MINI Complaints

DURING NOVEMBER OF 2008, I BROKE DOWN 4 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON 11/1 (WHEN I HAD AN APPT TO HAVE MY AILING CAR LOOKED AT ON 11/3). I MADE THE APPT FOR 11/3 ON 10/30 WHEN I WAS ON A HIGHWAY AND THE CAR BEGAN BUCKING LIKE A MECHANICAL BULL. OBVIOUSLY, I DID NOT MAKE IT TO THE APPOINTMENT. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 11/1 AFTER BREAKING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY, VALVE COVER GASKET, AND TRANSMISSION. I WAS "GOOD-WILLED" THE TRANSMISSION BY OTTO'S BMW BECAUSE I WAS OVER MY WARRANTY IN TIME AND NOT MILEAGE (PASSED 4 YEARS, BUT NOT 50000 MILES). I PAID $386 TO FIX THE FIRST TWO ITEMS. THE NEXT DAY, I GOT MY CAR BACK. ON 11/8, I BROKE DOWN AGAIN WHILE PULLING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. I REALIZED ON MY WAY TO MY DESTINATION, I DESTROYED TWO STREETS AND MY FAMILY'S DRIVEWAY WITH MY TRANSMISSION FLUID. I WAS IRATE, AND THE DEALER TOWED IT IN. THEY SAID THE TRANS COOL LINE DISCONNECTED. I HAD MY CAR BACK IN A COUPLE DAYS. ON 11/23, I BROKE DOWN AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THE CAR'S EMS AND CHECK ENGINE SOON LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CAR WOULD RESTART, BUT THEN SHOOK VICIOUSLY AND THEN CONKED OUT WHEN IT WAS PUT IN GEAR. MINI TOWED IT IN AGAIN. THEY "COULDN'T VERIFY THE CONCERN" AND SAID IT DROVE OFF THE FLATBED FINE, AND YET I COULDN'T GET IT TO MOVE AGAIN 24 HOURS AFTER BREAKING DOWN. MINI KEPT THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE DAYS TO ENSURE THEY WERE THOROUGH IN THEIR EFFORTS. ON 11/30, I BROKE DOWN AGAIN ON MY WAY TO HAVE THE CAR DETAILED TO PREPARE IT FOR SALE THE FOLLOWING DAY. I HAD TO CALL OUT OF WORK ON 12/1 TO WAIT FOR MINI'S TOW COMPANY TO COME RETRIEVE THE CAR FOR THE FORTH AND FINAL TIME. THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID IT WAS "ACTING UP REAL NICE" WHEN THEY GOT IT OFF THE FLATBED THIS TIME. BY THIS POINT IN TIME, I WAS HAVING PANIC ATTACKS BEHIND THE WHEEL OF ANY CAR BECAUSE I WAS SO PARANOID AND DIDN'T FEEL SAFE. WHY HAS NO ONE RECALLED THE MINI? *TR

I HAVE A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE TRANSMISSION (CVT TRANSMISSION) FIRST FAILED AT AROUND 40,000 MILES AND THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO REPLACE IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. SINCE THEN EVERY FEW MONTHS THE TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL AND SO FAR IT'S BEEN THE 4TH TIME THAT THE DEALER TRIED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND STILL FAILS. IT SEEMS LIKE THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL, NOW MY CAR HAS 81,000 MILES ON IT AND I FEEL BAD TO SELL THE CAR KNOWING I AM JUST PASSING THE PROBLEM ON TO SOMEONE ELSE. I CAN HAVE IT FIXED AT NO CHARGE AS I AM COVERED BY WARRANTY HOWEVER IF I SELL IT, THE NEXT BUYER WILL NOT BE PROTECTED AND WILL FACE ENDLESS FIX AND MONEY TO WASTE, NOT TO MENTION THAT IT'S $8000 EACH TIME TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT ILLUMINATES WITH FULLGROWN ADULT (WEIGHING MORE THAN 160 POUNDS) PROPERLY SEATED WHILE WEARING SEATBELT. CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALER TWICE BEFORE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND NEXT VISIT WILL BE THE THIRD TIME REPORTING THIS PROBLEM FOR REPAIR. *TR

CAR CLUNKS WHILE GOING OVER ROUGH ROADS. AS PER DIAGNOSIS FROM MINI DEALERSHIP, THE "TRANSMISSION MOTOR MOUNT IS TOO SMALL AND DOES NOT DAMPEN SHOCK FROM ROAD BUMPS OR ACCELERATION TORQUE" AND WAS REPLACED. *TR

