MINI Complaints

I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT TODAY BUT WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT CONTACTED WITH MY INFORMATION. THANK YOU. *JB

I STARTED LEASING MY MINI COOPER IN 11/2005. I HAD LEASED CARS WITH MITSUBUSHI PRIOR TO THIS FOR 8 YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, I WAS COMING HOME FROM THE AIRPORT IN MY MINI COOPER. IT STARTED TO "CLUNK", SEIZED, I PULLED OVER - THEN BLACK AND GREEN FLUID STARTED POURING OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE ROADSIDE SERVICE SENT A TOW TRUCK TO PICK ME UP. I SAT IN 95 DEGREE HEAT ON I-95 FOR 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES WAITING FOR THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK CAME AND WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST BMW DEALER - THE DEALER I LEASED FROM - PRINCETON BMW. THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY - EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS ONLY 8 1/2 MONTHS OLD AND HAD 6,300 MILES ON IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE REASON WAS THAT THE CAR HAD GONE THROUGH WATER AND THIS WAS NOT COVERED. 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, I WENT THROUGH WATER ON A REGULAR STREET IN MY AREA, THE CAR STOPPED, I STARTED IT UP AND WENT ON MY WAY. I THEN PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR DOWN THE SHORE, TO WORK, ETC WITH NO PROBLEMS, NO ENGINE LIGHT OR WARNING SIGNS. ON JULY 9, I DROVE TO THE AIRPORT, PARKED THE CAR, AND WENT ON A BUSINESS TRIP. ON JULY 11TH THE INCIDENT ON 95 OCCURRED. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR THAT WAS NOT ABLE TO GO THROUGH WATER ON A STREET. *JB

MINI COOPER, MINI COOPER S AND CONVERTIBLES, DATING 2002-2006. GLASS PITS AND CRACKS EASILY. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS, MINI IS NOT CLAIMING THE GLASS HAS A PROBLEM AND YOU MUST REPLACE AT YOUR OWN COST OR THROUGH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY. HAVE HAD 2 CARS, AND NUMEROUS FRIENDS WITH THESE CARS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

2003 MINI COOPER WINDSHIELD FAILURE. SPONTANEOUS CRACK ALTHOUGH DEALER INSISTS IT WAS A PIN HOLE SIZED HOLE THAT CAUSED IT. REFUSED TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY. 2ND TIME IT'S HAPPENED AND WAS COVERED FIRST TIME UNDER WARRANTY. APPARENTLY HAPPENS VERY REGULARLY TO MINI AND AT $1078. COMPLETE...THIS JUST ISN'T RIGHT. *JB

DEAR OFFICER, I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIANT ABOUT A DEFECTIVE 2006 MINI COOPER WINDSHIELD PROBLEM. I HAVE A BRAND NEW 2006 MINI COOPER FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS, BUT THERE WAS A COUPLE OF LINE CRACKS ON THE WINDSHIELD ALREADY. THE PROBLEM IS NOT EVEN CAUSED BY A ROCK CHIP AND I THINK IT IS A "STRESS" CRACK THAT MANY MANY MINI COOPER BUYERS HAS EXPERIENCED. I TOOK THAT TO THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM IF IT IS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY DENIED IT WAS CAUSED BY STRESS CRACKS AND REFUSED TO FIX IT. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE UNDER INVESTIGATION. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL GET BMW/MINI COOPER ATTENTION TO FIX THE PROBLEM OR AT LEAST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *JB

RUST IS DEVELOPING ON THE SHEET METAL ON BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE BODY FRAME COVERED BY THE RUBBER DOOR SEAL. THIS RUST IS IN AN AREA THAT IS UNPAINTED (BARE SHEET METAL). THE RUBBER DOOR SEAL TRAPS MOISTURE AGAINST THE STEEL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES WITHIN 1 YEAR OF PURCHASE . ON MAY 24, 2006, WHILE DRIVING A SMALL OBJECT STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING A CRACK WHICH CAUSED THE FOURTH WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE TO MAKE THE WINDSHIELD CRACK SO EASILY. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER WERE ALERTED AND DETERMINED THE CRACKS WERE DUE TO THE IMPACT OF THE OBJECT.

MY 2004 MINI COOPER S, DELIVERED IN JUNE OF '04, HAVING @ 20,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, IS NOW ON ITS THIRD WINDSHIELD ALL DUE TO STRESS CRACKS. THE CRACKS SEEM TO BE RELATED TO THERMAL INSTABILITY. I.E. COLD OUTSIDE/HOT INSIDE ETC. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF ONE 2003 MINI OWNER IN MA WHO HAS NOW HAD 6 WINDSHIELDS REPLACED SINCE PURCHASE. THE MINI COMMUNITY HAS DETERMINED THAT AFTERMARKET US MADE GLASS BY PPG DOES NOT HAVE THE PROPENSITY FOR SUCH FAILURES. I AM RELUCTANT TO CONTINUE GOING TO MY DEALER AS THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE FOREIGN MANUFACTURED OEM GLASS. ON THE OTHER HAND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WITH A NON OEM PRODUCT, OUT OF POCKET TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. FOR MUCH MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN REFER TO THE MINI COOPER OWNERS INTERNET WEB FORUM "NORTHAMERICANMOTORING .COM" THE DEFECT IS WIDE SPREAD FROM THE MINI'S INTRODUCTION IN '02 CONTINUING THROUGH TO '05 PRODUCTION MODELS. TO FIND THIS INFORMATION, GO TO "BENEATH THE BONNET" AND USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER FOR "CRACKED GLASS". YOUR ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. FEEL FREE TO CALL ME IF I CAN BE OF HELP. SINCERELY, MARK WILLIAMS CFP *JB

WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY CRACKED. CRACK STARTED AT TOP CENTER EXTENDED DOWN ABOUT 4 INCHES, THEN HORIZONTALL FOR ABOUT 4 INCHES AND IS NOW MOVING DOWN AGAIN. *NM

ONE MORNING DRIVING ABOUT 100 MPH GOING UP TO CT I PAY A TOLL TAKE OFF THE CAR HESITATES IN FIRST GEAR THEN GOES OK ABOUT A 2 MILES FROM THE TOLL I AM DOING ABOUT 100 MPH AND SWITCH TO THE RIGHT LANE AND THE CAR JUST STOP GIVING ME POWER SO I GO TO CHANGE TO 5TH GEAR NO LUCK SO I LET THE CAR ROLL TO THE SHOULDER CALL MINI ROADSIDE AND THEY TOW TO NEAREST DEALER TO MY HOUSE. THE DEALER HAS MY CAR FOR A TOTAL OF 8 DAYS AND TELL ME THE L/FRONT AXLE WILL NOT STAY IN THE TRANSMISSION. THEN THE DEALER SAY THAT ITS NOT COVERED@ FIRST THEN TELLS ME THAT WILL COVER IT A DAY LATER AFTER THE MINI SPECIALIST TAKE A LOOK @ IT AND SAY WE WILL COVER IT THIS TIME AS A FAVOR. NOW IT IS TEN DAYS LATER AND THE SAME THING HAS HAPPEN AGAIN THIS TIME I HAVE TO PAY FOR TOWING AND I CANT WAIT TO HAVE A TALK WITH THE DEALER. I WILL KEEP U GUYS POSTED. *NM