MINI Complaints

BOUGHT MINI FROM CARVANA A JANUARY 2020 AND HAVE HAD TOO MANY PROBLEMS. CAR OVERHEATED ON 48, HAD 2 NEW CYLINDERS PUT IN, 2 WEEKS LATER, DUE TO MANY NOTABLE PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS HAD, ALL COOLANT LEAKED OUT AND WAS QUOTED BY MINI DEALERSHIP $9,000 TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT WAS CAUSED BY A RECALL NOT LISTED FOR MY YEAR

I LOVE MY MINI COOPER S. BUT THERE IS A ISSUE. TODAY I STARTED UP THE CAR AND IT STARTS SMOKING. TWICE THIS HAS HAPPENED IN TWO WEEKS. WHEN I BOUGHT IT 2 YEARS AGO I NOTICED ON THE INSIDE OF MY HOOD OF THE CAR IT'S A BLACK BURNT MARK. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIXED. LAST WEEK I TOOK IT TO A OIL SHOP AND THEY SAID MY TURBO IS BURNING MY CAR AND WOULD CATCH FIRE SOON. I'M IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A NEW TURBO BUT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM CAUSE NOW IT'S SMOKING ONLY WHEN IN IDLE OR STARTED UP.BUT THE HOOD IS SUPER HOT AFTER A SHORT DRIVE. I HOPE YOUR CREW CAN LOOK INTO THIS PART AND SAVE SOMEONE THE TERROR OF A CAR ON FIRE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MINI COOPER S COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING UP A MOUNTAIN AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AN ENGINE PROBLEM MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED SOON AFTER RESTART. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED HER THAT THERE WAS A WARRANTY ON HER VEHICLE FOR THE HIGH-PRESSURE PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MINI OF ONTARIO (1251 AUTO CENTER DR, ONTARIO, CA 91761) WHERE THEY INFORMED HER THAT HER VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE VALVE COVER, OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET O RING, FRONT CRANKSHAFT SEAL, OIL PUMP SOLENOID VALVE, WATER PUMP PULLEY DRIVE WHEEL, AND WATER PUMP ALL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY COUNTRYMAN ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 50 MPH, I MY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY AND RANDOMLY JERKED TO THE RIGHT. THE JERK WAS SEVER ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE CAR TO SWERVE INTO THE NEXT LANE CUTTING OFF A CLOSE BY VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY LINE, AND THE ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN CAUSING MY CAR TO SWERVE AN ADDITIONAL TIME. THIS IS OF SERIOUS CONCERN FOR ALL DRIVERS THAT THIS HAPPENS TO AND I AM AFRAID THAT THIS WILL RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH. DURING THIS TIME THE ELWEATHER WAS DRY AND ABOUT 60F.THE ROAD WAS CLEAR OF DEBRIS, POTHOLES AND BUMPS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN WHICH THIS ISSUE OCCURRED FOR ME IN MY +1 YEAR OF OWNERSHIP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. AFTER STOPPING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD, FLAMES WERE PRESENT COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE NEIGHBOR ASSISTED IN EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,000.

DRIVING DOWN 680 FROM BERKELEY, CA AT AROUND 2:30PM: I WAS HEADING HOME AND TEMPERATURE LIGHT APPEARS ON DASH. I NOTICE IT AND TRY TO PULL OFF FREEWAY TRYING TO GET TO SAFE AREA TO STOP. BEFORE I COULD PULL OVER TO SAFETY, THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING (ENGINE SHUT OFF). IMMEDIATELY STEAM WAS COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND I COULD NOT GET ENGINE TO START AGAIN. I CALLED TOW TRUCK AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO PLEASANTON, CA MINI DEALERSHIP/SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I WAS UNAWARE THAT MINI HAD EXTENDED THE TEMPERATURE HOUSING PART OF ENGINE TO 10 YEAR WARRANTY DUE TO THE PART BEING FAULTY. THE FIRST AND LAST TIME THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE WARNING LIGHT APPEARED WAS THE LAST TIME I WAS ABLE TO START OR DRIVE THE CAR! NO WARNING.... NONE! THE CAR OVERHEATED AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE REQUIRING A NEW ENGINE THAT WILL COST MORE THAT THE CAR IS WORTH. THE CAR IS A 2013 MINI CLUBMAN AND THE TEMPERATURE HOUSING PART OF ENGINE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I WAS DRIVING IN THE SLOW LANE OF THE FREEWAY AND IF I HAD NOT BEEN, THE CAR WOULD HAVE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF FREEWAY! I OR SOMEONE ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE PART IS A KNOWN DEFECT YET THE ONLY REMEDY FROM MINI CORPORATION WAS TO EXTEND WARRANTY FROM 3 YEARS TO 10 YEARS. THAT DID NOTHING FOR ME. I HAD NO WARNING, NO LIGHT, NO NOTHING TO MAKE ME AWARE THAT THE CAR WAS GOING TO GET SO HOT THAT THE ENGINE WOULD FAIL NEARLY IMMEDIATELY. THE FAULTY TEMPERATURE HOUSING PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED RATHER THAN EXTEND WARRANTY. AGAIN, I WAS ON FREEWAY AND NO WARNING INDICATING THE ENGINE WAS GETTING DANGEROUSLY HOT. NOT ONLY A SAFETY ISSUE BUT CLEARLY AN ISSUE FOR THE ENGINE AND CAR BEING WORTHLESS DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE. WE REGULARLY GET THE CAR SERVICED AND HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE ENGINE AND CAR. THE LAST TIME IT WAS SERVICED WAS MARCH 2020 AND THIS OCCURRED OCTOBER 2020.

