MINI Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHEN THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AT ANY VARIOUS SPEEDS SHE NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD SUDDENLY BEGIN TO MALFUNCTION WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

(2005 MINI COOPER TRANSMISSION) VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE FROM STANDING POSITION WHEN ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED. SUDDENLY JUMPS INTO GEAR (IN DRIVE OR REVERSE POSITION). NEEDED TO STEP ON THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT ACCIDENT. ALSO LACKS ACCELERATION WHILE PASSING ON THE HIGHWAY.. UPDATED 03/30/10 *BF SPORADIC INITIALLY. BECAME MORE FREQUENT OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS (JANUARY TO MARCH 2009 TIME FRAME). PROBLEMS SURFACED JUST AT THE END OF WARRANTY MILEAGE. TAKEN TO DEALER ON MARCH 26, 2009. SERVICE TECHNICIAN FOUND NO FAULTS FROM SCANNING OR IN LINKAGE OPERATION. NO EFFECT DUE TO RESETTING ADAPTATIONS AND SHIFT SOLENOIDS. TRANSMISSION WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY. TRANSMISSION REPLACED. *TR UPDATED 07/07/10.*JB

MY 2004 MINI COOPER HAD A BAD FUEL LEAK FROM THE FUEL RAIL THAT SITS ON TOP OF THE ENGINE CONNECTED TO THE FUEL INJECTORS. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT TO WORK WHEN SHE WAS ALL MOST OVERCOME BY GAS FUMES. WHEN SHE GOT TO WORK SHE NOTICED THAT SHE HAD LOST A HALF A TANK OF GAS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO VISTA MOTORS IN POMPANO BCH. FL. ON SAMPLE ROAD AND THE MINI SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. WHEN I ASKED HIM IF THE PART WAS GOING TO BE INVESTIGATED BY MINI WHY THE PART STARTED LEAKING AND COULD OF EASILY CAUSED A FIRE AND BECAME A SAFETY HAZARD I WAS TOLD NO. *TR

2008 MINI COOPER S CLUTCH FAILURE #1 @ APPROXIMATELY 23K #2 CLUTCH FAILURE @ 36K IN BOTH CASES IT LEFT THE DRIVER STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND NEEDING A TOW TO THE DEALERSHIP! *TR

DEFECT INITIALLY OCCURRED AT NIGHT TIME IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC: DASH-LIGHTS WENT OUT, TURN INDICATOR NOT FUNCTIONAL, HEATER BLOWER STOPPED WORKING (CAUSING FOGGING OF WINDSHIELD/WINDOWS), AIR BAG LIGHTS WENT ON, SEAT BELT LIGHT ON CONSEQUENTLY HAD TO PULL ON THE SIDE OF ROAD (LIMITED VISIBILITY, NO SPEED INDICATOR, COULD NOT OPERATE VEHICLE SAFELY). A COUPLE OF ATTEMPTS AT IGNITION CYCLING PARTIALLY RESTORED FUNCTIONALITY. AFTER INITIAL DEFECT, PROBLEM COULD BE REPRODUCED INTERMITTENTLY (ALL/SOME OF THE COMPONENT LISTED ABOVE FAILED DURING COURSE OF NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE). VEHICLE INSPECTED BY MINI/BMW DEALER, ROOT CAUSE: INTERFERENCE ON K-BUS OF ONE OF THE AUDIO COMPONENT, RESULTING IN FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF OTHER COMPONENTS ON THE BUS. ULTIMATELY COMPONENT (MINI I-POD INTERFACE) HAD TO BE REMOVED -- PART IS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. REQUEST TO HAVE REPAIRS COVERED WAS REJECTED BY MINI/BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS ON GROUNDS THERE WAS NO RECALL (VEHICLE IS 5 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY --- 41K MILES). *TR

THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER EVERY OTHER WEEK FOR THE LAST 6 WEEKS. ON COLD STARTS THE CAR WOULD RUN ROUGH, HESITATE ALMOST STALL AND THE HEAT WASN'T WORKING UNLESS YOU WERE DRIVING OR HAD YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER THEY REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN CHANGED THE OIL AND BLED THE COOLANT. A FEW DAYS LATER IT STALLED ON A COLD START AND THE HEAT STILL WASN'T WORKING. THE DEALER THIS TIME FOUND EXCESSIVE CARBON IN ENGINE AND A LEAK AT WATER PUMP. COMPUTER DID NOT THROUGHOUT A CODE FOR EITHER. DEALER OPENED A CASE AT THE MANUFACTURE. 2 WEEKS LATER I BROUGHT IT BACK WHEN THE WINDOWS WOULD GO HALF WAY DOWN AND THE DOOR WOULD UNLOCK. DEALER RESET THE WINDOWS AND I WENT TO PICK IT UP TO FIND THE WINDOWS HALF WAY DOWN AND THE DOORS UNLOCKED. DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR. 2 WEEKS LATER MY BATTERY LIGHT WHEN ON. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER THE CAR DIED. DEALER SAID THERE WAS AN OIL LEAK THE LED TO THE ALTERNATOR BELT SLIPPING OFF AND MY BATTERY DIDN'T CHARGE AND NOW IS DEAD. I WON'T GET IT BACK UNTIL SOMETIME NEXT WEEK. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 26,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH. THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED FROM 3,000 TO 5,000. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER PROCEEDING TO SLOW DOWN DURING TRAVEL BETWEEN 50-70 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

MY 2008 MINI COOPER S, WHEN COLD, OFTEN STARTS UP WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RATTLING FROM THE ENGINE. SO MUCH SO THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL (BUT ITS NOT A DIESEL MOTOR). NUMEROUS ONLINE FORUMS HAVE DOCUMENTED THIS PROBLEM, INCLUDING SOME COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURES. IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROBLEM TO FIX AND I WOULD LIKE MINI TO ISSUE A RECALL TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM AND TO HAVE AN UNLIMITED WARRANTY ON THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) KUMHO TIRE USA.,INCORPORATED AND DISCOUNT TIRE, COMPANY ON 12-18-2009 [XXX] DAUGHTER OF [XXX] PURCHASED TWO TIRES FROM DISCOUNT TIRE COMPANY LOCATED AT 2930 GEORGEBUSBEE PARKWAY NW, KENNESAW GA 30144 SO SHE WOULD HAVE SAFE DRIVING FROM ATLANTA, GEORGIA TO HOUSTON, TEXAS DURING CHRISTMAS AND PAM TOOK A FLIGHT OUT TO ATLANTA SO [XXX] WOULD HAVE SOMEBODY TO DRIVE BACK TO HOUSTON WITH AND SHARE THE DRIVING. THE TIRES PURCHASED WERE TWO RUN FLAT 205/45R-17 84V XL RF KUM ECSTA VR SPT KU31 BSW @ 169.00 PER TIRE. INVOICE TICKET 3311383 PHONE# 678-797-0447 SO [XXX] ARE DRIVING FROM ATLANTA TO HOUSTON ON I-20 INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, WHEN IN TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA THE KUMHO TIRE EXPLODES AND PAM BARNWELL IS DRIVING TRYING EVERYTHING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE MINI COOPER NOW THE FRONT LEFT TIRE IS NOW JUST A RIM AND WITH RIM DAMAGE. [XXX] ARE SHAKEN AND FRIGHTENED BUT UNHARMED ONLY BECAUSE PAM IS MORE EXPERIENCED DRIVER. SO WE HAVE FILED CLAIMS WITH BOTH KUMHO AND DISCOUNT TIRE AND BEEN DENIED REPLACEMENT AND OR REFUND! THERE IS TOWING CHARGES, HOTEL CHARGES, RIM REPLACEMENT CHARGES, TIRE REPLACEMENT AND LABOR CHARGES THAT [XXX] INCURRED. TWO ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS WERE ON THE SCENE AND COULD NOT BELIEVE THE TIRE WAS BRAND NEW AND THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE TIRE AND RIM. THEIR NAMES ARE MOORE AND ROGERS. WILLIAM SULCA WITH KUMHO TIRE USA CLAIM DEPARTMENT 800-445-8646 EXT 358 DENIED OUR CLAIM AND HAS NOT RETURNED THE TIRE WE SENT TO HIM FOR THEIR DETERMINATION EVEN THOUGH WE REQUESTED THE TIRE BE RETURNED. WE HAVE PICTURES! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. HE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH WHEN HE LEANED FORWARD TO ADJUST HIMSELF ON THE SEAT, THE SEAT BROKE AND WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NO LONGER HAD ANY WARRANTY TO REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD THE SEAT WELDED SO THAT HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61419. UPDATED 05/06/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING, WHEN SHE ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARD. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT HAS NO LOCK FORWARD AND THE CONSUMER WAS ALMOST THROWN FORWARD INTO THE WINDSHIELD. UPDATED 07/14/10.*JB