MINI Cooper: Problems & Solutions

falconone

You also may want to make a number of phone calls to dealers out of the state to get one for MSRP. I am picking mine up within 2-3 weeks and got mine for MSRP. I got the MCC (not the S). I didn't want the firmer suspension and risk of getting speeding tickets .

riverrat

Well, I crawled around under the MINI, checked every pipe, hose, tube and wire and all was in order. The odor persisted for two days and after the first long drive - disappeared. Must have been a plastic sticker somewhere on the exhaust system in an out of the way location. All appears to be well. Thanks for the suggestions.

dools

Long Beach promised me MSRP if I order my S convertible. That is okay with me as I am not in a hurry. Thanks to all--happy motoring!

willsie

I own a 2004 mini cooper with the CVT transmition. i have noticed that bob smith mini, the local dealer, is in compitant. I have an issue with the engine bogging out and chugging while idle, at slow speeds, or in reverse. Does anyone have any idea why this is or does anybody else have this problem? another problem I have is that when I'm on the freeway going about 70-75 mph, the passenger side door whistles like the wind is getting through the window or the door but everything is shut correctly. Another problem I have is that the top vent, on the driver side that blows on the wind sheild, flies out at you when on hot air. Does anyone know what the hell I can do because I'm getting no help from the local dealer.

                               thanks, WILLSIE

willsie

is it an automatic? i have the same problem but it happens while at a light, idle or in reverse and they gave me the same excuse, its normal and that happens in automatics.... can you say B.S.? my email is willsie31@yahoo.com if u want to contact me. if u want someone to help you out contact me. thanks.

 

p.S. a Mini representative at Bob Smith said it might be covered under the lemon law or there might be a recall soon if theres a substancial amount of complaints.

might_buy

We're thinking about maybe getting rid of our A4 Cabriolet when we have to move from the sunshine to the snowy midwest in a few months. I'm checking this part of the forums to see what problems people are having. (I still have to find more information on driving in the snow...) Regardless, when you folks are dropping off your cars for service/repairs, what type of loaner/rental agreements does Mini give you?

rayt2

NO, in fact it wasn't even offered this time. Latest problem started last night while sitting in driveway (2003 Cooper 45565 miles still in warranty). Interior lights found on, turned off at overhead switch. Passenger side window starts jogging up & down as though getting ready to open door and interior lights go back on. Turn off again, window jogs again (must be Lucas Electronic Gremlins) and lights go back on. Repeated several times and only fix was to activate lock with remote key fob and everything stopped. Dealer can't see car until next Monday(1/31) It wouldn't be so bad except the window is jogging and the lights are coming on while I'm commutting 100 miles a day to work. Light is distracting and finally removed it from socket to end the glare. This will be third warranty issue with this car in less than 2 years, not a good sign for longevity to me.

I told dealer (Prestige Mini, Mahwah, N.J.)that if it leaves me stranded it will cost them for a tow back to dealership since I am still in warranty, they didn't seem to care!

 

Ray T.

7937

Lucas - Prince of Darkness.

rayt2

Daughter of the Devil !

vette71

My parents have an 02 with less then 15K miles and it started locking and unlocking all by itself. The dealer had to install an entirely new computer for it. Now all is well... until the next thing coming around the corner... tic toc. Between our mini and my parents mini, we have almost a third cars worth of parts replaced.

 

-vette71

rayt2

The o2 models had a recall or tech bulletin with the BC1 Control which also effects the windows. Unfortunatley my problem has disappeared as fast as it came. This will make matters worse at dealers since they must be able to reproduce the problem in order to fix it. With only 4k left on my warranty it's not looking good and I may later get stuck with paying for this fix if it happens again after warranty.
the upgrade to an "S" may well be put on hold now since reliability issue's are happening more than I would like.

 

Ray T.

rayt2

The fix for the unexplained passenger window dance and & dome light show was the left side door actuator. Replaced under warranty and on my way in 1 1/2 hrs. Why doesn't that surprise me that the right side is controlled by the left, it's Alive !

Dealer knew exactly what was wrong when I explained the Lucas Gremlin act this Cooper was experiencing. They have replaced six of these actuators so far.

 

Ray T.

larardo

After a long drive , I stopped and when I pulled away the Auto trans locked in first. It took about an hour for it to finally work.... I guess it became too hot or something...The dealer found no problem. Any one have a similar problem???????????

mobley1

can any body help ? i have squeking noise coming from the drivers seat and seem to get no help from the dealer so any help would be grateful its on a 2004 cooper s

rayt2

Take the service advisor or tech for a ride with you and indicate the noise you are hearing when their with you. The more difinitive you can be with helping pinpoint problem goes a long way with finding the answer, I have found.
A recent return of a front end squeak on my Cooper was at first thought to be the steering column when in fact it was the steering gear rack assembly. The mechanic stated there is a steering column sqeak that sometimes shows up on these cars that they are aware of also. A clarification by me helped tech concur it was steering gear rack once again.

Ray T.

pamick

I need headlight wiring info for a 2003 MINI with xenon headlights. My brother-in-law is installing a set of MINI headlights in a '48 Oldsmobile street rod. Is there a MINI owner out there with a good shop manual that can identify the 9 leads on the back of the headlight bucket? I'm told the 2002-2004 shop manual by Bentley is a likely source for this info. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Pamick

jackieh1

i have had my mini cooper into the garage twice for a new steering column as well as a new exhaust.

jasonabreu

I am just reading your postings now and wondered if you were able to resolve the issue with BMW eventually? I suspect that I may have the same problem with my 2005 Cooper S.

milissam

I have a 2003 Mini Cooper (not S) with 34K miles. The power steering pump failed on me 2 days ago. Luckily, I am still under warranty, and also, I had not added any liquid, and had not noticed any leaks. Besides, I had brought the car in 2 weeks before for inspection, and they typically check the fluids at that time. My service is done at Mini of Manhattan. The service rep told me she had never had seen this problem. It also affected my battery, as something (the pump?) continued to run even though the car was off, and it drained the battery. However, except for some headlight replacements (including rack?) and tires, this is the first real problem I have had in two years.

markjenn

Dealers say the damndest things. That "never seen the problem" line is total BS. It is a common problem where road debris jams the cooling fan for the power steering pump (it's on the bottom of the car) which simultaneously kills the pump and runs down the battery. I have heard that the 2004s have a guard to keep debris out of the fan to solve this problem, but I don't know the details.

- Mark

pjevin

i got mine at p&w foreign cars (mini of pittsburgh) they have 6 'courtesy vehicles' that they give out for service calls.

shortyc1221

Hey, Ive had similar bad luck with my 2004 mini cooper. I purchased it up in new york in november of 2003 and then moved down to south carolina. In september of 2004 my car lights would not shut off so I brought it in to the local mini dealership and they said that I had wiring problems because my car had been flooded out during one of the storms. Two months later my car was still in the shop being worked on and I was stuck with the bill for part of the repairs (insurance picked up the rest) and a rental car. When I finally got to pick up my car I drove home and the car would not shut off so I had to bring it back again and did not get it back for another day. Then two weeks ago my car just died for no reason. I need to bring it in again for the engine to be serviced and the battery checked again but mini cooper says tye are going to need to keep my car for a few days. The people I have been dealing with at the Charleston Mini Cooper have been very unhelpful and have shown poor customer service practices

surjn98

My wife's Mini didn't start 2 days ago. The dealer found that there was a defective cell in the battery and it was changed under warranty.
After getting it back home, there was a leak from the driver's side rear brakes.
On the whole, this car is a problem to have if anyone lives too far from a dealer. I've had Hondas, Nissan's & presently own a Toyota & did not have this type of problems. I've advised my wife to get something more reliable.
Personally, I would NOT buy another MINI.

surjn98

Forgot to add that MINI customer relations were the least bit helpful. They get telling us that they do not know if the electrical issue/defective brake hose will be covered under warranty-specially when the car is less than 2 years old and just reached a mileage of 20,000. It's on the top my list of unwanted/unreliable cars.

markjenn

Maybe there have been other issues, but a dead battery and a brake leak in two-years doesn't sound that bad for me - about average for most cars, I'd think.

