2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

THE CAR, A 2003 MINI COPPER, SUDDENLY SLOWED DOWN WHILE I APPLIED BRAKE IN A EVENING TRAFFIC THAT WAS SLOWING DOWN NEAR A LIGHT/SIGNAL. IT FELT LIKE A STALL AND A LOSS OF POWER. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, AND ON CONFUSION, I TRIED TO ADJUST THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE. AT THAT POINT, THE CAR'S POWER CAME BACK AND THE CAR ROLLED FORWARD AND HIT THE TRAILER HITCH OF THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME, CAUSING A 2' DENT AND CRACK ON THE FRONT BUMPER. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS A LOW-SPEED IMPACT AND DID NOT CAUSE ANY PERSONAL INJURY. SINCE THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE, I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER CHECKING THE WEB. THEY SUGGESTED CHECKING THE SOFTWARE VERSION ($90) AND A REVISION ($180). THE COST OF FIXING THE BUMPER WOULD BE MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED AS CAR WAS MOVING. NO APPARENT REASON FOR FAILURE. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL CAR WITHOUT THE STEERING. I WAS NOT GOING TOO FAST BUT IF IT HAD HAPPENED AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. STEERING REMAINED UNUSUABLE UNTIL CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND COOLED SLIGHTLY. WHEN I STARTED IT, IT WAS FINE. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR OR SO.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COPPER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE ON THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD WHINING NOISE. THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED CONTINUOUSLY. THE LAST TIME THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN AND DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE CONTACT HAD TO JUMP START THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO START IT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE THEN JERKED VIOLENTLY FOLLOWED BY AN INDEPENDENT RESET OF THE POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT BARELY MISSED CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER NOR WAS THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WAS STIFF AND IT WAS SOON EVIDENT THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS STARTING TO FAIL. THE FAILURE WAS SUDDEN. AFTER PULLING BACK INTO THE PARKING SPOT, SHUTTING THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING BECAME FUNCTIONAL. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHICH MADE IT DIFFICULT TO STEER. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED. POWER STEERING NOW APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY NON-FUNCTIONING. COINCIDENTALLY, THIS CAR HAS ALREADY HAD A STEERING PUMP REPLACEMENT IN DECEMBER 2004 WITH 23070 MILES ON IT. THE FIRST POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE WAS GRADUAL, BUT ALARMING FOR SUCH A LOW-MILEAGE VEHICLE. THIS MOST RECENT FAILURE OCCURRED WITH LESS THAN 48000 MILES ON THE NEW PUMP AND SUGGESTS A FAULTY PART/DESIGN WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE MORE SERIOUS INCIDENTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND HARNESS WAS MELTED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 5/24/11 *CN THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND WIRING HARNESS HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 06/10/11

YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING HOME NORMALLY. WHEN I SLOWED TO TURN INTO THE ALLEY WHERE I PARK MY CAR MY POWER STEERING FAILED. I MISSED SLAMMING INTO THE CORNER OF THE BUILDING BY A COUPLE INCHES AND WAS ABLE TO PARK. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL AND EVEN PUT A LITTLE IN. SINCE THE THEN THE POWER STEERING IS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE, BUT "CATCHES" EVERY NOW AND THEN. THIS MAKES IT EXTREMELY HARD TO DRIVE. AFTER READING OF NUMEROUS OTHERS HAVING THIS ISSUE, I CALLED BMW TODAY. THEY RECORDED MY INFORMATION AND SAID I WOULD BE INFORMED IF THERE WAS A RECALL BY NHTSA, BUT THAT NOTHING WAS BEING DONE AT THIS TIME. *TR

THERE WERE NO WARNINGS OR EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. FORTUNATELY, IN MY CASE THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES RESULTING FROM THE FAILURE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED AS SHE WAS CLOSE TO HOME. SHE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO MAKE THE TURN WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING SO HAD IT OCCURRED ON HER WAY TO WORK AROUND A CURVE, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CRASH FOR SURE. A COUPLE OF TURNS SHE NEEDS TO MAKE HAVE STEEP DROP OFFS AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC THAT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN DEATH. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY DEATHS HAVE BEEN REPORTED DUE TO THIS, BUT I CAN SEE WHERE IT COULD EASILY HAPPEN AND NOT BE PINPOINTED AS THE CAUSE SINCE THE FAILURE WAS IMMEDIATE AND WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING, NOT AFTER BEING STOPPED. *TR

HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 7 YEARS AND IT HAS NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. I WAS TAKING A RIGHT TURN INTO MY WORK WHEN MY POWER STEERING FAILED WITH NO WARNING. THIS CAUSED ME APPLY THE BRAKES HARD AND TURN THE WHEEL WITH A GOOD AMOUNT OF FORCE TO MAKE THE TURN. IT WAS LUCKY THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD OR I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. IT HAPPENED AT THE END OF A 50 MILE DRIVE, NO ISSUES UNTIL THEN. I STOPPED THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT AN HOUR LATER AND I WORKED FINE. I DROVE IT BACK HOME THE NEXT MORNING 50 MILES WITH NO ISSUES. MY MAIN CONCERN IS HAVING HAD THE CAR FOR THIS AMOUNT OF TIME IT CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE, AND MY WORRY NOW IS WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WILL INTERMITTENTLY FAIL COMPLETELY, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE, AND GREATLY INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN ACCIDENT. THE FLUID LEVELS ARE CORRECT, AND POWER STEERING WILL RETURN AFTER SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF AND LETTING IT SIT FOR A WHILE.. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION. *TR