2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COPPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, A SLIGHT LOSS OF POWER STEERING OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CONTINUED IN OPERATION BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SHOULDER AREA ON THE ROAD. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ENGAGED FORCEFULLY IN ODER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETECTED A FAULTY POWER STEERING PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THERE WAS A CLOSED INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA07011 (STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: PUMP) WHICH THE CONTACT BELIEVED TO BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,450.

WE PURCHASED A 2003 MINI COOPER JUST WEEKS AGO FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. ALMOST INSTANTLY THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING. LUCKILY SHE WASN'T IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE LA FREEWAY. WE WERE TOLD BY THE SERVICE CENTER THAT WE NEEDED A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP. WE PURCHASED THIS AND HAD IT INSTALLED FOR APPROX.$1200.00. HOWEVER THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP FAN STILL WOULD NOT SHUT OFF WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, SO THIS ISSUE WAS STILL NOT RESOLVED. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS REPAIR MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 MPH WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED AND SLOWED TO A STOP. LUCKILY MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND COULD PULL OVER ON TO THE SIDE OF THE BUSY FREEWAY.(STILL NO POWER STEERING WORKING)THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE MINI DEALER. THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $7150 APPROX. AND THIS IS BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN DIAGNOSE THE STEERING FAN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. FROM ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE ABOUT BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS, MINI NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY! WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, AS THE REPAIRS ARE MUCH MORE THAN THE CARS VALUE AND THE MINI SERVICE MANAGER STATES THAT THE NEW CVT TRANSMISSION ONLY HAS A 2 YEAR WARRANTY. IF THIS IS A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION, WHY SHOULD WE PAY FOR ANOTHER ONE. AS OF TODAY MY DAUGHTER HAS TO WALK/BUS TO SCHOOL AND THE MINI SITS.WE ARE INTERESTED IN THE CLASS ACTION SUIT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND ATTEMPTING A TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WOULD SEIZE AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 114,000.

COMPLETE POWER STEERING FAILURE, ON SURFACE ROAD IN CASTRO VALLEY, CA. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAUSED ME TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT, WHILE TRYING TO REGAIN CONTROL OF CAR, I CONTINUED INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC, IF ANOTHER CAR WAS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE THIS WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A REPAIR NEEDED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS, WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD AN INTERNAL DEFECT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,648.

WHILE CRUISING 60MPH I WAS APPROACHING THE CURVED RAMP FROM I-26 TO THE COOPER RIVER BRIDGE IN CHARLESTON SC. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. I HAD TO "MAN HANDLE" THE STEERING WHEEL TO ENTER THE LEFT CURVE. PART WAY THRU THE CURVE, THE POWER STEERING STARTED AGAIN AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE IN A SEVERE TURN TO THE LEFT. JUST ABOUT LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND SEVERAL OTHER VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY SWERVED TO AVOID ME. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. STOPPED AT THE MINI DEALER IN CHARLESTON, SERVICE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO HELP. SPOKE WITH THE PARTS GUY AND WAS TOLD IT IS A REAL PROBLEM WITH THE MINI, THEY HAVE THEM IN STOCK AND MAY USUALLY GET ANOTHER DELIVERY EVERYDAY. I WOULD HOPE THAT THE MANUFACTURE STEP TO THE PLATE AND REMEDY THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. *TR

I OWN A 2003 MINI COOPER AUTOMATIC AND I'VE ALREADY HAD TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE COOLING FAN REPLACED TWICE, AND NOW, ONLY A YEAR LATER AFTER MY 2ND REPLACEMENT AND A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS LATER, IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR A THIRD TIME. THE CARE ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS COSTLY AND A SAFETY ISSUE FOR DRIVERS. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CAR BY MINI OR BMW. *TR

AFTER CAR WAS SITTING FOR 4 HOURS THE POWER STEERING DID NOT WORK; I MUSCLED THE CAR HOME AND WHEN I STARTED IT TO TAKE TO MY MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY IT WAS WORKING AGAIN; I REVIEWED THIS ON LINE AND DISCOVERED THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS (MINI COOPER, 56,000 MILES, '03. *TR

REPEATED POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAVE REPLACED PUMP (AS WELL AS BELTS, FLUIDS, ETC.) NEW PUMP FIXED PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. NOW IT JUST STOPS WORKING AGAIN! NO COMPUTER CODE SHOWING PROBLEM. MAY WORK FINE ON START THEN JUST GO OUT A ANY POINT. MAY STAY OUT. MAY BE FINE AFTER RESTART. NO POWER STEERING WITHOUT NOTICE IS DANGEROUS! CAR HAS 90K MILES. SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM! THIS HAPPENS REPEATEDLY AT ALL SPEEDS, AT ALL DRIVING TIMES, AT MANY VARYING CIRCUMSTANCES (WET/DRY, HOT/NOT HOT, ENGINE COLD/ENGINE WARM, STRAIGHT ROADS/CURVY ROADS). DATE BELOW IS TODAY'S DATE, BUT THIS BEGAN HAPPENING 2 MONTHS AFTER BOUGHT CAR USED. DEALER HAS MADE NUMEROUS GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO REPAIR, BUT THE PROBLEM KEEPS RETURNING. IT IS A DEFECT AND A DANGEROUS ONE!!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. WHEN THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED SHE NOTICED THAT THE WIRES WERE MELTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RELAY AND POWER STEERING PUMP BOTH FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 41,000. .UPDATED 09/19/11 *BF THE CONTROL HARNESS AND POWER SUPPLY HARNESS CONNECTOR MELTED ON THE POWER STEERING MOTOR. THE VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED.