2005 MINI Cooper Suspension Problems

2005 MINI COOPER 2-DOOR CONVERTIBLE: THE LEFT REAR UPPER AND LOWER (ORIGINAL/FACTORY) CONTROL ARMS (METAL STRUT) FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAIN ROAD; WARNING SIGN WAS A SLIGHT NOISE FROM THE REAR LEFT TIRE, WHICH WENT AWAY WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY LEFT, THEN CAME BACK WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT. (SOUNDED LIKE INTERMITTENT RUBBING/ TIRE ISSUE.) THE CAR WAS DRIVING NORMALLY AND THE TIRE LOW PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. WHILE TURNING OFF MAIN ROAD TO INVESTIGATE, SECOND CONTROL ARM FAILED AND CAR CAME DOWN TO REST ON REAR TIRE AND WOULD NOT ROLL FORWARD. UNEXPECTED AND COMPLETE FAILURE WITH CLEAN FRACTURE TO BOTH CONTROL ARMS. NO COLLISION OCCURRED TO THE VEHICLE/PART. VEHICLE NOT RUSTED. GOOGLE SEARCH BRINGS UP MANY OTHER MINI COOPER POSTS OF THIS CONTROL ARM FAILING UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY (THAT THEY HAD RECENTLY EXITED). OTHERS POSTING ONLINE HAVE EXPERIENCED 'UNCONTROLLED 180 SPINS' WHEN THEIRS FAILED. CONSUMER CONCERNED THAT THE ORIGINAL FACTORY CONTROL ARMS ON OTHER SIDE MAY EXHIBIT SAME UNEXPECTED FAILURE IN THE FUTURE. NOT CLEAR IF THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW OR MATERIALS/PARTS BAD BATCH. MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEE MENTIONED THE SAME FAILURE (TO HIS PERSONAL CAR) WITH NO WARNING RECENTLY. ONLINE POSTS OF CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME UNEXPECTED FAILURE: HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/80969-REAR-SUSPENSION-FAILURE.HTML HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/108796-REAR-CONTROL-ARM-ISSUES.HTML HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/69981-BROKEN-PART-UNDERSIDE-WHATS-CALLED.HTML HTTP://WWW.PSMINI.ORG/FORUM/EXPENSIVE-REPAIR-CONTROL-ARM-BUSHINGS-AND-STRUTS_TOPIC6569.HTML

RIGHT REAR LOWER TRAILING ARM BROKE WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS NO IMPACT WITH ANY OBJECT, IT BROKE ON ITS OWN. *TR

NOTICED ON BRAND NEW TIRES THE TREAD ON LEFT TIRE WAS WORN TO THE CORE AND THE WAS SEPARATING FROM THE TIRE ON INSIDE, THE RIGHT TIRE HAD EVERY LITTLE TREAD LEFT. THERE HAS BEEN 216 COMPLAINTS . NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE OR REPAIR OR REPLACE THE PARTS. THE TIRES HAD ONLY 4000 MILES ON THEM WHEN IT WAS NOTICED. *TR

I NOTICED ON THE FRONT OF A SET OF A BRAND NEW TIRES THE TREAD ON LEFT TIRE WAS WORN TO THE CORE AND THE WAS SEPARATING FROM THE TIRE ON THE INSIDE, THE RIGHT TIRE HAD EVERY LITTLE TREAD LEFT. THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS THE STRUTS HAD DAMAGED THE UPPER STRUT PLATES ON BOTH SIDES, CAUSING IT TO BE OUT OF ALIGNMENT .THERE HAS BEEN 216 COMPLAINTS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE; I.E,PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED. *TR

STRUT TOWERS DEFORMED. THIS IS A RESULT OF STANDARD EQUIPMENT RUN FLAT TIRES HITTING POT HOLES. THE FIX IS A REINFORCING PLATE ATTACHED TO THE TOP OF THE STRUT TOWER. EITHER THE RUN FLATS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE OR THE STRUT TOWERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OF SUFFICIENT STRENGTH. *TR

COMPLETE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER STRUT, STRUT TOWER, MOUNT AND LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHING CAUSED BY AN IMPERFECTION ON A PUBLIC, WELL TRAVELED ROAD. REPORTS ON ENTHUSIAST FORUMS OF OVER 216 OTHERS SUFFERING THE SAME FAILURE ON THE SAME MODEL CAR AND A REPORT IN THE SEPT-OCT 2007 EDITION OF MC2 MAGAZINE CITING THE NEED TO LOOK FOR THESE COMMON FLAWS ON THIS MODEL CAR WHEN CONSIDERING PURCHASING A USED ONE.

(1) I RECENTLY TRADED MY 2003 MINI COOPER IN FOR A 2005 MINI COOPER S AT A PRIVATE DEALERSHIP. (2) UPON INSPECTING THE 2005 COOPER S, I NOTICED THAT THE STRUT TOWERS WERE DEFORMED, BUT SINCE THIS WAS NOT A MINI DEALERSHIP, NOTHING COULD BE DONE BY THEM. I BOUGHT THE CAR THINKING THIS COULD BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER CALLING THE CLOSEST MINI DEALERSHIP WHICH IS 200+ MILES AWAY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS CONSIDERED ABUSE TO THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE PREVIOUS OWNER MUST HAVE HIT A POTHOLE. THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS SITUATION IS THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THE MINI COOPER'S SHOCK TOWERS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO A CAR. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS IN MY LIFETIME, AND NEVER HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN. I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER TO EXPERIENCE THIS AND IT IS A PRETTY COMMON OCCURRENCE IN MINI COOPERS. I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS SITUATION CAUSES THE CAR TO WANDER ON THE ROAD. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, I'M GETTING FEEDBACK FROM OTHER OWNERS. SOME SAY THEIR DEALERSHIP IS FIXING THE DEFORMATION, OTHERS, LIKE MYSELF ARE DENIED. I'M A LITTLE FRIGHTENED AT WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO THE CAR OVER TIME FROM THIS. WILL THE SHEET METAL GET EVEN WEAKER AS TIME GOES ON? I BELIEVE BMW SHOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. (3) I HAVE NOT FIXED THIS PROBLEM ON MY CAR YET, BUT THE FIX IS TO EITHER PAY MONEY TO HAVE THE SHOCK TOWERS CUT OUT AND HAVE NEW ONES WELDED IN, OR POUND DOWN THE OLD ONES UNTIL THEY ARE FLAT, THEN BUY REINFORCEMENT PLATES FROM A VENDOR TO KEEP THE ALREADY STRESSED METAL FROM BENDING AGAIN. *JB