2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

WAS STOPPED IN PARKING LOT, FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE BAY. POWER STEERING HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT FOR AWHILE. SHOP INDICATED THAT THE FAN FAILED AND CAUSED THE PUMP/WIRING TO COMPLETELY MELT. THIS ISSUE IS WIDELY KNOWN AND FOUND ON MINI COOPER FORUMS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A CHATTERING NOISE AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS A MECHANIC. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND COOLING FAN WOULD HAVE TO ALSO BE REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

POWER STEERING FAILED. CAR IS RACK AND PINION STEERING AND CAN BE DRIVEN WITHOUT THE PUMP BUT HAD I BEEN GOING AROUND A CURVE WHEN IT FAILED, THE INCREASED WHEEL EFFORT REQUIRED COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT! *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP IS WHINING AND ACCORDING TO DEALER IS GOING TO FAIL AT ANYTIME. UNFORTUNATELY THIS UNIT DOES NOT FAIL IN THE DRIVEWAY IT FAILS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. HOPEFULLY I WILL BE DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENS AS MY WIFE WILL NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO GET THE CAR UNDER CONTROL. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL IN CANADA FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND ALL OF US MINI DRIVERS IN THE US ARE WONDERING WHY WE DON'T HAVE A RECALL HERE. *TR

I WAS GOING AROUND A 90 DEGREE CORNER AT ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN THE STEERING SEEMED TO LOCK UP. I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED, AND I WRESTLED THE STEERING WHEEL TO COMPLETE THE TURN. SINCE THEN, THE POWER STEERING HAS NOT WORKED 90% OF THE TIME. *TR

POWER STEERING OCCASIONALLY FAILS DURING LOW SPEED TURNS, E.G. U-TURN OR DRIVING IN PARKING LOTS. *TR

WHILE I WAS DRIVING MINI 2003 (ODO: 74K) ON I-90 HIGHWAY AT 70MPH, SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING WHEEL STOPPED WORKING ON JUNE 28, 2012. I BARELY MADE TO EXIT FROM THE HIGHWAY, AND GOT HOME. NEXT DAY, THE CAR WAS SENT TO THE BMW-MINI DEALERSHIP, AND ASSESSED THE FAILURE OF POWER STEERING PUMP. THEY KNOW THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WITH MINI, BUT IT WAS NOT COVERED BY MANUFACTURERS. THE ONLY OPTION WAS TO REPLACE THE PART. THE PART WAS REPLACED AND THE COST WAS $1,200. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN WHEEL WHILE STOPPED. MY WIFE CAN BARELY DRIVE THE CAR. FROM RESEARCHING THIS SITE AND OTHER SITES, MY SITUATION SEEMS TO BE THE SAME AS THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, AND I WOULD LIKE MY NAME TO BE ADDED TO THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION. *TT

ON 6/12/12 I WAS DRIVING MY CAR TOWARDS MY SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD AT SPEED OF 10-15 MILES AN HOUR. FOR NO APPARENT REASON THE STEERING WHEEL FELT AS IF IT WAS LOCKED IN PLACE. WITH ALL MY FORCE I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP HAS FAILED. THERE WAS NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON OR ANY WARNINGS WHAT SO EVER, THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. IF I WERE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS OF 70 MILES AN HOUR ON THE FREEWAY I COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY BEEN HURT.THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME RESISTANT TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE CONTACT HEARD A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.