2012 Mini Cooper Countryman

THE VEHICLE STARTS INTERMITTENTLY. THE IMMOBILIZER OF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT DETECT THE PRESENCE OF THEY KEY FOB IN THE SLOT AND THEREFORE WONT START THE VEHICLE. THESE EVENTS HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY. ONE INSTANCE WAS IN A GASOLINE STATION. I STOP THE ENGINE AND REFUELED. WHEN IT WAS OVER I COULDNT GET THE CAR TO START BECAUSE THER WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE CAR. I TRIED TO INSERT/EJECT THE KEY FOB IN ITS SLOT AND AFTER COUNTELESS AND MORE THAN THIRTY MINUTES WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED. ONE TIME , I WENT GROCERY SHOPPPING AND WHEN I WAS DONE WHEN BACK TO THE CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. KNOWING THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING , I DID THE INSERT/EJECT OF KEY FOB IN ITS SLOT COUNTLESS NUMBER OF TIMES. I DID THIS FOR OVER AN HOUR BEFORE I GOT A RESPONSE FROM THE CAR AND GET IT STARTED. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR BECAUSE SHE MAY GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. IF THERE IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND THIS IS THE ONLY CAR AVAILABLE, IT WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO JUST WAIT FOR THE AMBULANCE THAN ATTEMPT TO BRING THE PERSON NEEDING MEDICAL ATTENTION TO THE HOSPITAL IN THIS CAR BECAUSE YOU MAY GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. ANY ROAD TRIP THAT WILL GET YOU 100 MILES AWAY FROM YOUR PLACE OR DRIVING AT NIGHT IS A SAFETY RISK BECAUSE YOU MAY RUN OUT OF FUEL AND REFUEL AT A REMOTE GASOLINE STATION BUT THEN YOU CANT GET THE CAR TO START AGAIN.

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2011 AND HAS REQUIRED A MULTITUDE OF MAINTENANCE /REPAIRS DUE TO MANUFACTURER ISSUES. THE DEALERSHIP OF ORIGINAL PURCHASE WAS INCREDIBLY RESPONSIBLE AND TOOK RESPONSIBILITY OF THESE REPAIRS. I MOVED TO ANOTHER AREA TWO YEARS AGO AND RIGHT ABOUT THIS TIME, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT BEGAN TO RANDOMLY GO ON AND OFF INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT BE ENGAGED. THE LIGHT WILL GO ON AND OFF WHEN IN MOTION OR JUST IDLING. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO GO UNRESOLVED AS I TEND TO MOST OFTEN RIDE ALONE AND DON'T HAVE ADDITIONAL $$$ FOR THE REPAIR AT THIS TIME. I DID JUST FINISH REPLACING THE CLUTCH IN THIS VEHICLE WHICH CURRENTLY ONLY HAS 51K MILES ON IT.

THE CORE PLUG FAILED ALLOWING COOLANT INTO THE CRANK CASE. THE MINI AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR FACILITY SPECULATED THAT THE VEHILCE MUST HAVE BECOME OVERHEATED TO THE POINT OF DAMAGING THE CYLINDER HEAD. AT FIRST IS WAS THOUGHT THAT A REPLACEMENT CYLINDER HEAD WOULD COST $9K. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CRANK CASE WAS TO BADLY COMPROMISED FOR ADEQUATE REPAIR AND THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST THAT EXCEEDED THE MARKET VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. SINCE IT WAS NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, I WAS FORCE TO PURCHASE AN ALTERNATE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. BEING THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NO LONGER BE DRIVEN WITH OUT A COSTLY REPAIR, I CHOSE TO DONATE IT FOR CHARITY. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT IF THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED, I WAS NOT AWARE OF IT AS THE DRIVER INFORMATION GAVE NO ALERT. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPED WITH A TEMPERATURE WHICH MAY WHICH SHOULD HAVE INDICATED THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WAS OUTSIDE OF NORMAL OPERATING PARAMETERS. HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHICH I PROMPTLY TOOK TO HAVE IT SERVICED. THE CODE WHICH INITIALLY PRESENTED AND PROMPTED ME TO VISIT THE DEALERSHIP REPAIR FACILITY TO BEGIN WITH. THE VEHICLE GAVE NO TEMPERATURE WARNINGS THROUGH THE DRIVER INFORMATION DISPLAY AND THE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE DID NOT CHANGE; I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY WITH NO PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS, THERE ARE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS THAT CAN BE FOUND ONLINE OF DRIVERS THAT GAVE AN ACCOUNT SIMIULAR TO MY EXPERIENCE - FAILURRE OF THE CORE PLUG WITH NO NOTIFICATION THROUGH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AND, IN MANY CASES, THEY WERE ALSO TOLD BY THE MAKER'S REPAIR SHOP THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED BUT COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE DRIVER WAS NOT ALERTED. WHILE I DID NOT PAY FOR ACTUAL REPAIRS, I WOULD NOT HAVE NEEDED TO BUY REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. I ALSO HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MAINTENCE SCHEDULE.

DRIVING ON HWY AND MY CAR WOULDN'T ACCELERATE NO WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF ON THE CAR SO I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD IT TOWED TO A SHOP THAT SAID THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF COOLANT LEAKAGE AND A MALFUNCTION OF THERMOSTAT SO THE ENGINE OVER HEATED. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME 10,000 TO FIX IT AND THE WARRANTY THAT I BOUGHT FOR 2999.00 DID NOT WANT TO COVER THE COST. SO THE SHOP CHARGED ME 1500.00 TO TAKE THE HEAD APART AND I HAD TO TOW IT BACK HOME WHERE IT SITS IN MY DRIVE WAY.

WATER PUMP LEAKING COOLANT. RECALLED ACCORDING TO BMW WEBSITE. CALLED MINI MALL OF GA NO ONE WOULD HELP OR CALL ME BACK AROUND THANKSGIVING. SCHEDULED APPT TODAY FOR REPAIRS MY HUSBAND DROVE MY MINI TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY VIN NUMBER AND THE WATER PUMP WARRANTY EXPIRED DEC 11 2018......HOW CONVENIENT. MY 2012 ONLY HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT !!!!!! THE SERVICE DEPT AT MINI MALL OF GA IS A JOKE THEY WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE PAPERWORK MY HUSBAND HAD OR LISTEN TO WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO SAY. IT WAS LIKE SPEAKING TO ROBOTS THAT KEPT REPEATING THEMSELVES. I NEED THIS FIXED AND DO NOT HAVE THE 800.00 THEY ARE ASKING FOR

BROUGHT 2012 MINI COUNTRYMAN S ALL4 W/50,033 MILES TO MINI SERVICE CENTER FOR COOLANT LEAK JUNE 2017. THEY REPLACED THERMOSTAT HOUSING, THERMOSTAT ADAPTER, COOLANT HOSE, AND WATER PUMP. 8000 MILES LATER LEAK IS BACK. WHILE TECHNICIAN WAS WORKING ON VEHICLE, HE STATED, 'OIL LEAKING FROM OIL PUMP SOLENOID VALVE. OIL LEAKING THROUGH OIL PUMP SOLENOID WIRING HARNESS.' HE ALSO STATED, 'THE LEAK IS INTERNAL AND NOT VISIBLE. THE OIL IS LEAKING THROUGH THE WIRING SHEATH AND MIGRATING TOWARD THE COMPUTER. IF THE OIL REACHES THE COMPUTER, THE COMPUTER WILL SHORT, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE.' TECHNICIAN REPLACED OIL PUMP SOLENOID AND REPAIRED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS.' DURING THE DAYS PERIOD OF TIME THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, I DID SOME QUICK RESEARCH. I COULD NOT FIND AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE/ITEM; HOWEVER, THE NHTSA PUBLISHED A SERVICE INFORMATION BULLETIN CONCERNING THIS ISSUE (SB-10044680-8464) LOCATED AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2014/SB-10044680-8464.PDF APPARENTLY, THIS ISSUE WITH THE SOLENOID IS NOT NEW AND HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH PREVIOUS MINI MODELS AS WELL. INFORMATION/COMPLAINTS PERTAINING TO PREVIOUS MINI MODELS CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/R60-COUNTRYMAN-TALK-2010-2015/237021-OIL-PUMP-SOLENOID-LEAK.HTML INFORMATION/COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE WITH THE SOLENOID FOR CURRENT MINI MODELS CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS: HTTPS://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/SECOND-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/250393-ISSUE-HIGH-PRESSURE-PUMP-OIL-PUMP-SOLENOID-LEAKING.HTML WHEN THE SERVICE/REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE, I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE CENTER MANAGER CONCERNING THE SOLENOID. HE AGREED WITH MY FINDINGS THAT MINIS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE FOR A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS. I ASKED IF IT WAS A RECALL ITEM AND HE RESPONDED NEGATIVELY. IS THIS ON THE NHTSA RADAR FOR POTENTIAL RECALL STATUS?

TAKATA RECALL. I LIVE IN NEWPORT, WA. I AM APPROXIMATELY 6 - 7 HOURS FROM A MINI DEALER IN SEATTLE/TACOMA. MY CLOSEST CITY IS SPOKANE, WA. I HAVE A GREAT CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DOES ALL OF MY REPAIR WORK BRANDON MARTIN OF MARTIN'S AUTO SERVICE, SPOKANE, WA, WHO IS COMPETENT AT WORKING ON MINI-COOPERS. IT IS UNREASONABLE TO REQUIRE THAT I MAKE A TRIP TO SEATTLE FOR THIS REPAIR. I AM WILLING TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE HERE AND BE REIMBURSED, BUT MINI WILL NOT ALLOW THAT. THEY ARE REQUIRING EXTREME TRAVEL AND EVEN AN OVERNIGHT STAY TO ABIDE BY THEIR OWN RECALL REGULATIONS. THEY DO SEEM TO MAKE THE RULES TO SUIT THEMSELVES; BECAUSE IF I HAD MADE THIS REPAIR PRIOR TO THE RECALL, THEY WOULD HAVE REIMBURSED ME, BUT NOW I CANNOT HAVE THE REPAIR DONE WITHOUT EXTREME ADDED EXPENSES INCURRED. DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF EXCESS TRAVEL, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT I AM ABLE TO MAKE THE RECALL REPAIR AND BE REIMBURSED FOR THE COST. THIS IS NECESSARY FOR MY SAFETY. DUE TO THE COMPANY'S UNREASONABLE RULE, I AM AT RISK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATOR FLASHED TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF DUE TO OVERHEATING. THE DEALER (MINI COOPER OF ALEXANDRIA, 5990 DUKE ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304, (703) 751-4630) WAS CONTACTED AND INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM ANY RECALL CAMPAIGNS. THE DEALER DID NOT DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE, BUT ADVISED THE CONTACT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000. *TT CONSUMER STATED OTHER MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN VEHICLES, SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL HAD RECALLS FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE,HOWEVER, THIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. RECALL 18V248000- ELECTRIC AUXILLARY WATER PUMP FAILS AND OVER HEATS-MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN S 2012 AFFECTED. MY VIN NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL,DESPITE EXPERIENCING THIS EXACT ISSUE. WATER PUMP AND RELEVANT PARTS. UPDATED 10/9/18*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, IT CAUGHT FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES IMMEDIATELY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. MINI OF MT. LAUREL (1311 NJ-73, MT. LAUREL, NEW JERSEY) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V248000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) A YEAR AND A HALF AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.