MINI Complaints

PURCHASED A USED 2002 MINI COOPER ABOUT 3 1/2 YRS AGO W/ ABOUT 12K MILES. AT AROUND 15-17K MILES THE TRANSMISSION BASICALLY EXPLODED WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE TRANSMISSION. MINI REPLACED IT WITH I'M GUESSING A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. AT THE TIME OF THE REPAIR I ASKED THEM IF THEY WERE PUTTING IN A NEW CLUTCH AND THEY SAID NO, WHICH I FOUND STRANGE. NOW AT 60K MILES THE CLUTCH IS BASICALLY DONE. WHEN THE CAR IS COLD IT SHIFTS PRETTY NORMALLY, BUT AFTER 15-25 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE FIRST TWO GEARS BECOME HARD TO ENGAGE AND THEY SLIP. THIS IS NOT MY FIRST FIVE SPEED AND I'M SHOCKED THAT THIS CLUTCH IS DONE AFTER SUCH LITTLE MILEAGE. SHOULD THEY HAVE REPLACED THE CLUTCH WHEN THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION? I'M NOT A MECHANIC BUT TO LOSE A CLUTCH AT 60K MILES DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. MY DRIVING HABITS ARE PRETTY NORMAL. I'M NOT LIGHTING UP THE TIRES AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR RACING PEOPLE. THIS IS AN EVERYDAY CAR MOSTLY USED ON THE HIGHWAY. I'M BRINGING THE CAR IN TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT THE MINI SERVICE CENTER IN FREEPORT NY ON 12/29/08. ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING ABOUT 4 MONTHS AFTER CAR WAS PURCHASED. AND AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS LIT. HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED ONCE OR TWICE. BUT THE LIGHT STILL STAYS LIT. *TR

PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. HAS BEEN REPAIRED 4 TIMES. HAS NOT RECURRED THIS LAST REPAIR, HOWEVER ONLY REPAIRED 2 MONTHS AGO. HAPPENED FIRST 3/26/07, PARTS HAD TO BE SPECIAL ORDERED AND IT WAS REPAIRED ON 4/17/07; THEN 1/29/08, THEN 6/17/08, AND THEN 10/27/08. EACH TIME THEY MAKE THE SAME REPAIR: PART NUMBER 52 10 6 961 324, REPLACED SENSOR MAT, (OC3 MAT) PASSENGER SEAT, 65 77 604, REMOVED SEAT, REMOVED SEAT COVER, REPLACED SEAT COVER, MAT, AND UPHOLSTERY MATERIAL. THE LIGHT HAS NOT COME BACK ON SINCE LAST REPAIR, HOWEVER IT HAS ONLY BEEN 2 MONTHS. *TR

ON 2007 MINI COOPER S, PURCHASED NEW 12-2007, EXPERIENCING WARPED/MELTED/DEFORMED SCOOPS ON BONNET(HOOD) DUE TO EXTREME HEAT ISSUE FROM TURBO, SCOOP ORIGINALLY HAD ZERO CUTOUTS, MY COOPER HAS 3 CUTOUTS IN SCOOP MADE BY MFG, OPENING NOT LARGE ENOUGH OR FAN DOES NOT RUN LONG ENOUGH TO COOL DOWN THE BONNET SCOOP OR FAN DOES NOT RUN AT ALL, FAN RUNS ABOUT 30% OF THE TIME ONLY & WARPING OCCURS ON THE BONNET SCOOP WHICH IS PAINTED PLASTIC. IF THE BONNET SCOOP WAS METAL, THIS WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. HEAT CAN REACH 235 DEGREES. HAVE BEEN OPENING HOOD WHEN RE-PARKING IN THE GARAGE TO ALLOW TO VENT/COOL DOWN. OPENING HOOD NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE ,OBVIOUSLY, WHEN PARKING NOT AT HOME. WOULD LIKE MINI (BMW) TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, NEEDS TO REPLACE THE PAINTED TO MATCH HOOD SCOOP, ADDRESSING WITH BMW 12-19-2008. *TR

MY CAR'S RIGHT REAR CONTROL ARM HAD BROKEN IN HALF. THIS ARM PREVENTS THE TIRE FROM SWINGING SIDEWAYS. LUCKY FOR ME, I WAS GOING SLOWLY AT THE TIME. THE CONTROL ARM CONSISTS OF TWO 1/4" PIECES OF METAL WITH HOLES IN THEM AT EVENLY SPACED POINTS. BOTH OF THE METAL ARMS WERE BROKEN IN LINE WITH THE HOLES THAT WERE PART OF THE MANUFACTURED DESIGN. I PAID $1900 FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THROUGH UNIVERSAL UNDERWRITERS(NOW CALLED ZURICH) AT MINI OF CONCORD, CALIFORNIA. CONTROL ARM REPLACEMENT IS LISTED AS COVERED. THEIR REASON FOR NOT COVERING IT IS BECAUSE IT HAS A SLIGHT BEND IN IT (I DON'T SEE IT) AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THAT IT EVENTUALLY BROKE. THE METAL THAT MAKES UP THIS ARM IS NO MORE THAN 1/4" THICK: POORLY MADE, ESPECIALLY WHEN COUPLED WITH THESE HOLES THAT ARE IN IT. THIS PART SHOULD BE MADE TO WITHSTAND IMPACT. TO ME IT IS OBVIOUS THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND I AM APPALLED THAT NEITHER THE DEALER OR THE INSURANCE COMPANY THAT I BOUGHT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM WILL PAY FOR IT. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED HAD I BEEN ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I HAVE GONE FROM A MINI LOVER TO ONE WHO WILL SELL IT AFTER I'M ABLE TO AFFORD TO REPAIR IT. I AM CURRENTLY PRICE COMPARING IN PRIVATE REPAIR SHOPS. *TR

CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS FOR 2003 MINI COOPER S. CONSUMER STATES THAT HER SON WAS KILLED WHILE DRIVING HIS MINI COOPER S BACK IN JULY 2008. *NJ THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD HER SON LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED RECALL 03V086000 AND WANTED TO KNOW COULD THE RECALL HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTORY. *JB

I OWN A 2003 MINI COOPER WITH A CVT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HAS 80000 MILES ON IT AND THE CVT FAILED COMPLETELY. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO GET A NEW REPLACEMENT WITH AN "UPDATED" 2005 MODEL WHICH I HAVE BEEN QUOTED FROM 2 PLACES $8000 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THIS IS MY COMPLAINT. IF THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CVT WHY HAVE THEY NOT CONTACTED ME? PLEASE CONTACT IF YOU NEED FURTHER DETAILS. *TR

SUPERCHARGER FAILED AT 60,950 MILES, RESULTING IN COMPLETE REBUILD OF UNIT. FAULTY GEAR AND LUBRICATION DESIGN. *TR

SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT AND LOCKED INSIDE OF MY 2003 MINI COOPER S BECAUSE THE CABLES INSIDE THE DOOR FROZE. HUSBAND HAD TO PULL ME OUT OF THE CAR VIA THE DRIVER'S WINDOW BECAUSE THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY OUT. ABLE TO INITIALLY GET IN AND OUT OF CAR BUT WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE DOORS FROZE AND I WAS STUCK. TALKED TO MINI USA AND DEALERSHIP AND BOTH SAID NEVER HEARD OF IT EVEN THOUGH NUMEROUS BLOGS AND COMPLAINTS EXIST FOR MINI COOPER S MADE BEFORE 04/2004. VERY WORRIED IN CASE OF EMERGENCY AND ME AND MY UNBORN CHILD NEED TO GET OUT. ALSO HAVE HAD MY TWO AND FOUR YEAR OLD GIRLS IN THE CAR WITH ME. FORTUNATELY DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN THEY WERE PRESENT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY POWER STEERING PUMP DIED I COULD HARDLY CHANGE LANES ON THE FREEWAY, IT FELT LIKE MY STEERING WHEEL HAD LOCKED, TURNING IN ANY ANGLE WAS VERY HARD WORST THAN DRIVING A TRUCK, I KEPT A FIRM GRIP WITH ONE HAND WHILE TRYING TO CONTROL THE GEARS, MY ARMS, BACK, AND HAND IS STILL HURTING, HAD NO WARNING SIGNALS, IT WHEEL JUST LOCKED UP AND WAS VERY HARD TO MANAGED I WASNT ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAR DID NOT FEEL SAFE, DID NOT HAVE FULL CONTROL OF HANDLING THE STEERING THIS IS SERIOUS PROTENTIAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE RECALLS BUT NOT FOR MY VIN 2004. MY MINI IS NOW IN THE REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE PUMP REPLACE AND THE FAN. THIS IS A DEADLY ISSUE AND MINI SHOULD RECALL AND PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET WE SHOULD GET REFUNDS, SO FAR OUT OF POCKET IS OVER $1100.00, I HOPE THIS SEND A MESSAGE TO THE MANAUFACTURE THAT LIVES ARE AT STAKE HERE, GREAT CAR BUT NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT FULL CONTROL. I'M SO THANKFUL I DIDNT HAVE TO MOVE QUICKLY OUT OF THE WAY OR I WOULD NOT BE HERE TO REPORT THIS BAD EXPERIENCE I LOST A DAY OF WORK TRYING TO GET THIS RESOLVED AND THE COST OF A RENTAL CAR. *TR

BATTERY FAILURE. BATTERY HAS FAILED FOR THE THIRD TIME SINCE CAR BRAND NEW IN FEB, 2003. ON EACH OCCASION THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER HAVING GIVEN NO WARNING. THE FIRST FAILURE WAS IN 2005 AT 26,000 MI., THE SECOND IN 2007 AT 51,000 MI., THE THIRD IN 2008 AT 68,000 MI. EACH FAILED BATTERY WAS A MANUFACTURER'S BRAND (MINI). *TR