MINI Complaints

(1) ON THURSDAY, JULY 3RD, I ATTEMPTED TO MANIPULATE A 90 DEGREE RIGHTHAND TURN IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S DURING MY VERY SHORT COMMUTE TO WORK AND DID SO ONLY WITH GREAT DIFFICULTLY. FROM THAT POINT FORWARD MY CAR TURNS NEITHER LEFT NOR RIGHT PROPERLY AND ONLY WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR NOISES OF ANY KIND TO ALERT ME TO THE PROBLEM. MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER, WHO IS A TRAINED MECHANIC, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND IDENTIFIED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AS THE PROBLEM. I ALSO SPOKE WITH SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS HERB CHAMBERS BMW MINI OF BOSTON WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS EITHER A KNOWN AND/OR COMMON PROBLEM. THE PARTS DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED THAT THE PUMP MANUFACTURER WHO MADE THE PUMP IN MY MINI IS NO LONGER MAKING PUMPS FOR MINI. (2) THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAS FAILED THEREFORE MY MINI IS RELYING ON THE RACK AND PINION TO TURN. THE MINI TURNS ONLY WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY AND REQUIRES TWO HANDS ON THE WHEEL AT ALL TIMES; THIS IS EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT TO DO WHILE NAVIGATING CORNERS AS I HAVE A STANDARD TRANSMISSION. THE MINI IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE, SO I AM FORCED TO BORROW ANOTHER VEHICLE. (3) MY CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000 MILES ON IT AND MINI'S WARRANTY ONLY COVERS PROBLEMS UP THROUGH 50,000 MILES DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PUMP IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND SAFETY HAZARD. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BY THE DEALERSHIP TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. MY MINI REMAINS PARKED WHILE I AWAIT THE NEW POWER STEERING PUMP THAT I ORDERED AND PAID FOR. THE NEW PUMP IS MANUFACTURED BY A DIFFERENT COMPANY THAN THE DEFECTIVE PUMP THAT HAS FAILED. *TR

THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY WENT OUT ON FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2008 CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN STEERING AND NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AS I TURNED INTO MY HOME DRIVEWAY. UPON TOWING THE VEHICLE TO CREVIER AUTO IN SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING, CREVIER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE VEHICLE. ON MONDAY, JUNE 30, AFTER MUCH CONSTERNATION, CREVIER FINALLY LOCATED THE VEHICLE AS THEY HAD IT ON THEIR PREMISES SINCE THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY. TUESDAY, JULY 1, A SERVICE TECHNICIAN NOTIFIED ME THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD GONE OUT ON THE 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN GENTLY THROUGHOUT ITS LIFETIME. *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ABOUT 60 MPH. EXTREMELY LOUD SCREECHING BURST OF SOUND OCCURRED. SOUND WAS SIMILAR TO SMOKE DETECTOR TEST SOUND, LASTING ABOUT A SECOND, BUT HORRIBLY LOUD, ESPECIALLY IN A SMALL ENCLOSED AREA WITH THE WINDOWS UP. NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT. OUR EARS HURT BADLY (I STILL FEEL SOME SORENESS A DAY LATER, AS I NOW WRITE. SIMILAR OCCURRENCES FOR MINI COOPER NOTED IN WEB FORUMS, REFERENCING A POSSIBLE STEREO AMPLIFIER PROBLEM. OUR RADIO WAS NOT ON. FORTUNATELY THE DEALER WAS OPEN (ON SUNDAY) AND WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULED TODAY. FROM WHAT I'VE RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET, WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES VICTIMIZED BY THIS ISSUE. WE ARE ACTUALLY FEARFUL AND UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING THE CAR, WORRYING THAT AT ANY TIME THIS COULD OCCUR AGAIN. THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP AND DISTRACTION THAT KEEPS US FROM PAYING FULL ATTENTION TO SAFELY DRIVING THE CAR. UNTIL THE DEALER CAN SPECIFICALLY EXPLAIN WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND PERFORM WHATEVER WORK IS NEED TO GUARANTEE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS ONE-YEAR-OLD CAR, BEING CONCERNED THAT I'LL HAVE AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IF I STILL FEEL SORENESS IN MY LEFT EAR LATER TODAY, I PLAN TO CONTACT MY DOCTOR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER SPORT. WHILE REMOVING GROCERIES FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT BURNED HER LEG ON THE EXHAUST PIPE, WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER GAVE HER THE NUMBER TO THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH HER. SINCE THAT TIME, THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. SHE WAS ADVISED TO NOT GET TOO CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,400. UPDATED 08/04/08.*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DESIGN ITSELF WAS FLAWED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ISSUE COULD EASILY BE RECTIFIED BY MAKING THE EXHAUST PIPE SHORTER. UPDATED 08/06/08

