Hi everybody,
here my list
Cooper (non-s)

- Radio unit falls out during delivery -> fixed

- Dasboard (broken plastic clamp) replaced ->fixed

- wind noise at +160km/h -> fixed (windscreen new taped)

- Ticking idle noise -> dealer says its normal...

- Illuminated door panels littered -> as good as fixed (will be replaced soon)

- rust on cover panel bonnet -> fixed (replaced)

- noise from behind door panel when temperatur is lower than 0°C

- noise when clutch is depressed (makes me crazy. This will be the reason for selling the car, because the noise is that loud it makes no fun to drive. Dealer says its normal...... ......nightmare for me)

Rgds
Ralph

 

The people who buy the car and complain about controls placement are an interesting group. Not sure what happens with them.

I don't have any higher expectations for the MINI than I had for my old VW.

BTW - updating my previous problem list, my drivers window dipper is fixed and they said the sunroof is fixed too. The sunroof still won't open when the sun shines on it. Better luck for me next trip to the dealer.

 

My 2009 Mini only has 18,000 kilometres and the people at the dealership told me that I have to change the entire front braking system ALREADY! Is this normal?

 

Car was delivered August of 08
Currently 22500 miles

issues:

driving lights poorly aligned - resolved
no caps for tow hooks at delivery - resolved
Frozen Throttle body (two visits to resolve)
Cold start chatter (three visits, possibly still not resolved)
Grinding noise on start from HVAC system (resolved)
Sunroof won't open (resolved - maybe - after second visit)
water noise in dash - not resolved yet
horrible rattle from speedometer after HVAC repair - resolved
'thunk' on shifting - not resolved
rattle from what sounds like heat shield somewhere - not resolve

 

Hello everyone.

After a few months of purchasing my 2010 Camden (Nov-2009 delivery), I am finally getting around to introducing myself. I visited the site before making my purchase and found the discussions very informative and useful.

So I have a few questions: does anyone know how to set factory installed alarm system to arm itself after closing the doors? Also, I once left the park lights on and was alerted a while afterward that the lights were on. Is there a setting that makes these lights turn off by themselves after exiting the car. I have looked on the Mini site and googled to death and still no luck.

Hope to join the community in some fun activities in the future.

Ok. I hope I have not eaten too much space here but look forward to your advise, guidance.

Robert
Brooklyn USA

 

No. The parking lights stay on. Also, the side parking lights stay on as well (when you turn off the car with the light switch off or on [not parking] press and hold the turn the signal stalk in either direction and you will get that side of the car parking lights only).

You will want to use Automatic if equipped. Or turn it off or on. The nice thing about the MINI is that if you leave the switch to headlights on it will turn off all of the lights (unlike older BMW where the park lights would remain on) when the FOB is removed.

 

Front braking SYSTEM or brake pads? It would be about normal to change the pads around 18,000 if you do a lot of hard braking and that probably includes the rotors.

 

My list:

 

"Originally Posted by countryboyshane
Just what NAM needs. Another thread to **** and moan about problems and bury people's great experiences with MINI. BMW knows about common issues with the vehicle but it's these stupid little complaints about small teeny tiny rattles and such that make the rating of the MINI go down the toilet."

I couldn't agree more! And if people would just stop reporting those muggings and murders, inner-city crime statistics would go down and everyone would want to live there!

 

This is my first time to this site. I have been in love with my 2007 MCS since the day I ordered it - taking possession of it was even better. I love driving it; however; I am reluctantly ready to get rid of it. This car has been a nightmare of problems over the past several months.

I took delivery during an 80 degree day in July. That same afternoon the ambient heat caused the cosmoline to weep out of every joint on the body of the car, onto the the exterior metal and the black, textured trim pieces. I took it back to the dealership and they removed most of it.

One week later it went back for the cold start rattle. It went back a few times for this and it has yet to be resolved. I also reported a transmission code during one or two of those visits. These things occurred during the first 10,000 miles.

The rear window wiper motor began leaking oil down the back of the car - vehicle mileage 649.

Autumn of 2008 - recall notice for the tailpipe. Who needs a recall notice after the first time you were burned? Two of us burned our legs on the tailpipe from the get go. They replaced.

With the exception of the cold start rattle and transmission symbol, which I could live with, the car was still great.

June 2009/ mileage 15,764 - the transmission light comes on again. They adjust the gearshift cable.

August 2009/ mileage 17,240 - car is idling rough, feels fuel starved and took multiple times to start one day. They replaced the high pressure fuel pump.

Three weeks later it's the same thing - the car is idling rough (after warmed up) at traffic signals, stop signs and low speeds. Kind of shakes and feels like a gust of wind is hitting the car. They say there's nothing wrong with it and to try injector cleaner. I tell them to please road test it again because I am going on a road trip through Death Valley in two weeks and I plan to put 1,500 or more miles on my car.

The car needs new brakes at 17,758 miles.

October 2009/ mileage 18,820 - Lucky for me the Death Valley trip fell through because this next incident occurred within a few weeks of the previous visit. I had yet to put the 1,500+ planned miles on the car. I was driving home from a weekend conference. There was heavy traffic on the freeway, which came to a stop. As I slowed down, the car began to shake as it did with my previous two complaints. This time the shaking was violent and it was impossible to get immediately get to the shoulder of the road. By the time I was able to get to the shoulder, the speed of the traffic increased and that car ran well. I took my chances and drove home as fast as I could - until the toll booth of the Golden Gate Bridge. Each time I came to a stop or slowed to 20 the car shook. It was like being in a popcorn popper. I got home and the check engine light came as I parked my car. It had to be towed into the shop. Had I gone to the desert, I would have been been stranded.

