2004 MINI COOPER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AROUND TOWN THE POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING MAKING THE CAR VERY HARD TO TURN. IT WAS NOT NOTICEABLE DRIVING STRAIGHT, BUT WHEN TAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN YOU ALMOST CANNOT MAKE THE TURN UNLESS YOU REALLY CRANK ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT NO WARNING. IN ORDER TO GET THE POWER STEERING BACK, THE IGNITION HAS TO BE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, AND THEN RESTARTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED AND BOTH FRONT WINDOWS HESITATED TO ROLL UP AND DOWN. ALSO, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE FRONT SEAT BELTS WERE BUCKLED OR UNBUCKLED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A POSITIVE CABLE IN THE FUSE BOX THAT MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD DESTROY THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, CAUSE A FIRE, AND KEEP THE AIR BAG FROM DEPLOYING IN A CRASH. THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES WERE REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE CABLE WAS BEING STRETCHED AND THE CENTER SWITCH PACK CASE WAS SEPARATED, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE WINDOWS TO DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING HIGH SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,500.

MERGING ONTO INTERSTATE I ACCELERATED AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER. ENGINE WAS RUNNING BUT I COULD NOT GET ANY SPEED. EML MESSAGE LIT UP ON DASH. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, LOSING POWER AS I MERGED WITH TRAFFIC THAT WAS GOING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I MANAGED TO LIMP TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHUTTING OFF CAR AND RESTARTING RESET SOMETHING AND EML MESSAGE DISAPPEARED AND ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY. GOOGLING PROBLEM SHOWED MY EXPERIENCE WAS NOT UNIQUE AND THAT COULD EXPECT IT TO OCCUR AGAIN. AND IT SEEMS DEALER CAN ONLY DIAGNOSE SOURCE OF PROBLEM IF ERROR MESSAGE IS ON. *TR

MY 2004 MINI COOPER S HAS A PASSENGER SEAT BELT/AIR BAG LIGHT THAT IS ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES. ORIGINALLY, IT WAS SPORADIC, AND CONNECTING THE SEAT BELT WOULD CAUSE THE LIGHT TO GO OFF. NOW IT IS LIT ALL THE TIME, WHETHER THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT OR NOT. I WAS TOLD TODAY THAT THE SENSOR IS BAD AND WILL COST $1600 TO FIX, WHICH INCLUDES COMPLETELY REPLACING THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SEAT. MY MECHANIC SAYS THAT THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS MOST CONCERNING. OBVIOUSLY, THE DEFAULT SHOULD BE FOR THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. WHAT IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT AND MY PASSENGER IS GRAVELY INJURED (OR KILLED!)?? UNACCEPTABLE! I HAVE READ THAT BMW HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR BMW MODELS WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM. MINI COOPER SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, AS THEY ARE MADE BY BMW, OFTEN USING THE SAME PARTS! WHERE IS THE OVERSIGHT?!? *TR

STEERING FAILURE WHILST ON HIGHWAY, HEADED TO THE GRASS CURB, SMOKE IN CABIN (SMELT OF BURNING WIRE INSULATION). DID MANAGE TO RELEASE THE HOOD AND OPEN TO SEE IF I COULD EXTINGUISH, FIRE WAS FOCUSED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE ENGINE UNDER EXHAUST MANIFOLD. NOTHING TO DUE BUT WAIT FOR THE FIRE TRUCK, CAR COMPLETELY BURNED FRONT TO BACK, NOTHING LEFT TO SALVAGE. *TR

THE POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE MINI DEALER IN NASHVILLE TN AND I INQUIRED ABOUT A RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING AND WAS TOLD NO RECALL WAS PLACED ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

REPLACEMENT OF POWER STEERING PUMP PER RECALL, BUT UNABLE TO STEER WITHOUT REPLACEMENT OF U JOINT ALSO. *TT

1) AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BUSTED. CAR STALLED DANGEROUSLY ON THE HIGHWAY. 2) POWER STEERING PUMP BUSTED. STEERING LOCKED DANGEROUSLY ON THE ROAD AND COULD NOT BE MOVED. *TR

AFTER DRIVING FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA, I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN I RETURNED 10 MINUTES LATER, I LOST POWER STEERING WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. ON THAT SAME DAY, I DROVE FROM BURLINGAME BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. 5 MINUTES LATER, I LOST POWER STEERING AGAIN WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE. THE CAR IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT POWER STEERING, ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. *TR

TRAVELING EAST ON 376 APPROX. ONE MILE FROM THE SQUIREL HILL TUNNELS, A WOMEN IN ANOTHER VEHICLE ALERTED ME, TRYING TO TELL ME MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PULLED UP THE HOOD AND SAW FIRE. I CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE COMPANY CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. GOOGLED THE INTERENET AND FOUND THERE WAS APPROX 200,000 CASES OF FIRE WITHOUT THE MANUFACTURE RECALLING ALL VEHICLES.