2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE Complaints

I WAS ON MY REGULAR COMMUTE THROUGH CITY STREETS. AFTER ABOUT 10 MILES OF DRIVING I WAS GOING ABOUT 40MPH ON A FAIRLY STRAIGHT ROAD. ON THE NEXT LIGHT CURVE I NOTICED THE WHEEL WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN. I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN INTO A SIDE ROAD AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THE POWER STEERING MUST HAVE BEEN OUT. I CHECKED THE RESERVOIR AND IT WAS FULL. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF MANY COMPLAINTS OF POWER STEERING GOING OUT. THEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE POWER STEERING. DEALER NOTIFIED ME THERE WOULD BE A $100 CHARGE FOR DIAGNOSTICS. IF ITS FOUND TO BE THE POWER STEERING FAN IT WOULD COST $300 PLUS LABOR. IF IT'S THE PUMP IT WOULD BE $800 PLUS LABOR. WARRANTY EXPIRED 5 MONTHS AGO. APPARENTLY MINI DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT NUMEROUS MINI OWNERS ARE HAVING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! HAVING THE POWER STEERING GO OUT MID-DRIVE CAN EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT! *TR

2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE DOES NOT TURN OFF EVEN AFTER KEY IS REMOVED. SAFETY ISSUE POTENTIAL WITH THEIR DRIVE-BY-WIRE IGNITION? DEALER SAID IT IS CAUSED BY WIRE HARNESS AND/OR REAR TAIL LIGHT CONNECTION. CAR MAY BE UNSAFE? *TR

NOTHING SPECIFIC TO LEAD UP TO FAILURE POWER STEERING WILL INTERMITTENTLY FAIL, AND OCCASIONALLY BE RESTORED NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I NOTICED MY STEERING FELT "TIGHT". IT WAS DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE A CURVE. I TRIED TO PULL INTO A REST AREA WHEN I REALIZED I HAD ALMOST NO STEERING ABILITY. I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR BY USING BOTH HANDS. I ALMOST CRASHED ON THE RAMP. IT WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE. THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALER. IT IS MY POWER STEERING PUMP. IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND IT SEEMS THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPLAINTS. I AM VERY GLAD I DID NOT HAVE TO DO ANY EMERGENCY TURNS, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STEER THE CAR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. *TR

HI, I'M WRITING TO REPORT THAT MY 2005 MINI COOPER, WITH LESS THAN 43K MILES IS IN NEED OF A THIRD TRANSMISSION. I NEARLY DID NOT MAKE IT HOME ONE EVENING BECAUSE THE JERKING MOTION THE CAR WAS MAKING AND BECAUSE THE ENGINE JUST FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHUT OFF. I NEARLY STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY, WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE FIRST TRANSMISSION, WHILE UNDER WARRANTY WAS REPLACED IN NOVEMBER 2007 AT 28K MILES. ON 12/16/08, I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE TRANSMISSION PAN AMONG OTHER THINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS THE ONLY KNOWN DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE AUTO BODY AND PAINT SHOP THAT I CONTRACTED WITH DID NOT KNOW HOW TO FILL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THEREFORE THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED THE LOCAL MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP. THEY PERFORMED THAT PIECE OF IT. NOW, THE DEALER IS TELLING ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO STATES THEY DON'T KNOW IF THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGE WAS A RESIDUAL OF THE ACCIDENT OR NOT AND THEREFORE, WERE TRYING TO OPEN UP THE OLD INSURANCE CLAIM FROM JANUARY 2009. HOWEVER, MY INSURANCE COMPANY DOES NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THEY STATE THE REPAIRS FROM THE ACCIDENT $7,888.70, PLUS THE COST OF A NEW TRANSMISSION, AROUND 8K WILL BE MORE THAN THE VALUE OF THE CAR. SO, WHO SHOULD PAY FOR THIS NEW TRANSMISSION, THE DEALER, THE AUTO BODY SHOP (WHOM DID NO WORK ON THE TRANSMISSION, SEEMINGLY) OR ME? HOW DO I KNOW, THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER BAD TRANSMISSION? THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL ON A MINI COOPER (NO WAY TO CHECK) TRANSMISSION FLUID AND NO INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE, WHILE MAKING A TURN, WITHOUT NOTICE MY POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED MY VEHICLE HAS APROX. 80K MILES ON IT. MINI IS REMANUFACTUING THE PUMP WITH DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS THIS TELLS ME THEY KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE ORIGINAL PUMP, THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO REPAIR THE ORIGINAL PUMPS FEE OF CHARGE NOT THE $800.00 THEY WANT JUST FOR THE PUMP. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ANOTHER DRIVER CRASHED INTO HER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT COMPLETELY DEPLOY. AS A CONSEQUENCE SPARKS FROM THE AIR BAG SHORT, CAUSED HER COAT TO CATCH ON FIRE. SHE SUFFERED 2ND DEGREE BURNS ON THE RIGHT ARM AND THE HEEL OF THE HAND. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND HER CASE WAS ESCALATED TO THE MANUFACTURER. SHE HAS NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000. UPDATED 3/8/10 *CN UPDATED 07/27/10*JB

2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE. JUST OVER 50,000 MILES. TODAY, WHILST DRIVING TO LUNCH, MY POWER STEERING FAILED. THERE WAS NO WARNING, IT JUST QUIT, MID-DRIVE. THE CAR IS NOW VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. LOOKING ONLINE, I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE, YET THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS. HTTP://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/FIRST-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/49527-IMPORTANT-HAVE-YOU-HAD-POWER-STEERING-PUMP-FAILURE-PLEASE-VOTE-YES-NO.HTML. *TR

NOTICED ON BRAND NEW TIRES THE TREAD ON LEFT TIRE WAS WORN TO THE CORE AND THE WAS SEPARATING FROM THE TIRE ON INSIDE, THE RIGHT TIRE HAD EVERY LITTLE TREAD LEFT. THERE HAS BEEN 216 COMPLAINTS . NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE OR REPAIR OR REPLACE THE PARTS. THE TIRES HAD ONLY 4000 MILES ON THEM WHEN IT WAS NOTICED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE. WHENEVER SHE PRESSED THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE SUNROOF OR CONVERTIBLE, THE DRIVERS SIDE OPENED BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE DID NOT. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS A LAPSE IN THE CABLE AND SHE'D THE ENTIRE UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT OFFER HER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE IS A DEFECT THAT SHOULD ALSO BE A RECALL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.