On 31-10-2001 20:30 mr.bill wrote:
I didn\'t realise you guys across the pond were still points scoring; I thought I should respond to your comprehensive list. I\'ve intermingled my comments with your original post.
Interior:
Faulty seat adjusters
- Has not been a problem, with various people in the back of my MINI in daylight and at night.
Low quality cloth/leather seat coverings
- Can\'t fault mine
Seats squeak and rattle
- I heard a squeak with my Mum in the passenger seat. It was the buckle on her coat that was rubbing up against the door pocket
Dashboard rattles
- No, I\'ve been over bumpy roads and speed humps, no problems. even have stuff stashed on the undershelf. It stays put due to the rubber mat
Rear seat assembly not bolted in
- Mine\'s nt loose.
Exterior/Body:
Boot hatch hard to close
- mine was stiff but has got better with use
Boot hatch pops open while driving
- the indicator light on the dash and the bong sound tell when it\'s not shut flush before driving off
Boot hatch rattles
- not if you check it\'s shut correctly
Paint cracks in roof above boot hinges
- haven\'t found any paintwork faults
Roof leaks at aerial mount
- it\'s been wet here, but my interior remains dry.
Condensation in tail lights
- these are dry too
Wheel arches break off easily
- haven\'t tested these to destruction yet.
Improperly aimed windshield washer jets
- two high and two low - seems perfect to me
Loose windshield rubber moulding
- Mine\'s ok, but I did see the poor yellow MINI that had this problem.
Fuel filler flap poorly fitted
- It opens all the way, closes flush, locks and unlocks with the central locking as I\'d expect
Foggy areas in paint, possibly due to the protective coating
- The PDI includes adding a polish or wax coat to the paintowrk, and varies between dealers. Ask what products your dealer used and take the recommendations from fellow MINI users. Autglym super resin polish (red) and super high gloss (gold) are fantasticuff is fantastic. Don\'t start applying the gold stuff if it\'s getting dark or likely to rain, coz it does streak if you rub it off when it\'s wet from rain or condensation. Use the red stuff again to cure these kind of streaks.
Fuel System:
Inaccurate fuel gauge due to defective tank/sender unit.
- Mine was good from new. It shows full when full, and nearly empty when nearly empty. The trip computer shows sensible readings for range too. I have dared to drive it 60 miles beyond the red warning light showing, and can get 48 litres in when the trip computer range says \"0 miles left\". It takes a little bit of petrol station forecourt experimentaion to find the optimum angle for the fuel filler nozzle.
Sparks when filling with fuel (filler pipe replaced under recall).
- Sparks? Who said \"sparks\"? There were no sparks! MINI Quality Control simply found that the anti-static paint applied to the petrol tank filler neck could wear thin given time. The remedy is the application of a simple ground wire. My MINI was made post recall so had the modification in the factory.
Electrical:
Central locking failure.
- Clink clunk, works every time.
Window motor failure.
- Swish swash works every time
Air bag failure.
- Haven\'t crashed, hoping not to. I haven\'t seen the airbag fire. Warning light shows at ignition on then goes out as it should.
Defective ignition key
- Click Slam Twist Vroom, works great
Heated mirror failure.
- Both demist in less than a minute
Wiring harness failure.
- All my electricals work just fine and dandy
Wiper motor drains battery while parked if not shut off properly.
- I\'ve parked up with the wiper in the on position (by mistake), and my MINI started again just fine
Boot warning light stays on (defective or improperly mounted sensor)
- Haven\'t noticed it stay on, and the sensor is the same one that lights the doors open indicator on the dash.
Tire pressure warning light blinks or comes on for no reason
- My tyre pressures were correct from the dealer (I wanted to check double check them after colelction) and the light only shows during the ignition on diagnostics
Engine/Gearbox:
Engine clatter on startup
- MINI\'s engine is slightly noisier than usual for about 1 to 1.5 seconds on cold start. I believe this is while the oil pressure builds up and fills the hydraulic tappets. I have heard a MINI sounding more like a diesel with a cold engine, and I would say that particular MINI needs attention.
Clank or clunk when clutch is released (possibly due to ABS).
- No clunks during clutch operation - just a smooth pick up and take off. WIth the stereo off, MINI does make some interesting noises

It\'s no more than the electronic systems running diags
Hesitation/flat spot in first gear.
- I haven\'t tested this extensively, but I can coast down to less than 1000 rpm (fuel injectors are turned off on the overrun) then apply power and MINI picks up smoothly. Enthusiastic use of the throttle when pulling away causes the ASC-T light to illuminate
Loud whine from power steering pump (claimed to be \"normal\").
- It is loud, but not much louder than the regular hydraulic pump on my old Renault. It\'s quiet when you\'re not turning the wheel hard when parking, and it switches off when you\'re on the move.
Noisy air conditioner.
- If I\'ve not used the aircon for a while, I can sometimes hear the compressor for about 20-30 seconds when I take the climate control system out of economy mode - this is while the pressures in the system are run to operating conditions. Thereafter, it\'s quiet. The interior fans can be noisy on high settings, but there\'s eight fan speeds with climate control, Auto uses the low speeds unless it has hard work to do.
Low oil pressure.
- My oil pressure warning light only shows as part of the ignition on diagnostics.
Engine overheating (due to defective radiator cap).
- My engine comes quickly up to temperature, wherefter the neelde stays rock solid on the mid-line of the water temp gauge.
Reverse gear failure (during skidpad demonstration).
- Reverse gear on MINI has no synchromesh. The owners manual states that the vehicle must be brought to a halt before engaging reverse gear. Crunching the box into reverse isn\'t awfully good for gearboxes. Mistreating a gearbox can mean \"spare\" gear teeth or dog teeth or metal flakes floating around in the oil bath at the bottom of a gearbox. These are bad news for the rest of the mechanicals in there. Be nice to your gearbox, people, it will be nice to you.
Chassis/Suspension:
Car pulls hard to left.
- Mine drifts gently left on the regular road cambers, and gently to the right on reverse cambers. It\'s neutral in flat car parks.
Would you be happy if your MINI had none of the faults listed? I am 8D
My sympathy to any less than happy MINI owners.