2006 Mini Cooper S

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT, THE WINDSHIELD SUSTAINED A SMALL, HAIRLINE FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED A POSSIBLE ROAD HAZARD WAS THE CAUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION WHO DETERMINED THE WINDSHIELD FRACTURED FROM THE INSIDE AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 2/6/2007 - *NM

I WAS DRIVING MY BRAND NEW MINI COOPER S, HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON THE INTERSTATE, I WAS CUT OFF BY A SPEEDING CAR WHEN I WAS TRYING TO CHANGE LANES. I BEGAN TO BRAKE AND TRIED TO GO BACK IN MY LANE (I DID NOT OVER-CORRECT), AND MY CAR BEGAN FISH TAILING WILDLY AND PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I COULD NOT CONTROL MY CAR FROM PULLING TO THE RIGHT, AND MY BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AT ALL. I FOUGHT THE CAR, BUT I INEVITABLY WAS FORCED ACROSS THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH INTO A TREE, AND SLID UNDER A FENCE. I WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED, BUT I WAS BRUISED AND VERY VERY UPSET. I CRIED FOR A WEEK, AND EVEN AFTER THAT I WAS SO DEPRESSED I DID NOTHING FOR A LONG TIME. HAD THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED A FEW MILES UP THE ROAD, I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY BEING THROWN OFF A CLIFF. MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE LOOK AT THE CAR. THE FRONT PASSENGER BRAKE WAS DEEMED FAULTY. MY INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED IT AN "UNEXPECTED SEPARATION OF THE RIGHT FRONT ROTOR". FROM THEIR OWN DOCUMENTS " NON-DESTRUCTIVE HARDNESS TESTS ON BOTH FRONT ROTORS SHOWED AN ABNORMAL VARIANCE ON THE RIGHT FRONT ROTOR MATERIAL." ALLSTATE HAS REPEATEDLY TRIED TO GET BMW TO REIMBURSE THEM, AND US FOR THE AMOUNTS OF MONEY WE ARE OUT. BMW CONSISTENTLY CLAIMS THAT THE DAMAGE IS IMPACT RELATED, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IMPACTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, WHERE THE FAULTY BRAKE WAS DISCOVERED. THEY HAVE HOWEVER ASKED TO HAVE THE ROTOR SENT TO GERMANY FOR ANALYSIS, WHICH ALLSTATE WILL NOT DO. NO REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE TO THE CAR, IT WAS TOTALED OUT. ALLSTATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO SUE TO GET THE MONEY THEY ARE OUT, AND WE ARE OUT. BMW REFUSES TO HONOR THEIR WARRANTY IN ANY WAY, AND HAS ONLY OFFERED US A $1000 REBATE IN RETURN, WHICH IS LESS MONEY THAN WE ARE CURRENTLY OUT. THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW, WE HAD ONLY HAD IT FOR 3 HOURS, AND IT NEVER MADE IT HOME. BMW HAS BEEN NEGLIGENT ON IT'S REFUSAL TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. *JB

MORE OF A COMMENT RATHER THAN A COMPLAINT. YOU HAVE OMITTED MINI COOPER FROM YOUR DROP DOWN MENU SELECTION OF VEHICLE MAKES. THESE VEHICLES ARE MANUFACTURED BY BMW, BUT I COULD NOT FIND MINI COOPER LISTED UNDER BMW AND ITS NOT LISTED BY ITSELF AS A SEPARATE VEHICLE MAKE. THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND ATTENTION TO MY COMMENT. *JB

AFTER A RIDE IN MY 2006 MINI COOPER, I REACHED INTO THE BACK (HATCHBACK) TO GET OUT MY BAG AND BURNED MY LEG ON THE EXHAUST PIPE. BMW/MINI SAID THAT EVERYTHING IS TO SPEC, BUT I THINK IT IS A BAD DESIGN THAT IT STICKS OUT JUST A LITTLE FURTHER THAN THE BUMPER AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. I WILL HAVE A SCAR ON THE OUTSIDE OF MY LEG DUE TO THIS DESIGN. *JB

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE RECOMMENDED SPEED OF 65 MPH WITH MORE THAN SUFFICIENT SPACE BETWEEN MY CAR AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND A SMALL PEBBLE SMALLER THAN THE ERASER ON A PENCIL HIT THE TOP OF MY WINDSHIELD AND MADE A SMALL STAR CRACK - THIS CRACK IS SMALLER THAN THE HEAD OF A NAIL. THE CRACK CONTINUED TO GROW INTO AN L SHAPE, 5 INCHES LONG RIGHT BEHIND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MINI WINDSHIELD AND THE PROBLEM IS FIXED ONCE YOU REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WITH A THICKER GLASS. THIS COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURIES HAD A BIGGER ROCK HIT THE WINDSHIELD. *JB