2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACT AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE CAR LOST POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY LASTING DIFFERENT LENGTH OF TIMES. THE STEERING WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO MOVE. THIS OCCURRED AS I WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WITH NO WARNING ON A LEFT HAND TURN. MINI DIAGNOSTICS IDENTIFIED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND SAID IT WAS INFACT THE SAME ISSUE BEING INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA BUT DECLINED TO ASSIST IN REPAIRS.. $1200.00... STANDING ONLY BEHIND THE 30,000MI/3 YR WARRANTY EXPIRATION. PLEASE RECALL THE 2005 MINI FOR THIS ISSUE... *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER TO BACK UP OR DRIVE. AFTER SHUTTING OFF AND RESTARTING CAR TWICE THE POWER STEERING IS WORKING AGAIN. CAR IS UNSAFE IF POWER STEERING FAILS AT ANY SPEED. COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH. *TR

VEHICLE DARTING AROUND ON ROAD LIKE STEERING STOPS THEN STARTS BACK UP,ACCELERATION DARTS LEFT , DECELERATION DARTS RIGHT. *TR

WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 95 WHEN POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. CAR BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. PULLED OFF ROAD, CHECKED FLUID LEVELS AND COULDN'T FIND ANY OBVIOUS PROBLEMS. POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON WHEN RESTARTED CAR. POWER STEERING STAYED ON FOR REST OF DRIVE, BUT HAS GONE OUT SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. ALWAYS COMES BACK IF TURN OFF CAR AND RESTART. *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT SAYING THAT THE AIRBAG IS TURNED OFF HAS BEEN TURNING OFF AND ON FOR A WHILE. PROBABLY SEVERAL YEARS. IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THE SEAT BELT SIGNAL WILL ACTIVATE EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS SEATED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT USUALLY HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER THE PASSENGER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO BUCKLE THE SEAT. THEN THE AIRBAG WARNING LAMP ON THE DASHBOARD WILL TURN ON AS WELL AS THE "AIRBAG LIGHT IS OFF" SIGNAL. SOMETIMES BOTH STAY ON FOR A WHILE. THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN AND IF THE AIRBAGS ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WHEN I HAVE A PASSENGER IN MY CAR, WHICH IS FRIGHTENING TO ME. I HAD MY MECHANIC RUN DIAGNOSTICS AND HE FOUND THAT THERE'S A TSB FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM ON 2005 MINIS. IT REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF THE SENSOR MAT. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR TO VERIFY WHETHER SUCH A KEY SAFETY COMPONENT OF THE CAR SHOULDN'T BE UNDER SOME EXTENDED WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD NO IT WASN'T. THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR THE ISSUE IS TO REPLACE THE BOTTOM SEAT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE WHICH I WAS TOLD WOULD COST $650 + LABOR OF $400 OR SO. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT IF I ORDERED THE NEW SEAT AND HAD IT REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC AND THAT DIDN'T RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, THEY WOULD NOT TAKE BACK THE SEAT. THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD BE COVERED IS IF I HAD THEM RUN THE DIAGNOSTIC FOR $95. I THINK IT'S OUTRAGEOUS THAT WITH SO MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS SAME KEY SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THEIR CAR THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH NOT EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO THIS MODEL OR ELSE RECALLING THE ITEM. AND WHAT'S WORSE, THERE IS NO WAY TO BE ASSURED THAT EVEN WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE NOT ON, THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL ACTUALLY DEPLOY PROPERLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING, THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM BEGAN OPERATING NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,192.

POWER STEERING FAILED ON LOW AND HIGH SPEED. HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO STOP,KEY OFF AND REKEY SEVERAL TIMES TO GET POWER STEERING TO RETURN. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES SINCE THE FIRST TIME. IT HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING AND WITH NO NOTICE. BY LOOKING AT THIS WEBSITE AND ONLINE FORUMS I SEE THIS IS A ONGOING CONCERN,AND THAT THIS CONCERN RESULTED IN A RECALL IN CANADA. I WOULD HOPE THAT NHTSA WOULD ADOPT THE SAME RECAL AS CANADA,AS THIS DEFECT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE CONSUMER. THE APPX COST OF A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE 1200.00 TO 2000.00 DOLLAR RANGE THAT IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE CONSUMER SEEMS GROSSLY UNFAIR. *TR

THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT DOES NOT CORRECTLY DETECT A PERSON SITTING IN IT. WHEN A PASSENGER IS IN THE SEAT, THE AIRBAG SENSOR STAYS "OFF". *TR

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AND AS I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN,I ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED AND I HAD TO FIND THE STRENGTH TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BEFORE I RAN INTO THE BUILDING ON THE NAVY BASE WHERE I WORK. I HAD A POWER STEERING PUMP PUT ON. IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN A YEAR AND ALREADY I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING. I DO NOT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO BUY A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP EVERY YEAR. *TR