2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

LAST THURSDAY MAY 10, 2012 I WAS DRIVING HOME AND SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING, I LOST THE STEERING POWER FUNCTION; THE STEERING WHEEL GOT TOTALLY RIGID AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MANIPULATE; WITH A HUGE EFFORT AND VERY CAREFULLY, I COULD ARRIVE AT HOME. I AM LUCKY THAT I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER. AFTER SWITCHING OFF AND ON THE CAR THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING FINE AGAIN. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT SINCE THEN; WE ARE DEALING WITH MINI COOPER AND ITS AUTHORIZED DEALER RIGHT NOW TO GET THE CAR REPAIRED BUT SO FAR THE EXPERIENCE WITH THEM HAS BEEN TRAUMATIZING. I RESEARCHED IN INTERNET AND I FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR THE MINI COOPER MODELS BETWEEN 2002-2007; I CONTACTED MINI COOPER AND MY HUSBAND TOOK THE CAR TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER THIS MORNING BUT THEY DO NOT WANT TO ASSIST US WITH THIS LIFE- THREATENING ISSUE; THE CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BEEN AWFUL HERE AND UNCONSIDERED. *JS

I STARTED THE CAR COLD BEFORE HEADING OUT AND THE POWER STEERING WAS COMPLETELY OUT. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN, ALTHOUGH NOT WITH THE FULL ASSIST. SINCE THIS TIME, EVERY TIME I START UP THE CAR, I HAVE A VARYING DEGREE OF ASSIST FOR THE FIRST COUPLE MINUTES OF DRIVING IT. *JS

SEAT SENSOR FOR THE PASSENGER AIR BAG CHILD DISABLING FEATURE FAILED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE SEAT. DEALER ESTIMATE WAS $1300 FOR THE REPLACEMENT SEAT AND LABOR. DEALER ADMITTED THAT IT HAS BEEN A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN SEVERAL BMW MODELS. THE CAR ONLY HAS 32000 MILES ON IT. NO WARRANTY COVERAGE WAS OFFERED. *TR

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE I WAS IN A TURN AT 30 MPH. STEERING BECAME VERY HEAVY AND NEARLY CAUSED THE CAR TO LEAVE THE ROAD DUE TO GREATLY INCREASED REQUIRED STEERING EFFORT. SHUT CAR OFF AND CHECKED FLUID LEVEL. FLUID LEVEL FOUND TO BE FULL. RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM WHEN I GOT HOME AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE WITH MINI'S. ADDITIONALLY, TRANSPORT CANADA HAS ISSUED A RECALL ALREADY ON THESE POWER STEERING PUMPS DUE TO CONTINUED FAILURES. *TR

POWER STEERING CUTS OUT INTERMITTENTLY. POWER STEERING COMES BACK AFTER RESTARTING VEHICLE. THEN FAILS LATER AGAIN. *TR

MY 2005 MINI COOPER S OUT OF NO WHERE BURIED THE NEEDLE ON THE THERMOSTAT AND WAS COMPLETELY OVERHEATED. UNABLE TO DRIVE ANY FURTHER AS I SMELT SMOKE AND POSSIBLY A SWEET SMELL COMING FROM THE ENGINE. HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND HAVE NOW SEEN THAT THIS IS AN ITEM THAT HAS BEEN RECALLED ON ALL MINI COOPERS S FROM 2006 TO 2011, I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE 2005 DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME PUMP ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BOARD ETC. AS THOSE AND I FEEL THAT MY CAR SHOULD BE ALSO RECALLED FOR THIS ITEM. OBVIOUSLY, I CAN NOT DRIVE IT AND THE PRICE IS OUTRAGEOUS TO FIX IT. *TR

I HAVE LOST POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS. IT CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL AND MAKES THE CAR UNDRIVABLE AND THERE IS NO WARNING. I PULL OVER AND RESTART IT AND IT HAS POWER STEERING AGAIN. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT ON THE FREEWAY. *TR

VEHICLE FIRE 5/2/2012. CAR PARKED FOR 4 HRS. RETURNED TO CAR & DROVE IT <50 YARDS FOR ~2 MINUTES (MOVED IT FROM STREET TO PARKING LOT). TURNED IT OFF AND WENT IN STORE. RETURNED ~4 MINUTES LATER, NOTICED SMOKE/EXHAUST SMELL; PRESUMED IT WAS ADJACENT CAR. UNLOCKED CAR. CAR WOULD'T START (NO LIGHTS/ELECTRICAL AT ALL). I THEN NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM HOOD. OPENED HOOD THEN NOTICED FLAME/FIRE INSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WENT IN STORE, GOT FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND PUT FIRE OUT. INVOICE WAS >$3500 FROM MINI DEALER. THE DEALER'S ASSESSMENT: "VERIFIED POWER STEERING PUMP HAS OVERHEATED TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS BURNED UP INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY (MELTING ALL THREE CONNECTORS AND THE WIRING LEADING TO THEM). INSPECTED POWER STEERING COOLING FAN AND VERIFIED COOLING FAN IS SEIZING UP WHICH VERY LIKELY LED TO THE OVERHEATING AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. REMOVED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX TO EXAMINE MEGAFUSE POWERING THE POWER STEERING PUMP, FUSE IS INTACT AND DID NOT BURN UP. INSPECTED POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE AND IT APPEARS THE RUBBER SECTION OF THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE WAS SUBJECTED TO THE HEAT/MELTING OF THE MAIN POWER CONNECTOR (IT'S IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CONNECTOR) AND IT APPEARS THE HOSE HAS TAKEN A LEVEL OF DAMAGE FROM THE HEAT. RECOMMEND REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING PUMP, THE WIRING SECTION/CONNECTOR PIGTAIL FROM THE FUSE BOX (THIS IS THE MAIN POWER CONNECTOR), THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS (CONTAINS TWO OTHER ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS TO THE PUMP WHICH RECEIVED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE), THE POWER STEERING FAN (LIKELY CAUSE OF FAILURE), POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE (HIGH PRESSURE HYDRAULIC LINE WHICH HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO THE MAIN CONNECTOR MELTING AND SUBSEQUENT HEAT), AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE COMPONENTS (O-RINGS, CRUSH RINGS, HOSE CLAMPS ECT...)" *TR

THE CAR HAD BEEN PERFORMING NORMALLY AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE IT WAS SUDDENLY EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. AFTER COMING OUT OF THE STORE THE CAR RESUMED STEERING CORRECTLY. THEN A FEW DAYS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED-IT WAS TERRIBLY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE VEHICLE. I CALLED MY MECHANIC WHO SUGGESTED CHECKING THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL. I WAS UNABLE TO FIND IN MY OWNERS MANUAL WHERE THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR WAS LOCATED. THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE FLUID THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND FOUND THE LEVEL TO BE NORMAL. HE INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING IN OTHER CARS OF MY TYPE. I ENDED UP HAVING TO HAVE EVERYTHING REPLACED-PUMP, FAN AND RESERVOIR AT A COST FOR PARTS ALONE AT $1033. I FEEL THAT IF THIS PROBLEM WAS KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURING COMPANY THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALLED ITEM FOR SAFETY SAKE. THE RECALL EXTENDED ONLY TO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2004. MY VEHICLE WAS MADE IN FEBRUARY 2005. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE CONTROLLED. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CURVE AND PUNCTURED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE. IN ADDITION, THE WAS AN ABNORMAL HUMMING HEARD FROM THE ENGINE AND THE BATTERY FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000.