2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

POWER STEERING FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING THE MINI FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES WE MADE A TURN ON OUR ROAD HOME AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER! IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL! WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE BECAUSE WE LIVE ON A WINDY ROAD THAT HAS MANY LARGE REDWOOD TREES ON THE SIDES OF THE ROAD WITH A CREEK DOWN A RAVINE. WE COULD HAVE EASILY HIT ONE OF THOSE TREES HEAD ON. OR IF WE WEREN'T ABLE TO TURN THE WHEELS WE COULD HAVE ENDED UP AT THE BOTTOM OF A RAVINE IN THE CREEK! EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! *TR

2003 MINI COOPERS- POWER STEERING FAILED DURING EXIT FROM NYS THRUWAY-RAN OFF THE RAMP DUE TO UNEXPECTED LOSS OF STEERING POWER. NO DAMAGE OR INJURY- TURNED ENGINE OFF- RESTARTED- POWER STEERING BACK ON. CONDITION HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. *TR

MY 20 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAS A 2003 MINI COOPER WITH APPROXIMATELY 47,000 MILES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED VERY WELL, INCLUDING OIL CHANGES, A 100 POINT INSPECTION AT 25,000 MILES, COOLANT FLUSH, BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSH, ETC. SHE WAS DRIVING IT HOME FROM WORK ON A COUNTY ROAD. AS SHE ROUNDED A CURVE THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THE FAILURE HAD NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE THIS TIME. SHE COULD BARELY TURN THE WHEEL, ACCORDING TO HER DESCRIPTION AND NARROWLY MISSED HITTING AN ONCOMING CAR. SHE DROVE IT TO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT AND CALLED ME AT WORK. I LEFT WORK AND EXCHANGED CARS WITH HER. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN THE POWER STEERING WENT COMPLETELY OUT. I CALLED THE MINI DEALER, WHICH IS ABOUT 50 MILES AWAY AND THEY CLAIMED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT VERY COMMON BUT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THEY SUGGESTED THIS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO TRACK ACTIVE FAULT CODES. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE BUT IT WAS A CLOSE CALL. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT BMW WAS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE. I ALSO FOUND EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION FROM OTHER MINI OWNERS WHO SHARED SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. SOMEONE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE INJURED OF KILLED BEFORE BMW IS FORCED TO STEP UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING BY ADDRESSING THIS SIGNIFICANT, KNOWN, SAFETY ISSUE. OH AND BY THE WAY, I JUST PICKED MY DAUGHTER'S MINI UP FROM DREYER AND REINBOLD BMW IN INDIANAPOLIS. THE BILL WAS $1200. IRONIC THAT BMW CAN AFFORD TO INVEST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN INDY CAR SPONSORSHIP BUT THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

THE CVT TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 MINI COOPER HAS FAILED RENDERING THE CAR NOT DRIVABLE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUIRKY, BUT I WAS ASSURED BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS DRASTICALLY AND MAKES A VERY AUDIBLE WHIRRING SOUND. THE ONLY OPTION FOR REPAIR IS A COMPLETE NEW PART INSTALL AT THE DEALER COST OF $8,800. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF IDENTICAL STORIES ABOUT THE CVTS ON MINI COOPERS AS WELL AS THE POWER STEERING PUMP. IT SEEMS FROM RESEARCH THAT THIS PART COMMONLY FAILS AND REPLACING WITH A DEFECTIVE PART AT A COST NEAR NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS IS ABSURD AND DISGUSTING. IT IS COST PROHIBITIVE TO KEEP MY CAR OPERATING AND I FEEL AS THOUGH I HAVE, AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF OTHER MINI OWNERS HAVE BEEN SOLD A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT WORTHY OF RECALL. *TR

MI MINI COOPER 2003 GOT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ,NEED A PART THAT THEY CALL ,ACTUATOR MOTOR,,IS NO WAY TO FIND THAT PIECE ,NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR 8000 $ DOLLARS. MANY MINI COOPERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM NOBODY CAN DO A RECALL TO BMW. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER WITH FAILING CVT TRANSMISSION. THIS TRANSMISSION WAS DISCONTINUED BY MINI AND SUBSEQUENTLY IS FAILING AT LESS THAN 100K MILES. THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IS ABRUPT AND CAN POSSIBLY LEAVE THE PASSENGER/S STRANDED IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC. CONSULTED WITH MINI OF GREENVILLE , SC THIS WEEK AND THEY STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILING TRANSMISSIONS AND COST TO REPLACE IS APPROXIMATELY $8000. WHEN ASKED IF THEY WOULD ACCEPT THE VEHICLE FOR A TRADE THEY STATED THEY WOULD ONLY GIVE $1000 FOR THE VEHICLE ON A TRADE. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE POSTS FROM IRATE OWNERS WHO ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE PREMATURE FAILED TRANSMISSIONS. WITH THE INCREASED FOCUS ON VEHICLE SAFETY MINI SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE PREMATURE FAILURES. *TR

MY FRIEND AND I GOT INTO MY 03 MINI COOPER S THIS PAST WEEKEND. WE WERE DRIVING ALONG IL RTE 1 UNTIL I GOT UP TO A 2 WAY STOP. I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN BUT I REALIZED I LOST ALL POWER TO MY POWER STEERING UNIT. I BARELY WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE TURN IN ORDER TO AVOID GETTING BROADSIDED BY A DODGE RAM BARRELING AT ME AT 60 MPHS. *TR

I PARKED MY 2003 MINI COOPER S AT WORK, AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, I NOTICED THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS STILL RUNNING. I WAS GOING INTO THE OFFICE GET A WRENCH TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY, AND WITHIN 5 MIN, AN EMAIL WAS SENT OUT "2003 MINI COOPER HEAVILY SMOKING IN PARKING LOT." AS SOON AS I GOT OUT THERE, THE FIRE/SMOKE HAS BEEN PUT OUT BY A COOLANT LINE THAT SPLIT OPEN BY THE FIRE AND PUT THE FLAMES OUT. WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR, I COULD SEE THE POWER STEERING PUMP COMPLETELY BURNT. I FILED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY, AND SO FAR THIS IS OVER $4,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT AS I HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND THIS IS NOT A RARE INCIDENCE. IN FACT, IT IS VERY COMMON, AND BMW REFUSES TO RECALL THIS FAULTY DESIGNED PART. I AM JUST SO FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN IN MY GARAGE. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND INVESTIGATE BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN BMW, AS THEY HAVE STATED PUBLICLY THERE IS NO PROBLEM. I WILL PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE NEEDED TO HELP THIS INVESTIGATION. THERE IS A MINI COOPER COMMUNITY THAT SHARES THEIR PROBLEMS AND FRUSTRATIONS HERE: HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/STOCK-PROBLEMS-ISSUES/73527-SPONTANEOUS-ENGINE-BAY-FIRES.HTML THE LIST IS ONLY GROWING, AS THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. I HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE A DEATH FOR BMW TO RECOGNIZE THERE IS AN ISSUE. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2003 MINI COOPER S FAILED, VERY HARD TO STEER ONCE FAILED, NOW I'M HAVING THE SAME FAILURE AGAIN AFTER REPLACING IT LAST YEAR. READ ON THREADS AND OWNERS EVERYWHERE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACTS OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER STEERING FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. HE CONFIRMED THAT WHEN SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE FOR A FEW MOMENTS THE POWER STEERING WOULD RESET ITSELF ONCE IT RESTARTED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TO REPORT THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000. UPDATED 11/03/10. *LJ