2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT. IT IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE, WHERE I WILL BE DRIVING FOR SEVERAL MILES WITH THE POWER STEERING INTACT, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT GOES OUT MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO TURN AND CONTROL. LATER THE POWER STEERING RETURNS. I HAD THE VEHICLE EXAMINED BY THE MINI DEALER, THE INSURANCE COMPANY MECHANIC, AND MY PERSONAL MECHANIC. NONE OF THEM WERE ABLE TO NOTICE ANY DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING. THE FLUID LEVEL IS INTACT AS WELL AS THE PUMP. THE MINI DEALER STATED THAT THEY'VE "SEEN A LOT OF THIS" ISSUE, BUT THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR OPEN CAMPAIGNS. THE DEALER BELIEVES THE ISSUE IS DUE TO AN INTERNAL ELECTRONICS FAILURE AND WILL NOT AGREE TO FIX IT IN GOOD FAITH. IN CALLING MINI USA, THERE ARE NO OPEN CAMPAIGNS OR RECALLS FOR THE ISSUE EITHER, DESPITE OVER ~50,000 CARS OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR REPORTEDLY HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND FRUSTRATING SITUATION WITH THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS DUE TO AN UNPREDICTABLE LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE REGAINED POWER STEERING FUNCTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,774.

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR LOST ALL POWER STEERING. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING MADE IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE CAR. THE CAR WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN THAN A CAR THAT HAS NO POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IT WAS WORKING ONE MOMENT, THEN AFTER A SHORT DRIVING FOR A SHORT PERIOD IT JUST CEASED TO WORK. CHECKED POWER STEERING FLUID AND THE FLUID LEVEL WAS OK. AFTER RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING WORKED AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. THE POWER STEERING WILL JUST QUIT WORKING WHILE DRIVING. YOU ARE GIVEN NO WARNING THAT IT IS NO LONGER WORKING, UNTIL YOU ATTEMPT TO TURN AND THE CAR DOES NOT RESPOND. *JS

HAVE BEEN NOTICING MY MINI'S FAN HAS BEEN SOUNDING LOUDER THAN NORMAL THOUGHT MAYBE A COOLING ISSUE GOING ON HOWEVER LAST WEEK THE POWER STEERING RANDOMLY WENT OUT IN THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. I MANAGED TO PULL THE CAR OVER AND TRIED TURNING CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT, POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. I THOUGHT IT WAS A WEIRD FLUKE AND CHECKED ALL MY ENGINE FLUID LEVELS WHEN I GOT HOME. ALL FLUIDS WERE AT NORMAL LEVEL AND THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. TODAY AGAIN POWER STEERING QUIT THIS TIME EARLY IN THE MORNING AS I WAS GETTING READY TO LEAVE FOR WORK (CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE PREVIOUS NIGHT). I HAD TO DRIVE INTO WORK WITH NO POWER STEERING AS I COULD NOT CALL OUT AND SAME THING DRIVING HOME TODAY POWER STEERING WAS STILL OUT. I STARTED SEARCHING ONLINE AND SAW THERE HAD BEEN SUPPOSEDLY A "SAFETY RECALL" ON 2005 MINI COOPER'S FOR "CAMPAIGN - POWER STEERING FAN RELAY WIRING MODIFICATION -NOTES :SI M32 03 04" STATING: "SERVICE ACTION: CORRECT THE WIRING FOR THE POWER STEERING FAN RELAY". I JUST CALLED MY LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP (BOSTON) GAVE THEM THE LAST 7 OF MY VIN FOR THEM TO LOOK UP IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON MY CAR, THEY STATED MY CAR IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST DESPITE THIS RECALL WAS SUPPOSEDLY ON MODELS R50 AND R53 (MY MODEL IS R50). I CANNOT DRIVE THIS CAR NOW WITHOUT PERFORMING THIS REPAIR, MY CAR HAS JUST TURNED 60,000 MILES (STILL CONSIDERABLY LOW I THINK FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS). IN MY SEARCHING I HAVE FOUND THERE ARE 14 OTHER COMPLAINTS LITERALLY JUST LIKE MINE SINCE JUST JANUARY OF THIS YEAR!!! HOW IS THIS NOT ON A RECALL LIST ? I LOVED MY CAR UP UNTIL NOW, I FEEL LIKE MINI HAS A HUGE PROBLEM THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT AND ARE STICKING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH PAYING A BILL FOR SOMETHING THEY PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED AS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THEIR CARS. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HINGE ON THE REAR HATCH FRACTURED AND THE ENTIRE REAR HATCH WAS DETACHING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE REAR HATCH WOULD NOT CLOSE DUE TO THE BROKEN HINGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000.

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER FAILED AND I HAD TROUBLE TURNING THE CAR. THE POWER STEERING FAILURE CONTINUED UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I LET THE CAR TO COOL DOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR BEFORE RESTARTING IT AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED FINE THE REST OF THE TRIP HOME. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME I EXPERIENCED THIS FAILURE, BUT DID NOT RECORD THE DATE, ETC. OF THE FIRST INCIDENT SO AM UNABLE TO ACCURATELY REPORT THAT. BOTH TIMES THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED, IT WAS ONLY DUE TO MY DRIVING VIGILANCE AND ARM STRENGTH THAT I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THE LOCAL MINI DEALER CANNOT LOOK AT MY CAR FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR FEARING ANOTHER FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING. *TR

POWER STEERING RANDOMLY COMPLETELY FAILS AT LOWER SPEEDS/ NO ASSIST AT ALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF YEARS LATER WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AGAIN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ON BOTH OCCASIONS AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,800. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED ONE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 01-SEP-2009 WITH 37800 FAILURE MILEAGE AND AGAIN ON 16-FEB-2012 AT 53827 UPDATED 06/07/12 *JS

OVER HEATING CONSTANTLY NO TECHNICAL PERSON KNOWS OF A REMEDY. OVERFLOW TANK BLOWS OUT WHEN CAR OVERHEATS CONSTANTLY .THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM SINCE THE BEGINNING NO MATTER WHAT YEAR THE CAR WAS BUILT AND NEVER REMEDIED. WHY NOT A RECALL? NOT KNOWING WHAT OTHER DAMAGE THIS CAUSES TO THE ENGINE. THIS HAS TO BE A RECALL FOR THE COMPANY TO FIX IT IS A HIT AND MISS FIX??? THIS IS A COSTLY PROCESS AND EVEN IN THE FORUMS ON MINI IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE. FRONT END FAILS ALL AT THE SAME TIME. (CONTROL ARMS, CV JOINTS) STEERING BECOMES HARD TO CONTROL. MINI HELP *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,000. UPDATED 03/15/12 *BF