2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

2005 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO CATASTROPHIC ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY, RAPIDLY MOVING TRAFFIC, THE ELECTRIC STEERING FAILED. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR HAD STOPPED, QUITE LIKELY DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE AUXILIARY FAN. THE CONSUMER WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $ 1100 FOR THE PARTS ALONE.

POWER STEERING FAILED AS I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN FROM ONE STREET TO ANOTHER. WHILE 1/2 WAY INTO THE TURN THE STEERING NO LONGER RESPONDED AND STARTED TO GO STRAIGHT INTO ONCOMING OPPOSING TRAFFIC. IT TOOK QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT TO YANK THE STEERING WHEEL AND AVOID A CRASH (MUCH MORE EFFORT THAN STEERING MY 54 CHEVY PICK UP TRUCK). HAD CAR TOWED TO BMW/MINI DEALER - DIAGNOSED AS "POWER STEERING PUMP SHORTING". COST OF REPAIRS TO REPLACE POWER STEERING PUMP (INCLUDING NEW P/S HOSES): $1977.62. *TR

DROVE 8 MILES TO WORK. PARKED CAR AND TURNED IT OFF. SOMETHING KEPT RUNNING UNDER HOOD. I COULD HEAR IT. SOUNDED LIKE A FAN. WHEN LEFT WORK AT END OF DAY, BATTERY WAS DRAINED. HAD TO USE KEY MANUALLY TO GET INTO CAR. CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED AAA. AAA TRIED TO JUMP START THE CAR. THE GUY GOT IT STARTED, BUT THEN IT SHUT DOWN WHILE HE STILL HAD THE JUMPER CABLES ON IT. HE SAID THAT WASN'T GOOD AND CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE, EVEN IF IT COULD BE STARTED. CAR WAS TOWED TO MY HOME. AND THE NEXT DAY CAR WAS TOWED TO MINI DEALERSHIP. MINI SERVICE DIAGNOSED AND FOUND THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD SHORTED OUT. MINI SERVICE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AT A TOTAL COST TO ME OF $1,162.77. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED AT FREEWAY SPEED. DRIVER NARROWLY ESCAPED ACCIDENT AT FREEWAY SPEED. POWER STEERING PUMP TOTAL FAILURE. SOMEONE WILL DIE UNLESS THIS ISSUE IS ADDRESSED. *TR

WAS DRIVING ALONG THE ROAD AND CAME UP ON A TURN WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED UP. PUT ALL OF MY WEIGHT INTO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP FROM JUMPING THE MEDIAN. SCARED THE LIFE OUT OF ME. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON AND IT SEEMED FINE. THEN GETTING ON THE FREEWAY, I WAS ON THE CLOVER-LEAF AND IT LOCKED UP AGAIN SO I PUT ALL OF MY WEIGHT INTO IT AGAIN, THEN IT SUDDENLY RELEASED. WITH THE SUDDEN JERK/MOVEMENT (AND IT HAS DONE THIS A FEW TIMES) SOMEDAY I KNOW IT WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO FLIP. THE POWER STEERING SEEMS TO WORK IN PHASES: IT WILL BE FINE FOR A COUPLE DAYS, THEN ITS INTERMITTENT/GONE FOR A WEEK OR 2. THE PAST FEW DAYS, IT HAS SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE FAN WAS ENGAGED EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOT BEEN FOR A STRENUOUS DRIVE. I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY THE PUMP NOT TURNING OFF WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. THIS MORNING I GOT TO MY CAR TO FIND THE BATTERY COMPLETELY DRAINED... AN APPARENT SHORT IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP (AND/OR FAN) KILLED IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT A PARKING LOT, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA11005 (STEERING) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATES INTERMITTENTLY IN DASH AND PASSENGER AIRBAG "OFF" ILLUMINATES ABOVE REAR VIEW MIRROR IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. WHEN SOME SITS IN THE SEAT IT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN YOU CHECK THE CONNECTORS UNDER THE SEAT IT GOES OFF WITH WIGGLING. DIAGNOSED BY MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP AS "CRACKED SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR" INSIDE THE SEAT. NOT REPAIRABLE ONLY REPLACEABLE. AIRBAG WILL NOT GO OFF IF PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. MINI COOPER HAS COVERED THIS FOR OTHER MODELS, BUT MY CAR IS NOT COVERED. INCURRING ME A $1600 QUOTE FOR MAKE MY CAR SAFE FOR PASSENGERS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY MINI COOPER S '05, I SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING, WHICH MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. I FEEL THREATENED DRIVING MY CAR. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF WARNING LIGHT ON. DEALER WANTS $1800 TO FIX DEFECTIVE SYSTEM. *TR

DRIVING TO WORK IN THE AM. I SMELL SOMETHING IN THE CAR. WHEN I LOOK AT MY PASSENGER SIDE SEAT I SAW SMOKE. PULL OVER AND GOT A BETTER LOOK AT IT. I HAVE A HOLES IN MY CAR SEAT AND THE TWO VEST THAT I PLACE ON THE SEAT. IT APPEARS THE HEATED SEAT HAD A ELECTRICAL FAILURE. TOOK CAR TO MINI DEALER. THEY SAID IT REAL ODD THIS HAPPEN. THEY ALSO NICE TO SAY I WOULD HAVE TO PAID TO FIX IT. LOOK AT MANY SITE ON INTERNET AND SEEN BMW/MINI AND OTHER COMPANY HAVE ISSUES WITH HEATED SEATS. IT DO NOT SEEM TO ODD TO ME. I DID NOT EVEN HAD THE HEATED SEAT ON BECAUSE NO ONE WAS SEATING THERE. *TR