MINI Complaints

I BORROWED MY FRIEND'S MINI COOPER S FOR THE WEEK TO TEST DRIVE IT. AS I WAS UNLOADING CARGO FROM THE TRUNK, MY LEG WAS BURNED WHEN IT TOUCHED THE EXHAUST TIP. YESTERDAY, I READ ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE SAME PROBLEM ON EDMUNDS.COM. *TR

THE TAILPIPES, WHEN HOT, APPARENTLY PROTRUDE ENOUGH TO CAUSE SEVERE BURNS TO THE LEG. MY 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER SUSTAINED A SERIOUS BURN THIS WAY WHEN GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF THE HATCHBACK. *TR

THE WARRANTY ON MY 2002 MINI COOPER RAN OUT AT 50K MILES. AT 53K MILES THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION FROM MINI. THE TOTAL COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $4,200. I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING THE SAME FATE BECAUSE MINI WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR HAS FAILED ON MY 04 MINI COOPER S. UPON RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, I'VE FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER MINI COOPER OWNERS HAVE THE SAN=ME RECURRENT ISSUE. MINI COOPER NEEDS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH A RECALL. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OF MY 2002 MINI COOPER FAILED WHILE MY FRIEND WAS DRIVING MY CAR. SHE WAS ON A WINDING COASTAL ROAD AND THE CAR DIED ON A BLIND CURVE, PUTTING HER AT GREAT DANGER. FORTUNATELY NOBODY WAS HURT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BMW DEALERSHIP, WHERE I WAS INFORMED I NEEDED A $8500 "REFURBISHED" TRANSMISSION, AS THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT EVEN MADE ANYMORE. RESEARCH ON LINE SHOWS THAT THIS BECOMING A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH "FIRST GENERATION" MINIS WITH THE "CVT" AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I DECLINED THE REPAIR AND SOLD THEM THE CARCASS OF MY CAR. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND BMW/MINI IS NOT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2003 BRAND NEW AND HAD COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE DEPT WHEN IN FOR REPAIRS THAT THE TRANSMISSION FELT ODD. IT WOULD JERK AT LOW SPEEDS, BETWEEN 5 AND 10. THEY SAID THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THE CVT AND IT SHOULD GO AWAY ONCE THE TRANSMISSION WAS ACCUSTOMED TO THE WAY I DRIVE. IN 2006 MY HUSBAND WAS GIVING BLOOD IN MANCHESTER, NH AND WHILE HE WAS DOING THAT I WENT TO THE MALL FOR A FEW HOURS. AS I WAS RETURNING TO PICK HIM UP I CAME TO A YELLOW LIGHT THAT I COULD NOT MAKE IT THROUGH. I STOPPED THE CAR, LIKE NORMAL NOT A HARD STOP, AND HEARD A CLANK NOISE ALMOST AS IF I HAD HIT SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO GO AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN EXCEPT MY RPMS WOULD GO UP. I WAS ON A SLIGHT HILL AND BEGAN TO COAST BUT I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS COASTING OR IF THE CAR WAS JUST GOING REALLY SLOW, UNTIL I STARTED IN AN UPHILL AND THE CAR STOPPED. I TRIED TO TURN OF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON, CRAZY LOGIC THAT SOMETIMES DOES THE TRICK, AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE. I PUSHED THE CAR INTO A DRIVEWAY AS I WAS ON A 2 LANE ROAD AND BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND CALLED AAA TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MINI OF PEABODY. WHEN THEY CALLED ON MONDAY THEY SAID THAT THE CVT HAD FAILED, THEY FOUND THE CHAIN AND LINKS IN THE OIL PAN AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED HOW MUCH THE REPLACEMENT WOULD BE AND THEY TOLD ME PARTS AND LABOR WOULD BE $7700. WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT I TALKED TO THE SA ABOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEY'RE CVT'S AT 60K MILES. HE SAID HE WOULD TALK TO THE MANAGER AND CALL BACK. HE CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT HE TALKED TO THE MANAGER AND SPOKE WITH MINI USA AND THEY WOULD COME HALF THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT BRINGING IT TO $3850. I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND IT FELT LIKE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CAR. THERE IS NO JERKINESS AT SLOW SPEEDS SO I'M CONVINCED THAT I HAD A DUD TRANSMISSION ALL ALONG. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 MINI ON THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH AND I FELT A SUDDEN JOLTING AND SENSED A BACKWARD FORCE IMPEDING IT FROM GOING FORWARD. LUCKILY, IT WAS NIGHT TIME AND THERE WEREN'T MANY CARS, BECAUSE MY MINI STOPPED GOING FORWARD AND WAS MERELY RUNNING ON MOMENTUM. THE CAR GOT WORSE AND STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND FROM WHERE THE TRANSMISSION SITS AND THE CAR CONTINUED JOLTING NOT GOING FORWARD AS I BARELY HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND CHECKING THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE BY APPEARANCE (NO OIL LEAK, NO BLOWN GASKET, ETC), I RESTARTED THE CAR FINE, BUT THE CAR NEVER AGAIN ENGAGED INTO GEAR UNTIL I SPENT A WHOPPING $7,000 TO FIX IT. I WOULD SHIFT INTO D AND THE ENGINE WOULD REV, BUT THE CAR STAYED INERT. THE TRANSMISSION IS A CLOSED SYSTEM AND WHEN NO HARM IS DONE TO IT AND NO FLUID IS NOT LEAKING, TRANSMISSIONS SHOULDN'T POSE ANY PROBLEMS AT CONSIDERABLY LOW MILES (99K). I STARTED RESEARCHING ON THE POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND SURE ENOUGH, THERE WAS A LONG LIST OF COMPLAINTS ON THE FAULTY DESIGN. NEXT, I HAD TO SHOP FOR MECHANICS. ALL THE EXPERIENCED MINI MECHANICS TOLD ME THAT BMW OFFERED NO REPLACEMENT PARTS BECAUSE OF A PATENT THE INVENTOR HAD ON THE CVT DESIGN. I HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION REPLACED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO OPTIONS BMW LEFT FOR THE CONSUMER. IT WAS EITHER YOU PAY $7,000 OR YOUR MINI WILL BE SCRAPPED AND NEVER RUN AGAIN. MY MECHANIC WAS NICE ENOUGH TO CHOP OPEN THE TRANSMISSION AND SAW THAT IT WAS JUST A METAL BELT THAT DRIVES THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS BROKEN. A SIMPLE BELT THAT PROBABLY COSTS NO MORE THAN $200 COULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND A WHOLE LOT OF CONSUMER MONEY COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED IF THE PART WAS AVAILABLE TO THE US- NOT TO MENTION THE WHOLE ORDEAL WOULDN'T BE THERE IF BMW HAD DESIGNED A RELIABLE TRANSMISSION IN THE FIRST PLACE, (IE USE A REGULAR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INSTEAD OF A CVT WHEN THE CVT HAS NOT BE FULLY TESTED FOR ITS RELIABILITY). *TR

