2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

DURING THE FIRST INCIDENT I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN, SUDDENLY THE STEERING HAD A HARD RESISTANT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DO A RIGHT TURN. I HAD TO MUSCLE THE WHEEL IN ORDER TO KEEP FROM VEERING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. WHEN I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO DO AN UNDER THE HOOD INSPECTION AND CHECK THE STEERING FLUID LEVEL, I SAW NOTHING THAT INDICATE DAMAGE. ONCE I RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT SEEM TO CORRECT ITSELF. I THOUGH WAS IT WAS MAYBE A FLUKE. LATER ON, MY WIFE INDICATED SHE HEARD A WHINING NOISE THAT CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND ASK ME TO LOOK INTO IT. AFTER LOOKING IT OVER, I ADD SOME BELT DRESSING, BECAUSE I THOUGHT COULD HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM. IN THE MEANTIME I MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN TEMPE, AZ. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THIS NOISE COULD BE SEVERAL INDICATORS, SUCH AS AN AGING STEERING PUMP, A MIXTURE OF NON-RECOMMENDED FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR OR THE PUMP COULD BE GOING OUT. I DISMISSED THE MIX FLUID INDICATOR, BECAUSE THE LEVELS WERE ALWAYS WITHIN RANGE AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE WAS NEVER TAMPERED WITH OR TOPPED OFF. AS SEVERAL MONTHS WENT BY, THE VEHICLE CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITHOUT INCIDENT, OTHER THAN THE WHINING NOISE, WHICH WAS HEARD WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME OF THE DAY, OR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING IN IDLE. RECENTLY, MY WIFE CALL ME FROM WORK AND INDICATED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING TO WORK FOR THE 2ND TIME, THE STEERING SEEM TO LOCK AND WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER. SHE MANAGE TO DRIVE HOME WITHOUT INJURY TO HERSELF OR OTHERS. THAT SAME DAY, WHEN I LOOKED OVER THE VEHICLE FOR LEAKS, DAMAGE OR FLUID LEVELS AND THE VEHICLE STEERING AGAIN LOCKED IN PLACE. AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH, I FOUND THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE 2004 AND 2005 MINI COOPERS, WHICH HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY MINI OF CANADA WHO ISSUED A RECALL. ON THE FLIP SIDE, MINI CORP IN THE US AND LOCAL DEALERS DO NOT. PLEASE ADVISE WITH A REPLY. *TR

I AM THE CURRENT OWNER OF A 2005 MINI COOPER S. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2006 FROM MINI OF IRVINE WITH 3,000 MILES. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSION. THE CAR JERKS WHEN CHANGING GEARS AT ANY SPEED, AS WELL AS WHEN SWITCHING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO MINI OF SAN DIEGO TO BE DIAGNOSED AND HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $8,000. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 73,000 MILES AND FIND IT COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING SO EARLY ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE FAILURE RECURRED AS THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000. *TR

INTERMITTENTLY ON COLD START THE POWER STEERING IS INOPERATIVE. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN WILL USUALLY RESULT IN THE POWER STEERING BECOMING OPERATIVE AGAIN. DEALERSHIP SAYS PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

THE POWER STEERING IN MY CAR HAS FAILED CONTINUOUSLY. WE HAD THE ENTIRE RACK REPLACED IN 2011 - THE STEERING FLUID CONSTANTLY LEAKS, OR BURNS DRY - FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THE POWER STEERING PUMP DOES NOT STOP RUNNING WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PARKED - REQUIRING FOR THE BATTERY TO BE DISCONNECTED AT EVERY STOP, OR RISK A DEAD BATTERY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED A RIGHT TURN AND THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY NEEDED TO TURN THE WHEEL INCREASED. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AS IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE FUNCTION PROPERLY UNTIL THE FAILURE RECURRED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,600. RETURNED BY USPS ON 4/8/2013. 2ND ATTEMPT ON 4/9/2013. *KB

INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURES WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION. ONE MINUTE POWER STEERING FUNCTIONS, NEXT MINUTE, NO PS AT ALL. POWER STEERING PUMP CONTINUES TO RUN EVEN WHEN ENGINE IS OFF AND KEY OUT OF IGNITION. AFTER RETURNING TO VEHICLE, BATTERY IS DEAD AS A RESULT OF CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING PUMP OR FAN. *TR

I MADE A LEFT TURN AT A LIGHT AND THE POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TURN. THE STEERING BECAME VERY HEAVY AND I THOUGHT I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE FLUID AND THE LEVEL WAS CORRECT. I CONTINUED DRIVING AND THE STEERING WAS FINE. *TR

AROUND 2 YEARS AGO, WHILE DRIVING WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT, THE LIGHT COMES ON INDICATING THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG IS OFF. THIS IS EXTREMELY CONCERNING THAT THE CAR'S PASSENGER AIRBAG MIGHT NOT BE WORKING, PARTICULARLY WITH A PASSENGER IN THE FRONT SEAT. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN REPORTED ON OTHER FORUMS TO BE LINKED TO A FAULTY SENSOR IN THE CAR SEAT, AND A NHTSA SERVICE BULLETIN (ID NUMBER: 10043927) HAS BEEN FILED. I HOPE THAT NHTSA CAN CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER A RECALL SHOULD OCCUR, GIVEN THE SAFETY CONCERN OF POTENTIALLY NOT HAVING A PASSENGER AIRBAG GO OFF IF A PASSENGER IS IN THE FRONT SEAT AND AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR

-MY DEPENDENT DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH DURING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS WHEN POWER STEERING ASSIST TURNED OFF. STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. FOLLOW-ON OCCURRENCES WERE REGULARLY REPEATED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 - 15 MILES. DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS CEASED UNTIL REPAIRS MADE THEREFORE WAS UNABLE TO COMMUTE TO / FROM SCHOOL OF HIGHER EDUCATION. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO LOCAL REPAIR STATION AND A FAULTY POWER STEERING MOTOR WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE. SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS TOTALLY 934.00 USD APPEAR TO HAVE FIXED PROBLEM. THE FACT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CONDITION, AND CHOSE TO PUT MY DAUGHTER AT RISK OR HARMS WAY IS SHAMEFUL. *TR