2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

DRIVING HOME YESTERDAY, MY 2003 MINI COOPER S SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING AS I WAS GOING AROUND A CURVE. I HAD TO MUSCLE THE CAR BACK INTO MY LANE TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN THE LANE BESIDE ME. I WAS ABOUT HALF A MILE FROM HOME AND MADE IT THERE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT -- BUT TURNING AT SLOW SPEEDS WAS DANGEROUSLY DIFFICULT. I CONTACTED THE MINI REPAIR SHOP THIS MORNING AND THEY SAID THAT THIS INTERMITTENT UNEXPECTED LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL IS UNFORTUNATELY SOMEWHAT COMMON WITH MINIS. *TR

ON 5/26/10 LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING ON THE LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY. 141,000 MILES ON CAR. POWER STEERING ELECTRONIC PUMP REPLACEMENT COST $ 1005.00. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL REMAINED VERY STIFF. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE CONTROL MODULE ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

WHILE DRIVING A 2003 MINI COOPER VEHICLE STEERING MALFUNCTIONED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. AUTO BARELY MADE IT TO DEALERSHIP. DETERMINED TO BE A FAULTY POWER STEERING PUMP WITH ADJOINING PARTS. VEHICLE HAD 46,594 MILES AND MINI WOULD NOT COVER DEFECT EVEN THOUGH OTHER OWNERS COMPLAINED OF PROBLEM. REPAIR TO ME WAS $979.01 + 6% CONNECTICUT SALES TAX! *TR

WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED I WAS APPROACHING A CORNER FOR A TURN AND WITHOUT WARNING THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. ANOTHER CAR WAS AT THE CORNER AND I ALMOST HIT IT BECAUSE I WASN'T EXPECTING TO HAVE TO MANUALLY FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN THE CAR. THERE IS NO SET TIME OR LENGTH OF DRIVE FOR THE POWER STEERING TO JUST QUIT. NOW EVEN GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD I CAN SOMETIMES FEEL THE STEERING STIFFEN UP SO I WILL MAKE A TURN TO CHECK AND SURE ENOUGH NO POWER STEERING. SOMETIMES WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN THE CAR WILL FEEL LIKE IT JUMPS A LITTLE SIDEWAYS AND I'M NOT SURE IF ITS THE POWER STEERING TRYING TO ENGAGE OR WHAT. I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO REPLACE THE PUMP YET BUT I TRY NOT TO DRIVE IT AS OFTEN TO DECREASE THE CHANCES OF HITTING SOMETHING OR THE POWER STEERING PUMP GOING OUT ALL OF THE WAY. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER S WITH 67,000K MILES, POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND CAUSED A SHORT CIRCUIT RESULTING IN A COMPLETE MELTDOWN. THE PUMP, HYDRAULIC LINES, COOLING FAN AND WIRING HARNESS WERE ALL BURNED OR MELTED. THERE WAS NO SYMPTOM OR INDICATION OF A FAILURE. CAR DROVE AND ACTED "NORMAL" PRIOR TO PARKING IT FOR THE DAY. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR, 8 HOURS LATER, NO POWER STEERING. IF IT HAD BEEN IN MY GARAGE WHEN THE SHORT/MELTDOWN OCCURRED, IT MAY HAVE CAUSED FIRE. MINIUSA BASICALLY SAID I WAS ON MY OWN DUE TO EXPIRATION OF MY WARRANTY. (60,000). *TR

DRIVING 55MPH ON HIGHWAY. CAR STARTS PULLING LEFT AND RIGHT AS IF CAUGHT IN A GROOVE. PULL OFF NEXT EXIT AND NOTICE I HAVE NO POWER STEERING AS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER AS CAR COMES TO A STOP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. HE WAITED 20 MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE WHICH PERFORMED NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE LOCA LMECHANIC. ONE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER MECHANIC VERIFIED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 114,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 114,300.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY FOR TWO MILES, AND THEN THE FAILURE REOCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE MOVED OFF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000. UPDATED 02/08/11*LJ UPDATED 04/21/11