MINI Complaints

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). I HAVE A 2004 MINI COOPER S (BMW) THAT I HAVE OWNED FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF BUT RECENTLY, PAST 3 MONTHS., I HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING QUIT SUDDENLY ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THANKFULLY I WAS NOT ON A HIGH SPEED ROAD AT ANY OF THOSE TIMES BECAUSE WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT IT I COULD BARELY TURN THE WHEEL AND I'M A 36 YR. OLD MALE WITH QUITE A BIT MORE STRENGTH THAN MY FIANCE WHO ALSO DRIVES THE CAR. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS FLAW WITH THE CAR AS I HAVE CHECKED WITH OTHER MINI COOPER OWNERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING FAILING SUDDENLY. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THIS OCCURS AT HIGH SPEEDS OR DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED BY BMW SINCE I AM NOT THE ONLY MINI COOPER OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. [XXX] *TR

I OWN A 2007 MINI COOPER. THE TAIL PIPE IS LARGE EXTENDS BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE BUMPER. I HAD DRIVEN MY CAR APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES AND PARKED IT, THEN OPENED THE BACK TO RETRIEVE SOME ITEMS FROM THE CARGO AREA. MY LEG CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TAIL PIPE AND I RECEIVED A SEVERE BURN WHICH WAS EXTREMELY PAINFUL AND BECAME BLISTERED. THE BURN WAS LARGE AND IN THE SHAPE OF A HALF MOON. THERE IS STILL A SCAR ON MY LEG FROM THIS. I CONTACTED BMW MINI NORTH AMERICA, TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND SENT THEM A PICTURE OF MY LEG WITH THE BURN ON IT. THEY ARRANGED FOR ME TO BRING MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE AN ENGINEER EVALUATE THE CAR FOR ANY DEFECTS IN THE TAILPIPE. LATER I WAS TOLD THAT THE TAILPIPE WAS MANUFACTURED PROPERLY AND I SHOULD JUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH IT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE IS A WARNING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR THE CAR REGARDING THE TAIL PIPE. I LOOKED IT UP AND IT SAYS "DO NOT TOUCH HOT EXHAUST TAIL PIPES. OTHERWISE THERE IS A RISK OF BURNS". UNFORTUNATELY, THE TAIL PIPE IS IN A POSITION WHERE A PERSON'S LEG WOULD NORMALLY BE WHEN RETRIEVING ITEMS FROM THE CARGO AREA OF THE CAR. AND SINCE IT PROTRUDES PAST THE BUMPER, IT IS DIFFICULT NOT TO TOUCH IT. *TR

2008 MINI COOPER S CAUSES FIRE WHILST PARKED IN THE GARAGE AT 2AM, BURNS DOWN ANOTHER CAR AND PROPERTY. THE SUGAR LAND, TEXAS FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THE CAUSE OF ORIGIN OF THE FIRE IS SUSPECTED FROM MINI COOPER. *TR

WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD, THE CENTER CONSOLE CONTROLS (HEAT, REAR DEFOGGER), THE HEADLIGHTS, FRONT/REAR WIPERS WILL NOT FUNCTION. WHEN CAR STARTS TO WARM UP, THOSE ITEMS WILL START WORKING WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED TO EITHER SIDE. WHEN CAR IS FULLY WARMED UP, WILL WORK MOST OF THE TIME UNLESS YOU HIT A BUMP. MINI SHOP SAID IT WAS A BAD COMPUTER - $800 TO FIX. ENGINE HAD AN OIL PLAN LEAK 2 YEARS AGO RESULTING IN MAJOR LOSS OF OIL. FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN GETTING ELECTRICAL PROBLEM FIXED, MINI SHOP FOUND 3 OIL LEAKS. TOTAL COST TO FIX WAS $3200. NOT NECESSARY TO GET THE FIX BUT NEED TO WATCH THE OIL LEVELS. *TR

OWNER PARKED MINI COOPER AT STORE WENT INSIDE. WHILE IN STORE, HEARD OVER INTERCOM THAT HER VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. SHE WENT OUTSIDE AND SAW FLAMES UNDERNEATH FRONT OF VEHICLE. FIRE WENT OUT BEFORE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM WIRING HAD OVERHEATED AND BURNED ONLY - NOTHING ELSE IGNITED. THE DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE PREVIOUS EA ANALYSIS EA07-011 PERTAINING TO 2002-2003 MINI COOPERS. *TR

DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF TWO DEFLECTORS (UNDER THE VEHICLE'S FRONT BUMPER ' ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE CAR) APPARENTLY DESIGNED TO FLEX WHEN, AS A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE'S LOW GROUND CLEARANCE, SUCH DEFLECTORS CONTACT THE GROUND DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE (E.G., ON DRIVEWAY APRONS, SPEED BUMPS, ETC.). INSTEAD OF FLEXING, THE DEFLECTORS REPEATEDLY FAIL AS A RESULT OF THEIR DEFECTIVE DESIGN. THE DEFLECTORS ARE OBVIOUSLY DESIGNED TO BE FLEXIBLE BY FUSING HARD RUBBER TO HARD PLASTIC. HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF FLEXING, THE DEFLECTORS FAIL AT THE SEAM WHERE THE HARD RUBBER IS FUSED TO THE HARD PLASTIC. MINI HAS REPLACED ONE SET OF DEFECTIVE DEFLECTORS, WHICH PROMPTLY FAILED WITHIN WEEKS UNDER NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. MINI REFUSES TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE DEFLECTORS. BMW NORTH AMERICA, LLC REPEATEDLY REFUSES TO RESPOND TO INQUIRIES REGARDING WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE DEFLECTORS IN PLACE. SUCH REPEATED REFUSAL BY BMW NORTH AMERICA, LLC IMPLIES THAT THE VEHICLE IS INDEED NOT SAFE TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE DEFLECTORS IN PLACE. BMW NORTH AMERICA, LLC REFUSES TO ADMIT THAT THE DEFLECTORS ARE DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED, CITING 'OUTSIDE INFLUENCES' (WITHOUT EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT IS MEANT THEREBY) AS THE CAUSE OF THE REPEATED FAILURE OF THE DEFLECTORS. THE FUSING OF HARD RUBBER TO HARD PLASTIC ON A PART SUCH AS THE DEFLECTORS WHICH ARE TO BE FASTENED TO A CAR WITH SUCH A LOW GROUND CLEARANCE REPRESENTS A DESIGN SPECIFICALLY MEANT TO BE FLEXIBLE IN RESPONSE TO 'OUTSIDE INFLUENCES,' AND WHEN SUCH PART FAILS AT THE SEAM OF THE TWO DIFFERING SUBSTANCES, THE DESIGN IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST AND A LOUD SQUEALING NOISE FROM THE FRONT BRAKES UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, POSSIBLY CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE DEFLECTORS AND POTENTIALLY CREATING A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE RETAINED THE HARD RUBBER AND HARD PLASTIC PIECES OF THE DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED DEFLECTORS FOR INSPECTION. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS NOT ABOUT AN ACCIDENT BUT RATHER AN UNSAFE CONDITION IN MY RELATIVELY NEW MINI COOPER. THE SIZE AND POSITION OF MY INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR SIGNIFICANTLY OBSCURES THE VIEW OF THE ROAD ON RIGHT HAND TURNS (ESPECIALLY ON EXIT RAMPS). I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE CORRECTED. *TR

MY 2003 MINI COOPER'S CVT TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO. THE MINI HAS 75K MILES (ALL HIGHWAY MILES). TOWED THE CAR TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP. HAD THE MODULAR UNIT REPLACED; HOWEVER THAT WASN'T THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST TO REPLACE IT IS TOO MUCH. IT COST THE TRUE VALUE OF THE CAR...OVER $8,000 TO REPLACE IT. BMW/MINI COOPER WILL NOT TAKE ANY PART OF RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR MECHANICAL PROBLEMS ON THESE TYPES OF CARS. DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF REPAIRS THE BROKEN DOWN MINI IS BEING STORED IN A GARAGE BASICALLY ROTTING AWAY. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP SUDDENLY FAILED. THIS IS AN ELECTRIC-HYDRAULIC STEERING SYSTEM AND THE CAR IS NOT CONTROLLABLE WHEN THE PUMP FAILS. THE CAR HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILE. *TR

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 MINI COPPER S FOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. I REFUSE TO PAY MORE THAN 1,000EUROS (SINCE I SERVE OVERSEAS) TO FIX A "KNOWN" PROBLEM THAT BMW MINI CHOOSES TO IGNORE DESPITE THE VALID COMPLAINTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD....*TR