MINI Complaints

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2006 MINI COOPER S AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANY FAULT CODES IN THE COMPUTER AND WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS AN AUTOMATIC 6 SPEED. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW CEASED OPERATION IN THE 'UP' POSITION. DUE TO THE VEHICLE DESIGN, THE TOP OF THE WINDOW GLASS CAN NOW POTENTIALLY CONTACT THE DOOR FRAME WHEN CLOSING, PRESENTING A BREAKAGE HAZARD. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS, THE WINDOW BEGAN TO OPERATE, THEN FAILED AGAIN SEVERAL WEEKS LATER - CURRENTLY INOPERATIVE. WIDESPREAD EVIDENCE ON THE INTERNET OF SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH OTHER VEHICLES OF THIS TYPE - MINI COOPER. *TR

(1) A DEISE-LIKE RATTLING NOISE, NOT IN TIME WITH THE ENGINE, COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON START-UP. THE NOISE WOULD EVENTUALLY GO AWAY AS THE ENGINE WARMED UP. AS TIME PROGRESSED, THE NOISE GREW LOUDER AND TOOK LONGER TO SUBSIDE. VEHICLE WAS EVENTUALLY TURNED OVER TO THE DEALER FOR EVALUATION. (2) THE NOISE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FAILURE OF THE OIL-FED CAM CHAIN TENSIONER. THE PISTON WAS DETERMINED TO BE STARVED OF OIL, CAUSING THE CAM CHAIN TO CREATE A RATTLING NOISE INCREASING IN VOLUME AND DURATION. (3) PARTS WERE ORDERED TO FIX THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER AND THE PISTON AND TENSIONER WERE REPLACED. THERE IS STILL SOME RATTLING ON START-UP, BUT THE NOISE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHED. SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS ONLINE HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUES AND IT APPEARS THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER IS A TEMPORARY FIX (WITH THE NOISE RETURNING SOME WEEKS LATER). FAILURE OF THE CAM CHAIN TENSIONER WILL LEAD TO ADDITIONAL WEAR ON THE CAM CHAIN EVENTUALLY DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE CASE, CAMS AND VALVES THEMSELVES. A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WILL OCCUR IF THIS ISSUE IS NOT ADDRESSED. *TR

DRIVING DOWN ROAD STARTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILS. I BARELY MANAGED TO KEEP CAR ON THE ROAD. UNBELIEVABLE DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CRUCIAL TURN. HAVE YET TO REPLACE PART AND UPON RESEARCH FIND MINI KNOWS OF THIS PROBLEM AND PUT OUT A DUCT WORK AND IMPROVED PUMP. THEY HOWEVER HAVE NOT VOLUNTARILY RECALLED VEHICLES TO RETROFIT. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, HE COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW I READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MINI. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 70,000 MILES, 4 YEARS. MINI USA AND BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF THIS FAILURE AND REFUSE TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PARTS, CLAIMING IT'S A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR. SMELLS OF DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES TO ME. NOT TO MENTION A MONOPOLY-- THERE ARE ONLY TWO DEALERSHIP IN DALLAS/FORT WORTH THAT SERVICE MINI COOPERS, BOTH TELL ME THAT THE COST WILL BE BETWEEN $6K-9K TO REPLACE W/LABOR COSTS. PEP BOYS AND OTHER INDEPENDENTS WON'T OR CANNOT TOUCH IT BECAUSE IT'S A MINI COOPER AND ONLY MINI AUTHORIZED DEALERS SUPPOSEDLY HAVE SPECIALTY SOFTWARE/PARTS TO PERFORM JOB. THIS IS A RACKET, MINI AND BMW NEED TO STEP UP AND STOP SELLING DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSIONS AND REPLACE THIS AT THEIR COST AND STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND FAULTY AND DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR MANY FIRST GENERATION MINI'S AS I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY RECENT ON-LINE RESEARCH. BMW/MINI HAS CHANGED THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THE MINI 2007 MODEL -- WONDER WHY?? THEY ADVERTISE THAT THIS CAR IS A SAFE, DEPENDABLE AND LONG LASTING CAR, BUT TO THE CONTRARY, LOOK AT THE LIST OF PROBLEMS PEOPLE ARE REPORTING WITH THEM. GOD HELP THEM. *JB

1) NO NOTICE GIVEN UP TO FAILURE OF POWER STEERING 2) POWER STEERING GAVE OUT ON CAR AFTER WHITE SMOKE POURED OUT OF ENGINE AREA 3) CAR IS AT DEALERSHIP RIGHT NOW. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER US. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, THE REAR VIEW MIRROR BLOCKED HIS VIEW AND NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO NOTIFY THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REMOVE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR DUE TO CIRCUITS IN THE MIRROR THAT ARE USED TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,200 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5.

MY 2003 MINI COOPER WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION BEGAN MAKING A RATCHETING NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO TOWN, AND AFTER TALKING TO THE DEALER, IT WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION: $7,200.00. NO REBUILD AVAILABLE. IT HAD JUST TURNED 90,000 MILES, DRIVEN BY MYSELF (RETIRED) AND MY WIFE; VERY EASY DRIVING. THIS WAS OVER HALF THE VALUE OF THE CAR, SO WE DROVE IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP THAT WE WERE AWARE OF FOR A SECOND OPINION. ON THE TEST DRIVE AT THAT SHOP, THE TRANSMISSION "BLEW UP" AND LOCKED UP EVERYTHING ON THE STREET. THE STEEL BELT IN THE TRANSMISSION HAD COME APART, DESTROYING EVERYTHING INTERNALLY. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY OR A BUSY STREET, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. UPON RESEARCHING THIS TRANSMISSION, I FIND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT AT ALL UNCOMMON. I BELIEVE MINI SHOULD BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THESE EARLY MODEL CVT TRANSMISSIONS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAVE SOME MECHANICAL DEFECTS BUILT INTO THEM. *TR

THE HOOD (RIGHT ABOVE THE HOOD SCOOP) ON MY R56 07 MINI COOPER S IS EXTREMELY HOT AFTER ANY DRIVING AT ALL. IT'S LITERALLY HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE PLASTIC ON THE HOOD. THIS IS WELL OVER 200 DEGREES F AND IS A HUGE SAFETY HAZARD TO NOT ONLY MYSELF BUT ANY INDIVIDUAL PASSING BY THE CAR. I'M DEATHLY AFRAID THAT THIS WILL EITHER START A FIRE IN MY GARAGE OR CAUSE AN INDIVIDUAL TO ACCIDENTALLY BURN THEMSELVES ON THE HOOD OF MY CAR. I HAVE ALREADY BEEN BURNED FROM THIS ONCE BY PLACING MY HAND ON THE HOOD. *TR