2005 MINI COOPER Complaints

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT ABOUT 70 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. I WAS GOING AROUND A BEND IN THE ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING FAILED THAT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. WITHOUT NOTICE THE CAR REVERTED TO "RACK-AND-PINION" MODE. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT TIME TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR AND DID NOT GO OVER THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR HIT ANOTHER CAR. I DIDN'T DRIVE THE CAR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS THEN TOOK IT TO A FEW MECHANICS FOR AN ESTIMATE. DEALER SAYS REPLACE THE STEERING PUMP AT $1200 BUT THEY WILL NOT HONOR ANY ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE STEERING PUMP OR THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO THE COOLING FAN FAILURE. THE POWER STEERING FAN QUITS THEN THE PUMP GETS HOT AND SHUTS OFF. I CALLED MINI USA TODAY AND THEY SAID THEY WILL NOT ASSIST ME IN PAYING FOR THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. MY PUMP FAILURE IS INTERMITTENT SUGGESTING THAT THE PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL AND ON POINT FOR A RECALL ON 2004 MINI COOPERS. MY CAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2004, BUT IS THE 1707 CAR OUTSIDE THEIR "OFFICIAL" RECALL RANGE. MINI/BMW SENT A "MR. DRIVER" LETTER OUT ON 12/2004 FOR THIS "RECALL." MY CAR HAD NOT BEEN PURCHASED YET. THE DEALER SAYS THAT REPLACING THE STEERING PUMP WILL SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS INCLUDING THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE. APPARENTLY, THE NEW STEERING PUMP HAS A DESIGN FEATURE THAT ELIMINATES THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE PROBLEM (DEFECT CODE: 0032630100 & LABOR CODE: 0055719). THE MORE THE PUMP OVERHEATS BECAUSE OF THE FAN NON-OPERATION PROBLEM, THE PUMP WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED, IT WILL BE BURNT OUT. ONE THING IS SURE, I HAVE A PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE STEERING PUMP MAKING MY CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT. NOR DO I BELIEVE, I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANUFACTURES DESIGN FAILURE. THE CAR IS NOT FIT TO DRIVE AS INTENDED. WHY IS BMW GETTING AWAY WITH THIS? MANY THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DRIVERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. *KB

POWER STEERING FOR THE LAST YEAR OR SO ONLY WORKS A FRACTION OF THE TIME. THE FIRST TIME IT WENT OUT WAS WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. LAST WEEKEND IT STOPPED WORKING AND DIDN'T WORK AGAIN FOR A FULL WEEK. VERY HARD TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WHEN IT GOES OUT UNEXPECTEDLY. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR PAD WAS FAULTY AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM IN WHICH THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

GOING INTO A TURN ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF I-465 IN INDIANAPOLIS AND THE MINI COOPER'S POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I BRAKED HARD AND PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. *TR

IN THE EARLY FALL, SEPTEMBER 2011, I ENCOUNTERED ISSUES WITH MY CAR NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. IT'S AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SO I KNOW THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD BE DOING TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AND DRIVEN WITH CARE WHILE IN MY POSSESSION(I'M THE SECOND OWNER. NO SIMILAR ISSUES ON CARFAX REPORT). WHILE THE ENGINE IS COOL AND NOT YET AT ITS OPTIMAL TEMPERATURE THE DRIVE IS FINE AND YOU MAY NOT EVEN NOTICE A PROBLEM; HOWEVER, EVERY RIDE, ONCE WARMED UP THE CAR BEGINS TO SHIFT INCREDIBLY VIOLENTLY AS IT IS OBVIOUSLY STRUGGLING TO SWITCH GEARS. THIS OCCURS ALSO WHILE SLOWING DOWN AND THE CAR IS DOWNSHIFTING CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE "SLUNG" INTO A CAR FROM BEHIND(THIS HAPPENED IN THE MID SUMMER OF 2011). AFTER DROPPING THIS CAR OFF SEPTEMBER 15TH TO THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP, I DID NOT HEAR FROM THEM FOR ALMOST THREE WEEKS. IN THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER I WAS CONTACTED AND TOLD IT LOOKS LIKE MY CAR IS VERY EASILY FIXABLE AND SHOULD BE READY SHORTLY. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME THAT A SEAL HAD BROKEN ON THE TRANSMISSION LEAKING FLUID ONTO IT CAUSING THIS SHIFTING MALFUNCTION. WHEN THEY FINALLY TOLD ME I CAN PICK UP MY CAR(APPROXIMATELY OCTOBER 18TH) THEY REGRETTED TO INFORM ME THE PROBLEM WAS NOT ABLE TO BE FIXED AND I WOULD HAVE TO BRING IT ELSEWHERE AS THEY DO NOT REBUILD TRANSMISSIONS. NOW IT IS BACK IN MY POSSESSION WHERE I AM FORCED TO COMMUTE IN IT DAILY, DRIVING WORSE THAN IT WAS BEFORE I DROPPED IT OFF. IT NOW DISPLAYS "PE" FOR ITS CURRENT GEAR FROM TIME TO TIME. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY COMPLAINT I HAVE FILED FOR THIS CAR MATCHING OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. I AM A VICTIM OF THEIR FAILED POWER STEERING AS WELL. *TR

STEERING WHEEL LOCKS WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TALKED TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER BELIEVES THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE STEERING PUMP. I RESEARCHED IT ON THE NET AND FOUND MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED AND APPROACHING A RIGHT HAND TURN THE VEHICLE'S STEERING STIFFENED. THUS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE THE TURN SAFELY. INSTEAD OF COMPLETING A TIGHT TURN INTO THE CLOSES LANE, I MADE A WIDE TURN INTO LANE 2. ONCE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, PARKED AND TURNED BACK ONE THE PROBLEM DID NOT PERSIST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE CONTACT WOULD RESTART THE VEHICLE. ONCE RESTARTED, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD OPERATE AS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS WITH AND WITHOUT PASSENGERS SEATED IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A WIRING FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,500.

4/10/2008 AIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY - MINI DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM 9/23/2008 AIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON AND STAYED LIT - MINI DEALER FOUND MICRO-CRACKS IN OC3 SEAT MAT FAULT CODE FC71 STORED IN MR55K CHECKED FAULTS REPLACED OC3 SEAT MAT INSTALLED SEAT AND ENABLE SEAT MAT WITH GT1 CLEARED FAULTS SUMMER 2011 - AIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY OCTOBER 2011 - AIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH CAME ON AND STAYED LIT 11/15/2011 - MINI DEALER REFUSES TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY, DESPITE KNOWN ISSUES WITH THIS COMPONENT HAVING A HISTORY OF BEING DEFECTIVE. *TR