MINI Complaints

WINDSHIELD: CRACKING BECAUSE OF FRAME STRESS, MAYBE INDUCED BY PIN SIX ROCK STRIKE. *CB

MY WINDSHIELD SUSTAINED AN 8 INCH LONG CRACK ON THE LOWER CORNER DRIVER SIDE JUST ABOVE THE VIN NUMBER. THIS HAPPENED ONE COLD MORNING WHILE WARMING UP THE ENGINE AT THE DRIVEWAY. BMW DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE BECAUSE OF A STONE PIT A SIZE OF A PEN DOT ALONG THE CRACKED AREA. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON THE SAME GENERAL LOCATION (ABOVE THE BIN NUMBER) AS A RESULT OF STRESS FROM THE FRAME. ATTACHED IS A SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION REGARDING CRACKED WINDSHIELDS ON MINI. HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/MODULES.PHP?. *CB

WE WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO SPEAK TO ANOTHER TECHNICIAN, HOWARD FULLER, AFTER EXTENSIVELY QUESTIONING MIKE WINTER. HOWARD FULLER HAD NOT READ ANY OF THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS (TSBS) ABOUT THE CAR AND IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS OR WITH ANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED WITH MINI. AFTER TALKING TO HOWARD FULLER THE NEXT DAY, HE HAD PERFORMED SOME MINIMAL RESEARCH (READ THE NHTSA COMPLAINTS) AND STATED THAT OUR PROBLEM WAS NOT THE SAME AND HE REPEATED HIS INTERPRETATION OF WHAT HE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS, WHICH WAS INCORRECT. WE CORRECTED MR. FULLER AND REDIRECTED HIM TO THE TSBS. HE TOLD US A MINI SPECIALIST WAS GOING TO COME IN TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, HE EXPRESSED DOUBT IN THE MINI SPECIALIST BEING ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. IN ANOTHER DISTURBING INCIDENT, MY HUSBAND CONTACTED CHICO MOTLEY, THE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR. MR. MOTLEY WAS ALSO HIGHLY COMBATIVE AND FIRST STATED THAT THE VIRGINIA LEMON LAW DID NOT APPLY TO BMWS! AFTER MY HUSBAND, WHO IS A 26-YEAR VETERAN OF THE FBI, CORRECTED HIM, MR. MOTLEY STATED THAT THE VIRGINIA LEMON LAW STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM AND BE SERVICED FOR IT 6 TIMES. MY HUSBAND AGAIN CORRECTED HIM, QUOTING VIRGINIA LAW THAT IT IS 3 TIMES. MR. MOTLEY STATED THAT HE MADE A MISTAKE BECAUSE HE ALSO MANAGES A DEALERSHIP IN DALLAS, WHERE HE STATED IT IS 6 TIMES (WHICH IS ALSO INCORRECT, IT IS 3 TIMES IN TEXAS AS WELL). HE MADE IT CLEAR TO MY HUSBAND THAT WHATEVER ACTION HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT WOULD TAKE WOULD BE SATISFACTORY AND THAT NO OTHER OPTION WOULD BE CONSIDERED. IN NO INSTANCE DID HE EVER EXPRESS ANY CONCERN OVER OUR SAFETY OR THE NATURE OF THIS SERIOUS COMPLAINT.

DRIVER'S SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW WOULD NOT OPEN FOR 18 HOURS. THIS OCCURRED AFTER A HEAVY RAIN STORM AND DID NOT CLEAR UNTIL AFTER A 20 MINUTE DRIVE THE FOLLOWING DAY. ATTEMPTS TO OPEN THE WINDOW THE DAY AND EVENING OF THE FAILURE WHILE PARKED AND DRIVING ALL FAILED. *CB

MY 2002 MINI COPPER HAS HAD THE AIR BAG LIGHT COME ON ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS NOW. REPAIRED WITH NEW WIRING HARNESS IN 11/03; NOW IN 1/04 BAG LIGHT HAS COME ON AGAIN. DEALER VIA PHONE CANNOT TELL ME IF THE BAGS WORK PROPERLY UNTIL DIAGNOSED. I HAVE CHECKED WEB FORUMS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. I WOULD THINK NHTSA OR SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS TO DETERMINE IF THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *AK

WINDSHIELD CRACKED THREE DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. I DON'T REMEMBER ANY STONE DAMAGE BEING DONE. WHEN I WASHED MY CAR (HOT DAY), A CRACK DEVELOPED IN THE MID-RIGHT BOTTOM BORDER OF MY WINDSHIELD. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS STONE DAMAGE.

WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE LOWER DRIVER'S SIDE AFTER TURNING THE HEATER ON WHILE VEHICLE WAS WARMING UP PARKED ON THE DRIVEWAY. DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE IT UNDER WARRANTY. *LA

MY 2003 MINI COOPER S, UPON ACCELERATION, EXPERIENCES AN EXCESSIVE LOSS OF POWER THAT HAS PUT ME IN THE POSITION OF NEARLY BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC FLOW. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER IN CINCINNATI 5 TIMES, AND THOUGH THEY CLAIM THE VEHICLE IS REPAIRED, AND DRIVES 'NORMALLY' IT STILL NEARLY STALLS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STANDSTILL. *AK

2003 MINI COOPER S PURCHASED NEW; AT APPROX 4500 MILES 6-INCH CRACK APPEARED OVERNIGHT IN LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF WINDSHIELD. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT THE TIME AND THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE ANYWHERE ON WINDSHIELD. SINCE THEN, CRACK HAS PROGRESSED NEARLY TO CENTER OF WINDSHIELD. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CRACK WAS THE RESULT OF A STONE HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. SERVICE MANAGER "PROVED" THIS BY TRACING CRACK WITH A BALLPOINT PEN UNTIL IT ENCOUNTERED A MICROSCOPIC, NEARLY INVISIBLE "PIT" ALONG THE CRACK. DEALER DECLINED TO REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY. PERSONAL OPINION, SUPPORTED BY EXPERIENCE OF OTHER MINI OWNERS: STRESS CRACK PROBABLY CAUSED BY INCORRECT INSTALLATION OR UNDERDESIGNED WINDSHIELD. IN ANY CASE, MINI HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT IN SOLUTION, REPLACING SOME CUSTOMERS' WINDSHIELDS UNDER WARRANTY AND REFUSING TO REPLACE OTHERS, LIKE MINE.

WHEN SITTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE VEHICLE HAD THE TENDENCY TO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. THE DRIVER MUST WAIT SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES. EACH TIME, THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED TO HAVE REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, BUT THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *SCC *JB