MINI Complaints

BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW MOTOR FAILURE (WITH WINDOW IN UP POSITION). PROBLEM WAS INTERMEDIATE OVER THE PAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS WITH FAILURE TWO OR THREE TIMES A YEAR. CURRENTLY DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW HAS NOT WORKED FOR WEEKS. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 MINI COOPER S AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON FORUMS SEE THAT THERE IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS. TURNS OUT THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT DEALERSHIPS EVEN CARRY EXTRA PARTS BECAUSE OF THIS. I SEE THAT SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR JUST HAPPENED WITH OTHER BMW'S. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE RECALL LIST. IT APPEARS THAT IN AN ACCIDENT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY. *TR

RECEIVED BLISTERING AND PERMANENT SCARING BURN FROM EXHAUST PIPE WHILE REMOVING CARGO FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. *TR

RECEIVED BLISTERING AND PERMANENT SCARING BURN FROM EXHAUST PIPE WHILE REMOVING CARGO FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. *TR

HOOD SCOOP ON 2007 MINI COOPER "S" IS MELTING DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM TURBO. *TR

AFTER A 30 MINUTE DRIVE, I PARKED AND THEN PULLED SOMETHING OUT OF THE TRUNK. WHILE REACHING IN, I BURNED MY LEFT SHIN ON THE TAILPIPE. I SHOWED IT A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER TO OUR BURN UNIT DIRECTOR AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A FUNCTIONAL FULL THICKNESS BURN IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LOCATION (BECAUSE OF THE POOR BLOOD PERFUSION TO THE SHIN, HEALING IS IMPAIRED AND INFECTION RISK IS HIGH). HE SENT ME HOME FROM WORK ON ANTIBIOTICS AND I HAD TO BE ON BED REST WITH MY LEG ELEVATED. I SPOKE TO MINI AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT I BE CAREFUL - AS THE TAILPIPE CAN GET HOT. I THANKED THEM FOR THE ADVICE AND MADE THE FOLLOWING POINT: SURE, IT GETS HOT... IT'S AN EXHAUST TAILPIPE. HOWEVER, IT'S THE FIRST THING MY LEG COMES IN CONTACT TO AND IT'S IN THE CENTER OF A CAR THAT REQUIRES YOU TO GET CLOSE IN ORDER TO PULL SOMETHING OUT OF THE TRUNK. I SUGGESTED THAT BMW ISSUE A RECALL AND ADJUST THE TAILPIPE SO THAT THE FIRST THING THE LEG HITS IS THE BUMPER (LIKE MOST CARS). I WAS TOLD THAT NO CHANGE WAS PLANNED AT THIS TIME. MY POINTS: IT'S A BAD DESIGN. IT'S AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM (A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH OR NORTHAMERICANMOTORING SEARCH WILL SHOW THIS). BMW NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT ITS CUSTOMERS AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, ITS CUSTOMERS' CHILDREN. *TR ADD PICTURE *121108 CW UPDATED 12/11/08. *JB

I AM THE SECOND OWNER (BOTH OLDER LADIES), OF A 2002 AUTOMATIC MINI COOPER WITH 46,000 MILES. YESTERDAY WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THE TRANNY FAILED. IT DOWNSHIFTED OR SOMETHING AND THE EP WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, WHICH MEANS TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND I WAS TWO FEET AWAY FROM BEING REAR ENDED! I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. AFTER RESEARCHING ON LINE, I HAVE READ GREAT AMOUNTS OF CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. IT IS DANGEROUS AND VERY COSTLY ACCORDING TO THE FIGURES I'VE READ OF PEOPLE WHOSE HAD THEIRS FIXED OR REPLACED. THESE CARS WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS NEEDS TO BE ANNOUNCED TO THE PUBLIC FOR SAFETY REASONS ALONE NOT EVEN TO MENTION THE COST! SINCERELY, BONNIE QUINN *TR

I OWN A 2003 MINI COOPER WITH 67K MILES ( OUT OF WARRANTY). TWO WEEKS AGO WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL TO MY HOME, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. I COULD BARELY MAKE IT UP THE HILL AND HAD TO CHANGE TO THE SLOW LANE AND PULL OFF THE ROAD. AFTER DOING MUCH SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT MANY WERE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR DRIVE CHAIN COMPONENT THAT SHOULDN'T GO OUT AT 67K. THE CVT TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE FLAWED AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS THEY DO NOT PUT THESE TRANSMISSIONS INTO THE NEWER MODELS. ALSO IT SEEMS, EVEN OUT OF WARRANTY MINI'S GET TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED; WITH THE OWNER ONLY HAVING TO PAY FOR LABOR IF THE OWNER CAUSES A "STINK" OR ALLUDES TO MAKING PROBLEMS FOR MINI. IF THE MANUFACTURER REALLY BELIEVED THE CVT TRANSMISSION WERE NOT FAULTY, I BELIEVE THEY WOULD STICK TO THEIR POSITION WITH ALL CUSTOMERS, INSTEAD OF MAKING EXCEPTIONS. MINI SHOULD BE ORDERED TO RECALL CARS WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME ONE DAY WHEN SEVERAL LIGHTS LIT UP IN MY CAR. I WAS SCARED BECAUSE THESE LIGHTS WERE: LOW TIRE PRESSURE, LOW BRAKE PADS, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, & ABS BREAK LIGHT. I PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF THE CAR, AND WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON, THEY STILL WERE LIT UP. I AM NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THIS AS I WASN'T DRIVING ERRATICALLY, JUST NORMAL. I STILL DO NOT KNOW WHY EXACTLY THEY ARE ON, HOWEVER I FIGURE IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE COMPUTER. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP STOPPED WORKING ALL OF A SUDDEN. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN IT WENT OUT, AND I FREAKED OUT. I COULD HARDLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND STARTED IT BACK UP, AND IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED FOR ABOUT A WEEK WHERE IT WOULD KICK ON EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, AND THEN IT WENT OUT FOR GOOD. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED FOR AROUND $1000 TO GET IT REPAIRED. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING AROUND WITH THIS ISSUE FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW. THE ONLY GOOD THING, IS THAT IT HAS GREATLY STRENGTHENED MY ARM MUSCLES... *TR