And what I suspect Mini customer relations told you is that you need to take it to a dealer and they make a determination if it is covered under warranty - that they don't diagnose problems over the phone. Was the dealer giving you a pushback on the repair? Normally, calling Mini is for escalations where you can't get satisfaction at the dealership level.

- Mark

kyfdx

If you really thought it would be as reliable and trouble-free as a Honda, Toyota or Nissan, you were just kidding yourself..

It is a BMW built in England, for pete's sake..

I love BMWs, but I don't kid myself into thinking they will be as trouble free as a Honda.. But, it is worth it to me, as you can't duplicate the drive with a Japanese brand..

regards,
kyfdx

elmor

Responding to same issue regarding whistling noise. My '02 S developed the whistling around 20k miles. Took it to the dealer and they tried changing out the air box, which did nothing except make it worse and that it now whistled all the time.

After about another 5k miles, I decided to try and locate the noise, the dealer couldn't /wouldn't do anything. Buying painters tape and taping the right door window, sunroof, black plastic strip along right top of roof where it meets the right side windows, right front air induction vent on hood of car, the problem was never resolved. The blue tape looked really nice against the white top, dark glass, and the dark silver body. It was quite striking. I taped each part individually, drove the car to see if the noise stopped, then added tape to the next section. Luckily, the whistling has stopped for now. It originally started much like yours at around 70mph. I've never determined what is causing the problem. When I bought the car, it did not make the noise. Working with the MINI regional rep produced nothing, he said he couldn't hear it. From his and the dealer's actions I'm pretty ready to get out of the car and will not be buying another BMW brand product. MINI USA was really no help and it seemed their only purpose was to spin customer service and be smoocheeeee!

Though I've never had any major issues with the car, I don't think that I'd buy another. All the little nuisance issues have been silly, and there have been plenty.

Taking the car to one particular dealer, I kept leaving with more problems and would need to take the car back the next week. Maybe the dealer was intentionally screwing with things. No matter what, I always had to go back for another issue after having, in some cases, the original issue resolved. I've since changed dealers and am more pleased with the customer service experience, though I still am ready to get out of the car before the warranty runs out. Though the second dealer has been much better, it's too late to change my mind about BMW. This especially after a ten year desire to have a one of their cars.

To all, the MINI S does ride harsh. It has been suggested to trade out the runflats to regular tires. Secondly, after having the car for two years, the interior layout of control design has not settled well with me. It seems difficult to remember or access the window switches, not sure why. So I'm kinda yearning for a car with the normal door mounted window controls. It would also be nice if the toggle switches had lighted tips. They would be easier to be seen in the dark and I would not have to fumble for them. From my understanding the fog light toggle is lit when the lights are on, ( thats what I've heard, I don't have the fog lights). I wished that I had also waited to get a model with the auto dimming rear view mirror.

The on board computer calculations of gas used never matches what a trusty calculator and the odometer readings produce. I have gotten just over 28mpg on several trips and never any higher. I was traveling individually and these instances of getting this type of mileage are very rare. My average mileage over the past three years has been '03-24.65, '04-25.54, '05-24.05. My mileage seems to be heading downward.

Switching to a top tier rated gas like QT or Chevron has given the engine better performance (no stumble) though there is no low torque and the gears on this year model are whacked.

In looking at new cars, I've been wanting a little more space, so a Mazda 3 5-door may work though the interior plastics are not really the best quality. Ride wise the car is fun and zips, I thought that it handled a little better than the MINI quite honestly. It may be one or two steps up the rung of the overall ride and offerings ladder.

gopguyca

This is an old thread but I thought I'll add that:

I test drove a basic Cooper just today as an automatic and I too felt that chugging. Was at Bob Smith Mini and pulling the Mini back up into the drive away and the whole car kept chugging -- Like we were going speed bump after speed bump after speed bump... Pretty irratating if had to dealt with all day, especially in CA's stop and go traffic on the freeway, ugh. It felt like a poorly built roller coaster at a carnival, one that is about to fall apart.

