2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

POWER STEERING PUMP STARTED TO BECOME LOUDER AROUND 83K MILES. WHEN I WAS DRIVING AROUND A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED UP AND IT BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. I ALMOST WRECKED BECAUSE OF THIS. AFTER RESEARCH, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT MY POWER STEERING GAVE OUT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY HARD TO MANEUVER. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO A RECALL AND STATED ONLY A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT WAS IN PROGRESS. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED AT HER OWN EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. UPDATED 08/31/*LJ THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 09/12/11

POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY FAILED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. WAS FORTUNATELY ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POWER STEERING FAILURES ARE UNFORTUNATELY ALMOST GUARANTEED IN MY YEAR AND MAKE VEHICLE. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SAID THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT AND MINI USA HAS EVEN REDESIGNED THE POWER STEERING PUMP DUE TO THE HIGH FAILURE RATE, AND ALSO RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE FAN DUE TO HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF SHORTING OR FIRE. I PARTICIPATE IN AN ENTHUSIAST FORUM WHERE THESE REPORTS ARE COMMON WHICH IS WHY I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP IMMEDIATELY, TO AVOID FURTHER IN-DRIVING FAILURE OR WORSE, A CAR FIRE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED IN THE PAST AND IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT NEITHER NHTSA NOR MINI USA HAS RECALLED THESE VEHICLES FOR WHAT IS AN ALMOST GUARANTEED FAILURE WITH OBVIOUS AND POTENTIALLY GRAVE SAFETY RISKS. I AM PAYING $1200 FOR THE REPAIR WHICH IS EXPENSIVE BUT NOT OUT OF LINE WITH WHAT OTHERS ARE PAYING AND WORTH MY PERSONAL PIECE OF MIND SINCE MINI USA WILL NOT PUBLICLY ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS A 2003 MINI COOPER S WITH 87,000 MILES. *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP WHEN EXITING HIGHWAY. FORTUNATELY, I HAD ENOUGH STRENGTH TO STAY WITHIN THE CURVE OF THE OFF RAMP WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP. MY WIFE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH TO KEEP THE AUTO FROM GOING OFF THE RAMP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH THE POWER STEERING WAS LOST AND THE WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 49,387. I STOPPED AT THE RED LIGHT IN THE RIGHT LANE. I THEN ACCELERATED TO MAKE THE RIGHT TURN AND THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THEN IT BARELY LET ME TURN IT TO DRIVE, AND PULL OVER. THE TOW TRUCK CAME AND TOOK IT TO MINI DEALER. IT COST 2240.00 TO FIX. THEY SAID IT WAS THE STEERING SYSTEM FAILURE. UPDATED 10/07/2011 *LN *TR

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, THE POWER STEERING FAILED ON MY 2003 MINI COOPER AT THE BEGINNING OF A 40 MINUTE DRIVE HOME. THE NEXT DAY, ALL WAS FINE AND CONTINUED TO BE SO UNTIL THIS AFTERNOON. BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN, BUT RETURNED WHEN THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF AND TURNED BACK ON. HOWEVER, ONCE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AGAIN, THE FAN IN THE POWER STEERING COLUMN CONTINUED TO RUN FOR AT LEAST 2 HOURS. THE CAR STARTED AND DROVE FINE, AND AGAIN UPON RETURNING HOME, THE FAN CONTINUED TO RUN. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED BACK ON, THE POWER STEERING AGAIN DID NOT WORK, AND NOW THE FAN IS NOT RUNNING. I HAVE READ MESSAGE BOARDS DETAILING ALMOST THE SAME PHENOMENON AND DESCRIBING UPWARDS OF $1000 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE MINI WAS JUST IN FOR IT'S 100,000 MILE SERVICE THREE WEEKS AGO AT THE COST OF $1700 AND NO MENTION WAS MADE OF ANY ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING. *TR

POWER STEERING HAS BECOME INTERMITTENT. WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, SOMETIMES THE POWER STEERING IS FUNCTIONING AND SOMETIMES IT IS NOT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A RIGHT TURN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME RESISTANT. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED AS THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY THE DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 145,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION, THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITH A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. A STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR EMITTED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SIX TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE WILL SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,512.