MINI Complaints

THERE WAS A "TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN" ISSUED ON MY BMW REGARDING A BROKEN OR LEAKING VALVE WHICH COULD BREAK IN LOW TEMPERATURE WEATHER CONDITIONS. I DID BREAK DOWN, FINDING MYSELF IN A SMOKING CAR, BOTH INSIDE AND OUT IN 6 DEGREE WEATHER. IT HAS BEEN THREE WEEKS AND MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID I HAVE A CRACKED VALVE COVER. "ALL" OF THE PARTS ORDERED ARE NOT IN YET AS OF THIS PAST FRIDAY. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE LAST PART, A DIP STICK. A "VOR" ORDER WAS PLACED 3 WEEKS AGO AND I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR HERE, THAT IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER ELSE, THE DIP STICK BROKE. THEY ARE NOT CHARGING ME FOR THE REPAIR, WHICH THEY SAY IS $2000. I FIND THIS CURIOUS. I ALSO HAD TO BRING MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER IN DEC. BECAUSE IT WAS STALLING IN ADDITION TO A FEW OTHER PROBLEMS, THEY DID NOT CHARGE ME THERE EITHER, AGAIN, CURIOUS. MY CAR, A 2001 3 SERIES, HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT AND JUST HAD IT CHECKED OUT IN NOVEMBER WHEN I HAD AN OIL CHANGE. ALSO LAST YEAR, I HAD OVER $1000 OF REPAIRS DONE ON IT. I HAVE BEEN RENTING A CAR FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS FOR $60 A DAY. I WONDER WHY THEY DID NOT GIVE ME A LOANER AND I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A RENTAL. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN WARNED, OR AT LEAST BEEN GIVEN A CHOICE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED BEFORE IT HAPPENED. I WAS LUCKY THAT I BROKE DOWN IN A SAFE AREA. I WONDER, HOW MANY SERVICE BULLETINS ARE OUT THERE ON CARS THAT WE ARE NOT ADVISED OF AND COULD RESULT IN PUTTING US IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. AT THE VERY LEAST I THINK THAT THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A LOANER OR SHOULD PAY FOR MY CAR RENTAL. SINCE THEY ARE NOT CHARGING ME FOR THE REPAIR, DOESN'T THAT MEAN THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE? SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL, WHICH IS NOT UP TO $1260? LOSS WHEN IT COMES TO THE CAR I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. CAN YOU HELP, ME AND OTHER CONSUMERS OUT THERE?*JB

DURING A 10-MINUTE COMMUTE TO WORK, MY RIGHT REAR CONTINENTAL CONTITOURING CONTACT CH95 (GRAND TOURING ALL-SEASON) 175/65HR15, PURCHASED AND INSTALLED ON 6/29/06, FAILED. THE TREAD PORTION SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE SIDES. THE SIDES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE WHEEL RIM. THE TREAD, MINUS THE TIRE SIDES, SEPARATED FROM THE WHEEL AND WAS FOUND OTHERWISE INTACT ON THE ROADSIDE BEHIND MY DISABLED VEHICLE. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND NO DAMAGE OR PHYSICAL INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. A CALL TO THE RETAILER (THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE TIRES AND CAR WERE PURCHASED) RESULTED IN A RESPONSE SUGGESTING THAT SOME ROAD HAZARD CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE AND THAT WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED COMING UNDER THE TIRE WARRANTY. UPON SEEING THE FAILED TIRE, THE NC STATE TROOPER AND EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TECHNICIAN DISAGREED, FEELING THAT THE TIRE MIGHT BE DEFECTIVE. *JB

I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED MINI COOPER WITH 34,000 MILES ON IT. 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, I NOTICED A "STUDDER/HESITATION" ON TAKE OFF FROM A DEAD STOP IN FIRST GEAR. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC TO DEMONSTRATE THE PROBLEM. ON THE TEST DRIVE, THE CAR MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND ALL GEARS FAILED. THE CLUTCH AND GEAR SHIFT FELT NORMAL, BUT NO GEAR WOULD ENGAGE. THE CAR WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IT WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. AT THAT POINT THE CAR HAD 35,000 MILES ON IT. BECAUSE IT WAS 4 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY, MINI REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I FOUND NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THE MIDLAND TRANSMISSIONS BEING REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR RECEIVED THE NEWER GETRAG TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE MIDLANDS WERE DISCONTINUED IN 2004 IN FAVOR OF THE MORE RELIABLE GETRAG TRANSMISSIONS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING. IT WAS A DANGEROUS AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN A CAR THAT SUDDENLY WOULD NOT MOVE IN TRAFFIC. *JB

