MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE DOOR MECHANISMS DID NOT LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MINI OF DUTCHES COUNTY (1162 US 9,, WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 12590) AND WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. *BF PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECTIFIED TO CONSUMERS SATISFACTION.*JB

AT 40K MILES ON A 2009 MINI COOPER S (R56); SRS AIRBAG AND SEATBELT WARNING LIGHTS APPEAR ON LCD SCREEN / SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER AND ROOF; LCD WARNING READS "FAULT IN PASSENGER-RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER..." WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AT STARTUP AND REMAIN PERMANENTLY ON WHILE AT IDLE AND DURING DRIVE, AS WELL AS ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS AND CONDITIONS UNTIL SHUT OFF. TECHNICIAN SCANNED AND RETRIEVED FAULT CODE 93C3 ("SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR, PASSENGER") AND ESTIMATED A COST OF $1,950 TO REPLACE ENTIRE SEAT CUSHION, BY A SPECIAL ORDER FROM THE FACTORY, WHICH HAS THE OCCUPANCY DETECTOR BUILT INTO THE LINING. THE COMPONENT WAS NOT REPLACED. UPON INVESTIGATION ONLINE, THERE EXIST THOUSANDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA FOR THE EXACT SAME ISSUE FOR THIS CHASIS MODEL; IT IS EVIDENT THAT THIS IS A FUALTY SAFETY COMPONENT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I URGE THE NHTSA TO PRESS EVEN HARDER ON THIS MATTER BEFORE ANY SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS OCCUR AS A RESULT OF EITHER NEGLIGENCE ON THE MANUFACTURER'S BEHALF, OR FOR A LACK OF RESPONSE BY THE NHTSA, OR WORSE: BOTH. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY RISK, IT IS A SERIOUS LIABILITY CONCERN, AND I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS. I HOPE TO BE CONTACTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO DISCUSS FURTHER.

ENGINE HAS DEVELOPED THE "DEATH RATTLE" AT LOW REV AND LOW TEMPERATURE , INDICATING A FAILING, DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONE

MINI COOPER TIMING CHAIN TENSONER DEFECT. I HAVE A R56 HARDTOP 2010 MINI COOPER. MY CAR STARTED HAVING ISSUES LIKE TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING. A RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD, ESPECIALLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. WHILE I WAS DRIVING I HEARD A LOUD SNAP NOISE AND MY CAR SHUT OFF. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER AFTER THAT AND WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOK THERE WAS A BROKEN VALVE COVER. THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND CAUSED MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR. THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN LAS VEGAS IS NOT HONORING THE LAWSUIT. NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO PROCEED. THEY WANT $3,500. IN REPAIRS. MY CAR IS ONLY AT 83,000MILES AND JUST PAID OFF. NOT SURE HOW TO PROCEED.

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2011 AND HAS REQUIRED A MULTITUDE OF MAINTENANCE /REPAIRS DUE TO MANUFACTURER ISSUES. THE DEALERSHIP OF ORIGINAL PURCHASE WAS INCREDIBLY RESPONSIBLE AND TOOK RESPONSIBILITY OF THESE REPAIRS. I MOVED TO ANOTHER AREA TWO YEARS AGO AND RIGHT ABOUT THIS TIME, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT BEGAN TO RANDOMLY GO ON AND OFF INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT BE ENGAGED. THE LIGHT WILL GO ON AND OFF WHEN IN MOTION OR JUST IDLING. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO GO UNRESOLVED AS I TEND TO MOST OFTEN RIDE ALONE AND DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL $$$ FOR THE REPAIR AT THIS TIME. I DID JUST FINISH REPLACING THE CLUTCH IN THIS VEHICLE WHICH CURRENTLY ONLY HAS 51K MILES ON IT.

AIRBAG LIGHT INDICATING FAULTY DEVICE. THE INDICATIONS STARTED TO APPEARS RANDOMLY AND MOST FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT HOWEVER TODAY IS ON ALL TIME.

EVEN AFTER AN OIL CHANGE,IN ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS, I HAVE TO ADD OIL TO MY CAR, USUALLY ABOUT 2 QUARTS. THE CHECK OIL SYMBOL ILLUMINATES OFTEN, MY OIL LEVEL IS ALMOST ALWAYS SHOWING EXTREMELY LOW ON THE DIP STICK. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE ANY LEAKS AND THAT MINI COOPERS JUST BURN A LOT OF OIL AND THIS IS NORMAL. HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT HAVING TO ADD OIL TO MY CAR EVERY TWO OR 3 WEEKS IS NOT NORMAL.

THE CORE PLUG FAILED ALLOWING COOLANT INTO THE CRANK CASE. THE MINI AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR FACILITY SPECULATED THAT THE VEHILCE MUST HAVE BECOME OVERHEATED TO THE POINT OF DAMAGING THE CYLINDER HEAD. AT FIRST IS WAS THOUGHT THAT A REPLACEMENT CYLINDER HEAD WOULD COST $9K. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CRANK CASE WAS TO BADLY COMPROMISED FOR ADEQUATE REPAIR AND THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST THAT EXCEEDED THE MARKET VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. SINCE IT WAS NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, I WAS FORCE TO PURCHASE AN ALTERNATE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. BEING THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NO LONGER BE DRIVEN WITH OUT A COSTLY REPAIR, I CHOSE TO DONATE IT FOR CHARITY. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT IF THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, I WAS NOT AWARE OF IT AS THE DRIVER INFORMATION GAVE NO ALERT. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPED WITH A TEMPERATURE WHICH MAY WHICH SHOULD HAVE INDICATED THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS OUTSIDE OF NORMAL OPERATING PARAMETERS. HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHICH I PROMPTLY TOOK TO HAVE IT SERVICED. THE CODE WHICH INITIALLY PRESENTED AND PROMPTED ME TO VISIT THE DEALERSHIP REPAIR FACILITY TO BEGIN WITH. THE VEHICLE GAVE NO TEMPERATURE WARNINGS THROUGH THE DRIVER INFORMATION DISPLAY AND THE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE DID NOT CHANGE; I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY WITH NO PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS, THERE ARE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS THAT CAN BE FOUND ONLINE OF DRIVERS THAT GAVE AN ACCOUNT SIMIULAR TO MY EXPERIENCE - FAILURRE OF THE CORE PLUG WITH NO NOTIFICATION THROUGH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AND, IN MANY CASES, THEY WERE ALSO TOLD BY THE MAKER'S REPAIR SHOP THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE DRIVER WAS NOT ALERTED. WHILE I DID NOT PAY FOR ACTUAL REPAIRS, I WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED TO BUY REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. I ALSO HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MAINTENCE SCHEDULE.

WHEN STOPPED THE BRAKE PEDAL SLOWLY GOES TO THE FLOORBOARDS. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO REPEATEDLY PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT TO PREVENT RUNNING INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY DROVE THE CAR BUT COULDN'T FINE ANY PROBLEMS. THE MASTER CYLINDER LEAK DOWN IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE WITH TIME. I BELIEVE THAT I AM QUALIFIED TO WRITE ABOUT THIS AS I WAS, WHEN YOUNGER, A TOP MECHANIC FOR PORSCHE AND VOLKSWAGEN.

MY DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS MELTING. THE PLASTIC THE THE LIGHT BUILD SCREWS INTO IS ACTUALLY MELTING T THE BRAKE LIGHT BULB. I'VE PAID MINI TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE AND THE SAME ISSUES HAS SURFACED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LIGHT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL.