2008 Mini Cooper

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

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