Strange part is that I never felt the chugging before. I test drove 2 other basic Coopers including a convertible and neither had that chugging.

bodble2

I was just about to post (I think) the same question. We've had our Cooper CVT for 2 days. Once it's rolling, it's as smooth as any 4-banger economy car. But there is almost always a bit of a lag, followed by a stutter, when starting from a stop. Also, the throttle is difficult to modulate at slow speeds, ie. driving thru a parking lot looking for a parking space. It is somewhat jerky, maybe what you referred to as "chugging". Almost feel like crawling at slow speed in 1st gear with a manual transmission car, in the sense that small changes in throttle position will cause bucking action. Not enough to make you spill your Starbucks, but definitely not as smooth as say, a Corolla or Civic automatic.

Does anyone know if this is a common characteristic of the CVT, or will it smooth out after the break-in period?

gopguyca

I think it's common in the CVT, unfortunatly.

From every review I read regarding the automatic Cooper they all say it is sluggish at start and the transmission is jerky and unpredictiable -- Reason why I'm getting a S.

If I could drive stick I'd go with the basic or if the automatic worked better. But that sluggishness scares me, especially when making left turns or needing to dart through something.

But I also heard the S automatic is sluggish too -- Which is odd as when I test drove it I didn't sense any sluggishness, but I do need to re-test drive as I want to make sure it goes smoothly in reverse and at slow speeds.

rayt2

I own a Cooper with the 5spd. but have also driven the CVT in both Cooper & "S" models. My impression of the CVT is it's a rubber band that winds up and then releases. Once your moving along it's fairly responsive, it's the getting it going that takes some getting use to ! :P

Ray T.

bodble2

ray, that's a pretty accurate description!

And thanks for the feedback on the weird shutting down noise.

hankmanz

Our 2004 Mini is a great car to drive, but it has far too many problems. Blown clutch at under 5,000 miles without any funny driving. Had to replace flywheel as well. Doors that freeze shut after every storm. Doors that won't open from the inside under certain conditions. Really annoying whistle if the roof rack is mounted and the sun roof is open. Engineering is "working on it." Tonight, while cornering, wheels would not come back to center position without help. Almost crashed. Front tires lasted just 16,000 miles and since they are runflat 195/55/16, almost nobody can change them and nobody has them. OEM tires are backordered through the summer. Expensive, too ... if anybody actually had them ... and almost no choice. Just found out that the OEMs are summer tires and I live in the northeast U.S. where the last snow fell in April. Service at Mini of Peabody (MA) is great. The vehicle just needs too much of it. And why can't the English figure out cupholders that work?

bodble2

We have a base Cooper with the CVT. I find that when the air conditioner is turned on, the engine revs (at idle) jump from about 800 rpm to a bit over 1K rpm. Is that normal for the Mini? On some cars the revs would actually drop slightly when air is turned on.

bodble2

:lemon: :lemon:

gopguyca

All this talk about lemons.

How often is a car a lemon? I know with cars in my family we never had such an experiance but after doing research on the Mini and several other cars... How likely is a lemon? And is a certain car /cough mini /cough more prone to being a lemon?

bodble2

I still say the odds of getting a lemon is low. Maybe not as low as winning the lottery, but still low. You just have to to keep in mind that when you're on a forum about problems, you're going to read about problems. It's just like if you visit a prison, everyone you run into is a criminal. But that's not representative of the chance of you running into one in the real world.

gopguyca

Oh I know the negatives are said more on a forum than positives... Nobody wastes time praising anyone or thing but are quick to immediatly say something negative, especially on forums. lol

I'm wondering though, about the Mini... Is the sound system not loud enough? I read one review saying the volume of their H/K isn't loud enough, I thought maybe the person had it installed at the dealer and it wasn't done right, or something. But then I found another Mini forum with several complaints about the H/K not being loud enough. One person said he wishes that CDs would play as loud as the radio and someone else said that at highway speeds with the sunroof open he can't hear his music!

Can anyone confirm this? I mean, there is no doubt in my mind that this must be true as well as the rattling sound on the front passanger speaker but can anyone let me know if it's really not that loud? I don't like my music super loud but I do like it kind of loud -- Just it embarreses me because I think other cars can hear my music and it's like -_- I don't want them looking at me!

I'm going to get my Mini on tuesday and would check this out myself but I don't really want to turn the stereo up that loud with the dealer being in the car and all.

