MINI Complaints

AUTO WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY AFTER A 30 MILE DRIVE, TURNED OFF AND KEYS REMOVED. AFTER SOME TIME BEING PARKED, CAR STARTED BILLOWING SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, PARKING LIGHTS CAME ON SPONTANEOUSLY. NO KEYS PRESENT IN THE VEHICLE. BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY THE APPARENT SHORT CIRCUIT HAD DRAINED THE BATTERY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MINI OF PEABODY MA WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP HAD SHORTED OUT CAUSING THE WIRING HARNESS TO BE DESTROYED AND ALSO DESTROYING THE BATTERY. *TR

I BOUGHT A USED 2004 MINI COOPER LAST YEAR. UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS ON A CURVY ROAD THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD GET VERY HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL, ESPECIALLY IN A SHARP CURVE. WITH NO DEALERSHIPS WITHIN 150 MILES I PUT UP WITH IT. NOW IT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME AND CANNOT BE DISCONNECTED WITHOUT TAKING THE BATTERY CABLE OFF THE BATTERY. IT RUINED 2 BATTERIES BEFORE I REALIZED IT WAS STAYING ON 24 HOURS A DAY. I BOUGHT THE REPAIR BOOK AND WIRING DIAGRAM CD'S TO FIND IT IS STRAIGHT WIRED FROM BATTERY TO INSIDE THE PUMP WHICH GLOWS BRIGHT RED AFTER RUNNING A FEW HOURS. IF I HAD ANY TYPE OF OIL LEAK, IT WOULD CATCH ON FIRE. I CONTACTED A REPAIR CENTER IN ATLANTA GA AND THEY CAN CHANGE IT OUT FOR ABOUT $1000+ FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE OPEN FACED FAN THAT CAUSED THE FAILURE IN THE PUMP. IT FAILED THE EXACT MONTH MY WARRANTY WAS OVER AND THEY SAID SORRY CHARLIE. CANNOT CURRENTLY PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED SO IT HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY YARD FOR ALMOST A YEAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED THREE TIMES. IN ADDITION, THE BRACKETS THAT SUPPORT THE MUFFLER HAVE ROTTED. UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, THE BRACKETS THAT SUPPORT THE HORN HAVE ALSO ROTTED. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AGAIN FOR ANOTHER REPAIR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 68,600.

BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVERS SIDE WINDOWS ARE STUTTERING WHEN I TRY TO ROLL THEM UP OR DOWN. THIS IS WHEN I AM EVEN ABLE TO GET THEM TO WORK. FOUND THAT WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT, THEY WON'T WORK AT ALL!! MEANING I AM HAVING TO WAIT FOR IT TO COOL DOWN TO ROLL THE WINDOWS DOWN IF I AM LUCKY AND HAVE ON ONE OCCASION GOT STUCK IN MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CAR DOOR HANDLE ALSO WOULD OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE AND I COULDN'T OPEN THE WINDOW TO OPEN THE DOOR, WHICH WAS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE I HAD A CHILD WITH ME. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY AND JUST GOT MY DOOR REPAIRED AND STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH THE WINDOWS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DO ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES A DRIVE THROUGH, OR AT MY PREVIOUS APT YOU HAD TO ENTER A CODE TO GET INTO THE GATED COMMUNITY AND I HAD TO GET OUT OF MY CAR TO DO THIS, AND I LIVE IN COLORADO, AND IT GETS VERY COLD. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, DUE TO MANY FORUMS AND OTHER MINI OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES! FROM FORUMS SHOWS THAT EVEN REPLACING THE MOTOR WON'T FIX THE ISSUE, WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY!! THIS NEEDS TO A RECALL ONCE AGAIN, CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP GETTING THIS FIXED AND DISHING OUT MONEY, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAVE A KID WITH ME FROM TIME TO TIME. UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

AIR BAG CHECK LIGHT IS ON. NO AIR BAG WAS DEPLOYED, NO CRASH WAS INVOLVED. THIS IS ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THE MINI COOPER WHICH SHOULD HAVE A RECALL. IF NOT REPAIRED AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN A CRASH. *TR

THE CVT FAILED IN MY 2003 MINI COOPER AT 67,000 MILES. THE REPAIR COST OFFERED BY DEALER STARTED AT 7400 THEN WHEN TOLD I HAD READ ABOUT NUMEROUS OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM THE COST BECAME 5900. ALSO FOUND OUT THE COMPANY STOPPED USING THIS TRANSMISSION IN 07 MODELS DUE TO PROBLEMS. NEED RE-CALL AND OR REIMBURSEMENTS. *TR

DRIVER SIDE AND HEAD AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN A "BUMP" (PAVEMENT AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS DURING REPAVING) IN THE ROAD WAS HIT BY THE VEHICLE. *TR

AS AN OWNER OF A 2004 COOPER S I WAS GREATLY DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT I NOW NEED TO REPLACE MY ELECTRIC STEERING PUMP AT ONLY 55K MILES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE PART "GOES REGULARLY" AND THAT "WE KEEP A BUNCH IN STOCK" AND THAT IT WILL COST ME $600 FOR A NEW ONE NOT INCLUDING LABOR. WITH THIS BIT OF INFORMATION, I BEGAN TO SEARCH MINI COOPER FANSITES AND BLOGS TO SEE HOW OFTEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. I WASN'T SURPRISED TO FIND THAT MANY OF THE MEMBERS AND "FANS" OF THE CAR HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PUMP FAILURES, AND THAT THERE IS A GROWING NUMBER OF THOSE WHO ARE DISCUSSING THE FAILURE ISSUE. I BELIEVE THIS IS BOTH A COSTLY FIX AS WELL AS A SAFETY PROBLEM. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF A STEERING PUMP IS QUITE DANGEROUS AND MAY CAUSE SOME DRIVERS TO LOSE CONTROL. I AM FORTUNATE THAT I NOTICED THE PROBLEM AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE FAILURE WAS, SO I PERSONALLY DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, BUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE LESS CAR SAVVY, THEY MAY NOT NOTICE THE NOISE OF THE FAILURE THAT IS ABOUT TO OCCUR. *TR

ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF 08 MINI COOPER S GETS SO HOT IT HAS MELT THE HOOD SCOOP. MY HOOD SCOOPING IS BOWING DOWN AND THE CAR HAS 2700 MILES ON IT. I SUGGEST A RECALL AND A HEAT SHIELD TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. TOO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE FORUMS. *TR

FAILED CVT TRANSMISSION IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. CAR HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS ENTIRE SYSTEM WAS LOCKED AND ENGINE DIED; COULD NOT MANUALLY MOVE SHIFT OUT OF DRIVE. MILEAGE WAS AROUND 12,000 ABOVE WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP QUOTED $7200 TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION - NO COVERAGE UNDER WARRANTY. I COULD NOT AFFORD THE REPAIR, SO TURNED THE CAR BACK TO MANUFACTURER AS A VOLUNTARY REPO. THIS WAS DEVASTATING. CAR WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION OTHERWISE. *TR