Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SHOCK ABSORBER | ||||||||||||||||
| 03V086000 | BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE | from 09/25/2002 to 11/14/2002 | V (Vehicle) | 5110 | 04/04/2003 | MFR | BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC | 03/10/2003 | 03/18/2003 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain vehicles, the lower screw connection of the rear struts to the chassis may fail. the head (top) of the screw securing this connection may break. the remaining portion of the screw will still hold the strut in place. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If left unattended over a period of time, and depending on driving conditions, the remaining portion of the screw may break. if it broke, the chassis would lean directly on the tire diminishing the driver | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the lower screw connection of the rear struts. owner notification began april 7, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 11/09/2010 | 48000 | ||
| My 2003 mini cooper has almost caught on fire several times, replaced transmision, electrical harness, power steering pump, a/c hoses and a/c service, weel bearings, injection plugs etc....... i still cannot find the real problem why is causing a short, it has almost caugh on fire several times, this car has been the most dangerous car i have ever own, i have never spend so much money on trying to fix any vehicle, right now i'm about $11,500 in costs of repairs, this is a crime to the consumer, i have been reading about a class action lawsuit that is in progress, i hope and pray that we get justice from the maker of mini. | |||
| 12/31/2008 | 69000 | 1 | |
| I bought a new 2003 mini cooper with a 3 year 36k warranty 6/26/03. while under warranty and receiving recommended maintenance through the dealer, the car required repair of the driver's seat which was frozen in the reclined position. shortly after the warranty expired, and 10,481 miles after a dealer maintenance check, the brake light indicator began flashing. i took it immediately to the dealer. i was told the entire brake system needed replacement for $886.60. at the same service visit, i was told the front struts needed replacement to the tune of $1600. my male friends who are mechanically inclined and/or engineers said that one would need to be doing stunts in a car to need that kind of repair at 50,293 miles. it was not clear why the indicator only tells when brakes are totally shot, or why the most recent service check had not shown worn pads and disks. later, at 53,007 miles, the driver's side window failed and that cost $497.51 to replace. at 62,516 miles the air conditioning system died which cost $1173.58 to replace. the automatic door lock on the driver?s side does not work and lord knows how much that repair will cost. now at 69k, the manual transmission needs replacement. my present mechanic (cheaper and more reliable than dealership) says the replacement of the transmission and clutch with a remanufactured system will be >$4000. this is an outlandish amount of repair and repair cost for a $19,000 car with 70k mileage. i have had 2 previous hondas that were cheaper than the mini and never needed a clutch or transmission. my son drove my $14,000 '95 honda civic until last month and it had 200k miles. i will never buy another mini, or bmw for that matter, based on this experience. i will be sure to discourage others from buying one. i hope a class action suit is formed. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2006 | 10000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. upon taking the vehicle in for an oil change, it was discovered that the driver side struts needed to be replaced. approximately four months later, the passenger side strut needed to be replaced. the front and rear brakes were also replaced and the vehicle had an oil pan leak. the driver's and passenger side window motors failed and needed to be replaced. the current mileage was 12,900 and failure mileage was 10,000. | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 12/11/2008 | 37000 | 1 | |
| My car's right rear control arm had broken in half. this arm prevents the tire from swinging sideways. lucky for me, i was going slowly at the time. the control arm consists of two 1/4 pieces of metal with holes in them at evenly spaced points. both of the metal arms were broken in line with the holes that were part of the manufactured design. i paid $1900 for an extended warranty through universal underwriters(now called zurich) at mini of concord, california. control arm replacement is listed as covered. their reason for not covering it is because it has a slight bend in it (i don't see it) and it is because of that it eventually broke. the metal that makes up this arm is no more than 1/4 thick: poorly made, especially when coupled with these holes that are in it. this part should be made to withstand impact. to me it is obvious this is a manufacturing defect and i am appalled that neither the dealer or the insurance company that i bought my extended warranty from will pay for it. i could have been killed had i been on the freeway when this happened. i have gone from a mini lover to one who will sell it after i'm able to afford to repair it. i am currently price comparing in private repair shops. *tr | |||