MINI Complaints

2013 MINI COOPER BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLIES HAVE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT THE DEALER DUE TO MELTED PLASTIC ADJACENT TO LIGHT BULB CONTACTS. QUOTING THE DEALER SERVICE RECORD "FOUND LEFT TAG LIGHT BULB OUT AND RIGHT LOWER BRAKE LIGHT MELTED. REPLACED TAG LIGHT BULB AND RIGHT TAIL LIGHT ASSY." THAT SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AT A MINI DEALER IN 2018. THE SAME PROBLEM AND SAME REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AT A DIFFERENT MINI DEALER IN 2017. SIMILAR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON THIS WEBSITE (NHTSA VEHICHLE COMPLAINTS), AND THE PROBLEM WAS FAMILIAR TO THE SERVICE PERSONNEL AT BOTH DEALERSHIPS. MINI HAS A STANDARD PRACTICE OF ISSUING "WARRANTY EXTENSIONS" FOR KNOWN "DEFECTS IN MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP" WHICH COVER THE EXPENSE (BOTH PARTS AND LABOR) FOR REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY, BUT DOES NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A FULL RECALL. MINI ALSO KEEPS DETAILED, NON-PUBLIC, RECORDS TRACKING THE FREQUENCY OF COMMON VEHICLE REPAIRS. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THIS ISSUE RECEIVE THE NEXT LEVEL OF INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF EITHER A WARRANTY EXTENSION OR A FULL RECALL IS INDICATED. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS NOTE.

PASSENGER 2 AIRBAG IS OFF-YELLOW WARNING LIGHT ABOVE MIRROR AND AIRBAG WARNING ON INSTRUMENT PANEL-RED WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ON WHEN THE PASSENGER SEAT IS OCCUPIED OR EMPTY. THESE LIGHT ARE ON WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED AND REMAINS ON. WE HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND SEE THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE MINI COOPER.

2015 MINI COUNTRYMAN WITH 48980 MILES CLUTCH FAILED WHILE IT WAS IN MOTION TURNING FROM A 50 MPH ZONE TO A SIDE STREET. DEALER COVERED IT EXCEPT $173 DUE TO EXTENDED SERVICE MAINTENANCE PLAN. IT ALSO COST $155 LOCAL SERVICE SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER REPLACED FLYWHEEL, CLUTCH AND PRESSURE PLATES, SHIFT FORK AND PEDAL RETAINING PIN AND CLUTCH RELEASE FORK. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LIFE THREATENING CONDITION IF THE RIGHT TURN WAS NOT MADE IN THE LOWER SPEED ROAD.

THE STEERING FEELS VERY STIFF. THIS IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN I START IN THE MORNING. IT IS EXTREMELY STIFF TO TURN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING FAILURE WORSENED SINCE DECEMBER OF 2017. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

WE HEARD A RATTLING NOISE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. MINI OF PALM BEACH STATES TIMING CHAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED @ ABOUT 4,000$ FOR NEEDED REPAIRS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, THE POWER STEERING PUMP CONTINUED TO OPERATE. ALSO, WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING PUMP SOMETIMES FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. ALSO, THE LOW BATTERY WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ORLANDO MINI (350 LAKE DESTINY DRIVE, ORLANDO, FL) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 172,000.

175 MILES ON 2019 MINI S COUNTRYMAN. TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION INDICATOR CAME ON, CAR SHUDDERED REPEATEDLY AND DECELERATED RAPIDLY TO APPROX. 20 MPH IN 60 ZONE. CREATED INSTANT HAZARD TO MYSELF AS MULTIPLE LANES OF FASTER MOVING TRAFFIC NEEDED TO BE CROSSED TO REACH SAFETY AND NO WARNING TO TAILING VEHICLE.

IGNITION COIL FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO DISABLE WHILE MOVING ON A 4 LANE PARKWAY. THERE IS A "LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION" ON THIS PART (THE IGNITION COIL) FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL, SUGGESTING THAT A DEFECT IS KNOWN, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN DECLARED A RECALL (YET) THE PART FAILING BLEW THE FUSE FOR THE COIL CIRCUIT AND ALSO TOOK OUT THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT, CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE, FOR WHICH THE MANUFACTURER ONLY CONSIDER THE IGNITION COIL TO BE COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS PART FAILING CAUSED AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION IN THAT MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY DISABLED BLOCKING A LANE OF TRAFFIC. I THEN WAITED IN THE RAIN FOR NEARLY 2 HOURS ON NEW YEAR'S EVE FOR A TOW TRUCK. I WANT OTHERS TO KNOW THAT THIS PART CAN POTENTIALLY FAIL TO HOPEFULLY KEEP THEM FROM HAVING THIS SITUATION. I AM STILL WAITING FOR INVOICE FROM REPAIR SHOP BUT WILL UPLOAD IT LATER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ORLANDO MINI COOPER (350 S. LAKE N. DESTINY DR, ORLANDO, FL) FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS WERE CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.