2002 Mini Cooper complaints

LARGE CRACK OCCURED IN THE WINDSHIELD. DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS CAUSED BY A STONE, AND NOT COVERED, AND INHERENT WITH THE DESIGN OF THE CAR (A MORE UPRIGHT WINDSHIELD THAN MANY OTHER CARS). I HAVE HEARD OF NUMEROUS SIMILAR HAPPENINGS.

WINDSHIELDS ARE FAILING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ON MINI COOPER AUTOMOBILES. I AM CURRENTLY ON MY 3RD WINDSHIELD IN AS MANY MONTHS - STRESS CRACKS APPEARED FROM THE ROOF PILLARS IN BOTH CASES. WE NEED A RESOLUTION TO THIS - EITHER BETTER GLASS OR STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS.*AK

INTERMITTENT COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER FOR 2-3 SECONDS WHEN STARTING FROM STANDSTILL.OCCURS UNDER VARIOUS CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AND EITHER WITH COLD OR WARM ENGINE.EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC FROM A SIDE STREET OR INTERSECTION.*AK

MY 2002 MINI COOPER S HAS SOME ENGINE MANAGEMENT ISSUES THAT HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS IN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS THAT I FEEL ARE UNSAFE, AND HAVE YET TO BE RESOLVED OR DEFINITELY ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE MOST SEVERE ISSUE IS A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AFTER ACCELERATION ON CLEAN DRY PAVEMENT. LOSS OF POWER IS USUALLY IN 1ST GEAR AN CAN LAST SEVERAL SECONDS. I BELEIVE THIS TO BE A PROBLEM NOT UNIQUE TO MY VEHICLE.*AK

THERE IS A COMPLETE POWER FAILURE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS INCLUDING 55 MPH. THIS DEFECT OR CONDITION CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. WHEN IT HAPPENED ON RT. 66 IN ARLINGTON VA AT 9:30 PM, IT CAUSED A NEAR-COLLISION WITH SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELING ON THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT, NOISE, OR OTHER INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS ABOUT TO TURN OFF.*AK

WINDSHIELD CREAKING, CRACKLING. REPLACED TWICE BY DEALER DUE TO WIND LEAKAGE. WINDSHIELD IS TOO THIN AND PITS WAY TOO EASILY. WIFE IS AFRAID OF SAFETY BECAUSE OF THE NOTORIOUSLY HIGH INCIDENCE OF SPONTANEOUS CRACKING WINDSHIELDS. MINI USA CONTINUES TO DENY ANY PROBLEMS, BUT INFORMAL SURVEYS OF DEALERS INDICATE THOUSANDS OF REPLACEMENTS ALREADY, AND THE CAR HAS ONLY BEEN ON SALE FOR 16 MONTHS. GLASS IS TOO THIN AND BRITTLE. GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO INTERCEDE AND FORCE MINI USA TO REPLACE WITH THICKER, SAFE WINDSHIELDS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. BMW OF NORTH AMERICA REPURCHASED THE VEHICLE. *AK *CB *NLM

WINSHIELD CRACK FROM BIRD SAP!*AK

STRESS CRACKED WINDSHIELD IN 2002 MINI COOPER S.*AK

CRACKED WINSHIELD IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES. OCCURRED ABOUT 10 MINUTES APART WHILE DRIVING IN SLOW TRAFFIC AT ABOUT 100 DEGREES. *AK

WE OWN A MINI COOPER S. LIKE HUNDREDS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE NOT YET FILED A COMPLAINT, WE HAD A CRACKED WINDSHIELD FOR NO APPARANT REASON. THE WINDSHIELD SEEMS TO BE VERY THIN AND SOFT. AND VERY SUCCEPTABLE TO CRACKS AND ROCK CHIPS, PITTING FOR LACK OF ANOTHER WORD.

WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS ON, CAR STALLS OR STUMBLES WHILE STARTING MOVEMENT IN FIRST GEAR. THIS CAUSES MERGES, LEFT TURNS TO GET DANGEROUS. HOT WEATHER INCREASES THE OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

STOPPED AT LIGHT WHEN I HEARD A SMALL CRACK NO OTHER VEHICLES OR TRAFFIC AROUND UPON INVESTIGATION I FOUND A SMALL STAR LIKE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH BEFORE CRACK COULD BE FIXED WINDSHIELD WAS CHIPPED BY ROAD DEBRIS IN TWO SEPARATE PLACES AND ON TWO SEPARATE DAYS. WINDSHIELD GLASS SEEMS TO BE VERY WEAK.*AK

BROKEN WINDSHIELD 2002 MINI COOPER S. *NLM

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIN/WEAK WINDSHIELDS IN MY MINI COOPER S. I AM ON MY THIRD WINDSHIELD IN LESS THAN A YEAR. THE GLASS IS INCREDIBLY THIN AND CRACKS WITH THE SLIGHTEST IMPACT. I CONSIDER THIS UNSAFE. IN ADDITION I KNOW OF MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *NLM

WINDSHIELD PITS FROM SAND VERY EASILY. WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM DRIVER'S SIDE TO MIDDLE OF WINDOW WHILE BACKING OUT OF FLAT DRIVEWAY. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY BY DEALER. TWO MONTHS LATER, SMALL AMOUNT OF BLOWING SAND PITS WINDSHIELD AGAIN. 2002 MINI COOPER. *NLM

CAR STALLS RANDOMLY WHEN COMMING TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENS ON ON MANUEL TRANSMISSION. WHEN DEPRESSING THE CLUTCH IT REVS DOWN AND IDOLS LOW AND STALLS WHEN APPROAHING A STOP. AFTER AN INITAL STALL POWER IS REDUCED AND IS SLUGGISH WHEN THE GAS IS DEPRESSED.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. *JB

MY MINI COOPER HAS DEVELOPED A HUGE CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER SAID THE CRACK WAS STARTED BY A CHIP FROM ROAD DEBRIS, HOWEVER CRACKED WINDSHIELDS ARE A WELL KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE MINI. MANY MINI OWNERS HAVE REPLACED THEIR WINDSHIELDS 3 OR 4 TIMES. BEFORE I BUY A NEW WINDSHIELD I WOULD LIKE ASSURANCES FROM MINI USA THAT THE REPLACEMENT WON'T PROMPTLY CRACK, AS HAS HAPPENED WITH MANY OTHER OWNERS. *NLM

MINI COOPER S 2002 HAD A CRACK START AND GROW UNTIL IT SPANNED THE WINDSHIELD. HAD TWO SUBSEQUENT ROCK CHIPS THAT GREW INTO MASSIVE CRACKS. THE WINDOW SEEMS TO CRACK TOO EASILY. *AK

THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2002 MINI COOPER S DEVELOPED TWO CRACKS IN IT'S WINDSHIELD. I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN SEPT OF 2002. THE FIRST CRACK DEVELOPED AFTER OWNING THE CAR ABOUT 4 MONTHS AND MINI USA WOULD NOT REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD. NOW A SECOND CRACK HAS DEVELOPED 3 MONTHS LATER. *TT

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE WE BROUGHT THE CAR HOME. MINI HAS ATTEMPTED FIX THE PROBLEMS UNSUCCESSFULLY 8 TIMES, CULMINATING WITH THE DEALER GETTING INTO A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WHILE TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE. *NLM

I NEED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WINDSHIELD ON THE MINI COOPER 2002. ONE WEEK AFTER I GOT MY CAR, I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN A CHIP APPEARED. I NEVER SAW OR HEARD ANYTHING HIT IT. I HAVE SINCE GOTTEN ABOUT 10 CHIPS IN MY WINDSHIELD. EVER SINCE I GOT THE CAR, MY WINDSHIELD HAS CREAKED AND MADE A LOT OF NOISE AS IF IT WERE SHIFTING AROUND. THIS SCARES ME SO MUCH! THEN, I HAD AN APPOINTMENT THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON TO GET ONE CHIP FIXED WHEN THE WINDSHIELD CREAKED LOUDLY AND A CRACK WENT RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. I HONESTLY AM AFRAID SOMETIMES THAT MY WINDSHIELD IS GOING TO FLY RIGHT OFF OF MY CAR!

