MINI Complaints

MY 2020 AWD MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN WAS SOLD TO ME WITH "PERFORMANCE" TIRES; NO DISCLOSURE OF THIS FACT WAS PROVIDED DURING THE SALES PROCESS. SOON AFTER TAKING POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE, ONE TIRE PICKED UP A NAIL CAUSING LOSS OF PRESSURE. DURING THE PROCESS OF FIXING THE PROBLEM, I LEARNED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD PERFORMANCE TIRES AS EVIDENCED BY THE SMOOTH TREAD AND LATER VERIFICATION FROM MY MINI SALES PERSON. BECAUSE I LIVE IN MARYLAND, A STATE WITH A DISTINCTIVE WINTER SEASON, MY RESEARCH CONFIRMED THAT PERFORMANCE TIRES (ALSO KNOW AS SUMMER TIRES) ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN COLD WEATHER. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE TIRES NEEDED REPLACED FOR MY SAFETY. I COMPLETED THIS AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I BELIEVE THAT MINI COOPER, WITHOUT COMPUNCTION, PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER. I QUESTION HOW MANY ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED IN THESE CARS DURING COLD WEATHER WITHOUT RECOGNITION THAT THE TIRES MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT IT IS A STANDARD PRACTICE IN "MINI WORLD" TO SELL MANY CARS THIS WAY. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MINI AND WAS ASSURED THAT A COMPLAINT REPORT WOULD BE SUBMITTED. I REQUESTED A FOLLOW UP CONCERNING MINI'S RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINT AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD RECEIVE NONE AND SHOULD NOT EXPECT IT. SUBMITTING A "REPORT" WAS THE END OF THE ISSUE AS FAR AS MINI CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS CONCERNED. IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT ANY CAR SOLD WITH PERFORMANCE TIRES SHOULD COME WITH A CLEAR DISCLOSURE SIGNED BY THE BUYER FOR SAFETY REASONS. IDEALLY, MINI COOPER SHOULD STOP THE PRACTICE ALL TOGETHER. PLEASE INVESTIGATE; SAVE A LIFE!

WHILE DRIVING HOME THURSDAY NIGHT I RECEIVED LEFT TAIL LIGHT MALFUNCTION WARING ON MY DASH PANEL WITH THE TURN SIGNAL BLINKING EXTREMELY FAST. AFTER ARRIVING HOME I CHECKED THE LIGHT AND FOUND THAT THE TAIL LIGHT INOPERATIVE AND THE TURN SIGNALS WERE EXTREMELY DIM. THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED TUCSON MINI AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. THE SA STATED TO BRING THE CAR IN AND THEY WOULD CHECK OUT THE PROBLEM. UPON INSPECTION THEY FOUND THAT THE L/H TAIL LIGHT GROUND CONNECTOR AND THE BULB CONNECTOR MELTED. I ASK THE SA WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM AND SHE COULD NOT ANSWER THIS PROBLEM. BUT SHE DID MAKE A COMMENT THAT SHE HAD SEEN HUNDREDS OF THESE PROBLEMS. SOME WHICH CAUSED ENOUGH DAMAGE THAT REQUIRED THE WHOLE TAIL LIGHT TO BE REPLACED. SHE ALSO STATED THAT I WAS LUCK THAT THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR LIMITED TO ONLY THE GROUND CONNECTOR AND THE LIGHT BULB HOLDER. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE THE SAME PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED. IN ONE CASE THE PERSON HAD TO REPLACE BOTH TAIL LIGHTS. I BELIEVE THIS IS CONSIDERED A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A FIRE.

WHEN PRESSING THE BREAK, THE ENGINE REVS. I TURNED ON THE CAR AND PRESSED THE BREAK. THE ENGINE REVVED. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE AGAIN IT REVVED UP TO 7000 RPM. I TURNED OFF THE CAR. I DID THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND IT CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. I WAS AFRAID TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD A MONTH AGO THE MINI ENGINE RPM RAISED AND THE CAR WENT FASTER EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT PRESSING THE GAS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP IT.

PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG NOT ACTIVATED WHEN SIT IS OCCUPIED. AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON ALL TIMES.

WHILE DRIVING IN 10 DEGREE F WEATHER, THE MINI COUNTRYMAN OVERHEATED WITHIN 3 MILES OF DRIVING FROM ORIGINALLY TURNING THE CAR ON (10 MINUTES OF RUN TIME). THE DEALERSHIP NOTED THAT A ROCK PASSED THROUGH THE GRILL THAT PROTECTS THE AUXILLARY COOLING RADIATOR AND DAMAGED THE RADIATOR, CAUSING A LEAK. THE NEW 2021 MINI COUNTRYMAN CARS CONTAIN A ROCK GUARD OVER THE GRILL BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THIS AS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM, BUT THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH ANY CAR FROM A PREVIOUS YEAR. A SIMPLE ROCK GUARD HAVING BEEN INSTALLED IS A VERY INEXPENSIVE AND CHEAP SOLUTION THAT MINI DOES NOT TELL CUSTOMERS ABOUT UNTIL THEIR CAR OVERHEATS AND THE BILL IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SITUATION WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT LEFT THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS STRANDED IN FREEZING WEATHER, WHERE ONE PERSON BECAME BORDERLINE HYPOTHERMIC (95F BODY TEMPERATURE).

THE PASSENGERS SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR IS NOT FUNCTIONING AND IT WON'T ALLOW ANY AIRBAG TO ACTIVATE. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON AND IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS, AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO ENGAGE PROPERLY. SECURE GEAR ROLL- A-WAY WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR BOX NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MINI COOPER (8360 MIRAMAR PL STE A, SAN DIEGO, CA 92121, (858) 535-9999) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V789000 (POWER TRAIN) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. ## VIN FAILED ## 2015 MINI COOPER ##

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE AT A STANDSTILL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EMIT SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT STATED CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER SCHOMP MINI (1001 PLUM VALLEY LN, HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO 80129 (303) 872-5752) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMAL HOUSING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V248000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) HOWEVER THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 138,867.

HAVE A ASSENGER RESTRAING MALFUNCTION, ALSO HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAULT. WAS DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY.

SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR IS BAD. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE SAME THING ON OTHER YEARS AND MODELS, BUT NOT THE 2012 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN, WHICH MAKES VERY LITTLE SENSE BEING THAT ITS A COMMON PROBLEM AS WELL AS BEING THAT ITS THE SAME PROBLEM. THE AIRBAG SENSOR GOES ON AND OFF WHICH CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION.