2008 Mini Cooper complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF, AND UPON RESTART THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE A RATTLING SOUND AND STOPPED ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TENSIONER GAVE WAY AND CAUSED THE TIMING CHAIN TO STRETCH. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000. UPDATED 4/4/11 *CN

MINI COOPER POWER STEERING PROBLEMS (2007 AND 2008 MODELS) - I NOTICED THE REPORTS ON POWER STEERING. I HAVE LEASED 2 MINIS AND FOUND THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO PARALLEL PARK IN NEW YORK CITY. WHEN TRYING TO FIT INTO A SMALL SPACE--WHICH REQUIRES LOTS OF TWISTS, TURNS OF THE STEERING WHEEL REPEATEDLY UNTIL CAR IS SQUEEZED IN--THE POWER STEERING ON BOTH YEARS OF BOTH CARS THAT I HAD--AND THE 2007 I TEST DROVE AT THE DEALER--ALL POPPED OUT. IT SEEMS THAT REPEATED TURNING MAKES THE POWER STEERING TURN OFF. IF YOU WAIT A FEW SECONDS ONCE IT STARTS GETTING HARDER TO TURN, THEN IT WILL LOOSEN UP AGAIN. I ONLY HAD THIS PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO PARK--SO NOT A DANGEROUS SITUATION, JUST ANNOYING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN AUGUST 2008. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. PREVIOUSLY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN STALLING AND LOSING POWER. HE ALSO OBSERVED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND SMELLED OIL BURNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A LOSS IN PRESSURE AND ONE OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS HAD FAILED. THEY ALSO FOUND A DILAPIDATED TIMING CHAIN AND POSSIBLE EMISSIONS FAILURES. THE DEALER WAS NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURES TO OCCUR. THE DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING OIL EXCESSIVELY AND THE FUEL INJECTORS HAD FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING REPAIRS TO DATE. THE CONTACT ASSUMED ALL REPAIRS WERE TO BE MADE UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 29,335.

MY 2008 MINI COOPER SPEEDOMETER IS OFF BY APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES AN HOUR. SO THAT IF I AM ACTUALLY DRIVING AT 50 MPH THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW 56 MPH. ADDITIONALLY, IF I DRIVE 100 MILES, THE ODOMETER WILL ACTUALLY SHOW AS IF I DROVE 106 MILES. THIS IS BOTH A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE INSTRUMENTATION IS WRONG, AS WELL AS A FRAUD ISSUE AS THE CAR LOSES VALUE BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED ADDITIONAL MILES DRIVEN AND WOULD BE OUT OF WARRANTY SOONER BECAUSE OF THE PERCEIVED MILEAGE AMOUNT. ALSO, IF THIS WERE A LEASE AND I WENT OVER THE AMOUNT ALLOTTED BY SAID LEASE, MINI WOULD PENALIZE THE DRIVE PER THE MILEAGE. BMW/MINI HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND SAY ITS NOT A PROBLEM AS THEY GIVE ALOT OF LEEWAY FOR THE ACCURACY OF THE SPEEDOMETER. *TR

YESTERDAY MY 23-YEAR DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED A DANGEROUS INCIDENT, WITH BURSTING OF THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TIRE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. SHE ALMOST KILLED HERSELF. IT IS A NEW CAR (MINI COOPER, 2008) WITH ONLY 11,000 MILES TRAVELED. THE AAA WHICH WAS CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE DID NOT FIND ANY SIGN OF EXTERNAL PERFORATION AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS AN EXPLOSION OF THE TIRE. *TR

IN EARLY DECEMBER 2008 MY WIFE WAS PUTTING ITEMS IN THE BACK OF THE MINI COOPER AND HER LEG TOUCHED THE EXHAUST, PIPE BURNING HER LEG. WE TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. ON A RECENT VISIT TO THE SERVICE CENTER THE NEW SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT NOT FOR THIS MODEL. WE ARE CONCERNED FROM A SAFETY STAND POINT. *TR

TAILPIPE BURNED LEG WHILE GETTING ITEMS OUT OF TRUNK OF 2008 MINI COOPER 2 DOOR SEDAN. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG DISABLED LIGHT ILLUMINATES WITH FULLGROWN ADULT (WEIGHING MORE THAN 160 POUNDS) PROPERLY SEATED WHILE WEARING SEATBELT. CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALER TWICE BEFORE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND NEXT VISIT WILL BE THE THIRD TIME REPORTING THIS PROBLEM FOR REPAIR. *TR

HERE IN OREGON THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE SEVERELY RESTRICTED TO 20 MILES PER HOUR AND ONE CAN NOT GET A LICENSE TO DRIVE THEM ON THE STREETS. IN LIGHT OF GLOBAL WARMING THIS IS A DISGRACE. PEOPLE WILL NOT BUY VEHICLES THAT ARE SO SEVERELY RESTRICTED YET THE GOVERNMENT IS BRAGGING ABOUT HOW MUCH IT IS DOING FOR THE COUNTRY. I INTEND TO KEEP LOOKING FOR PROPER AGENCIES TO RESPOND TO THIS SERIOUS BREACH OF TRUST TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS NATION. I REQUEST A RESPONSE IN REGARDS TO WHAT STEPS YOU CAN TAKE AND WHAT HELP YOU MIGHT NEED FROM ME. THANK YOU, BRUCE BURNS PS: I HAD TO CHOOSE A VEHICLE AND ZAP CAR WAS NOT ON THE LIST SO PLEASE SUBSTITUTE ZAP CAR FOR COOPER (MINI). *TR

LTR FROM CONGRESSMAN MAURICE D. HINCHEY ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT, WHO SUFFERED A LEG BURN FROM THE TAILPIPE OF HER 2008 MINI COOPER. *NJ

ON 9/3/08 I LEANED INTO THE REAR OF MY 2008 MINI COOPER TO RETRIEVE GROCERY BAGS AND MY BARE LEG (RIGHT LEG) CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TAIL PIPE OF THE VEHICLE. THE TAIL PIPE WAS HOT AS IN "LIKE A RED-HOT POKER" AND I RECEIVED AN EXTREMELY PAINFUL CRESCENT SHAPED BURN ON MY LOWER LEG FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THE TAIL PIPE PROTRUDES BEYOND THE BUMPER BY AT LEAST AN INCH. I MEASURED IT AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE IT MEASURES 2 AND ONE-HALF INCHES BEYOND THE BUMPER AND ON THE LEFT SIDE IT STICKS OUT ONE AND ONE-HALF INCHES BEYOND THE BUMPER. ON MY MINI COOPER, I HAVE ONE TAIL PIPE WHICH IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I REQUIRED TREATMENT AT AN EMERGENCY ROOM LESS THAN 36 HOURS LATER WHEN I BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE WOUND MAY BECOME INFECTED. THE ATTENDING DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT WOUND WAS HEALING WELL AND THAT IT WAS NOT INFECTED. I WAS PRESCRIBED 1% SILVER SULFADIAZINE CREAM (TOPICAL) TO TEND THE WOUND. *TR UPDATED 09/26/08. *JB

SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED. NO IMPACT OR OTHER INCIDENT. SIMPLY DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 85 IN SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA. LOUD EXPLOSION SOUND, COVERED IN GLASS WITH HANGING SUNROOF. REPORTED INCIDENT TO 911 THEN TO CHP. NO ASSIGNABLE CAUSE.

FULL-GROWN ADULT PASSENGERS (WEIGHING IN EXCESS OF 120 POUNDS) SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT CAUSES THE PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, WHICH STATES, "PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG DISABLED". *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER SPORT. WHILE REMOVING GROCERIES FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT BURNED HER LEG ON THE EXHAUST PIPE, WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER GAVE HER THE NUMBER TO THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH HER. SINCE THAT TIME, THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. SHE WAS ADVISED TO NOT GET TOO CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,400. UPDATED 08/04/08.*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DESIGN ITSELF WAS FLAWED. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ISSUE COULD EASILY BE RECTIFIED BY MAKING THE EXHAUST PIPE SHORTER. UPDATED 08/06/08

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 BMW MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION MONITOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE MONITOR. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED THE SAME REPAIR. THREE DAYS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS BECAUSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE CANNOT BE DETERMINED. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND IS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 539.