2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

I PARKED MY CAR IN A PARKING GARAGE AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES. I WALKED TO A DENTIST DOWN THE STREET FOR AN APPOINTMENT. WHILE AT THE DENTIST I GET A CALL THAT WENT TO MY VOICEMAIL THAT MY CAR (WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF) WAS ON FIRE AND WAS FILLING THE PARKING GARAGE WITH SMOKE. UPON RECEIVING THE MESSAGE I RUSHED HOME TO FIND THAT THE FIRE WAS ALREADY OUT, BUT THE SMELL OF SMOKE WAS STILL VERY STRONG. I NOTICED THAT THE INSIDE INDICATING LIGHTS OF THE CAR WERE ON AS IF THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION OF THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND INSPECTED THE CAR TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE FLAMES HAD COME FROM BEHIND AND SLIGHTLY BELOW THE MOTOR. THERE WAS A METAL SHIELD THAT WAS BLACKENED BY THE FLAMES THAT I COULD NOT SEE AROUND SO I JACKED UP THE CAR AND REMOVED THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL TO FURTHER INSPECT THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. AFTER DOING SO I COULD THEN CLEARLY SEE THAT THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP DUE TO THE SURROUNDING BURN MARKS. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DAMAGE HAS YET TO BE ASSESSED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY TOWED THE CAR AND ARE INSPECTING THE CAR ON DEC 13, 2012. *TR

ONE NIGHT I'M DRIVING JUST NORMALLY ON THE HIGHWAY, EVERYTHING WAS FINE, NO SIGNS OF ANY OTHER PARTS INCLUDED AND OUT OF NOWHERE MY POWER STEERING GOES OUT. I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK GETTING OFF THE TURNPIKE TO TAKE MY EXIT RIGHT, MY 2003 MINI COOPER KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. VERY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE AS I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL COMING OFF HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THERE IS NO WARNING AT ALL WHEN THIS HAPPENS, YOU JUST CANNOT TURN THE WHEEL TO NEGOTIATE YOUR TURN. I'VE DRIVEN CARS WITHOUT POWER STEERING, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE AN ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILURE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THIS CAR. BMW MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS WELL DOCUMENTED DANGEROUS FAILURE AND DO THE RIGHT THING OR SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY HURT AND/OR HURT SOMEONE ELSE. COST TO FIX THE STEERING PUMP FAILURE - $1200.00. *TR

AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY I NOTICED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM MY HOOD. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND POPPED THE HOOD TO FIND SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I WAS ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BEFORE IT DID EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. CAUSE OF FIRE WAS FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP. *TR

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP STOP FUNCTIONING WHILE DRIVING. SUDDEN LOST OF POWER STEERING. DIFFICULT TO STEER. THIS IS THE SECOND PUMP THAT WAS REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. THE FIRST PUMP STOP WORKING ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH. UPON TURNING OFF AND RESTARTING VEHICLE POWER STEERING WORKED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME - FOLLOWED BY INTERMITTENT FAILURES/NORMAL OPERATION. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILS CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING IN MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THIS SPORADICALLY OCCURS WHILE DRIVING CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD AS IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SMALL CITY STREET IN MY 2003 MINI COOPER S AND WENT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN - AS SOON AS I DID, THE STEERING BECAME VERY HEAVY...AND UN-RESPONSIVE. I WAS ABLE TO THROUGH MUSCLE STRENGTH FORCE THE CAR THROUGH THE TURN BUT HAD THERE BEEN ANYONE NEXT TO ME THIS SURELY WOULD HAVE CAUSED A COLLISION AS IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TURN. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE POWER STEERING WAS SUDDEN AND WAS COMPLETELY GONE. THE CAR IS NOW PARKED. *TR

THE POWER STEERING QUIT WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE (I85) ON MARCH 3, 2012. WE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE CAR SO WE TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER AND HE HAD THE PUMP AND RESERVOIR REPLACED (TOOK 2 WEEKS). POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT AGAIN (09/26/12) WITH SAME SYMPTOMS (SPORADIC OPERATION - MAINLY NOT WORKING) WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. *TR

ON THE MORNING OF SUNDAY MAY 13TH 2012 (MOTHERS DAY), I DROVE THE VEHICLE APPROX 11 MILES TO MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S HOME. DURING THIS 11 MILE RIDE ALL SEEMED NORMAL WITH THE VEHICLE. AFTER VISITING FOR A FEW HOURS I DROVE IT APPROX 5 MORE MILES TO A STOP & SHOP, AGAIN ALL SEEMED FINE WITH THE VEHICLE. WITHIN THE 10-15MINUTES I WAS INSIDE PURCHASING MOTHERS DAY FLOWERS, STOP AND SHOP EMPLOYEES HAD NOTICED A FIRE IN THE PARKING LOT. I WALKED INTO THE PARKING LOT TO FIND THE POLICE AND FIRE FIGHTERS APPROACHING MY CAR. WHEN I GOT TO IT THERE WAS NO MORE FIRE BUT STILL PLENTY OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WELL. I TOOK A LOOK UNDER THE CAR TO SEE THAT THERE WAS NO MORE FIRE, SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LEFT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO START THE CAR SO I JACKED UP THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHAT HAD CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE HAD ORIGINATED FROM THE ELECTRIC/HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP. THE SOCKET ON THE PUMP WAS STILL SMOKING A LOT AND VERY MELTED. THE PLUG CONNECTOR ON THE 12V/GROUNDING CABLES FEEDING THE PUMP WAS ALSO VERY MELTED. SINCE THIS FIRE OCCURRED ON A 12V LINE IT ALSO SHORTED OUT THE BATTERY COMPLETELY. I WAS ABLE TO JUMP THE CAR STARTED IN ORDER TO DRIVE IT ABOUT 15-16 MILES HOME. SINCE THEN THE PUMP HAS BEEN DISASSEMBLED TO FIND THAT THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS COMPROMISED (BURNED/ASHES). I DECIDED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT AFTER I HAD RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE EXTENSIVELY. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MOST SIMPLY FAIL, EITHER CAUSING ACCIDENTS OR MERELY MAKING IT EXTREMELY HARD DO DRIVE. FEW OTHER UNLUCKY OWNERS HAVE THERE PUMPS BURST INTO FLAMES. MINI IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT OFFERS MINIMAL TO NO COMPENSATION. IN CANADA A RECALL HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE DEFECTIVE PUMPS. I CAN ONLY HOPE AND PRAY THAT NHTSA ALONG WITH MINI USA CHOOSE TO ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE THIS CAUSES A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT (IF IT HASN'T ALREADY). *TR