Drain hose from sunroof drain running down a-pillar came dislodged through "normal wear and tear" causing massive flooding to the interior of my car. it was rendered unserviceable and totaled, on june 16, 2014, but uncovered by insurance. this was nothing that i was aware of that was an issue, nor were any recalls ever issued on this issue. i had it in to the dealership in 2012, 2 years ago, for electrical failure, and they thought it was merely the battery, so they replaced it and it seemed to be fine, but they said to keep the battery as a back up "just in case" because it still appeared to be a good battery. then later in 2013, i took it back to the mini dealer for general service and i said i noticed water in the boot (trunk) and for them to check the hatchback seal to see if there was any leaks, they said no, and no further investigation was done for either event. i believe that both these events were results of the faulty drain hose from the a-pillar being dislodged for so long. today, the automobile left my possession, to an auction house. i wanted to file this complaint so that you, the nhtsa can perhaps have mini issue a recall to fix this issue and have them change their vehicle's sunroof drainage system so that someone else doesn't have a car totally ruined by flooding due to this defect in engineering and design. after viewing some mini forums, i am not the only person who has had this issue has happened to their mini cooper. i'm very sad, because i happened to really enjoy this car, and it was totally fun to drive. i was advised by a friend who is a motorcycle mechanic and my insurance agent to file this report with your organization, in hopes that something will be done about this. too many people don't speak up, and i am not one to let something done wrong to me go without a fight! do all you can to rectify this issue with mini! *tr
The upper right hinge on the rear hatchdoor of my 2003 mini sheared in half causing the door to spring off and almost hit me on the head. it also poses the risk of the rear hatch door flying off while the car is in motion posing a hazard to other drivers and pedestrians. bmw charged me $700 dollars to replace the hinge and refused to admit responsibility for this defective design. when i checked on the internet it appears that this is a know hazardous defect. the following are emails exchanged by me with bmw which quote some of the internet threads on this issue. see e.g. http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/stock-problems-issues/86679-please-lube-rear-hatch-hinges-2.html and http://www.minicooperforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2245. moreover, the service manager for mini at the dealership admitted to me that this is a common problem. email: the issue is not the life of a vehicle part but of a design defect and safety flaw. hinges on the hatch lid should not break off endangering owners under normal conditions. the lid almost fell on my head. this seems to be a common problem and my dealer confirmed it. are you going to wait for a lawsuit. moreover, a $700 price tag to replace a $30 dollar hinge is outrageous. these hinges should not fail with normal use and that is all it has been subjected too. if you look on the internet you will see numerous complaints about this problem and my guess is that you have received them as well. this has completely ruined the mini experience for me and i will not be a repeat owner with that attitude. please read them. as you can see you have a serious design flaw that you are ignoring and passing on to the customers. if i do not receive some satisfaction with this i will file a complaint with the nhtsa. on august 28, 2010. the rear hatch door of my mini fell off when being opened because the hinge broke in half. this could have been serious but fortunately no one was hurt. *tr
This car is less than a year old. so far the air bag indicator light malfunctioned, the radio was replaced, the passenger window motor was replaced, the navigation system display is about to be replaced, and two red marks on the takometer no longer light up.*ak