2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

MY 2003 MINI COOPER HAS ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE SEVERAL TIMES, REPLACED TRANSMISSION, ELECTRICAL HARNESS, POWER STEERING PUMP, A/C HOSES AND A/C SERVICE, WHEEL BEARINGS, INJECTION PLUGS ETC....... I STILL CANNOT FIND THE REAL PROBLEM WHY IS CAUSING A SHORT, IT HAS ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE SEVERAL TIMES, THIS CAR HAS BEEN THE MOST DANGEROUS CAR I HAVE EVER OWN, I HAVE NEVER SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON TRYING TO FIX ANY VEHICLE, RIGHT NOW I'M ABOUT $11,500 IN COSTS OF REPAIRS, THIS IS A CRIME TO THE CONSUMER, I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THAT IS IN PROGRESS, I HOPE AND PRAY THAT WE GET JUSTICE FROM THE MAKER OF MINI. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE DRIVER WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AND HAD TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL WITH BOTH HANDS. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74,651.

THE SPARKPLUG HAS BLOWN COMPLETELY OUT THE HEAD OF MY 2003 MINI COOPER, I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS BECOMING A COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

ON SEP 5, 2010 AROUND 2:40PM, I PARKED MY 2003 MINI COOPER IN FRONT OF THE LOWE'S STORE IN SAN BRUNO, CA AND WENT INSIDE FOR SHOPPING WITH MY WIFE. AFTER 20 MINUTES LATER WE HEARD A STORE EMPLOYEE CALLED 911 FOR THE SMOKE/FIRE CAME OUT FROM MY CAR. I WENT OUT THE STORE IMMEDIATELY AND SAW THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABOUT TO PUT OUT THE SMOKE. THE FIREFIGHTERS OPENED THE HOOD AND HEARD THE NOISE UNDER THE CAR. NEXT, THEY DISCONNECTED THE CAR BATTERY AND THE NOISE WAS GONE. THE MINI COOPER WAS TOWED TO THE AUTO REPAIR SHOP FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS. HERE IS THE DIAGNOSTICS RESULT: "INSPECTED VEHICLE AND FOUND THE POWER STEERING INOPERATIVE. INSPECTED POWER STEERING PUMP AND WIRING. FOUND WIRING MELTED AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. FOUND OVER CURRENT DAMAGE DUE TO POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE CAUSING BATTERY LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, WIRING HARNESS, POWER STEERING PUMP FAN, AND ALTERNATOR." I BELIEVE THIS IS A MINI COOPER DESIGN FAILURE ACCORDING TO BBC SPECIAL REPORTS IN 2009. LINK 1: MINI POWER STEERING FAILURES HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/BLOGS/WATCHDOG/2009/02/MINI_STEERING_SYSTEM_FAILURES.HTML LINK 2: MINIS THAT COULD CATCH FIRE HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/BLOGS/WATCHDOG/2009/04/MINI_UPDATE.HTML. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM DROPPING MY CHILDREN OFF FROM SCHOOL AND THE STEERING WAS VERY HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL. THIS WAS AS I WAS GOING AROUND A CORNER. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND NOT MY TEENAGE SON OR DAUGHTER AS THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE STRENGTH TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE DONE SOME ONLINE RESEARCH ON MINI COOPER FORUMS AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO FAILURE OF A ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING PUMP. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER MINI OF MURRAY UTAH TO SEE IF THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL IN FORCE AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NONE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS IS A WELL KNOW MINI COOPER ISSUE. THE SERVICE REP SAID THAT HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS OWN VEHICLE. THIS A SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD HAVE COST MY THE LIFE OF MY CHILDREN. THIS MUST BE RECALLED. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER S - POWER STEERING HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED AT HIGH AND LOW SPEED DRIVING. WIFE RAN ONTO SIDEWALK ONCE WHEN CONTROL WAS LOST. SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING WHEN DRIVING. STEERING FAILS. WHEN CAR COOLS CONTROL COMES BACK, BUT FAILS AGAIN AFTER LESS THAN A MILE. CALLED 3 DEALERSHIPS WHO ALL KNEW & HAD REPAIRED CARS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. ESTIMATED $1500-2000 OUT OF MY POCKET TO FIX WITH NO HELP FROM MANUFACTURER. I COMPLAINED THAT THE CAR HAD BARELY 40,000 MILES ON IT AND FAILURE SHOULD NOT BE OCCURRING ON GERMAN ENGINEERED CAR. ONE SERVICE TECH SAID "THE PROBLEMS ARE IN THE PUMPS AND THOSE AREN'T DESIGNED OR MANUFACTURED BY BMW, SO IT IS NOT BMWS' FAULT." BUT THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SOLD THESE CARS WITH THESES ISSUES FOR 4 YEARS. FLUSHED POWER STEERING FLUID MYSELF WHICH WAS BURNT AND BLACK. REPLACED WITH NEW RECOMMENDED FLUID. LASTED ABOUT 30 MILES BEFORE BURNING SMELL RETURNED AND STEERING PROBLEMS CONTINUED AS BEFORE. SAW ONLINE ARTICLE WHERE BMW CAUTIONED THAT 2002-2005 MINIS MAY HAVE STEERING ISSUES BUT NO RECALL WOULD BE ISSUED. THE ARTICLE ESTIMATED 225,000 CARS AT RISK AND A RECALL MIGHT DESTROY THE MINI LINE. SO BE IT. 2002 AND 2003 MODELS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN INVESTIGATION OF 2004 AND 2005 MODEL YEARS. CONSIDERING SELLING THE CAR TO RECOUP INVESTMENT, BUT AFTER HEARING OF NUMEROUS STEERING FAILURES AND EVEN FIRES THAT TOTAL THE CARS AND EVEN BURN DOWN HOMES AND GARAGES WHERE THEY ARE PARKED MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I WOULD BE PUTTING SOMEONE ELSE UNWITTINGLY IN DANGER. THE CAR HAS CURRENTLY SAT IN STORAGE WITH THE BATTERY REMOVED FROM THE CAR WHILE I DEBATE WHETHER OR NOT TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP IN HOPES OF FIXING THE PROBLEM OR GET RID OF THE CAR. I WOULD HAVE TO TELL THEY BUYER THE ISSUES, WHICH MEANS LESS MONEY, AND I STILL OWE $6500. I WOULD LOSE ALL EQUITY I HAVE IN A CAR I PAID $20,000 FOR JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. BMW SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM OR I AND OTHERS HAVE UNSAFE CARS WORTH A FRACTION OF COST. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE THAT ENDED UP IN FIRE. POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE BATTERY ICON LIGHT WENT ON, AFTERWARDS IT BEGAN TO SMELL LIKE BURNT, I STOPPED THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AND OPEN THE BONNET, EVERYTHING WAS COVERED ON AN ASHES LAYER. THE PUMP WIRES AND CONNECTIONS WERE ALL MELTED ALONG THE PUMP. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 MINI COPPER. I AM EXPERIENCING THE POWER STEERING SHUTTING OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES USUALLY WHEN STARTING OR STOPPING THE CAR. AND DURING HOT WEATHER IN THE SUMMER. I ALSO HAD THE POWER STEERING FAN REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS BAD. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, I NOTICED HOW DIFFICULT IT HAD BECOME TO TURN THE WHEEL OF THE CAR WHEN COMPLETING A TURN. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES IN SUCCESSION AT WHICH POINT I WAS ABLE TO PARK THE CAR SAFELY OUT OF TRAFFIC IN A PRIVATE PARKING LOT. AFTER OPENING THE HOOD AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING VISUALLY WRONG, I.E., NOTHING BROKEN, LEAKING, EMPTY, ETC. I CALLED MY HUSBAND WHO CAME TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME. NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AT ANY TIME WHEN EITHER OF US DROVE THE CAR. MY HUSBAND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY DIFFICULTY IN TURNING THE WHEEL WHEN DRIVING THE CAR HOME. HOWEVER, MY HUSBAND THEN DROVE THE CAR THE SAME DAY A FEW HOURS LATER AND ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAD. IT WAS HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL - THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. THIS DIFFICULTY IN TURNING THE WHEEL HAPPENED IN DRIVE AS WELL AS REVERSE, WHETHER TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT. VERY SCARY! *TR

INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING (PS) FAILURE. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES INTO A DRIVE, POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL (AT ANY SPEED), MAKING CAR EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE. TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO TURN THE WHEEL; A FRAIL PERSON COULD KILL SOMEONE. TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND ON AGAIN WOULD RESET POWER STEERING ASSIST. HAD TO REPLACE PS PUMP FAN AND PS PUMP (DAMAGED BY OVERHEATING), AT GREAT EXPENSE (>$1100), TO DRIVE SAFELY AGAIN. *TR