MY TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY MINI-COOPER ONCE WHEN IT WAS IN WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED, ONCE AGAIN, AND IT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AND I PAID 3000$ TO HAVE IT FIXED AND ONCE AGAIN WHEN THE 2ND TRANSMISSION WAS IN WARRANTY AND MINICOOPER FIXED IT. THIS CAR WAS A LEMON AND MINI NEVER ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *TR

ON 9/2/08 I BROUGHT MY 2003 MINI COOPER TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE. I WAS HEARING A NOISE FROM THE FRONT THAT CLOCKED AT LOW SPEED. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BAD CV JOINT AND ASKED THE SERVICE WRITER TO VERIFY AND GIVE ME A ESTIMATE. WHEN THEY WERE DONE IT WAS DETERMINED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE ESTIMATE WAS $7613.00 PLUS TAX. I DROVE HOME AND SPENT SOME TIME RESEARCHING THE CVT TRANSMISSION IN THE MINI COOPERS AND FOUND WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HIGH FAILURE RATE. A LOOK AT SEVERAL FORUMS FOR MINI'S SHOWS POSTINGS OF PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO MINE IN COOPER MODELS WITH MILEAGES FROM 34,000 TO 113,000 ALL WITH CVT TRANSMISSIONS. THE REPLACEMENT COSTS WERE SIMILAR TOO. THERE WERE MANY COMMENTS FROM FORUM USERS TO AVOID BUYING A USED MINI COOPER WITH A CVT, "AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE" WAS ONE COMMENT. MINI NO LONGER USES THIS TRANSMISSION. MAYBE THE FAILURES MADE THEM LOOK TO ANOTHER SOURCE, I DO NOT KNOW. I ALSO CONTACTED A PERSON WHO IS GATHERING NAMES, 50 SO FAR, TO FILE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST MINI TO TRY AND RECOUP THE MONEY SPENT REPAIRING A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. THAT IS JUST 50 PEOPLE WHO KNEW HOW TO CONTACT HER TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST. AS OF RIGHT NOW THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT THEM. THERE MUST BE MORE, AND 50 TRANSMISSIONS IS ALOT OF MONEY. IF A INVESTIGATION IS DONE BY THE NHTSA AND A RECALL IS INITIATED THEN MAYBE THESE PEOPLE CAN BE REIMBURSED BY MINI. I FIND IT UNUSUAL THAT A TRANSMISSION SHOULD FAIL IN A VEHICLE WITH 81,500 MILES AND MOST COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ HAVE A AVERAGE FAILURE MILEAGE AT 60,000. MINIS WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 50,000 MILES. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE MINI DEALER HAS MADE A EFFORT TO SHARE THE EXPENSE WITH ME AND IN GOOD FAITH WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION FOR 1/2 PRICE. AS OF THIS WRITING I HAVE NOT MADE A DECISION YET. THE VEHICLE HAS A TRADE-IN VALUE OF $10,000, SO SPENDING ALMOST $4000.00 TO REPAIR A OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE PART IS CRAZY. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 MINI COOPER S. THE CAR?S ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM HAS ONGOING ISSUES, PARTICULARLY THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK THREE TIMES WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES. THIS MEANS MY CAR IS NOW ON ITS FOURTH COOLANT EXPANSION TANK. HERE IS A SHORT SUMMARY OF THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANKS THAT MY CAR HAS HAD: DATE TANK INSTALLEDDATE TANK FAILED/REPLACEDCAR MILEAGE WHEN REPLACED WHEN CAR WAS BUILTJUNE 19, 200414,130 JUNE 19, 2004OCTOBER 23, 200417,528 OCTOBER 23, 2004OCTOBER 24, 200750,143 OCTOBER 24, 2007NOT YETNOT YET THE RADIATOR ALSO FAILED AT 50,143 MILES, WHICH IS AN EVENT I AM ALSO NOT PLEASED WITH. ADDITIONALLY, IT NOW APPEARS--AS OF SEPTEMBER 2008--THAT I MAY HAVE ANOTHER COOLING SYSTEM ISSUE. I WILL BE CALLING MY MECHANIC SOON TO CHECK INTO IT. ALL OF THESE FAILURES OF THE COOLANT EXPANSION TANK TOOK UP SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MY TIME IN TAKING MY CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEN GOING TO RETRIEVE IT AFTER THE REPAIR. AND IN ONE CASE LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A VERY BUSY CALIFORNIA FREEWAY AT RUSH HOUR. ADDITIONALLY, I FEAR THAT THE MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THE EXPANSION TANK HAVE STRESSED THE OTHER PARTS OF THE ENGINE'S COOLING SYSTEM (AS EVIDENCED BY THE RADIATOR FAILURE AND THE NEED TO REPLACE ANOTHER COOLANT PART). THE LOCAL MINI COOPER DEALER REPLACED THE FIRST TWO EXPANSION TANKS UNDER WARRANTY AND DECLINED TO REPLACE THE THIRD EXPANSION TANK. AFTER I COMPLAINED--AND AFTER SIX MONTHS OF FOLLOW-UP CALLS AND LETTERS--THEY FINALLY REIMBURSED ME FOR THE COST OF THE THIRD EXPANSION TANK. IN ALL INSTANCES, MINI DECLINED TO LET ME KEEP THE OLD PART--EVEN THOUGH I ASKED EACH TIME. *TR