What 73 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mini Cooper Hardtop

This car was maintained, by Mini and BMW authorized mechanics and only had OEM parts installed and followed management of vehicle as directed by manufacturer, throughout its history. It was always driven and kept in moderate weather conditions, no extreme heat, cold, wet, or speeds. Used almost daily for 30-60 minute commutes. Just after 100K miles, total engine failure was suddenly experienced on the freeway, due to combustion in two valves, damaging two cylinders and sudden leaking of the exhaust system under the hood. The manufacturer, BWM, has been shown evidence of malfunctioning of the four cylinder engine and will not show evidence of their grounds for why they will not take responsibility.

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BOUGHT MINI FROM CARVANA A JANUARY 2020 AND HAVE HAD TOO MANY PROBLEMS. CAR OVERHEATED ON 48, HAD 2 NEW CYLINDERS PUT IN, 2 WEEKS LATER, DUE TO MANY NOTABLE PROBLEMS THIS CAR HAS HAD, ALL COOLANT LEAKED OUT AND WAS QUOTED BY MINI DEALERSHIP $9,000 TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT WAS CAUSED BY A RECALL NOT LISTED FOR MY YEAR

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MY MOTHER WHO OWNS THIS 2012 MINI COOPER HAS SUDDENLY NOW STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH HER WATER PUMP LEAKING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TREATED WITH THIS RUDE EMPLOYEE BY CHRISTOPHER GUZMAN WHOM HAD A VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND NO EMPATHY. VERY SHORT WITH RESPONSES AND SARCASM.KEEP IN MIND MY MOTHER IS ELDERLY AND KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT CARS. SO I LOG INTO TO YOUR SITE AND SEE THERE IS A RECALL ON WATER PUMPS BUT MY MOTHER'S IS NOT ONE OF THEM. AND GUESS WHAT HER WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED MARCH 2019. GO FIGURE. SO IF SOMETHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO MY MOTHER BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP. AND HOW FUNNY HOW MY MOMS CAR WAS NOT A RECALL. I WOULD QUALIFY FOR THAT ACTION LAWSUIT. HOW DOES A 2012 WATER PUMP JUST GIVE UP WITH VERY LOW MILEAGE 24 000 I WOULD LIKE TO ESCALATE THIS FURTHER AND AN EXPLANATION HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED!! LOOK AT THE MILAGE!

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IT'S SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM AND WITH ALOT OF STUFF WITH THIS CAR I GET ONE THING FIX IN TWO MORE THINGS GO WRONG WITH IT JUST HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE.

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WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES ON THE HIGHWAY, MY MINI COOPER SHUT OFF COMPLETELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER AND THAT IS WHEN SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE, WITHIN 6 MINUTES MY WHOLE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES, CAR TOTALED. INSURENCE INSPECTORS COULDN'T FIGURE OUT A CAUSE. ONE OF THE FIRE FIGHTERS SAID IT LOOKS LIKE IT STARTED NEAR THE WATER PUMP. THERE ARE RECALLS ON OTHER MODELS FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT NOT MINE. MY MINI HASN'T BEEN WORKED ON SINCE LAST YEAR WHEN I GOT NEW TIRES, I ALSO KEEP UP WITH EVERY OIL CHANGE. *TR

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VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AND, AFTER GOING OVER SEVERAL POT HOLES, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED, AND THE ENGINE FAILURE LIGHT ALSO APPEARED. THIS IS WHEN I PULLED OVER INTO THE OFF RAMP, AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A SPUTTERING STOP. I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED IT TO THE DIRT SIDE LANE OF THE OFF RAMP. I OPENED THE HOOD, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I COULD SEE BURNT CIRCUITS, BURNT PLASTIC, AND COOLANT LEAKING ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND EXPOSED WIRING. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR IMMEDIATELY EXITING ONTO THE OFF RAMP, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING. I COULD HAVE ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF THE FIRE; THIS FAULTY ENGINEERING BY BMW/MINI HAS ALREADY TAKEN THE LIFE OF A DRIVER IN SOUTH KOREA. BMW ISSUED A RECALL OF THE 2012 MINI COOPER S ROADSTER, BUT WHEN I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO ONE OF THEIR SERVICE CENTERS, THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNAWARE OF THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND STATED THAT THE REPAIR PARTS ARE UNAVAILABLE. I SEE THAT MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED, BUT WHEN I TYPE IN MY VIN, NO RECALL IS ATTACHED TO MY VEHICLE. BMW/MINI IS TAKING NO ACTION; THEY ARE HARMING AND KILLING DRIVERS OF ITS VEHICLES.

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VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AND, AFTER GOING OVER SEVERAL POT HOLES, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED, AND THE ENGINE FAILURE LIGHT ALSO APPEARED. THIS IS WHEN I PULLED OVER INTO THE OFF RAMP, AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A SPUTTERING STOP. I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED IT TO THE DIRT SIDE LANE OF THE OFF RAMP. I OPENED THE HOOD, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I COULD SEE BURNT CIRCUITS, BURNT PLASTIC, AND COOLANT LEAKING ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND EXPOSED WIRING. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR IMMEDIATELY EXITING ONTO THE OFF RAMP, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING. I COULD HAVE ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF THE FIRE; THIS FAULTY ENGINEERING BY BMW/MINI HAS ALREADY TAKEN THE LIFE OF A DRIVER IN SOUTH KOREA. BMW ISSUED A RECALL OF THE 2012 MINI COOPER S ROADSTER IN SOUTH KOREA, BUT WHEN I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO ONE OF THEIR SERVICE CENTERS, THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNAWARE OF THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND STATED THAT THE REPAIR PARTS ARE UNAVAILABLE. I SEE THAT MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED, BUT WHEN I TYPE IN MY VIN, NO RECALL IS ATTACHED TO MY VEHICLE. BMW/MINI IS TAKING NO ACTION; THEY ARE HARMING AND KILLING DRIVERS OF ITS VEHICLES.

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VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AND AFTER GOING OVER SEVERAL POT HOLES THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED AND AN ENGINE FAILURE LIGHT ALSO APPEARED. THIS IS WHEN I PULLED OVER INTO THE OFF RAMP AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A SPUTTERING STOP. I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED IT TO THE DIRT SIDE LANE OF THE OFF RAMP. I OPENED THE HOOD, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I COULD SEE BURNT CIRCUITS, BURNT PLASTIC, AND COOLANT LEAKING ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND EXPOSED WIRING. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR IMMEDIATELY EXITING ONTO THE OFF-RAMP, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING.

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TEMPERATURE SENSOR IN RADIATOR HOSE LEAKING. NEEDS UPPER RADIATOR HOSE, AND THERMOSTAT WITH HARNESS TO CORRECT. DISCOVERED DURING A ROUTINE OIL BRAKES ETC INSPECTION BY THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE HARNESS AND THE NEW ONE HAS A "COMPUTER" AND WOULD COST $1450 TO FIX. THIS IS AN UPPER HOSE AND I LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND THE REPLACEMENT HARNESS HAS TOW SEPARATE CONNECTORS, ONE FOR COOLANT TEMP SENSOR AND THE OTHER FOR THE COOLANT THERMOSTAT. I HD CHECKED MY FLUIDS TWO DAYS BEFORE ON A COLD ENGINE AND THEY WERE FINE AND WATER OVERFLOW WAS AT THE PROPER LEVEL. I CHECKED MY COOLANT OVERFLOW TANK THE DAY AFTER VISITING THE DEALERSHIP ON A COLD ENGINE AND THE OVERFLOW TANK WAS LOW... I ADDED WATER... IT HAS NOT GONE DOWN FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I HAVE HEARD THERE IS CORROSION THAT HAPPENS AND THE THERMOSTAT MAY NOT EMPLOY AND YOU CAN HAVE AN OVERHEATED ENGINE.

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THESE 2012 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN ARE HAVING THE TIMING GUIDES BRAKE AND SOMETIMES RUIN THE ENGINE. IN MY CASE I THINK I CAUGHT IT ON TIME, I CALLED MINI HERE LOCALLY AND MY WARRANTY RUNS OUT THIS SEPTEMBER 2017 OR 100,000. BUT MY CAR JUST HIT 105,000, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT MINI HAVE HAD FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS AND I SAW A RECALL UP TO 2011 BUT HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING FOR 2012 MINI CLUBMAN. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT BMW/MINI WENT WITH PLASTIC GUIDES INSTEAD OF SOME OTHER MATERIAL THAT COULD WITHSTOOD MORE BEATING, SPECIALLY FOR THIS AREA. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP, BECAUSE I'M HAVING TO FORK OUT ANY WHERES BETWEEN $1500'TO $3000.00!TO GET THIS FIXED. I WAS DRIVING WHEN I HEARD THE NOISE AND NOW IT SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY.

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CHECK ENGINE LIGHT-- COOLENT THERMOSTAT STICKING PER ALLDATA SHOWS THERMOSTAT HOUSING W/THERMOSTAT, SENSOR ETC, SHOWS RECALL FOR THESE PARTS UPDATED.

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WATER PUMP FAILURE. BEGAN TO NOTICE SMALL AMOUNT OF LIQUID UNDER CAR IN APRIL 2016, THOUGHT IT WAS CONDENSATION FROM A/C. LEAK WORSENED AND CALLED MINI IN JUNE 2016 TO CHECK IT OUT. WATER PUMP FAILURE ON VEHICLE WITH 45,500 MILES. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT AGREED IN CALIFORNIA IN MARCH WAITING ON FINAL APPROVAL OF TERMS DUE IN NOVEMBER 2016. BMW KNOWS THIS IS A DEFECTIVE PART. WATER PUMP FAILURE FROM DEFECTIVE PART COULD HAVE CATASTROPHIC EFFECTS IF AUTOMOBILE IS IN MOTION AT ANY SPEED.

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DRIVING 45 MPH ON BUSY CITY FOUR-LANE ROAD, I BRAKED GRADUALLY IN APPROACH TO RED LIGHT, WHICH IS MY NORMAL BRAKING STYLE. CAR DID NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP--BRAKES ONLY WORKED TO A POINT BUT DID NOT COMPLETELY STOP CAR; SIMULTANEOUSLY ENGINE REVVED TO VERY HIGH RPM. I THREW TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AND TURNED OFF IGNITION LEST MY CAR RAM CAR AHEAD OF ME. VERY FRIGHTENING. AT PREVIOUS TWO LIGHTS I HAD NOTICED THAT BRAKES WERE ACTING FUNNY, NOT BRINGING CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP BUT I HAD LEFT PLENTY OF BRAKING DISTANCE AND WAS ABLE TO LET CAR ROLL TO A STOP, IN SPITE OF BRAKES NOT EFFECTING A COMPLETE STOP . AT THOSE TWO LIGHTS THE RUNAWAY ENGINE (HIGH RPM) DID NOT OCCUR OR I WOULD HAVE PULLED OVER RIGHT THEN. HOWEVER, ENGINE REVVING TO HIGH RPM HAS ALSO OCCURRED OCCASIONALLY WHEN PULLING INTO GARAGE BUT I HAD NOT GIVEN THIS A LOT OF THOUGHT BECAUSE I HAVE QUICKLY TURNED OFF IGNITION. NOW I KNOW IT'S VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. OF COURSE I AM NOT DRIVING IT BUT AM HAVING IT TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AT DEALER AND HAS 24,239 MILES ON IT. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A NECESSITY FOR REPAIRS ON THIS MINI COOPER CLUBMAN.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MINI COOPER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING AN OIL CHANGE, THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A LEAKAGE ON THE OIL CONTROL VALVE. AS A RESULT, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE OIL CONTROL VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,800.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TURBO CHARGER AND THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE AFTER IT STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED INTO A PARKING LOT, WHERE THE CONTACT NOTICED SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD AS A FIRE STARTED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAUSE: HEATING FAULT CODE IN DIAGNOSIS(THERMOSTAT ACTIVATION). THERMOSTAT, HOUSING , AND ADAPTER REPLACED. REMOVED AND REPLACED COOLANT, CHECKED COOLING SYSTEM FOR LEAKS. 06/17/2015 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS COME ON AGAIN, AND AFTER TAKING TO DEALERSHIP IT APPEARS TO BE THE THERMOSTAT AGAIN.

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IN WEATHER BELOW ZERO F WHEN THE CAR IS LEFT OUTSIDE FOR OVER 8 HOURS THE ENGINE SOMETIMES STARTS IN "LIMP" MODE AND DOES NOT ALLOW FULL POWER UNTIL FULLY WARMED UP. THIS CAN TAKE OVER 10 MILES OF DRIVING, IDLING ALONE DOES NOT WARM UP THE ENGINE VERY QUICKLY IN BELOW ZERO WEATHER AND LIMP MODE. THE DANGER IS THAT LIMP MODE IS VERY LIMITED TO ENGINE POWER AND ONE BECOMES A HAZARD TO OTHERS WHEN SHARING THE ROAD. IN THE CLIMATE I LIVE IN THIS OCCURS A FEW TIMES A WINTER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. MY 2007 MODEL WAS RETRO FITTED WITH A REVISED INTAKE AND THAT RESOLVED THE ISSUE, BUT NO SUCH FIX HAS BEEN OFFERED. *TR

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PURCHASED A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED MINI NEXT 2012 CLUBMAN 6-SPEED WITH 6,498 MILES ON IT 08/2013. * 10/14/2013 AROUND 9K MILES LOST POWER ON THE HIGHWAY AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE, MANEUVERED TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. TOWED CAR IN TO DEALER WHO REPLACED 4 SPARK PLUGS SAID ALL WAS OK. * 10/17/2013 I PICK THE CAR UP, GET 3 MILES FROM DEALER ON INTERSTATE AND THE CAR DOES IT AGAIN SO I MANEUVERED OFF THE CLOSEST EXIT AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. TOWED BACK INTO DEALER AND THEY KEPT CAR UNTIL 26TH. THEY SAID THE DME WAS BAD AND REPLACED IT AND 4 FUEL INJECTORS. * 10/30/2013 CAR DID IT AGAIN AND I DROVE HOME IN LIMP MODE, CAR WAS SHAKING AND SOUNDED LIKE A 1970 VW BEETLE, NEARLY DIED AT EVERY IDLE, ROUGH, ACCELERATION AND I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY HAD CAR TOWED FROM MY DRIVEWAY BACK TO DEALER. *11/5/2013 DEALER STILL HAS CAR. *TR

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