MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS RESET. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN 28 MILES OF DRIVING. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT BECAUSE THE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THE AIR BAGS WOULD NOT FUNCTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 69,000.

2005 MINI COOPER 2 DOOR STANDARD VEHICLE HAS A POWER STEERING FAILURE. IT STARTED 2 MONTHS AGO WITH AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING AT ANY GIVEN TIME OF THE VEHICLE IN USE. 60% OF THE TIME THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER OR TURN CORNERS. IT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING AND IS VERY SCARY AS THE DRIVE HANDLING IS IMMEDIATELY CHANGED AND THE MANEUVERING TO THE END OF THE CURVE CHANGES DRASTICALLY. THIS PROBLEM HAS NOW INCREASED AS OF LATE TO THE POWER STEERING NOT TURNING OFF, EVEN AFTER THE KEY HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE POWER STEERING MOTOR HUMS AND WHINES LOUDLY AS THE CAR SITS PARKED AND WITH NO KEY INSERTED. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO TURN THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF. I CALLED CONCORD, CA. MINI (BMW), AND AFTER HAVING EXPLAINED TO THEM THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROBLEMS, THEY STATE THAT THERE ARE NO BULLETIN CLAIMS FOR THIS AND MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THEY FURTHER STATE THAT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WILL COST ME AT LEAST $1200. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND 225,000 OTHER FOLKS WITH THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I AM HOPING THAT THIS FORUM AND MY ADDED COMPLAINT WILL GENERATE ENOUGH CONCERN FOR DRIVER SAFETY AND BRING ABOUT A RECALL OR SOME LEVEL OF OWNERSHIP ON MINI TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION. FOR NOW I WILL KEEP MY MINI COOPER OFF THE STREET AND BATTERY DISCONNECTED AS IT IS A DANGER TO THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND OTHER DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS. *TR

MY CAR HAS HAD INTERMITTENT POWER FAILURE SINCE 2008, USUALLY LASTING A FEW DAYS. MORE RECENTLY MY POWER STEERING HAS BEEN OUT FOR THE PAST 2 MONTHS. TODAY IT STARTED WORKING ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK BUT THE POWER STEERING FAN REMAINS ON AFTER I TURN THE CAR OFF. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FAN OFF. CONSEQUENCES HAVE RESULTED IN NEAR ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY AND ROAD WHEN FAILURE OCCURS (FAILURES HAPPENED WHEN I HAVE GONE INTO TURNS). POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED DURING CORNERING. REQUIRED ME TO APPLY EXTRA FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL AT WHICH POINT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST RE-ENGAGED CAUSING THE CAR TO OVER STEER. I NEEDED TO MAKE A QUICK CORRECTION IN ORDER TO AVOID CROSSING OVER THE CENTERLINE AND HITTING AN ON COMING VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING ASSIST HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE THAT TIME AND HAS BEEN COMPLETELY NON FUNCTIONAL FOR THE LAST MONTH OR SO.

I PURCHASED A 2003 MINI COOPER S USED IN NOVEMBER 2007. IT HAD 30,000 MILES. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED IT PROMPTLY, DEC. 2007. I AM NOW EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE AGAIN, AT 79,000 MILES, 49,000 MILES ON A NEW PUMP. IT COMES AND GOES WHILE DRIVING. VERY DANGEROUS WHILE TAKING CURVES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE STEERING COLUMN MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE WIRING HARNESS AND ENGINE HARNESS TO IGNITE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE STEERING PUMP WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE. . THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,209. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2007 MINI COOPER HAD LOUD SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE WHEN COLD, DEALER REPLACED TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER AT 32K MILES, VEHICLE HAS BEEN BACK TO DEALER SEVEN TIMES, ONLY TWICE FOR SCHEDULED SERVICE, NOW VEHICLE IS STARTING TO MAKE SAME NOISE AGAIN. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED @36K MILES, NOW WITH 42K MILES, ENGINE OIL IS DOWN 2 QUARTS AND DEALER SAYS ITS MY FAULT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 BMW MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING; IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, AND COOLING FAN. THE COOLING FAN WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 113,306.

THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT ON THE CENTER DASHBOARD AND "AIRBAG OFF" LIGHT ABOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR TURN ON WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE CAR. IT APPEARS AS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR IS FAILING TO PROPERLY DETECT THE PASSENGER'S WEIGHT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH WHEN THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY TIGHT. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED BEFORE BUT NOT AS EXTREME AS THE MOST CURRENT FAILURE. THE CONTACT COULD BARELY MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN AND ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING PUMP WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILURE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,053 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 4,509 UPDATED 02/03/11*LJ ALSO, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER GRID BURNED THROUGH THE COVER AND THE DRIVERS JACKET. THE SECOND SEAT COVER BURNED THROUGH ALSO AND MADE A HOLE IN THE PASSENGERS COAT. UPDATED 03/18/11