STRESS FRACTURE OF WINDSHIELD ABSENT SPECIFIC IMPACT FROM OUTSIDE SOURCE. NUMEROUS POSTS ON INTERNET FORUMS, INCLUDING THE MANUFACTURER SPONSORED MINI OWNER'S SITE REVEAL AN INCREASING NUMBER OF WINDSHIELDS DEVELOPING APPARENT STRESS FRACTURES. MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND THAT OF OTHERS IS THAT THE WINDSHIELD OF THE MINI HAS A PROPENSITY TO CRACK UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. DEALERS OFTEN DENY WARRANTY CLAIMS, POINTING TO THE SMALLEST OF IMPERFECTIONS AS "IMPACT SITES" AND PASSING REPLACEMENT COSTS ON TO OWNER'S COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE. THIS, DESPITE NO HISTORY OF SPECIFIC IMPACTS WITH ANY OBJECTS WHILE DRIVING. AGAIN IN MY PARTICULAR CASE, THE FRACTURE APPEARED OVERNIGHT WHILE THE CAR WAS GARAGED. *NLM

I OWN A MINI COOPERS 2002. I HAD A CRACKED WINDSHIELD IN JANUARY OF 2003. I AM SURE THIS WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MY DEALER SAW OTHERWISE. MINI USA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS FLAW IN THEIR DESIGN. MY REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOR SUCH A DEFECT. *JB

THE WINDSHIELD OF MY 2002 MINI COOPER S CRACKED WHILE SITTING IN A PARKING LOT. IT WAS FINE IN THE MORNING BUT THERE WAS AN 8" CRACK WHEN I HOPPED IN FOR THE DRIVE HOME. I'M GUESSING THE HEAT (90 DEGREES F, WINDOWS UP, SUN REFLECTOR ON DASH) CAUSED A CONTAMINANT WITHIN THE WINDOW TO CAUSE STRESS, WHICH IN TURN BECAME A CRACK. JUDGING FROM THE MINI COOPER MESSAGE BOARDS ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF WINDSHIELDS CRACKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON, AND MINI USA HAS ISSUED A BULLETIN TO IT'S DEALERS TO WARN THEM OF DEFECTIVE FACTORY WINDSHIELD INSTALLATIONS. [TIS MESSAGE NUMBER: SI M51 02 03 SUBJECT: WINDSHIELD STRESS CRACK SURVEY SITUATION: THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR INSTALLATION OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS IMPROVED IN APRIL 2002, AND THESE IMPROVEMENTS RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF STRESS CRACKED WINDSHIELDS.] *JB

WINDSHIELD CRACK. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS REPORTING SIMILAR CRACKS IN THEIR WINDSHIELDS. MINI HAS STATED THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GLASS CRACKING DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION IN PREVIOUS BUILDS AND CURRENTLY HAVE A SURVEY FOR THE DEALERS TO PERFORM AN INSPECTION ON ANY WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTS CONDUCTED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SURVEY IS EXPLAINED IN THIS BULLETIN SI M 51 02 03. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY ONLY INSPECT THOSE WINDSHIELDS THAT DO NOT HAVE EVIDENCE OF STONE DAMAGE. ON THE ATTACHED WEB SITES YOU WILL SEE AN OVER ABUNDANCE OF CRACKED WINDSHIELD POSTS THAT THE DEALERS ARE CALLING STONE DAMAGE RELATED. THEREBY INSURING THAT THESE WINDSHIELDS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THEIR DATA AND ALSO THAT THEY ARE NOT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. I HAVE NO CHIPS BUT A LARGE NUMBER OF MARKS FROM DEBRIS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. I CALL THEM STRIKE MARKS. THE EASIEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE DAMAGE IS THAT IT IS SIMILAR TO A GLASS ETCHING PROCEDURE. THE LOCATION WHERE THE DEBRIS HAS STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD IS SLIGHTLY DISCOLORED, YET NO GLASS IS MISSING. IN MY OPINION THIS IS THE RESULT OF TWO ITEMS: THE WINDSHIELD IS VERY STEEP AND THE GLASS IN THE WINDSHIELD IS SUBSTANDARD; TOO SOFT AND TOO THIN. MINI USES THEIR WINDSHIELD AS A STRUCTURAL MEMBER IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VEHICLE AND THEREFORE IT IS UNDER CONSTANT STRESS. I DO NOT THINK THESE STRIKE MARKS ARE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE A STRESS CRACK PER SE, BUT IF THAT WERE SO (AS MINI ARGUES), THEN MY RESPONSE IS: THE WINDSHIELD IS NOT JUST TOO SOFT, I

