2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE Complaints

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 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

AFTER IGNITING MY CAR, SOMETIMES POWER STEERING DOESN'T WORK. ALL I CAN DO AT THIS MOMENT IS THAT I TURN OFF AND RESTART MY CAR AGAIN. AND MOST OF TIMES IF I RESTART MY CAR, POWER STEERING WORKS FINE. ALSO POWER STEERING ONCE IN A WHILE STOPS TO WORK WHEN I DRIVE SLOWLY, E.G WHEN I DRIVE LOCAL. I HAVE TO RESTART MY CAR IN THIS CASE TOO. UNTIL A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, I FELT THIS PROBLEM ONLY HAPPENED WHEN I IGNITED MY CAR OR DROVE LOCAL, SO I THOUGHT THIS IS A MINOR ISSUE AS LONG AS I CAN RESTART MY CAR SAFELY. BUT THE MOST DANGEROUS MOMENT OCCURRED TWO DAYS AGO WHEN I WAS MAKING A TURN TO EXIT ON PARKWAY. SUDDENLY IT WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE CAR ON HIGHWAY, AND I HAD TO STOP AT SIDE ROAD AND RESTART. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HAD HIM EXAMINE IT YESTERDAY. HE SAID POWER STEERING WHEEL PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TT

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND LOST STEERING ABILITY. THE RELAY FOR THE COOLING FAN REMAINED IN THE CLOSED POSITION CAUSING THE BATTERY TO FAIL. I HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND BATTERY. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.

MY 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AFTER A SHORT TRIP, NOT RUNNING. I CAME OUT OF A STORE AND SAW SMOKE POURING OUT FROM ALL AROUND THE HOOD AREA. I RAISED THE HOOD AND THE SMOKE BEGAN TO SUBSIDE. SMELLED LIKE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS WARNING OF ANY KIND. THE REPAIRS INCLUDE THE ALTERNATOR, POWER STEERING PUMP, RESERVOIR, POWER STEERING PUMP FAN. AT A TOTAL OUT OF POCKET OF $1900.00. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE ENTIRE POWER STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER OR CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE POWER STEERING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,776. UPDATED 01/18/12*LJ THE STATED SHE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING AS SHE ROUNDED A CURVE. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING FORCED HER OFF THE ROAD AND NEARLY INTO A DITCH. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED IT WOULD COST $1400 TO REPLACE THE STEERING PUMP. UPDATED 02/28/12

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE SUDDENLY FAILED ON A TURN, NEARLY CAUSING ME TO GO INTO A DITCH. MY MINI DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY THE POWER STEERING PUMP & WOULD COST $1400 TO REPLACE. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET & FOUND THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE MINI COOPER & THAT AN INVESTIGATION WAS TAKING PLACE INTO THE DEFECTIVE PUMP & THAT A RECALL MIGHT BE FORTHCOMING. I CALLED MINI USA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPT. THEIR REP TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE ISSUE & THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO OFFER "GOODWILL" ASSISTANCE IN GETTING IT REPLACED IF I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER FOR VERIFICATION THAT IT WAS A PUMP FAILURE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO VERIFIED THAT THE PUMP NEEDED REPLACED. THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THIS HAD BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM & THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE COMPLAINTS MADE ABOUT THE PUMP GOING BAD. I CALLED MINI USA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE, SPOKE TO A SUPERVISOR WHO TOLD ME SHE'D GET BACK TO ME. A WEEK LATER, SHE CALLED & TOLD ME THAT MY REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN DENIED & THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT, IN LIGHT OF THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE POWER STEERING PUMP, BMW/MINI SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS REPLACEMENT. $1400 IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE BAD IN THE FIRST PLACE. THERE ARE NO LOCAL MECHANICS WHO CAN TAKE REPAIR THIS SO MINI USA/BMW HAS US RIGHT WHERE THEY WANT US - POWERLESS TO FIGHT A BIG COMPANY & HELPLESS BECAUSE WE NEED OUR VEHICLES. I WOULD HAVE NEVER EXPECTED THIS TO HAPPEN ON A CAR WITH LESS THAN 45,000 MILES ON IT. SUDDENLY LOSING ONE'S POWER STEERING CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. I ENCOURAGE NHTSA TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS VEHICLE'S POWER STEERING PUMP DEFECT & ISSUE A RECALL TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE'S DRIVERS, PASSENGERS & ANYONE WHO COULD BE INJURED DUE TO SUDDEN LOSS OF ITS POWER STEERING. *KB

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.

AUTOMATIC CVT TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 77,000 MILES. CAR STOPPED WHEN GOING DOWN INTERSTATE, PRESSING GAS, NOTHING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR SAFELY, TURNED IT OFF, RESTARTED IT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND EP (TRANSMISSION) WARNING LIGHT CAME ON.MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP SAYS MIN IS VERY AWARE OF THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM, AND STOPPED PUTTING THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS IN, APPARENTLY IT WAS EXPERIMENTAL. CANNOT REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION, AND MINI ESTIMATES $7100 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, AND WILL ONLY GIVE ME $2500 ON IT AS A TRADE IN DUE TO THE KNOWN TRANSMISSION ISSUE. *TR