2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

MINI COOPER BROKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. LEFT MY WIFE STRANDED. PROBLEM IS THE DEFECTIVE CVT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE BELT BROKE IN TRANSMISSION. FOUND OUT ONLINE OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. REPAIRS TO COST BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 DOLLARS. SEVERAL CLASS ACTION SUITS FILED ALREADY. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE BMW RECALLS AND REPAIRS PROBLEM? DOES SOMEONE NEED TO DIE WHEN ONE OF THESE INFERIOR TRANSMISSIONS LETS GO? *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP, FAN, HYDRAULIC FLUID PUMP CHF 1 CORE CHARGE) AND HOSE CLAMP WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER 5 DAYS EARLIER. MINI COOPER/BMW SENT ME A LETTER FOR VOLUNTARY REPLACEMENT BECAUSE MY MINI COPPER 2003 HAD TOO MANY COMPLAINTS WITH THIS ISSUE. THE CAR WAS RUNNING OK EXCEPT FOR THE POWER STEERING AFTER THE REPLACEMENT I ONLY DROVE ABOUT 70 MILES BECAUSE I WAS OFF FROM MY SCHOOL. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON JULY 15, 2013 APPROXIMATELY AT 3:45 PM. I DROVE ABOUT 30 MILES BACK FROM WORK. PARKED THE CAR IN FRONT OF RITE AID IN RANCHO PALOS VERDES. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR IT WOULDN'T START. USED JUMP CABLES FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WITHOUT SUCCESS. WENT TO MY MECHANIC CLOSE BY. MY MECHANIC CAME TO LOOK AT THE CAR, HE WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR. I DROVE BACK HOME ABOUT 6 MILES. WHEN I PARKED THE CAR THE CAR WAS VERY HOT AND MOST OF THE LIGHTS IN THE PANEL WERE LIGHTEN. I MUST MENTION THAT MY CAR HAS A NEW BATTERY AND NEW STARTER (BOTH WERE REPLACED 9 MONTHS AGO). IT SEEMS THAT THE PROBLEM IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PART ON 7/17/2013. *TR

ONE TIME LAST YEAR I LOSS POWER STEERING WHILE GOING AROUND A CORNER, I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND ALMOST HAD A COLLISION. I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF MY VEHICLE, AND UPON RE-STARTING THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. NOW, A COUPLE DAYS AGO MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. I PULLED OVER AND RE-STARTED AND STILL NO POWER STEERING. LATER THAT DAY IT RANDOMLY CAME BACK AND NOW I AM EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING LOSS, THAT USUALLY GOES OUT ONCE A TRIP. *TR

POWER STEERING ISSUE WHICH MINI USA REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH NTSB TO AVOID A RECALL BY PROVIDING AN "EXTENDED WARRANTY." SPOKE WITH MINI SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND INFORMED THEM MY STEERING PUMP WAS MAKING NOISE AND HAD GONE OUT INTERMITTENTLY TWICE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT DUE TO THE FACT THIS WAS NOT AN OFFICIAL "RECALL" BUT RATHER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, THE STEERING UNIT WOULD HAVE TO CATASTROPHICALLY FAIL BEFORE THEY WERE PERMITTED TO REPLACE IT. WHAT KIND OF A SAFETY BOARD IS THE NTSB THAT WOULD ALLOW SUCH AN AGREEMENT TO BE REACHED WHEREIN SOMEONE HAS TO BE PUT AT RISK TO DRIVE A VEHICLE TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A STEERING UNIT, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN ACCIDENT, BODILY INJURY OR EVEN DEATH, BEFORE THEY WOULD COMPEL THE AUTOMAKER TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE TO MAKE IT SAFE? THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!! I AM SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH A KNOWN PROBLEM IN THE STEERING, PUTTING MYSELF, FAMILY AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD AT RISK AWAITING "CATASTROPHIC FAILURE" ....... NOT KNOWING WHEN, WHERE OR UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT IS GOING TO OCCUR? MINI USA & BMW YOU WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER PENNY FROM ME AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ACTIVELY BOYCOTT THEIR PRODUCTS & DEALERSHIPS! *TR

CVT (AUTO TRANSMISSION) NEEDS REPLACING. MINI COOPER QUOTE IS $9,000 TO REPLACE. MINI DEALER KNOWS THAT THERE' S MANY COMPLAINTS WITH THESE CVT (AUTO TRANS.) *TR

5/18/13 - AFTER PARKING THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING PUMP CONTINUED TO OPERATE WHEN THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE KEY WAS INSERTED BACK INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH AND TURNED TO THE "ON" POSITION. THE POWER STEERING PUMP STOPPED RUNNING. 5/28/13 - WHEN RETURNING TO WORK AFTER LUNCH THE CAR STARTED PERFECTLY AND NO PROBLEMS WERE APPARENT. I PULLED UP TO A STOP LIGHT AND SAT WAITING ON THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED I STARTED ACCELERATING IN 1ST GEAR AND NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WAS VERY HEAVY. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUMP WAS NOT OVERHEATING. THE PUMP HAS COMPLETELY FAILED AT THIS POINT AND THE CAR IS ABLE TO DRIVE, ALBEIT DANGEROUSLY. *TR

AFTER DRIVING THE CAR UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES A SHORT DISTANCE AND PARKING THE CAR, A FIRE IGNITED IN THE ENGINE BAY. THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED ITSELF PRIOR TO THE FIRE TRUCK ARRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER WHO, UPON INSPECTION, INDICATED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND/OR ASSOCIATED HARDWARE HAD FAILED AND CAUSED THE FIRE. *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION. I BARELY MADE IT THROUGH A FEW CURBS BEFORE ENTERING A PARKING LOT. I LET THE ENGINE COOL OFF FOR 30 MINUTES, THEN THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. I DECIDED TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP, ABOUT 3 MILES HIGHWAY, AND ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP I LOST THE POWER STEERING AGAIN. FORCING THE CAR THROUGH THE LAST FEW TURNS, DRIVING SLOWLY, I MADE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE REPLACEMENT PUMP & FAN SET ME BACK ABOUT $1,500. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2003 MINI COOPER FROM A PRIVATE PARTY IN THE DALLAS,TEXAS A FEW YEARS AGO. I JUST RECEIVED THE DREADED NEWS TODAY THAT MY TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT AND IT WILL COST ME $6000 TO REPAIR. ACCORDING TO MINI THIS VEHICLE HAS ALREADY HAD THE TRANSMISSION CHANGED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD SO THIS WOULD BE THE 2ND TRANSMISSION FOR THIS CAR. THE REPAIR IS EQUIVALANT TO THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE VEHICLE 2 OR SO YEARS AGO. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY THIS PRICE AND UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON OCCURENCE WITH THIS YEAR VEHICLE SO IT WOULD SEEM THAT A RECALL WOULD NEED TO BE ISSUED. OTHERWISE I HAVE TO ATTEMPT TO SALE THIS CAR AND TAKE A LOSS. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP DOESN'T SHUT OFF WHEN THE CAR DOES. THE PUMP RAN UNTIL THE BATTERY DIED. *TR