2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

MY CAR WOULD NOT START ONE MORNING. I INSTALLED A NEW BATTERY. AS SOON AS I CONNECTED THE BATTERY CABLE, SMOKE STARTED POURING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE. THE SMOKE WAS ACRID, LIKE SMOKE FROM AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO SMOKE AS LONG AS THE BATTERY CABLES WERE CONNECTED. CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENGINE FIRE,I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE SHOP DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP AND PUMP COOLING FAN WERE DEFECTIVE. THERE HAD BEEN NO PRIOR INDICATION THAT EITHER THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH EITHER THE POWER STEERING OR THE BATTERY. *TR

NOTHING REALLY SPECIAL HAPPEND OTHER THAN THE AIRBAG LIGHT RANDOMLY CAME ON. I DIDNT HIT ANYTHING OR HIT A BIG BUMP. I ADJUSTED MY SEAT AND I HAVE READ THAT MINI COOPER MAY HAVE MADE THE WIRES UNDERNEATH THE SEAT TOO SHORT SO WHEN YOU RECLINE OR MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD FOR PASSENGERS IT COULD TRIGGER. *TR

POWER STEERING SEEM A LITTLE HARD BUT WHILE CRUISING ON THE FREEWAY IT SEEMED LIKE IT ALMOST WENT COMPLETELY OUT. HASN'T HAPPENED LIKE THAT SINCE BUT ITS STILL A LITTLE HARDER TO TURN THAT WHAT I THINK IT SHOULD BE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES PER HOUR AND IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING AROUND A BEND, MY POWER STEERING GAVE OUT. AS THE CURVE WAS OF DECREASING RADIUS, THIS FAILURE WAS EVIDENT BY A SIGNIFICANT (>100%) INCREASE IN RESISTANCE TO STEERING ANGLE CHANGE AND UPON COMPLETION OF THE TURN A COMPLETE LACK OF AUTOMATIC RETURN TO A NEUTRAL STEERING PATH (THE CAR WANTED TO "STAY" IN THE TURN). RETURNING THE CAR TO NEUTRAL STEERING ANGLE ALSO REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT (>100%) ADDITIONAL APPLICATION OF FORCE. UPON PULL-OVER AND RESTART OF THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING RETURNED, BUT ONLY FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE OF DRIVING. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DRIVE THE POWER STEERING FLUCTUATED IN AND OUT MAKING DRIVING DIFFICULT. CAR WILL BE TAKEN TO DEALER FOR FAULT DIAGNOSIS THIS WEEK AS THE ISSUE HAS PERSISTED AND CONTINUED TO WORSEN (LONGER DROUGHTS OF POWER STEERING OPERATION) OVER THE PAST WEEK. *TR

MY POWER STEERING FIRST FAILED AS I WENT INTO A TURN ON A HIGHWAY. IT SUDDENLY BECAME VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR, BUT LUCKILY IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN IN TIME FOR ME TO COMPLETE THE TURN AND NOT CRASH. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC, WHO SAID IT COULD BE THE POWER STEERING, BUT TO WAIT AND SEE IF IT DOES IT AGAIN, AS THIS IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. THEN, TWO WEEKS LATER, THE POWER STEERING FAILED PERMANENTLY AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN AFTER WAITING AT A STOPLIGHT. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO FORCE THE WHEELS TO TURN AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT, BUT NOW I WILL HAVE A COSTLY REPAIR BILL. I AM FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT INJURED IN THESE INCIDENTS BECAUSE I VERY EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY. *KB

THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING WHILE DRIVING. RESTARTING VEHICLE WOULD CORRECT PROBLEM ,DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT IS RE-OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY . DEALERSHIP PRESENTLY REPLACING FAULTY PUMP OUT OF WARRANTY . YOUTHFULL - INEXPERIENCED DRIVER WARNING TO ALL!!! *KB

POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT HAZARDOUS TO MANEUVER TURNING LEFT. I REPORTED THIS DECEMBER 14 2011 AND THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIND PROBLEM. REPLACED THE POWER STEERING FAN IN DECEMBER. REPLACED THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING PUMP JANUARY 30, BECAUSE POWER STEERING WOULD GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. I FEEL THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND THE POWER STEERING SHOULDN'T FAIL. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OF THIS PROBLEM. *KB

