2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED TURNING RIGHT INTO PARKING GARAGE POWER STEERING FAILED AND ALMOST CAUSED VEHICLE TO CONTACT ANOTHER CAR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN THE PAST WEEK THAT THE POWER STEERING HAS RANDOMLY FAILED. TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED CAR AND STEERING STARTS WORKING CORRECTLY AGAIN. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER S. CAR OVER HEATED AND POWER STEERING FAILED. PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FAN ON POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, CAUSED PUMP TO FAIL AND CAR TO OVER HEAT.

POWER STEERING FAILED AFTER 27,000 MILES. INTERMITTENTLY WORKS FOR 5 MINUTES IN THE MORNING AND SOMETIMES INTERMITTENTLY FUNCTIONS WHEN DRIVING WHICH CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAD THE MINI DEALER INSPECT IT FROM MINI CORPORATES RECOMMENDATION. DEALER INDICATED THE ELECTRONICS ARE MALFUNCTIONING AND THAT THEY HAD PLENTY OF REPLACEMENT UNITS IN STOCK FOR CIRCA $1,600.00. MY CLAIM WAS REJECTED BECAUSE IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR EARLIER MINI COOPER POWER STEERING UNITS TO FAIL. I HAVE INVESTIGATED AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPANIES NOW IN THE BUSINESS OF REBUILDING/REMANUFACTURING SPECIFICALLY MINI COOPER POWER STEERING UNITS. ODD THAT A RELATIVELY LOW VOLUME VEHICLE COULD GENERATE SO MANY BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT APPARENTLY DOES NOT EXIST. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LATCH DOES NOT OPEN THE DOOR. I AM UNABLE TO EXIT MY CAR WITHOUT UNLOCKING THE DOORS FROM THE CENTRAL PANEL, ROLLING DOWN THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW AND OPENING THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT A BEST PRACTICE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHICH I WOULD LIKE MINI TO RECOGNIZE AS DANGEROUS. IF IT IS JUST A CABLE INSIDE THE DOOR THAT IS NEEDED, THE TOTAL COST FOR REPAIR WILL BE $233.00 (THE PART IS $17.00 THE REST IS FOR LABOR). *TR

IT STARTED WITH LOUD NOISES AND RPM JUMPS TO BETWEEN 5 AND 6 WHEN ACCELERATING. IT NOW MAKES UNBELIEVABLE SOUNDS WHEN TRYING TO GO BEYOND 50 MPH. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANICS AND HE TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION IS GONE AND IT HAS TO BE REPLACED. BMW DOES NOT SELL PARTS. IT WOULD COST ME ABOUT $5400 AT LEAST FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 55000 MILES.

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS GOING AROUND A BEND AND THE STEERING EFFORT HAD GREATLY INCREASED. IF I HAD TO MAKE A EMERGENCY MANEUVER, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE IT SUCCESSFULLY. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN MANEUVERING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE CONTACT RESUMED CAUTIOUSLY WITH THE STEERING MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. HE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY TIGHT INDICATING THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE ANY WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

POWER ASSIST STEERING FAILED TO ASSIST MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN A CORNER. *TT

POWER STEERING UNIT ON MY 2003 MINI COOPER S STARTED TO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN LANE CONTROL. WITHOUT POWER STEERING I WOULD GRIP HARD AND BARELY MAKE IT THROUGH A TURN, THEN THE POWER STEERING WOULD OPERATE CAUSING ME TO OVERSTEER INTO THE ADJACENT LANES OR ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I'VE BEEN DRIVING CARS, TRUCKS AND MOTORCYCLES FOR OVER 40 YRS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED A DRIVING SITUATION AS DANGEROUS AS THIS. I WILL NO LONGER ALLOW MY DAUGHTERS TO DRIVE THIS CAR UNTIL I FEEL CONFIDENT THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED. *TR