MINI Complaints

FOR THE PAST YEAR, ALL EXTERNAL LIGHT WIRING HAS MELTED. FIRST INSTANCE 5/24/18 BOTH LICENSE PLATE BULBS SHORTED, SECOND INSTANCE 10/26/18 DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB CONNECTOR INSIDE LIGHT MELTED, THIRD INSTANCE 5/21/19 PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB WIRING HARNESS MELTED, FOURTH INSTANCE AND CURRENT 5/30/19 RIGHT TAILLIGHT BULB WIRING MELTED.

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MINI S 2007 FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WITH NO SERIOUS ISSUES OTHER THAN ONE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE, WHICH WAS RESOLVED SIMPLY BY A MECHANIC CHECK AT BMW SERVICE CENTER. ON SUNDAY EVENING MAY 26, 2019, AS I WAS PLANNING TO GO OUT, I OBSERVED THE STEERING ALERT SIGN ON. I TRIED RESTARTING AND SHUTTING OFF ENGINE MULTIPLE TIMES THINKING IT MAY BE AN ELECTRONIC ABERRATION WHICH MAY BE KICKED AWAY BY BRUTE FORCE OF RESTARTING THE IGNITION. AFTER 30-45 MINUTES OF THIS FRUITLESS EXERCISE, I TURNED MY ATTENTION ONLINE WHERE I FOUND NUMEROUS AUTO BLOGS OF STARTING THE CAR WITH JUMPERS BATTERY TO REPLACING POWER STEERING FLUID. SINCE MINI SERVICE WAS CLOSED, I HAD TO SEEK HELP FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY SENT A PERSON AFTER TWO HOURS TO USE JUMPERS, BUT THAT DID NOT HELP EITHER. WE WERE ABLE TO CHECK THE POWER STEERING FLUID , AND THAT WAS ALSO FULL TO THE MARK. ON FURTHER RESEARCH ONLINE, I DISCOVERED TO MY UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT THAT MINI COOPERS HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH POWER STEERING ISSUES DUE TO INHERENT FLAW OF PLACEMENT AND DESIGN OF POWER STEERING PUMP. IT IS VERY WELL DOCUMENTED ACROSS REPUTED CAR JOURNALS/MAGAZINES THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN IN MINI COOPERS, AND THE ONLY VARIABLE IS THE TIME. I WAS THOROUGHLY CRESTFALLEN GIVEN I HAD PLACED SO MUCH TRUST IN THE BRAND AND THE QUALITY OF MINI COOPER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMPLAINT IS TWO PRONGED- ONE IS OBVIOUSLY TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROBLEM ONCE AGAIN AND MAKING SURE MINI ENGINEERS SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESSES. SECOND- IS TO REQUEST TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING ISSUE FIXED IN MY CAR BY MINI. GIVEN THAT THE ISSUE HAS BASIS IN THE INHERENT FLAW OF THE DESIGN, I BELIEVE MINI COOPER WILL WAIVE OFF THE COST OF SERVICES AND PARTS TO GET THIS ISSUE FIXED. THIS IS NOT USUAL WEAR AND TEAR WHOSE COSTS SHOULD BE BORNE BY THE CUSTOMER.

MAINLY WHILE COLD AND AT LOW SPEED'S THE WHEEL SUDDENLY BECOMES VERY HARD TO TURN AND I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC BUT IT'S A FAULTY HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PROBLEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FREEPORT MINI COOPER (280 SUNRISE HWY, FREEPORT, NY 11520, (516) 665-1246) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND HAD A SPECIALIST EXAMINE THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AND SEAT BELL LIGHT REMAINS ON ENTIRE TIME. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON 2009 AND EARLIER MODELS BUT NOT 2010'S, HOWEVER IT'S THE SAME ISSUE. I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE CAR HOWEVER THE ORIGINAL OWNER HAD THE REPLACED IN 2015 BUT NOW THE LIGHTS ARE BACK ON.

WHILE IN MOTION, PASSENGER SEAT BELT ALARM WAS GOING OFF THIS AM WITH NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ALSO NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SIGNAL WAS NOT LIT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TURBO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED CLASSIC MINI COOPER AT 440-585-9910 (LOCATED AT 2573 SOM CENTER RD, WILLOUGHBY HILLS, OH 44094) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,320.

VERY HARD TO TURN STEERING WHEEL AT TIMES ESPECIALLY WHEN MOVING SLOWLY; COMING TO A TURN AT A LIGHT, BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, ETC.

POWER STEERING PUMP PROBLEM FOR MINI COOPER R50 BOUGHT MY R50 PRE-OWNED 125000 KMS ON THE ODO FROM A DEALERSHIP(NOT A MINI DEALERSHIP) AS A PRESENT FOR MY DAUGHTER IN MARCH 2019. I ALREADY KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG. OBSERVED A LEAK IN THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR. DEALER SUPPOSEDLY FIXED THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING SOME HOSES. AFTER A MONTH, I TRIED STARTING THE CAR UP AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I WAS LUCKY TO STILL BE AT HOME THAT TIME. RECHARGED THE BATTERY AND STARTED THE CAR. TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND NOTICED A SOUND. TRACED THE SOUND TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP NOT TURNING OFF EVEN IF THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF. DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY SO IT WILL NOT DO A FULL DISCHARGE. BOUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE PS PUMP. DID RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A COMMON ISSUE RELATED TO THIS PUMP ALREADY AND BMW HAS OFFERED EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE PUMP AND PERIPHERALS LIKE HOSES AND RESERVOIR COVERING 2003 TO 2005 MODELS DUE TO THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC ISSUES A FAILED PUMP CAN BRING. I ASKED THE LOCAL BMW SERVICE CENTER IF I COULD AVAIL BUT THEY SAID MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE COVERAGE. I NEEDED THE CAR TO WORK AND I WANTED IT DONE RIGHT SO I HAD THEM REPLACE THE PUMP. THIS COSTED ME 1500 CAD++ I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD STILL BE COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS ARE THE SAME AND THAT THE PUMP IS CONFIRMED TO BE AN ORIGINAL BY THE MINI SERVICE AND MAY VERY WELL STILL BE THE SAME ONE FROM THE PREVIOUS MODELS AND BMW SHOULD OWN UP TO THIS.

THE WARNING FOR TH EPASSENGER AIRBAG COMES ON, THOUGH APPARENTLY NOTHING IS WROMG WITH IT. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMMON PROBLEM THAT MINI IS AWARE OFF, PUTS PEOPLE IN DANGER, BUT DOESNT DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE HARNESS UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT, WHICH THEY QUOTE AT 1200 TO 1400 TO REPAIR THEIR ILL DESIGN AND FINAL PRODUCT