MINI Complaints

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 MINI COOPER AND TOOK A SWEEPING RIGHT TURN ONTO A FREEWAY ON RAMP. DURING THE TURN THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING AND IT TOOK AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF FORCE ON THE WHEEL FOR ME TO AVOID HITTING THE SIDE OF THE OVERPASS AS THE CAR WANTED TO CONTINUE GOING STRAIGHT.. IT PROCEEDED TO CUT OUT AGAIN AS I TRIED TO GET IT HOME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL IT AND PARK IT. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF THE PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN AND DRAINED THE BATTERY OVERNIGHT. THE CAR WOULD NOT START IN THE MORNING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY HER PERSONAL MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,528 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPERS S. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING BEGIN TO FAIL AND THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

FAILURE OF TIMING BELT TENSIONER IN 2009 MINI COOPER S LEADING TO MASSIVE OIL LEAK LOSS OF POWER TO ENGINE AND NEAR LETHAL ACCIDENT. *TR

THE RED AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IN THE SPEEDOMETER AREA CAME ON AT APPROXIMATELY 99,450 MILES. IT CAME ON AFTER DRIVING ACROSS A CITY RAILROAD CROSSING AT LOW SPEED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND ASKED ABOUT THE LIGHT, AND THEY INDICATED THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION BUT COULD BE A FAULTY SEAT SENSOR WHICH WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $1250 TO REPLACE. THEY ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY WERE NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THE AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS MODEL AND YEAR MAY ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING HARNESSES AND CONNECTIONS, AND THAT ONLY THE DEALER CAN RESET THE WARNING LIGHT. AS OF DECEMBER 2 2010 THE VEHICLE HAS 113,000 MILES ON IT AND THE WARNING LIGHT IS STILL ON. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE DEALER AS A WARRANTY ISSUE AS I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION BUT DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR AN EXPENSIVE SAFETY RELATED DEFECT. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND STILL HAVE IT. THANKS. *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO REASON. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE I GOT THE CAR AND I READ THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH PUTTING BAGS ON THE SEAT. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT IT DOES NOT MATTER IF THERE IS A BAG, A PERSON OR AN EMPTY PASSENGER SEAT. *TR

I OWN A 2006 MINI COOPER AND RECENTLY, AT 62,000 MILES HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE CYLINDERS LOSING COMPRESSION. I WAS TOLD IT WAS DUE TO CARBON BUILD-UP WHICH "PITTED" THE VALVES AS A RESULT OF ETHANOL IN GASOLINE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS IS BECOMING A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH MINI COOPERS BECAUSE THE CAR CAN NOT HANDLE THE GASOLINE WITH ETHANOL, AS THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE RUN ON PURE GAS. SO DUE TO THE ETHANOL MIXTURE, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE. SHOULDN'T THESE CARS SOLD HERE IN THE UNITED STATES BE ABLE TO RUN ON THE GASOLINE THAT IS AVAILABLE HERE? I HAVE USED HIGH-OCTANE PREMIUM GAS ONLY IN MY CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG, YET WAS STILL FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE REPAIR. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE PURCHASED THROUGH THE DEALER AND HAVE FOLLOWED THE MINI MANUAL IN TERMS OF FUEL TO USE. THEY TOLD ME THEY ARE SEEING THIS PROBLEM MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY IN THE MINI. IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THIS IS A VEHICLE PROBLEM AND PERHAPS DESERVES A RECALL. IS THIS SOMETHING YOU CAN HELP ME WITH? THEY CLEANED, MACHINED AND TESTED THE CYLINDERS AND REPLACED THE VALVES AT A COST TO ME OF $4800. THANK YOU. *TR

ON 10/27/2010 I WAS DRIVING ON 595 WEST (STOP AND GO TRAFFIC) CAME TO A STOP, MY CAR STALLS AND DIES. IT WILL NOT RESTART. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LAUDERDALE MINI DEALERSHIP IN FORT LAUDERDALE. AFTER INSPECTION I WAS INFORMED THE VACUUM PUMP LOCKED UP AND JAMMED ENGINE SEVERAL TIMES CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE WAS REPLACED. COST- OVER $6000.00. MINI USA REFUSED TO COMPENSATE UNLESS THEIR IS A FUTURE RECALL. *TR

2007 MINI COOPER S HAS HAD LOUD KNOCKING NOISE, SOUNDING LIKE ROCKS IN A WASHING MACHINE, FOR WEEKS NOW. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE PAST, WITH THE REPAIRS FALLING UNDER THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND DONE AT NO COST OF COURSE. CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, TAKING IT IN THIS WEEK FOR DIAGNOSES AND REPAIRS. THIS WILL BE AT LEAST THE SECOND TIME THIS PART NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT MIGHT BE THE THIRD TIME AS ONCE IT WAS DONE AS PART OF A LARGER REPAIR BEING PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE. CAR ACTS SLUGGISH, JUMPY, AND SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL TRUCK. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE CAR IS STARTED UP AND CONTINUES FOR THE FIRST FEW MILES DRIVEN, AT WHICH POINT IS SUBSIDES A BIT. AS I SAID, IT HAS BEEN REPLACED AT LEAST ONCE IN THE PAST, AND THIS WEEK WILL BE REPLACED AGAIN.

I OWN A 2005 MINI COOPER. IT HAS A POWER STEERING PUMP FAN THAT HAS GONE OUT, AND IS CAUSING UNSAFE STEERING ISSUES. I UNDERSTAND NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING THIS ISSUE. *TR