PARKED VEHICLE OUTSIDE GROCERY STORE. RETURNED AFTER <5 MINUTES TO FIND SMOKE POURING FROM THE HOOD. OPENED HOOD TO DETERMINE CAUSE AND SMELT ELECTRICAL SMOKE, AND SAW FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE ENGINE. DOUSED FLAMES USING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM STORE, AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY. INITIAL DEALER INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT THE DAMAGE WAS TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND WIRING HARNESS. HAD I NOT STOPPED FOR GROCERIES, I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNLIKELY TO NOTICE THE SMOKE/FIRE EARLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE LOSS OF THE VEHICLE. INSURANCE AND DEALER ROOT CAUSE INVESTIGATION IS STILL PENDING, BUT AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET (MOSTLY HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=73527) I FOUND AT LEAST 10 OTHER INSTANCES OF A FAULT IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP CAUSING FIRES. BMW IS OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS, AS THEY MADE CHANGES TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND POWER STEERING FAN WIRING HARNESS IN 04 MODELS ON. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MINIS. NO FUSE BLEW, AND TO HAVE AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT RUN TO THE POINT WHERE IS COMBUSTS, WITHOUT ANY FUSE OR THERMAL FUSE PROTECTION SEEMS A GROSS DESIGN DEFICIENCY TO ME. *NM

A BUZZING NOISE ONCE I GET TO 90 MILES PER HOUR. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH ON 12-28-06 WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, THE CAR THEN SPUN, AND HIT THE GUARD RAIL HEAD ON AND WENT INTO THE LEFT LANE. . THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES AND A POLICE REPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED DURING THE CRASH BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT A THREE WAY INTERSECTION MY MINI SUDDENLY CUT OUT AND BLOCKED TRAFFIC IN ALL DIRECTIONS; SO MUCH SO THAT PEOPLE HAD TO STOP TRAFFIC AND CARS NEEDED TO BE BACKED UP TO GET MY CAR IN A SECURE PLACE. THIS WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE WIRING HARNESS. INITIAL ESTIMATE FOR REPAIR WAS $1200 PARTS AND LABOR, BUT UPON MY COMPLAINT JUST LABOR WAS CHARGED ME - I FEEL NEITHER IS APPROPRIATE AS THIS IS A PRODUCT ISSUE, IN MY CASE A SAFETY ISSUE, AND I SHOULD BE REINSTATED TO MY PRE-HARNESS INCIDENCE AT THE PRODUCT OWNER'S EXPENSE. I FURTHER NOTICE THAT THERE IS A T.O. FOR THIS ITEM AND PART OF IT STATES ONLY REPLACE AT OWNER'S COMPLAINT - IN MY CASE THIS WAS ALMOST TOO LATE AS I WAS IN A VERY BUSY AREA WHEN MY CAR DIED AND SHUT DOWN THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT, THE WINDSHIELD SUSTAINED A SMALL, HAIRLINE FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED A POSSIBLE ROAD HAZARD WAS THE CAUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION WHO DETERMINED THE WINDSHIELD FRACTURED FROM THE INSIDE AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 2/6/2007 - *NM

THE STEERING FAILED ON MY 2004 MINI COOPER S WITH 84K MILE. THE POWER STEERING FAN FAILED CAUSING THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO BURN OUT. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NTO DRIVABLE AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE FORTUNATELY THE FAILURE OCCURED AFTER THE VEHICLE REACHED IT DESTINATION AND WAS PARKED. *NM

POWER STEERING MOTOR FAILURE ON MINI COOPER. 1 - WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT, AT TIMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. 2 - ONCE HOME WHILE PARKING THE CAR, SMOKE STARTED TO BILLOW OUR FROM UNDER THE HOOD. TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, SMOKE CONTINUED TO BILLOW AND GET THICKER, OPENED THE HOOD, HEARD A SIZZLING SOUND AND NOTICED THAT SOME OF THE WIRES WERE MELTING. IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, THE SMOKE STARTED TO DISSAPATE, THE NOISE STOPPED ETC. 3 - THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. ACCORDING TO THE TOW OPERATOR, BASED UPON THE CONDIDTION OF THE WIRING HARNESS, IF THE BATTERY HAD NOT BE DISCONNECTED QUICKLY, THE CAR WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP MOTOR HAD FAILED AND THAT MINI WOULD REPLACE THE PARTS AT NO CHARGE, BUT LABOR WOULD BE AT OUR COST. TOTAL PARTS WERE APPROXIMATLEY $1,000.00 WITH LABOR TOTALING ABOUT $400.00. THE CAR IS NOW FIXED AND OPERATING PROPERLY. *NM