Also.. I found a list of several customized options for the Mini such as the auto unlock when engine is turned off and auto lock after 2 mins as well as an acoustic warning when the fuel level is down... From what I read only the dealer can set these options, is there any way we can set the options ourselves? I don't want to have to go through my check list of what options I want set at the dealer.

bodble2

As far as I know, you cannot set those customizable options yourself --- you have to ask the dealer to do it.

bodble2

Has any Mini owner noticed that the Mini, after being shut off, makes all sorts of ticking, cracking, snapping, and popping noises if it has been driven for awhile? I know the noises are likely from various parts and components expanding and contracting, but man, the Mini does it more than any other car I've owned. And it takes an awfully long time for the noises to subside. And some of those noises are loud! :sick:

jwinders

Hello, I have a '04 Mini Cooper S with sunroof. I have noticed a frequent "pop" originating from the roof when the car is twisted. An example of what I mean by "twisted" is when I pull into the drive-way or onto a curb at an angle... one front corner of the car goes up first, twisting the frame. About one in five times that I do this I will get a rather loud pop from the interior roof (it doesn't matter if the sunroof is open or closed). It will also occasionally do it if I accellerate very fast and hard. Does anyone else have this issue? Thanks.

dlefont

It is loud enough. It is also clear enough.

joester

I've got to say that after 3600 miles on my 2005 mini cooper I have no problems knock on wood. Ok, with that said I want to address upgrade issues. The only part of my mini that I found questionable was the wheels. I remember reading on this site that the wheel choices for these cars were lame at best. There are hundreds of aftermarket wheels to choose from and I believe that one can do better than the original choices.
My concern with this upgrade, is that we have a tire pressure monitoring system on these minis. When asking on the mini usa site I felt that I spoke to a "suit" and she took the legal approach of "if it's not broke. . . ". She didn't really answer my question.
Did any of you mini owners upgrade to fancier mag wheels? Did you incur any problems with larger wheels? Did you have to transfer the valve stems from your old wheels so that your pressure sensor system could still monitor the heigth of your vehicle?
Let me know if you have any imput. Thanks,
Joester
P.S. I have no complaints on this car except that I think it raises my blood pressure and eggs me on to consider driving habits that I wouldn't have attempted in the past.

crunch

The MINI has a Flat tire 'feature', it does NOT measure tire pressure. :confuse: It measures difference in rotational speed and assumes that a tire is low because the diameter would be different if it lost air and the rotational speed will be different than the wheel on the opposite side.
There are no sensors on the factory wheels, therefore, the only concern with aftermarket wheels is do you want a wheel that can fit runflat tires or not.
Oh, and get the correct offset, 42 to 50 mm preferred.

rayt2

I went to the selection for 16" wheels for you to shortcut your search a little, I purchased wheel/tire package for my Cooper. I went with 16" and 205/50 series tires. They look great and actually made steering a little more responsive than the stock tires. I paid about $800 for wheel/tire package and it was delivered to my doorstep ready to mount with all hardware included. The tire monitor is as crunch stated so no worries mate The website allows you to choose the color of your car and then click on the wheel selection to see what it actually looks like on your vehicle. Really cool feature I thought.
The tire rack people are very helpful if you have any questions, they won't sell you a wheel/tire package that won't fit the vehicle you own........ :shades:

http://www.tirerack.com/upgrade_garage/WheelSearch.jsp?changeColor=Choose+Color&filterSize- - =16&filterFinish=&filterSpecial=Pricing&autoMake=Mini&autoModel=Cooper&autoModClar=Standar- - d&autoYear=2005

gopguyca

Before I bought my Mini I test drove a few other cars: Scion TC, Mazda 3, etc...

Anyway, the first things I noticed on those other cars was that braking would make noises, very annoying and worrysome (Not spelled right is it?).

Just today I noticed my Mini making those braking noises, I am scared to hit the brakes on it because I hate hearing it.

Does anyone else's Mini make that noise on the brake too? I'm wondering because:

A) I never noticed this before or just came out of the no where.

Pulling out of Pep Boys today the bottom of my Mini hit the road! Huge dip in going from their parking lot to the road... Has anyone elses Mini's bottom hit the road before? This really bothers me! I'm also wondering.. This incident doesn't affect my Mini in any way other than that bottom part being a little scruffed up, right?

C) The day before my front passanger side rubs up against another car's bumper due to my poor parralel parking -- I can park my Mom's huge Infiniti SUV but with the Mini... -_- . Fortunatly, the marks on the paint came off just fine and the few scruff marks on the black tire rim thing aren't noticable and look like wear and tear but the bumper itself is a little bit up higher than the other side.. They look the same when the bonnet is open but when it's shut the un-rubbed side is a bit lower and a tad farther back than the side that was rubbed against another car... But I assume it's no big deal and it ain't noticable either so, lol.

I don't think C caused this as the braking sound wasn't realized until the day after. And I'm not sure if it's B because I don't remember if I heard the sound before or after the incident. So to find out if it's A I'm asking y'all and am going to go to Universal Mini tomorrow to test drive.

bodble2

You mean your wheel hit the other car during parking? Maybe your brake got knocked out of alignment a little because there is very little space tolerance between the wheel and the brake. Wouldn't hurt to bring it in to the dealer to have it looked at.

Also, the front end is pretty close to the ground, so you do have to be careful when going in, and exiting driveway ramps.

rayt2

The squealing sound heard from the brakes is no more than fine sand (road dirt) caught between the discpads and rotor. . This is a common occurance and will come and go depending on road conditions. Your brakes also need a few hundred miles on them to "seat" properly. Hitting the other car affected the fender alignment and bottoming out scuffed the under body cover and frame member (that was the loud noise that jarred your teeth). I doubt it did anything to disc caliper or rotor. Be careful pulling in and out of parking lots the Mini only has 4 to 5" ground clearance and you have to be observant to road conditons ie: potholes, grade transitions or your gonna pay the price for repairs. Obvious dents and damage can cause warranty issues also if dealer notices them and you fail to fix them. :sick:

digby

I got a mini cooper s for the wife almost 18 months ago. From day one I should have run, if it were not for the dealers legalease in the contract, I would have. With hindsight I should have walked away and let them keep the deposit, but as most people do I didn't want to lose my deposit.
So here goes... The day the car was to be delivered to us we got a call from the dealer saying it will not be ready since the hood latch cable has broken and if they close the hood it will be a pain to reopen it. After they replaced the cable we thought we would be ok. Then we took it in for about 4 more problems, the front left wheel had a clunking noise, the passenger door looked like it wasn't shut all the way when it was fully latched, an air vent wouldn't open, and the glove box would open and bash me on the knee on every bump in the road. The dealer fixed almost all these issues in one day so not much to compain about there. The wheel squeak/clunk was dismissed as nothing.

Then the car goes in for its 1st oil change. The wife calls me and says they want to rotate the tires...80$ I say no, I have a jack and can do it myself. They also say that the power steering is running dry so they have to replace the whole rack. They accuse her of not putting fluid in. I call and say either it leaked out (warranty problem) or they didnt put any in to begin with since we have a white concrete driveway and no leaks on it. The cover it under warranty and also say they are replacing the oil pan. I ask why and they say it was leaking due to a manufacturing error. I bite my tongue and just went with the flow. A bit more time passes and then the drivers side window will no longer go down and front left wheel squeak/clunk has gotten worse. We take it in and they replace window regulator and front left driveshaft. Now the drivers side window whistles at speed greater than 65mph which they now say isn't their problem.
I got to dealer and want them to buy the car back, they offer 15k since the milage is so high on a 1 year old car (about 32k) I walked out.
Now the wife writes a letter to the dealership and a person at mini HQ. Nothing happens from the dealership but the HQ calls and tries to work things out. He was a great guy and did all he could for her but in the end the ball was in the dealers court. They wouldnt call back nor budge on their offer. Guy at mini offers to pay the difference if we trade the car in and pay 5,000 for a new one with the same options. I call the guy and see what our options are but he can't do anything else, I say sorry but I'm never getting anything from mini ever again. So we sold the car privately to a car dealer.

bodble2

:lemon: :lemon: