MINI Complaints

I am writing to formally request reimbursement for a timing chain replacement performed on my vehicle, which was the subject of a specific safety recall issued by BMW. The timing chain defect in this vehicle represents a severe safety hazard, as a failure can cause an immediate and total engine stall while the vehicle is in motion. This loss of power in traffic creates an 100% avoidable risk of collision. Despite BMW recognizing this defect through a prior reimbursement program, they are refusing to compensate for a safety-critical repair on a low-mileage vehicle (58,XXX miles) simply based on the car's age. At the time of repair, the vehicle had approximately 58,XXX miles. Although the vehicle is older, it was in storage for several years because the previous owner was unaware of the recall and lacked the financial means to address it. Despite the period of storage, the car remained in excellent condition, with the timing chain being the only mechanical requirement at the time. The repair was completed by a local independent shop and paid for out-of-pocket. While BMW has recently honored a different recall for an electronics panel on this same VIN, my request for timing chain reimbursement was denied based on the vehicle's age. I believe this denial is inconsistent, as the safety defect identified in the recall existed regardless of the car's age or storage history. I am seeking compensation for the parts and labor costs associated with this safety-critical repair

While lowering the convertible top on my Mini Cooper Convertible, the trunk partition was not fully in place. Normally, the vehicle will prevent the roof from operating or provide a notification if the partition is not correctly positioned. In this case, the safety interlock system failed to warn me or stop the roof from lowering. While the roof was folding, the rear glass shattered, causing $6,000 in damage. The dealership confirmed that the rear parcel shelf was not fully in place and explained that the sensor only detects one side(in my case the trunk partition was in its place on one side ) , allowing the top to operate even when unsafe. They did not cover the damage under warranty. The vehicle was inspected by the authorized Mini Cooper dealership at the time of the incident. No police or independent inspections have been conducted. No warning lamps, messages, or alerts appeared, and the roof operated normally, giving no indication that the partition was not fully in place. The vehicle was only three months old. The shattered glass spread throughout the backseat and trunk area, creating a serious risk of injury to any passengers in the rear. Luckily no one was in the back at the time of the incident

The contact owns a 2017 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was vibrating abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the passenger’s side engine mount needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the passenger’s side engine mount had been replaced five years ago, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

A driver drove head on into my drivers seat door hard enough that his front bumper completely detached from his car and my door could not open, close, or lock, and my car was not drivable. My car has side airbags. No airbag deployed. I had to go to the hospital immediately after the accident. There is no open recall on my 2020 Mini 2 door hardtop. Shouldn't an airbag have deployed?

The contact owns a 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman. The contact stated that the electronic control module had short circuited from water entering the foot well from the sunroof. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, who confirmed that the electronic control module on the driver's side had short-circuited. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

The contact's friend owned a 2019 Mini Clubman. The contact stated that while the driver was driving 25 MPH from a complete stop, another vehicle traveling approximately 30 MPH crashed into the front passenger's side of the vehicle by the fender, in the middle of an intersection. The driver depressed the brake pedal and brought the vehicle to a stop. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact was occupying the front passenger's side seat while the contact's wife was occupying the rear driver's side seat. Both the contact and the driver were able to exit the vehicle. The contact's wife was bleeding due to the front of the hairline being torn open and pushed back to the skull. The contact's wife was assisted out of the vehicle by the ambulance and was provided first aid. The contact's wife was not wearing a seat belt during the incident because she could not find the seat belt buckle prior to the incident. All the passengers of the vehicle were taken to the trauma center of a hospital. The contact's wife underwent surgery. The contact sustained back pain and was currently wearing a back brace. The driver sustained unknown injuries. The vehicle was towed and totaled. No further information was available because the driver had stopped communicating with the contact since the incident. The failure mileage was unknown.

Certain 2019 MINI and BMW models are equipped with older evaporators that are not lined correctly to prevent aluminum corrosion from the new R-1234yf refrigerant, causing premature leaks of the refrigerant into the cabin while driving. Exposure to the refrigerant can cause severe irritations including dizziness, sudden and uncontrollable pain in the eyes and bursts of tears while driving. This has happened to me multiple times, until I stopped using AC completely.

Either closing the moonroof or the wipers activating caused the screen to flicker off and back on. Sustained usage or frequent usage caused the screen to completely deactivate for 10+ minutes and the Driver's HUD to deactivate and retract. During this time, the car was operating on the highway in rain conditions with zero driver's instrumentation, including speed, navigation, fuel, battery, safety warnings, blinkers, or other indicators. It was unclear if blind spot indicators or driving assistance features were impacted, or if vehicle lights were impacted as no indicators were present in the vehicle. This incident lead to driver anxiety, reduced situational awareness, reduced confidence in the vehicle's safety and operational capability, and reduced safety to other vehicles around the car as it could have led to changes in driver behavior or lane changes due to surprise at vehicle behavior. The problem has been reproduced by the dealership's service station, however the dealership has changed ownership recently and has lost some records. The car has been in dealer service for the past 70 days but the fault is still not understood or remedied. The dealership was made aware of this roughly 60 days ago and is resisting even replacing the vehicle, let alone understanding and remedying the quality issue.

The transfer case fail only 53,000 miles the dangerous part fail down the floor almost causing and a bad accident talking abut the pipe connecting to the rear tires I hear this is common in this cars that’s why I’m reporting the incident I take it to private Mecanic need to replace transfer case

The Air conditioning mixing flap failed. The is a technical bulletin out for this SIM 64 02 21. The mixing flap separated from the heater housing which is located under the dash board. In turn Cold air only coming out of the drivers side vent and not the passenger or rear vents. This is unsafe in Arizona where there is extreme heat for babies and pets. In addition one cannot see out the windshield since it also impacts the vents for defogging/defrosting. This is a $5000 repair causing economic hardship. Said vehicle only had 47,800 mile on it. Please advise . Thanks