MINI Complaints

PASSENGER SEAT MAT SENSOR ON 2007 MINI COOPER FAULTED. THERE WAS A RECALL ON BMW AND MINI COOPERS EXCEPT FOR THIS BASE MODEL. DEALER SAID IT WOULD BE $1800. TO FIX I WOULD THINK THE PARTS FOR THIS CAR ARE THE SAME. SHOULD BE RECALLED.

PASSENGER UPPER SEAT HEATER BURNED HOLE THROUGH SEAT AND CHILDS JACKET WHILE DRIVING. THE HEATING ELEMENT IS NOW VISIBLE AND DAUGHTER RECEIVED A MINOR BURN TO FINGER, DO TO MELTED HOLE IN JACKET FROM SEAT HEATER.

ADVISED FROM MECHANIC THAT WATER IS GETTING DOWN FROM THE FRONT AREA BELOW THE WINDSHIELD AND IS CAUSING THE BODY CONTROL MODULE AND OTHER ELECTRONICS TO SHORT OUT. GOT TO WHERE THE CAR WOULDN'T EVEN TURN OVER TO TRY AND START. HAD TO HAVE OVER $3450 WORTH OF REPAIRS DONE AND WAS TOLD THEY SPOKE WITH MINI AND THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WAS TOLD THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN IF NOT FIXED. WAS TOLD TO TAKE TO MINI, BUT THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

MY PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYS ON CONSTANTLY, EVEN IF SOMEONE IS SITTING THERE

6/21/2018, MY 2010 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN S DEVELOPED SERIOUS DEFECTS. I DROVE MY CAR ON THE LEFTMOST LANE OF THREE-LANE BOSTON TURNPIKE. CLOSE TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I BRAKED TO DECELERATE VEHICLE BUT THE ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED WITHOUT WARNING, WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. BOTH BATTERY AND STARTER WORKED. I TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO RESTART THE ENGINE IN FAILURE. I BLOCKED TRAFFIC DURING RUSH-HOUR. SEVERAL CARS TOOK ACROSS ROAD CURB AND PASSED TO MY LEFT. IT MADE ME AND MY SON IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. UNTIL A TRUCK DRIVER CAME TO HELP ME TO PUSH MY CAR OFF ROAD. AFTER DIAGNOSIS AND ANALYSIS IN LOCAL AUTO SHOP, MECHANIC FOUND OUT THE VEHICLE COMPUTER ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) WAS FAULTY, NOT SUPPLYING POWER TO THE IGNITION COILS. I WAS CHARGED $2298.13 TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE ECM AND $150 FOR THE TOWING SERVICE. THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED BUT I BELIEVE I AM STILL ENTITLED TO A FREE REPAIR BECAUSE THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH A SERIOUS DEFECT IN A CAR WHICH HAS ONLY RUN A LOW MILEAGE OF 47,812 MILES INDICATES IT WAS NOT OF ACCEPTABLE QUALITY. I AM A CAREFUL AND CONSCIENTIOUS OWNER, AS THE GENERAL CONDITION OF THE CAR SHOWS. I HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO THE CAR TO CAUSE THIS DEFECT. THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT IS NOT MOVING MECHANICAL PARTS. IT IS SUPPOSED THAT IT HAS MUCH LONGER LIFE TIME. THE DEFECT FORCED ME TO SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON REPLACEMENT COSTS. TO OBTAIN BMW REIMBURSEMENT IN FULL, I CALLED 1.866.ASK.MINI (275-6464) AND TALKED TO A REPRESENTATIVE AND AN ESCALATION MANAGER. THE ESCALATION MANAGER EMPHASIZED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT REPAIRED AT A MINI SERVICE CENTER (DEALER). IF MY CAR WAS REPAIRED AT MINI CENTER, THEY WOULD ARRANGE A SOLUTION HOWEVER MY BROKEN CAR WAS FAR FROM DEALERS IN EITHER PEABODY OR BOSTON. I FILE A DEFECT PETITION TO NHTSA. I REQUEST THE AGENCY DO A BASIC REVIEW OF MY CONCERN AND PROVIDE A WRITTEN DECISION ON WHETHER IT WILL BEGIN THE IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION.

THERE IS A CONSTANT FUEL / GASOLINE SMELL IN MY CAR AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. NO VISIBLE LEAKS. THE SMELL IS CONSTANT.