2003 MINI COOPER CVT. VEHICLE STALLS IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. BOGGS DOWN, LUNGES UPON ACCELERATION. POWER FAILURE. NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ON DASH WARN OF PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED ON THREE OCCASIONS FOR SAME PROBLEMS. BOGGS DOWN AND LUNGES CORRECTED BY REPROGRAMMING ON FIRST SERVICE. AFTER FIRST SERVICE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. RETURNED TO SERVICE DEPT. WHO WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE STALLING AFTER 400 MILES OF TEST DRIVING IT. CONTACTED MINI DIVISION OF BMW OF AMERICA. THEY SENT TECHNICAL SPECIALIST WHO CHECKED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, NO APPARENT CAUSE. MINI REPRESENTATIVE IS CURRENTLY HAVING ELECTRICAL HARNESS REPLACED. VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE FOR 6 WEEKS AND COUNTING. MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. *NLM

THE VEHICLES REAR HATCH IS ELECTRONIC AND IF THE VEHICLES BATTERY DIED THERE WOULD BE NOT WAY TO INTO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM

WILDLY STUMBLES WHILE AUTO IS STOPPED. IT IS INTERMITTENT THERE IS ON CONSISTENCY TO THIS PROBLEM. *JB

THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. *JB

THE HEAD LIGHT FAILED TWICE, THE DEALER REPLACED THE MODULE AND THEN THE COMPUTER CHIP. *JB

THE DOOR LOCKS ACTIVATED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN EXAMINED BY THE DEALER TWICE, HOWEVER THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *JB

THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

CAR ALMOST STALLS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A COMPLETE STOP. ACCELERATION RATES VARY AND SOMETIMES ARE DANGEROUSLY SLOW CAR LUNGES WHEN TRYING TO MOVE SMALL DISTANCES

I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY 2002 MINI COOPER, IT IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN THREE SEPARATE OCCASION TOTALLYING 54 DAYS, THE LAST TIME THAT IT WAS IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IT WAS 40 DAYS. THEY FINALLY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED, BUT IT TOOK THEM THAT LONG TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THAT I WANTED TO BE COMPENSATED ONLY FOR THE DAYS THE CAR WAS AT THEIR SHOP, ALSO I INFORMED THEM THAT IF THE MINI HAS TO BE TAKEN TO THE SHOP AGAIN, THAT WILL FORCE ME TO ENFORCE THE LEMON LAW. MELISSA STEFFY, THE GENERAL MANAGER, SAID FOR ME TO SEND HER THE LETTER AND SHE WIL SEE WHAT SHE CAN DO, BUT THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT THEY WOULD COMPENSATE FOR ANYTHING. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR BECAUSE I PURCHASED THE CAR TO USE IT, NOT FOR THEM TO HAVE IT IN THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD ASSIST ME WITH THIS MATTER. THANKS LEYDA RAMOS FOR EDID BATISTA : [email protected]

VEHICLE WILL HESTITATE TO ACCELERATE AND INTERMITTENTLY LY STALL WHILE DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER.CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK