MINI Complaints

WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR LOST POWER TO THE WHEELS AND DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY UNTIL I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FOUND OR CORRECTED. A SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED A FEW WEEKS LATER, AGAIN AS THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THIS TIME, THE POWER RETURNED WITHOUT HAVING TO SHUT THE CAR OFF. *JB

ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AFTER TRAVELING A FEW HUNDRED YARDS OR SO OUR MINI WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND GO INTO A "LIMP MODE" AS WE MOVE FROM EITHER A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC SIGNAL. THIS WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STOP IN THE INTERSECTION CAUSING A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITION. THE VEHICLES SES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO COMES ON. WE HAVE TAKEN OUR VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE THREE TIMES TO GET THIS DEFECT ADDRESSED. MINI STATES THAT IT IS A "KNOWN" PROBLEM WITH THE CURRENT SOFTWARE. I NOW HAVE A THIRD VERSION OF THE SOFTWARE, BUT WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR TO "TEST" IT OUT. I HOPE EITHER MINI OR THE NHTSA WILL POST A RECALL ON THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. *JB

DT: CONSUMER'S WIFE PARKED THE CAR ON A SLIGHT INCLINE IN THE DRIVEWAY, ABOUT 3-5 MINUTES LATER, SHE HEARD A LOUD CRASH. THE CAR WAS IN THE WOODS. THE CAR HAD ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY A TOTAL OF ABOUT 150 FEET. DEALER SAID THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM WITH THE PARKING BRAKE. THIS WAS THE FIRST FAILURE. CONSUMER FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON LINE ABOUT THE SAME THING.*AK *JB

DT: CALLER BURNED VERY BADLY HER LEG BECAUSE THE TAIL PIPE STUCK OUT TOO FAR. TAIL PIPE DID NOT HAVE A GUARD OVER IT. THEY WERE LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VEHICLE IN THE BACK INSTEAD ON THE SIDE OF THE BACK. DEALER SAID TO CALL MANUFACTURER, AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT VERY NICE . MANUFACTURER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. CALLER SHOWED A REPRESENTATIVE THE PROBLEM AND HE WANTED HER TO TELL THEM HOW TO FIX IT. THEY TOLD CALLER TO LEAVE GROCERIES IN THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT COOLED OFF.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 BMW MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT COMPLAINED STEERING FAILURE. THE STEERING WAS NOT OPERATING. . COULD DRIVE BUT COULD NOT STEER BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. THE STEERING SYSTEM WAS BROKE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO , AND THEY REPAIRED IT. CURRENTLY, THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPAIR CAR ANYMORE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE STEERING BECAME VERY HEAVY, HAD TO MUSCLE THE STEERING IN ORDER TO TURN THE CAR. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ALL OF A SUDDEN COULD NOT STEER THE CAR, AND IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS. DID HAVE ONE STEERING FAILURE BEFORE, AND HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING MECHANISM. CURRENTLY, HE COULD NOT STEER UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. *AK

WHILE PULLING INTO THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK, THE REAR OF MY MINI COOPER S MADE A NOISE. THE CONTROL ARM ON THE RIGHT, REAR SUSPENSION BROKE. WHEN LOOKING UNDER THE REAR, THE CONTROL ARM WAS IN TWO PIECES, BROKEN IN THE MIDDLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER AND I WILL BE REQUESTING THE PART BACK. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING, AND TURNING THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT OR NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. THIS HAPPENED AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES. OWNER HAD TO DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES WITHOUT POWER STEERING. THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALER, BUT DEALER COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS . OWNER CONTACTED MINI-COOPER CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE OWNER CALL NHTSA AND REPORT THE PROBLEM. THE OWNER DID SEND AN E-MAIL TO INFORM NHTSA ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE OWNER DID NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHY VEHICLE FAILED. HE HAD NOT RUN OVER ANY KIND OF OBJECTS. WHEN STARTING THE CAR POWER STEERING WORKED, BUT AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 100 YARDS POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN. OWNER PROVIDED ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WAS AVAILABLE. THIS DEFECT COULD CAUSE A CRASH OR INJURY THAT COULD RESULT IN FATALITIES. THIS WAS A MINI-COOPER S CONVERTIBLE.*AK

2002 MINI COOPER S HAS HAD A SECOND AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILURE. WHEN ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM DETECT A FAILURE, THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS DISABLED UNTIL TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE FIXED. LOOKING UNDER THE SEATS TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE COULD BE, DISCOVERED THE "FIX" PERFORMED BY THE DEALER TO FIX THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE INTIAL FIX WAS TO COMPRESS THE PLUG TOGETHER WITH "WIRETIES" - NOT TO REPLACE THE PLUGS WITH A BETTER DESIGN. BOTH THE WORKMANSHIP OF THE REPAIR OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND THE SYSTEM ITSELF ARE FAULTY.

STARTED VEHICLE IN THE EVENING WHEN LEAVING WORK THEN DROVE OUT ONTO THE STREET AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE THROTTLE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. THE DEALER SAID A TEMPERATURE SENSOR TOLD THE COMPUTER IT WAS OUT OF RANGE AND SENT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO A LIMP MODE. AFTER PULLING OVER AND RESTARTING THE CAR IT WAS POSSIBLE TO DRIVE IT HOME, BUT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY 1 MONTH OLD. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED TWO MAP SENSORS AND AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MOTOR, BUT IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED UNTIL THEY CORRECT THE SOFTWARE. THERE ARE 7 MINI COOPER S AUTOMATICS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AT THIS DEALER AND MANY MORE THROUGHOUT THE U.S.

PURCHASED CAR NEW 10/2004. IN FEBRUARY 2005 IT BEGAN TO ACT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO DIE AT LOW SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN FIRST STARTED. WHEN THE RPMS ARE LOW IT ACTS AS IF IT IS NOT GETTING FUEL. CALLS TO THE DEALERSHIP RE: THIS PROBLEM WERE MET W/ "MINI KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, IT IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM AND THERE SHOULD BE A FIX BY MAY." I BROUGHT UP MY CONCERNS REGARDING SAFETY AND WAS TOLD TO "BE CAREFUL". HAVING THE CAR DIE IN MID-TURNS OR WHEN TRYING TO DRIVE ACROSS AN INTERSECTION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN TODAY AND WAS TOLD THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MINI THERE IS NO FIX TO THIS PROBLEM AND OWNERS WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE GASOLINE IN THE USA IS "BETTER".I HOPE THE NHTSA WILL BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS "UNFIXABLE" PROBLEM.NUMBER OF FAILURES NOTED WAS CALCULATED BY MULTIPLYING APPROX.# OF DAYS SINCE THIS PROBLEM BEGAN BY THE AVE # OF STARTS PER DAY.