MY AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON DASH AND CENTER CONSOLE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO FOUND MULTIPLE SEAT MAT SENSOR FAULT CODES STORED. THE SEAT MAT IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY BY FAILING TO RECOGNIZE IF THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT AND/OR THEIR WEIGHT. AS A RESULT, THE AIRBAG MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY COMPLETELY OR INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY ON A PASSENGER WEIGHING LESS THAN 45 POUNDS. BOTH RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL INJURIES AND/OR DEATH. MY MECHANIC HAS INFORMED ME MINI HAS HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES/RECALLS WITH THESE SEAT MAT SENSORS, AS DOCUMENTED IN MINI SERVICE BULLETIN DATE JANUARY 2019 (I HAVE ATTACHED A COPY). THE ISSUE AFFECTS NUMEROUS MINI MODELS MADE THROUGHOUT VARIOUS YEARS, INCLUDING 2012 WHICH IS THE SAME YEAR AS MY MINI. THESE SEAT MAT SENSORS DEFINITELY NEED TO BE REEVALUATED AND POTENTIALLY EXPAND THE RECALL/SAFETY ALERT TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL MODELS.

I WAS STARTING MY VEHICLE AND IT MADE A BAD KNOCKING NOISE THEN IT WAS LIKE CRUNCHING NOISE SO I STOPPED TURN IT OFF AND WAITED FOR A WHILE WENT BACK TO THE CAR STILL MAKING A STRANGE NOISE BUT ONCE I PUT IT IN THE DRIVE IT STOPPED MAKING NOISE DROVE DOWN THE ROAD A BIT AND TALKING ABOUT APPARENTLY SLIPS OFF OF THE CAR SO IT JUST PULLS OVER INSIDE ALL THE ALL THE WEARING LIGHTS CAME ON SO PULLED OVER APPARENTLY THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN BUT THE HARMONIC BALANCER SEPARATED AND WITH SPINNING AGAINST ITSELF AND KNOCKED THE PIECES OFF OF IT AND THROUGH THE SERPENTINE BELT SO THAT NEEDS TO REPLACE NOW THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IT'S ONE PIECE IS THIS ONE PIECE THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR THESE WHATEVER CARS HAD THESE HARMONIC BALANCERS IS DANGEROUS AND IT COULD BLOW YOUR CAR UP THANK YOU

BATTERY LIGHT FLASHING, POWER STEERING CUTTING OUT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. ALTERNATOR AND SERPINTINE BELT REPLACED BUT PROBLEM CONTINUES. ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SEEMS TO BE DRAINING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

THE AIRBAG FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT STOPPED WORKING 3 YEARS AGO. I CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES FOR A RECALL BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. I WENT TO A DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IF THERE ISN'T A RECALL, THERE WAS NOTHING MINI COOPER COULD DO ABOUT IT. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND IT WILL BE OVER 900.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ISN'T IT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CAR MANUFACTURER TO FIX SOMETHING THAT JUST STOPPED WORKING (NO ACCIDENTS OR ANY REASON), ESPECIALLY SINCE IT IS SUCH A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE?