2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE Complaints

AFTER ABOUT 77,000 MILES ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER, I ENCOUNTERED SUDDEN AND INTERMITTENT DIFFICULTY WITH THE STEERING WHEREIN THE POWER STEERING WOULD ABRUPTLY FAIL. THE FIRST TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED ~3-4 MONTHS AGO, BOTH DIRECTLY AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE AND PULLING OUT OF PARKING. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITHIN THE PAST 6 WEEKS, RANDOMLY DURING THE FIRST 40 MILES OF MY COMMUTE. AFTER EACH INCIDENT, I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN FULL CONTROL OF THE STEERING BY PULLING OVER AND SHUTTING OFF THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE AND THEN REENGAGING IT. THERE HAVE NOW BEEN A TOTAL OF 6 INCIDENTS. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT, A FEW DAYS AGO, OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A WINDING HIGHWAY AND WAS MAKING A TURN. WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CORRECT THE ANGLE/SPEED OF THE VEHICLE'S TURN AND A CRASH INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE SEEMED EXTREMELY LIKELY. AFTER CAUTIOUS BRAKING AND RELYING ON THE REMAINING MANUAL STEERING, USING VERY FIRM AND SWIFT HAND-OVER-HAND MOTION ON THE STEERING WHEEL, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN SOME CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE'S WHEELS. THEN, ENGAGING THE VEHICLE'S HAZARD LIGHTS, I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO PULL OVER AT THE NEXT AVAILABLE HIGHWAY'S SHOULDER, BUT IT WAS AN EXTREME AWKWARD MANEUVER REQUIRING SOME OF THE DRIVERS OF VEHICLES AROUND ME TO ADJUST THEIR OWN SPEEDS AND TURNS. I HAVE SINCE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE CENTER AND AM AWAITING THE RESULTS OF THE VEHICLE INSPECTION IN RESPONSE TO MY COMPLAINTS. I DO NOT INTEND TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN UNTIL THE ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING IS COMPLETELY RESOLVED, FOR MY OWN SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHER DRIVERS. A CRASH IN THE FUTURE WOULD SEEM INEVITABLE, OTHERWISE, WITH INCONSISTENT POWER OVER THE STEERING DURING ANY COMMUTE THAT INVOLVES MANY WINDING TURNS. (IF THE POWER STEERING COULD BE COMPLETELY DISENGAGED, ALLOWING ONLY MANUAL STEERING, IT WOULD SEEM FAR SAFER THAN FOR IT TO RANDOMLY TURN OFF IN THE MIDST OF DRIVING). *TR

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON EVEN WHEN THERE ISN'T A PASSENGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE LIGHT INDICATES THE AIRBAG IS OFF. THE LIGHT ALSO STAYS ON IF THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. I AM NOT SURE IF THE AIRBAG WOULD WORK IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALER INDICATED I NEEDED A NEW SEAT AT MY COST. TO ME THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT THAT BMW SHOULD FIX. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE - R52. THE POWER STEERING DOES NOT WORK WELL. IT STARTED BEING PROBLEMATIC ABOUT A YEAR AGO RIGHT AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR. WHILE DRIVING THE POWERSTEERING GOES VERY STIFF. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TURN AND SOMETIMES WHEN TURNING OFF A HIGHWAY WHILE THE POWER STEERING IS NOT WORKING, IT COMES BACK ON, AND I END UP OVERSTEERING OFF THE ROAD AND THEN BACK ON TO THE ROAD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY DURING THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR. I WAS TOLD BY MINI THAT THIS IS NOT A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT MY RESEARCH SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THERE ARE 10'S OF THOUSANDS OF MINI OWNERS FROM 2002 TO 2006 WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. OTTOS MINI IN WEST CHESTER PA QUOTED ME OVER $1000 DO REPAIR IT...AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO SEE THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM. I AM CONSIDERING BUYING THE NEW PARTS (FAN, MOTOR AND CIRCUIT BOARD) AND INSTALLING MY SELF. I JUST CANNOT SPEND 1000-1500 BUCKS TO FIX THIS. THE PARTS ARE ABOUT $500 BUCKS AND THE INSTALL HOPEFULLY IS PRETTY EASY FROM WHAT I HAVE READ. I HOPE THAT YOUR TESTING DOES PROVE THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BY A RECALL. IT APPEARS THAT THEY MADE A DESIGN CHANGE THAT HAS ELIMINATED THE PROBLEM IN THE 2006 OR 7 MODEL YEAR. THAT ALONE IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT, WHILE I LOVE MY MINI, I AM DRIVING A TIME BOMB, THAT WILL CAUSE AND ACCIDENT DUE TO POOR ENGINEERING. PLEASE HELP ME. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TWICE, WHILE PARALLEL PARKING MY 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE, I LOST POWER STEERING. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY AND RESTORES WHEN I RESTART MY CAR. DEALER SAYS I NEED TO REPLACE MY POWER STEERING PUMP. *TR

POWER STEERING IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER WITH 28,000 MILES SOMETIMES FUNCTIONS AND OTHER TIMES DOES NOT-MOSTLY THOUGH IT DOES NOT FUNCTION. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE MARCH, 2010. ON RARE OCCASIONS, I WILL START THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING WILL FUNCTION AS NORMAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED IT BECAME EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY THE DEALER WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 15000.

2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE AT FIRST INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE AND NOW COMPLETE POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED VERY SUDDENLY WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, I ALMOST RAN INTO ANOTHER CAR. NOW I AM NOT DRIVING THE CAR UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. *TR

MINI COOPER , POWER STEERING FROZE UP AND CAME BACK WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER - SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. DEALER STATED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE & NOT UNCOMMON IN 5 YEAR OLD CAR. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED. *TR

LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES IN A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. NO WARNING AND INTERMITTENT OCCURRENCE. SOMETIMES WOULD HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AND SOME TIMES WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING CAR ON. TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC AND HE COULD NOT FIND CAUSE. NO COMPUTER DAMAGE, NO CODES PRESENT TO INDICATE THAT ANY THING UNUSUAL HAD OCCURRED. I TRADED THE CAR IN FOR A DIFFERENT MAKER AND MODEL. *TR