2003 MINI COOPER Complaints

2003 MINI COOPER TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. CAR JUST STOPPED WHILE GOING 60 MPH. MANUFACTURER/DEALER WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS (85,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY). ESTIMATE TO REPLACE: $9,000. SOLD CAR AS IS AT AUCTION. *TR

COURTESY COPY TO THE ADMINISTRATOR OF LETTER FROM KATHLEEN BIDDICK TO MINI USA RE STEERING PUMP SYSTEM OF MINI MODELS MANUFACTURED IN 2003 -2007. *NJ THE SUDDEN AND UNPREDICTABLE LOSS OF STEERING POWER IN A VEHICLE IS A THREAT TO ALL DRIVERS ESPECIALLY IN FAST MOVING TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING A REFUND OF $1,180.44 TO COVER THE REPAIR OF THE STEERING PUMP SYSTEM ON HER 2003 MINI COOPER. THE STEERING PUMP FAILED BECAUSE OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.*JB

2003 MINI COOPER S, 90000 MILES. POWER STEERING WHEEL FAILURE DURING NORMAL DRIVING. THE STEERING WHEEL IS EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN MANUALLY, THUS CAUSING PANIC AND REAL DANGER, BECAUSE THE CAR SWERVED OUT OF A TURN. DEALER SAYS IT IS A COMMON ISSUE, AND NEED TO REPLACE THE FAN OR PUMP, REPAIR PRICE $1300. MINI NEEDS TO RECALL THE CAR. *TR

MY 2003 MINI COOPER S SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARALLEL PARKING IN LOS ANGELES, CA. THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED, A FIRE SHORTLY FOLLOWED. THE LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPT. WAS PHONED. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S PURCHASED NEW. HE STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF LESS THAN 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN PULLING TO THE RIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE BATTERY CHARGING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT IMMEDIATLEY SMELLED A BURNING ODOR. HE PULLED OVER AND FOUND THERE WAS A FIRE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER HOWEVER HE HAD ALREADY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THE FIRE WAS A RESULT OF A FAULTY POWER STEERING PUMP COOLING FAN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 88,000.THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

FAILURE OF 2003 MINI COOPER MANUAL TRANSMISSION. MY CAR HAS BEEN UNDER REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I FIRST NOTICED THE CAR LOSING POWER GOING UPHILL, THEN IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR. NEXT MORNING I WAS UNABLE TO GET INTO REVERSE, WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SHIFT AND SOME GEARS COULD NOT BE ENGAGED. AT A STOP LIGHT I BEGAN HEARING A VERY LOUD GRINDING NOISE, LIKE METAL IN A BLENDER, THE CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN GEAR, I HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. THE DEALER OFFERED NOTHING. MY PRIVATE MECHANIC FOUND METAL SHREDS THROUGHOUT THE TRANSMISSION. SAID A BEARING HAD COME LOOSE AND DESTROYED THE INTERIOR OF THE TRANSMISSION, ALL AT 65K MILES. HE ALSO SAID THE ENGINE COULD HAVE FAILED WHILE ON THE FREEWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE ENDANGERING. ALSO THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT AT 30K MILES. BOTH VERY COSTLY REPAIRS AND THE TRANSMISSION LOCKING UP A VERY SERIOUS LIFE THREAT. THE REPLACEMENT COSTS FOR THE TRANSMISSION WERE $3K AND THAT WAS FROM A PRIVATE MECHANIC. ONLINE RESEARCH SHOWS A PLETHORA OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND INFORMATION THAT MINI COOPER KNOWS ABOUT THIS. NEITHER THE LOCAL DEALER NOR CORPORATE OFFICE WOULD OFFER ANY HELP IN REPLACEMENT COSTS. *TR

DRIVING HOME AS USUAL, WHEN I TURNED TO BACK-IN TO THE DRIVEWAY AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER CAR INTO THE DRIVEWAY. LEFT CAR OVERNIGHT AND TRIED AGAIN NEXT DAY. FINE THE NEXT DAY, BUT HAPPENED AGAIN THE FOLLOWING DAY. 2003 MCS 31,700 MILES. LOOKING INTO CAUSE OF FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE TRANSMISSION CAN ONLY BE REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THERE ARE NO AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIPS IN THE STATE. THE MECHANIC ESTIMATED THE REPLACEMENT COST OF THE TRANSMISSION BETWEEN $8,000-$9,000. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 76,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 01/12/10 *BF UDDATED 01/14/10.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL SHIFT INTO THE DRIVE GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY, AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE CVT TRANSMISSION, AT AN EXPENSE OF $ 8,300.00. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 88,000. UPDATED 10/21/09. *LJ THE REPAIR SHOP DISCOVERED THE CVT DRIVE BELT HAD SHREDDED WHICH SENT METAL THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION. THERE WERE NO PARTS AVAILABLE, THE ONLY OPTION WAS FULL TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. UPDATED 10/20/09

MY CAR WILL SUDDENLY ONLY GO ABOUT 5 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE THINKS HE HAS IT FIXED AND THEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. NOW THEY ARE SAYING IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION FOR $8,400. THEY CAN'T REBUILD ONE, THEY CAN'T BUY A REBUILT ONE. THE CAR HAS LOW MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION SHOULDN'T BE GOING OUT. I BELIEVE MINI COOPERS HAVE A FLAWED TRANSMISSION AND THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO PUT MORE FLAWED TRANSMISSIONS INTO CARS AND WE THE CUSTOMERS ARE GETTING '!@#$%. *TR