2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

SUDDEN FAILURE OF POWER STEERING RESULTING IN VERY HIGH STEERING EFFORT, TRACED BY DEALER TO A WELL-KNOWN FAILURE MODE IN ELECTROHYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP. PUMP AND ASSOCIATED FAN WERE REPLACED BY DEALER UNDER SPECIAL ("SECRET") WARRANTY COVERAGE, DUE TO COMMON INCIDENCE OF THIS FAILURE. EXISTENCE OF THIS SPECIAL WARRANTY WAS FOUND ONLY AFTER SEARCH AND LOCATION OF MANY IDENTICAL FAILURES ON THE INTERNET. THE VEHICLE BATTERY WAS FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY DISCHARGED UPON ARRIVAL AT DEALERSHIP. ONCE A SHOP BATTERY WAS CONNECTED, THE PUMP WAS FOUND TO BE RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IGNITION WAS IN THE FULL OFF POSITION. ALSO, THE ALTERNATOR WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE STRESS IMPOSED BY THE DEFECTIVE PUMP ON THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. COST OF ALTERNATOR REPLACEMENT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THIS KNOWN FAILURE MODE IS BELIEVED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY DEFECT. FORMAL RECALL OF AFFECTED VEHICLES BY NHTSA IS WARRANTED, SINCE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT SPEED CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. *JS

MY AIR BAG LITE CAME ON.WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING.I HAD MY SYSTEM CHECKED. I FOUND THAT THE SEAT HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF 2000 $.BMW HAS RECALL ON ALL 3,5,7 SERIES.BUT NOT ON MINI. *TR

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON! PASSENGER LIGHT TURNS OFF AND ON WITH PASSENGER IN SEAT. PASSENGER WARNING LIGHT GOES OFF WITH OUT PASSENGER IN SEAT. I LOOKED ON SEVERAL INTERNET FORMS AND THIS SEAMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT MINI HAS HAD FOR SOME TIME WITHOUT A RECALL. THE FIX FOR MOST PROBLEMS IS AN EXPENSIVE 1200.0 TO 1400.00 SEAT SENSOR . I FILL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN WHICH MINI SHOULD ADDRESS . *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S FAILED, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE CAR. A SERVICE SHOP INDICATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE MINI'S. MY IS OUT OF THE WARANTEE, HOWVERE IT ONLY HAS 45K MILES. WHEN I CALLED BMW/ MINI NORTH AMERICA TO DISCUSS A REMEDY BUT THEY TOLD ME THE VIN NUMBER FOR MY CAR WAS NOT ONE COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHILE MY CAR IS A 2005 WITH VERY LOW MILAGE THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WHATSOEVER TO HELP ME REPLACE THE PART AS MY CARS PRODUCTION DATE IS JUNE 2005, WHICH IS PAST THE PRODUCTION DATE FOR CARS GETTING THE EXTENDED WARANTEE ON P/S PUMPS. IT SEAMS UNSCROPLOUS TO HIDE FROM RESPONSABILITY OF FAULTY PARTS, ALSO POTENTIAL SAFTY ISSUE. WHILE MY CAR MAY BE PRODUCED A FEW MONHS AFTER THE PRODUCTION DATE FROM THE CARS THEY ARE WILLING TO WARANTEE, IT APPERARS I AM SUFFERING FROM SAME ISSUES AS THE OTHERES THEY ARE WARANTEEING. VERRY DISCURAGING BMW/MINI. *TR

MY POWER STEERING JUST TOTALLY WENT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORNER AND I CAME WITHIN INCHES OF PLOWING THROUGH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL ON THIS SOON. POWERS STEERING WILL NOW COME ON INTERMITTENT. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS VEHICLE IS KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE BY MINI USA. THE CAR IS UNDRIVABLE AND UNSAFE AS THE TRANSMISSION COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME, STRANDING THE DRIVER OR CAUSING A FIRE. *TR

POWER STEERING, PERIODICALLY STOPS WORKING. IT USUALLY DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE CAR STARTS UP AND WILL THEN START WORKING. IT HAS NOW STOPS WORKING AT UNEXPECTED TIMES AND SEEMS TO COME BACK ON AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME. *TR

THE POWER STEERING PUMP STOPPED WORKING THE FIRST TIME WHEN I STOPPED TO GET A SANDWICH. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR TO DRIVE OFF THE STEERING WAS VERY HEAVY. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF ONCE AGAIN SO I COULD LOOK UNDER THE HOOD TO CHECK THINGS OUT BUT EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE SO I RESTARTED THE ENGINE TO TRY TO DRIVE OFF AGAIN AND THE STEERING STILL WAS VERY HEAVY. NO POWER ASSIST. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES SINCE, ONE TIME WHILE I WAS DRIVING. *TR

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK, I WAS ONLY TWO HOUSES FROM MY HOME GOING AROUND SMALL CURVE THOUGHT MY CAR HAD CUT OFF THEN REALIZED ONLY THE STEERING HAD GONE OUT VERY HARD TO STEER IF HAD BEEN ON HWY AT MED RATE OF SPEED COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE CAR AND POSSIBLE WRECK. *TR

MY CAR STARTED WITH A LOW HUM AND AS TIME HAS GONE BY THE SOUND HAS GOTTEN LOUDER AND EVER SINCE THE SOUND HAS BEEN THERE THE POWER STEERING HAS INTERMITTENTLY GONE OUT, BUT NOW IS OUT ALMOST ALL THE TIME. MY WIFE DRIVES THE VEHICLE THE MOST BUT WE WERE PLANNING ON GIVING IT TO OUR 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FOR HER GRADUATION PRESENT BUT NOW THAT THIS PROBLEM IS AN ALL THE TIME THING WE WILL HAVE TO GO PURCHASE A DIFFERENT VEHICLE FOR HER. IT IS JUST FRUSTRATING THAT AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND THEM BEING THE SAME IT ALMOST SEEMS USELESS TO FILE A COMPLAINT DUE TO MINI NOT WANTING THEIR VEHICLES TO BE GOOD. ALSO ABOUT 3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE AIRBAG LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT IS ALWAYS LIT. *TR