTY PARTS REPLACED. *TR