MINI Complaints
View complaints related to MINI. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.
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2003 MINI COOPER- MILFORD, CT
MINI COOPER POWER STEERING FAILURE. NEED TO MANEUVER VEHICLE TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER AND ON COMING VEHICLE. STEERING WHEEL LOCKED-UP AND DRIVER WAS DISTRACTED. THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP. THIS FAILURE WAS CORRECTED BY A REPAIR. COSTING 850.00 US DOLLARS. OLD PART IS AVAILABLE
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2003 MINI COOPER S- PAHOA, HI
2003 MINI COOPER S. MY WIPER MOTOR DIED IN A HEAVY RAINSTORM, OR SO I THOUGHT. DRIVING WITHOUT THE WIPERS IN HILO, HI WHERE I LIVE WITH 140" A YEAR OF RAIN CAN BE DEADLY WHEN WIPERS DON'T WORK. IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED DEFECT AFFECTING ALL ORIGINAL 02-06 MINIS. SEE HERE FOR DETAILS. I REPAIRED MINE SIMPLY BY GROUNDING THE WIPER MOTOR TO ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE CAR. I HAD TO DRIVE 3 WEEKS WITHOUT WIPERS BEFORE I COULD FIX THIS. DEALERS CHARGE $600 TO FIX IT AND IT IS A DESIGN DEFECT AND THE MOTOR IS NOT ACTUALLY DEAD. IT IS A POOR, AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY DESIGN. I GUESS I COULD HAVE SPENT A COUPLE THOUSAND RENTING A CAR FOR THAT TIME, OR JUST SPENT $600 RIGHT AWAY AND ANOTHER $500 ON THE CAR TO GET IT FIXED. I TOOK MY CHANCES, SO WILL MANY OTHERS. THERE WERE PLENTY OF TIMES I COULDN'T SEE WELL AND HOPED FOR THE BEST. HERE IS THE SITE WITH LOTS OF INFO ABOUT IT. HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/141234-WIPER-MOTOR-FAILURE-2.HTML HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/1ST-GEAR/83170-MY-WINDSHIELD-WIPER-MOTOR-DIED-IN-A-STORM-AT-NIGHT.HTML. *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2004 MINI COOPER- HOLLYWOOD, FL
2004 MINI COOPER WITH MOTOR MOUNT, ELECTRICAL, FLAT TIRE SENSORS ISSUES. CVT TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT RECOMMENDED. *TGW ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED; DEAD NO POWER. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE IS SITTING IN THE GARAGE UN-DRIVABLE BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE $8,000 TO REPLACE THE CVT TRANSMISSION. *JB
Source: CONSUMER LETTER -
2004 MINI COOPER- PORTLAND, OR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE, THE STEERING PROBLEMS BECAME INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 65,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2002 MINI COOPER- BALTIMORE, MD
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. HE STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED NO MATTER THE SPEED AND HAS OCCURRED AT OTHER SPEED LEVELS. HE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT HIM PAYING A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 67,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPPROXIMATELY 67,500.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
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2003 MINI COOPER S- BRISTOL, CT
SUDDEN FAILURE OF POWER STEERING ASSIST IN TRAFFIC I WAS BARELY ABLE TO CONTROL CAR.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2007 MINI COOPER S- HOLLYWOOD, MD
R56 MCS MINI 2007 - BOUGHT USED IN SEPT 09 HAD THE "COLD START RATTLE" BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AT THE TIME. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 38,000 DEALER REPLACED TIMING CHAIN . ON THE WAY HOME VACUUM PUMP SEIZED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VALUES. DEALER SENT PICTURES TO MINI AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A NEW ONE.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2004 MINI COOPER- SAINT GABRIEL, CA
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR, THE CONTACT COULD NOT CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON IN HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL AND RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE CONTACT CONFIRMED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2006 MINI COOPER S- TAMPA, FL
TRANNY WENT ON MY 2006 S MANUAL AT 20K, 3 WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY. I BROUGHT IT IN 5 WEEKS EARLIER WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. THEY SAID ?THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM?. I REALIZE NOW THAT THEY CHOSE THESE WORDS CAREFULLY. 5 WEEKS AND 1000 MILES LATER, JUST OUR OR WARRANTY IT BLEW. SAID THE TRANNY FLUID WAS DARK AND FULL OF SHARDS. DID THEY NOT CHECK THIS LAST MONTH????? THEY TOLD ME 6K TO FIX IT. I BLEW A GASKET. HE CALLED ME BACK A FEW HOURS LATER AND SAID MINI WOULD PROVIDE THE PARTS FOR FREE IF I PAID $1300 LABOR. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE ON THEIR MINI'S, MANY MORE THEN I HAVE SEEN WHEN I HAVE DONE SEARCHES ON OTHER ISSUES. I THINK THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE- SACRAMENTO, CA
HI, I'M WRITING TO REPORT THAT MY 2005 MINI COOPER, WITH LESS THAN 43K MILES IS IN NEED OF A THIRD TRANSMISSION. I NEARLY DID NOT MAKE IT HOME ONE EVENING BECAUSE THE JERKING MOTION THE CAR WAS MAKING AND BECAUSE THE ENGINE JUST FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHUT OFF. I NEARLY STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY, WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION, WHILE UNDER WARRANTY WAS REPLACED IN NOVEMBER 2007 AT 28K MILES. ON 12/16/08, I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE TRANSMISSION PAN AMONG OTHER THINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS THE ONLY KNOWN DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE AUTO BODY AND PAINT SHOP THAT I CONTRACTED WITH DID NOT KNOW HOW TO FILL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THEREFORE THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED THE LOCAL MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP. THEY PERFORMED THAT PIECE OF IT. NOW, THE DEALER IS TELLING ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO STATES THEY DON'T KNOW IF THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGE WAS A RESIDUAL OF THE ACCIDENT OR NOT AND THEREFORE, WERE TRYING TO OPEN UP THE OLD INSURANCE CLAIM FROM JANUARY 2009. HOWEVER, MY INSURANCE COMPANY DOES NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THEY STATE THE REPAIRS FROM THE ACCIDENT $7,888.70, PLUS THE COST OF A NEW TRANSMISSION, AROUND 8K WILL BE MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE CAR. SO, WHO SHOULD PAY FOR THIS NEW TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER, THE AUTO BODY SHOP (WHOM DID NO WORK ON THE TRANSMISSION, SEEMINGLY) OR ME? HOW DO I KNOW, THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER BAD TRANSMISSION? THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL ON A MINI COOPER (NO WAY TO CHECK) TRANSMISSION FLUID AND NO INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. *TR
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE