2015 Mini COOPER: complaints, problems and recalls

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ABNORMAL ROARING NOISE FROM THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN MAKING A TURN OR DRIVING OVER BUMPS AND DIPS IN THE ROAD, THE TIRES LOST TRACTION WITH THE ROAD AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SKIP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND DIAGNOSED AS A SUSPENSION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REALIGNED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000. UPDATED 09/09/15*LJ UPDAT…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10734534 at NHTSA ↗

CPSC:

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10743255 at NHTSA ↗

COMING UP TO AN INTERSECTION, THE CAR STARTED TO SLOW NORMALLY. THEN THE ABS KICKED IN AND THE CAR DID THE SHUDDER LIKE WHEN THE ABS IS ACTIVE. THEN THE ABS TURNED OFF AND THE BRAKES WENT SPONGY. THE CAR ROLLED INTO THE INTERSECTION THROUGH THE STOP SIGN. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO MINI OF AUSTIN IN TEXAS. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. NO CODES WERE THROWN. MY WIFE TOO THE CAR BACK, AND DRIVE BACK TO SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. SHE EXPERIENCED SUBSEQUENT IDENTICAL BRAKE FAILURES. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO MINI O…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10778946 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER SIDE CARPET WAS EXTREMELY WET. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DRAINED THE TUBE LEADING FROM THE AIR CONDITION UNIT, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500.

Owner-reported narrative. 4,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10794369 at NHTSA ↗

CPSC: MINI COOPER: CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD DISENGAGE. *SS THE CONSUMER STATED DISCOVERED WHEN USING THE CLUTCH AND DOWN SHIFTING THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE. THE FIRST TIME HE TRIED THE CRUISE CONTROL, WHILE DOWN SHIFTING THE VEHICLE MAINTAINED SPEED AND SHOT FORWARD INSTEAD OF SLOWING DOWN. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10807019 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2015 MINI COOPER 4 DOOR HARDTOP WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE. I STARTED IT BUT HAD NOT PUT IT INTO GEAR YET. I OPENED THE DOOR AND GOT OUT (CAR DIDN'T BUDGE) AND AS I WALKED BACK TOWARDS THE REAR, THE CAR LURCHED OUT OF PARK AND REVERSED WHICH CAUSED IT TO PIN ME IN BETWEEN THE CAR AND THE GARAGE BEAM AS IT CONTINUED TO ROLL QUICKLY BACKWARDS AS IF SOMEONE WAS ACCELERATING. WHEN CONTACTING MINI, THEY HAD ONE OF THEIR INSPECTORS COME (NO DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED TO ME). I WAS CALLED (AGAIN NO DOCUMENTATION) AND TOLD THAT THE ENGINEER FOUND NO FA…

Owner-reported narrative. 800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10807750 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED MY MINI COUNTRYMAN ON FEBRUARY 14, 2015 FROM THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP. AT APPROX. 1447MILES, 7 MONTH INTO OWNERSHIP, I BEGAN HAVING TROUBLE WHEN TURNING ON THE CAR (THE CAR WAS STATIONARY) THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON FOR BRAKES, ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL AND REMAINED ON UNTIL CAR WAS TURNED OF REPEATEDLY OR DIVEN FOR A MILE AND THEN TURNED OF. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS ON: 10/02/2015 NO FAULTS IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS FOUND AND I WAS ASKED TO RETURN WHEN IT REOCCURS. 12/03/15 A FAULT MEMORY AND FAULTY R/…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,447 miles reported. Look up ODI 10818159 at NHTSA ↗

THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT STANDING WATER FROM THE CUP HOLDER HAD SPILLED DOWN INTO THE SHIFTER CONTROL BOX AND RUINED THE ASSEMBLY. FURTHERMORE, BECAUSE THIS WAS DEEMED TO BE 'EXTERNAL FORCES' THE REPAIR WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WILL COST ME OVER $1100.00 TO FIX IT . I COULDN'T IMAGINE THAT I HAVE HAD 'STANDING WATER' IN MY CUPHOLDER, AND THAT THIS WATER COULD HAVE SOMEHOW DAMAGED A SHIFTER CONTROL BOX THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SEALED INT THE FIRST PLACE. WITH FURTHER RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH T…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,973 miles reported. Look up ODI 10823672 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-11-10 (November 10, 2014)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door vehicles manufactured August 12, 2014, to September 2, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the driver and front passenger seatback adjustment mechanism may not be fully engaged.

Consequence: If the seatback adjustment mechanism is not fully engaged, the seatback may fold during a rear impact collision, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.

Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will re-align and re-tighten the seatback adjustment mechanisms, free of charge. The recall began December 29, 2014. Owners can contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

Reported: 2014-12-15 (December 15, 2014)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, and Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door vehicles manufactured January 6, 2014, to October 17, 2014. During service appointments, dealers may have inadvertently reprogrammed the transmission control unit with software that may allow drivers to exit the vehicle when the transmission is not in Park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence: If the driver exits the vehicle without the transmission being in Park, the vehicle could roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module with the correct software, free of charge. The recall February 4, 2015. Owners can contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

Reported: 2015-01-26 (January 26, 2015)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop two door vehicles manufactured December 1, 2013, to December 14, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with an incorrect maximum capacity weight stated on the Tire Information Placard. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."

Consequence: The maximum weight listed on the label is incorrect (too low) and therefore does not comply with Federal Regulations.

Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the incorrect labels with corrected labels, free of charge. Owners were mailed interim notification on March 18, 2015. The recall began on October 15, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

Reported: 2015-07-17 (July 17, 2015)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door vehicles and 2015 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop 2 Door vehicles. The affected vehicles do not meet the side impact performance requirements for the rear seat passengers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection."

Consequence: If the side impact performance requirements are not met, rear seat passengers may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will install additional energy absorption material between the rear interior side panels and the exterior vehicle body, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525. Note: this recall supersedes 14V-815.

Reported: 2015-10-07 (October 7, 2015)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper two-door vehicles, 2015-2016 MINI John Cooper Works and MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper four-door vehicles and 2014-2015 BMW i3 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence: In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.

Remedy: MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Reported: 2015-11-09 (November 9, 2015)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 door vehicles manufactured February 25, 2014, to May 16, 2015, 2014-2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 door vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to May 9, 2015, 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 door vehicles manufactured October 17, 2014, to June 2, 2015, and 2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 4 door vehicles manufactured November 24, 2014, to June 11, 2015. During a service appointment, the affected vehicles received replacement front passenger seat cushions (which contain integral Capacitive Interior Sensing (CIS) functions). The CIS functions may have been incorrectly calibrated, and if so, would cause impaired occupant classification and thus inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation.

Consequence: Inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation can increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front passenger seat cushion, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 .