BEGINNING IN APPROXIMATELY APRIL OF 2009, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN ON CONSTANTLY. ANYONE WHO IS INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO USE ANY INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE CAN FIND HUNDREDS OF ACCOUNTS OF THE SAME ISSUE. DUE TO WHAT HAS BEEN INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED AS A WIRING PROBLEM IN THE SEAT SENSORS, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AND CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO DEPLOY WITH IMPROPER FORCE. THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE WITH MINI OWNERS, AND SEVERAL INDEPENDENT MECHANICS HAVE ALL ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO A WIRING HARNESS UNDERNEATH THE SEAT THAT BREAKS DUE TO MOVING THE SEAT BACK AND FORTH. UNLESS I'M MISSING PAGES FROM THE MANUAL, MOVING THE SEAT BACK AND FORTH IS A NORMAL FUNCTION, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR IF SIMPLY MOVING THE SEAT BACK AND FORTH CAN RENDER THE AIRBAG SENSOR USELESS. MINI ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ISSUE IN 2006, AND STATED 'IN THE INTEREST OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, WE ARE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE OF THE VEHICLE FOR DEFECTS THAT MAY OCCUR, FOR THIS SPECIFIC AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ISSUE, ON YOUR VEHICLE FOR 10 YEARS / 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. UNDER TERMS OF THIS WARRANTY COVERAGE, MINI WILL COVER ALL NECESSARY REPAIR COSTS RELATED TO THIS ACTION.' I HAVE BEEN TOLD THREE TIMES BY MINI THAT THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO MY CAR. THEY CANNOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHY IT DOES NOT APPLY. THEY JUST TELL ME THAT MY CAR IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THIS REPAIR DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT CLEARLY FITS THE BILL. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE WIRING IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE, AND NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE A DEFECT CORRECTED. MINI WON'T EVEN PAY TO HAVE A TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING THE MINI COOPER ON A BUSY ROAD WHEN THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING. THE VEHICLE WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. WE WERE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT OR HIT A PEDESTRIAN. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE DESIGN. THE VEHICLE SHOULD NEVER BE THAT HARD TO CONTROL EVEN WHEN THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THESE PARTS SHOULD BE RECALLED. I WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY OF MY FAMILY TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THERE IS A CHANGE IN DESIGN TO THE PART. SIMPLY REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP WITH A NEW OR REFURBISHED PART WITH A SIMILAR DESIGN WILL NOT MAKE THE VEHICLE SAFE. *TR

TURNING FROM A LEFT HAND TURN LANE ON TO A SIDE STREET AS I HAVE DONE AT LEAST 4 TIMES A DAY FOR OVER 10 YEARS, I LOST ALL POWER AND THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN THE LOSS OF POWER, THE LOSS OF STEERING, AND THE LOSS OF BRAKES CAUSED ME TO RUN INTO THE CURB. THIS ACCIDENT RESULTED IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND ASSEMBLY BEING REPLACED. NOT LONG AFTER GETTING MY MINI COOPER S THE HESITATION OF THE ACCELERATOR WHEN STATING OFF IN FIRST GEAR BEGAN. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE REP AT THE MINI DEALERSHIP THAT THERE WAS NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. I'VE HAD TOO MANY NEAR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF IT. GOING BACK AS FAR AS 2005 I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT MY STEERING AND THE NOISE IT MAKES. THE WHOLE STEERING UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED 2 TIMES, YET IN 2009 I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH. THE POWER LOSS WAS ELECTRICAL EVEN THOUGH MY ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. THE FINAL OUTCOME WAS MINI REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. I'VE COMPLAINED TIME AND AGAIN YET WITH NO HELP UNLESS IT'S COMING OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. SINCE OWNING THIS MINI COOPER S I'VE SPENT NEARLY 6000.00 IN REPAIRS. BECAUSE OF THE INTERDEPENDENT NATURE OF THE ASC/DSC ON THE VEHICLES BRAKING, ELECTRONICS, AND EVEN STARTING ACCELERATION FROM A STOP; HAS THIS FEATURE BEEN PROPERLY STUDIED AS THE CULPRIT FOR THE MANY AND VARIED PROBLEMS THIS PARTICULAR CAR HAS? IN THE UK THERE IS A BLOG CALLED WATCHDOG THAT HAS 180 PEOPLE WHO POSTED BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND APRIL 2009 THAT ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING THAT I AND HUNDREDS OF OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. HOW CAN SUCH A SERIOUS PROBLEM GO UNRESOLVED FOR SO LONG. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS PROBLEM ALONE FALLS UNDER THE UNITED STATES CODE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY (TITLE 49, CHAPTER 301). *TR