COLD START CHATTER. VERY NASTY DIESEL ENGINE SOUND UPON STARTUP WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. SOUND LASTS FOR UP TO 1 MINUTE IF I START DRIVING RIGHT AWAY, OR 5 MINUTES IF I LET IT SIT IDLE. OCCURS BETWEEN 800 AND 3000 RPM. REPRODUCIBLE EVERY TIME THE ENGINE IS COLD (IE, HAS NOT BEEN USED RECENTLY). *TR

I BOUGHT A NEW 2003 MINI COOPER WITH A 3 YEAR 36K WARRANTY 6/26/03. WHILE UNDER WARRANTY AND RECEIVING RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE THROUGH THE DEALER, THE CAR REQUIRED REPAIR OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT WHICH WAS FROZEN IN THE RECLINED POSITION. SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, AND 10,481 MILES AFTER A DEALER MAINTENANCE CHECK, THE BRAKE LIGHT INDICATOR BEGAN FLASHING. I TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDED REPLACEMENT FOR $886.60. AT THE SAME SERVICE VISIT, I WAS TOLD THE FRONT STRUTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT TO THE TUNE OF $1600. MY MALE FRIENDS WHO ARE MECHANICALLY INCLINED AND/OR ENGINEERS SAID THAT ONE WOULD NEED TO BE DOING STUNTS IN A CAR TO NEED THAT KIND OF REPAIR AT 50,293 MILES. IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHY THE INDICATOR ONLY TELLS WHEN BRAKES ARE TOTALLY SHOT, OR WHY THE MOST RECENT SERVICE CHECK HAD NOT SHOWN WORN PADS AND DISKS. LATER, AT 53,007 MILES, THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW FAILED AND THAT COST $497.51 TO REPLACE. AT 62,516 MILES THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM DIED WHICH COST $1173.58 TO REPLACE. THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK ON THE DRIVER?S SIDE DOES NOT WORK AND LORD KNOWS HOW MUCH THAT REPAIR WILL COST. NOW AT 69K, THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACEMENT. MY PRESENT MECHANIC (CHEAPER AND MORE RELIABLE THAN DEALERSHIP) SAYS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH WITH A REMANUFACTURED SYSTEM WILL BE >$4000. THIS IS AN OUTLANDISH AMOUNT OF REPAIR AND REPAIR COST FOR A $19,000 CAR WITH 70K MILEAGE. I HAVE HAD 2 PREVIOUS HONDAS THAT WERE CHEAPER THAN THE MINI AND NEVER NEEDED A CLUTCH OR TRANSMISSION. MY SON DROVE MY $14,000 '95 HONDA CIVIC UNTIL LAST MONTH AND IT HAD 200K MILES. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER MINI, OR BMW FOR THAT MATTER, BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE. I WILL BE SURE TO DISCOURAGE OTHERS FROM BUYING ONE. I HOPE A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS FORMED. *TR

THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATES THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG HAS BEEN DISABLED WHEN A FULL SIZED ADULT IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. *TR

DURING HEAVY RAIN, THE FRONT WINDOWS OPEN COMPLETELY UNCOMMANDED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY ONE TIME. EVERYTHING IN THE CAR, EXCEPT THE HEADLINER, WAS WET. WATER WAS STANDING MORE THAN ONE INCH DEEP ON THE FLOOR. THE FRONT AND REAR SEATS HAD STANDING WATER. THE DASH BOARD WAS WET. THE DOOR STORAGE AREAS HAD STANDING WATER. THE DASH BOARD VENTS HAD WATER STANDING IN THEM. THE A AND B PILLARS WERE DRIPPING WATER. WATER WAS STANDING IN THE TRAY UNDERNEATH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE SWITCHES ON IT WERE SOAKED. THE DEALER DRIED THE CAR AND REPLACED A SENSOR IN THE DRIVER SIDE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. THE DEALER SAID THAT A REDESIGNED PART FROM MINI WAS INSTALLED. *TR

MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (CVT) BROKE WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN. CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED, DEALER SERVICE ONLY. MILEAGE WAS ONLY 54K. *TR

POWER STEERING WENT COMPLETELY OUT ON MY WIFE'S 2005 MINI COOPER. NO WARNING, INDICATIONS, OR EVENTS LED UP TO FAILURE. *TR