The car was in the shop an entire week. They said an intake valve was stuck open and flooding the motor with oil. I told the Service Manager to take my car home because three times for the same problems was enough. I assume the transmission coded while he drove it because there was another noted adjustment made to the transmission while the vehicle was in during this stuck valve repair.

One month later/ mileage 19,600 - the transmission code comes on again. The exhaust also smells extra stinky and the car sounds like it is wheezing when started. They found nothing wrong with the motor, but had to replace the transmission linkage.

Yesterday/ mileage 21,790 - the transmission coded three different times. It's going in this coming Tuesday.

What is almost worse than the actual mechanical problems of this car is the way the dealership and service department operate. Phone calls are hardly ever returned and I feel like they are trying to placate me and give me the bums rush every time I bring in the car. They almost act like they are doing me a favor.

I got MINI USA involved when the car finally had to be towed in for the same unresolved complaint. I still LOVE this car. It is beautiful BR Green and Redwood Lounge interior. It breaks my heart to get rid of it, but I just don't want to see the inside of that service department anymore. It's just too much. I asked MINI USA if they would allow me to have any warranty work completed by a BMW dealership - the answer NO.


MINI obviously doesn't have the infrastructure in place to service all of the warranty work of the cars out on the road - at least not in San Francisco. There are five dealerships in Northern California. The next closest ones are in Northern Oregon and the Los Angeles area. No wonder people keep coming back with the same unresolved mechanical issues.

 

I have the same problem; and after 3 visits (the last one they replaced the entire compressor) the problem persists. What did your dealer do to fix it?

 

2010 MCS with 2250 miles - love the car.

The only issue I have is the transmission/clutch/shifter - when the weather was 30 degrees the shifter would not shift from 1st to 2nd gear until the car was warm. Now it just feels intermittently clunky/rough/notchy shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and 2nd to 3rd gear. Seems like it feels different depending on the RPMs.

I've owned 15 cars with manual transmissions and I'm concerned my 2010 MINI does not feel right. Service department says everything seems "normal". The two MINIs I test drove didn't feel like this.

I imagine my MINI will be one of those with clutch/transmission problems in 10-20K more miles or so.

If anyone has any advice or has had a similar problem resolved please let me know.

 

back hatch is not closing.it seems to be off center it's closing to the right to much so much you can't get a sheet of paper through it and i have a gap on the left 1/4 of a inch if not more.i have no body damage it just started this past fri.is there something i can do to fix it?

 

Problems:

- Bonnet not aligned properly upon delivery (fixed and new headlight required since it was damaged from the bonnet when opening the bonnet)
- HPFP replaced at 5,000 miles
- Wheel arch from cosmoline
- Window dipper on both sides
- Sunroof not opening (in for grease twice then adjusted twice)
- Sunroof rattle (in over 7 times to which the entire panel was replaced.....8 weeks later the rattles are back)
- Rear left strut replaced due to "grunting" sound

I'm debating on bringing it in now b/c when I'm in gear and stopped at a light I hear a "popping" sound coming from somewhere near the exhaust? maybe


I love driving this car but do worry about my warranty ending in 15,000 miles ( 9 months driving for me)

 

I'm at 9000 miles. No issues.

 

Wow, I'm sorry to hear all the problems you've had with your car. I never liked the SF MINI dealership either (but can only speak for the sales side). Have you checked out either Concord or Pleasanton? I bought mine at East Bay MINI in Pleasanton and have visited the service center in Concord a few times. Both places are head and shoulders above SF IMO.

 

0 @ 16k

 

before 10K: cold start rattle (fixed)
after 10K: leak in turbo oil line (fixed)
broken inside hood release, still waiting for parts, and cannot open my hood.

doesnt sound like much, but after my crappy 05 MCS I'm on a very short tolerance leash here.

 

Ralph, that ticking is the Direct Injection doing its thing. Yes it is normal

 

April 2007 build MCS:
Delivered with voice recognition non-functional. Fixed with software update several months later. Took them awhile to fixe the software.

Recall to shorten tailpipe.

Timing chain tensioner mechanism replaced to fix cold start chatter.

 

Don't know which dealership you've been using, but when I lived in the area the ONLY dealer I got to complete repairs correctly the first time was East Bay in Pleasanton. I had downright idiotic experiences at both MINI of SF and MINI of Mountain View.

 

Headlands, could you explain little more about this issue already you had one? because my wife's 2010 MCS has some sort of this kind of problem I think.

> A/C made very loud whining/grinding noise from compressor -- dealer replaced compressor. Problem still exists.

 

25500 miles. Problems=zilch, nada, zero.

 

At 13,000 miles, the cheap little vanity mirror door on the driver's side came off in my hands. Guess I could just pull the bulbs and leave it like that...

 

At 49,730 miles I had to have the HPFP and Fuel Rail replaced at MINI of Dallas. They tried to give me the bad gas run around but caved and did the repair under warranty.