PASSENGERS OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT FAILED CAUSING THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG TO BE DEACTIVATED. MINI HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS FOR 10 YEARS AND 120,000 MILES. MY MINI WAS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD BUT DID HAVE 130,000 MILES ON 4/3/2019 WHEN I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER. MINI HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTED PART EVEN THOUGHT THEY KNOW IT WAS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. THEY ALSO KNOW THAT ON PREVIOUS YEARS MODELS THEY WERE FORCED TO RECALL THIS PART AS I ALSO OWN A 2006 MINI THAT WENT BAD AND IT TOOK OVER A YEAR BEFORE THEY FINALLY DID A RECALL. MINI DOES NOT HAVE A WORKABLE CUSTOMER RELATIONS SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS THE CUSTOMER TO APPEAL THIS SAFETY DEFECT REPLACEMENT REJECTION. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT MINI KNOW THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE SAFETY SENSOR AND HAVE A HISTORY OF THIS BEING A BAD PART BUT ARE UNWILLING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE IT. THEY INSTEAD WANT THE CUSTOMER TO SPEND OVER $1,000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY. THIS IS A BAD COMPANY DYNAMIC AND SHOWS NO CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY.

INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILIURE DURING DRIVING, STIFF STEERING WHEEL CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT

AFTER RECEIVING ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A BATTERY ISSUE I WAS DRIVING HOME AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AT NIGHT WHEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTING OF MY DASHBOARD WENT OUT AND MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, TURN SIGNALS, FOG LIGHTS, HIGH BEAMS, AND WINDOWS CEASED TO FUNCTION. WHEN I MADE IT HOME I SCANNED MY VEHICLE VIA OBD2 AND A PLETHORA OF CODES HAD APPEARED ALMOST ALL RELATED TO SAFETY FEATURES SUCH AS LIGHTING, AIRBAGS,DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL, SUSPENSION, ABS, AND SPEED SENSING DEVICES. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF RESEARCH AND DIAGNOSTIC WORK I DETERMINED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE DRIVER SIDE FOOTWELL MODULE WHICH HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN TO BE A DEFECTIVE ITEM TO MINI/BMW SO MUCH SO THAT IT'S BEEN GIVEN A WARRANTY EXTENSION OF 10 YEARS/ 156,000 MILES THAT REMAINS ACTIVE, BUT ONLY TO ELIGIBLE VEHICLE WARRANTY HOLDERS. AFTER MY EXPERIENCE OF LOSING PRACTICALLY ALL VEHICLE LIGHTING WHICH INCLUDED BOTH TURN AND HAZARD SIGNALING ABILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS I IMPLORE THE NHTSA TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL ON THESE FAULTY FOOTWELL MODULES GIVEN THE EASE AND SUDDENNESS AT WHICH THEY CEASE TO FUNCTION FOR REASONS THAT RANGE FROM MOISTURE INTOLERANCE, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PRACTICES, AND EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AS WAS MY PARTICULAR CASE. THE PROBLEM HAS ALREADY BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND I FEEL IT IS NOW TIME THAT THE GOVERNMENT ADDRESS THIS KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE IN ORDER TO PROTECT AMERICA'S ROADS AND HIGHWAYS AS WELL AS THE CITIZENRY AT LARGE.

MY CAR I BOUGHT AS A PRE-OWN AND THE OWNER BEFORE E HAD LEAKS AS WELL. THESE LEAKS CAUSED ELECTRICAL DAMAGE ON THE CIRCUIT BOARDS THAT MADE THE CIRCUIT BOARD SHOULDER AND HEAT UP SO HOT IT ALMOST WENT ON FIRE. ALSO THE TIRES WERE THE WRONG SIZE AND SALES PERSON WOULD NOT ADMIT FAULT SO I HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE THEM ALL. I WAS DRIVING WHEN I FELT THE CAR LOSE CONTROL ON THE HIGHWAY AND STREETS, THEN I WAS DRIVING WHEN CAR OVERHEATED. I PAID TO FIX LEAKS MORE THAN $7000 AND STILL LEAKING. NOW ANOTHER LIGHT BULB IS OUT MY BACK BREAK LIGHT SO I CANNOT DRIVE IT BECAUSE THAT IS UNSAFE TO OTHERS DRIVING BEHIND ME.