1. THE MALFUNCTION HAPPENS SPONTANEOUSLY 2. THE POWER STEERING PUMP MALFUNCTIONS AND CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE STIFF PLACING ME OR ANYONE ELSE DRIVING/ON THE ROAD IN DANGER DUE TO THE RELUCTANCE OF THE WHEEL TO TURN. 3. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED NO MONETARY SUPPORT BUT INSTEAD TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO ABOUT IT BUT TO REPLACE IT AND ATTEMPTED TO CHARGE ME $1000 DOLLARS IN CASH. INSTEAD I TOOK THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS CHARGED $700. A RIDICULOUS PRICE TO PAY FOR MY SAFETY. *TR

I BURNED MY LOWER FRONT LEG ON THE CHROME TIPPED DUAL EXHAUST PIPES OF OUT 2007 MINI COOPER S (TURBO VERSION). *TR

DURING A SERVICE CALL ON OUR 2006 MINI COOPER, WE WERE INFORMED THAT BOTH FRONT STRUT MOUNTS WERE BENT AND DAMAGED. THESE ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND IN ONE CASE HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE AT 20000+ MILES AFTER HITTING A BAD POTHOLE. THE CAR NOW HAS 34000 MILES AND HAD TO HAVE BOTH MOUNTS REPLACED. APPARENTLY THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT MINI/BMW IS NOT WILLING TO CORRECT ALTHOUGH THERE ARE AFTERMARKET REINFORCEMENTS AVAILABLE. A FURTHER SEARCH OF THE INTERNET REVEALS THAT A LOT OF MINI & BMW OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE, IN PARTICULAR THOSE WITH RUN-FLAT TIRES INSTALLED. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2004 MINI COOPER HAS FAILED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS FAILURE MADE THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE CAR IS A LOW-MILEAGE VEHICLE (43,000 MILES AT 4 YEARS) AND I BELIEVE THIS COMPONENT HAS FAILED PREMATURELY. I AM A MEMBER OF SEVERAL MINI ENTHUSIAST COMMUNITIES AND AM AWARE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MINI. WWW.MINI2.COM HAS REPORTS OF AROUND 1 IN 4 VEHICLES HAVING THIS PUMP FAIL PREMATURELY. I BELIEVE AN INVESTIGATION IS IMPORTANT DUE TO MEMBER REPORTS OF FIRES STARTING UNDER THE HOOD. THE PART WAS REPLACE AT A MINI DEALERSHIP. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP ON 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE STARTED MAKING NOISE (EVEN WITH ENGINE TURNED OFF, DRAINING THE BATTERY), THEN ULTIMATELY FAILED. AN INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS REPAIR COSTS APPROX $2000 TO FIX, AND THAT REPLACEMENT POWER STEERING PUMPS FAIL REGULARLY, SO WE'VE BEEN DRIVING WITHOUT POWER STEERING IN THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH IN FIRST GEAR, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO RANDOMLY MAKE WHIRLING NOISES. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT EXPLAIN WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY REPAIRED AND A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT A TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPAIRED WITHIN FIVE YEARS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.