2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE . THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEEDS OF 30 MPH, WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN ON WHEN THE POWER STEERING BEGAN TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,020.

FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS, THE POWER STEERING ON OUR MINI WOULD GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY (AT SPEEDS OF 60-70MPH) AND DRIVING AROUND TOWN (SPEEDS OF 10-35). IT WOULD GO OUT RANDOMLY WITH NO WARNING. MY WIFE COULD BARELY STEER THE CAR AND ALMOST GOT INTO A CRASH TRYING TO TURN RIGHT ONE DAY. LAST WEEKEND, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT FOR GOOD. WE ARE TAKING IT IN ON MONDAY FOR MINI TO LOOK AT. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS ARTICLES OF THIS PROBLEM AND WANTED TO REPORT IT HAPPENING IN OUR VEHICLE. *TR

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS THE SENSOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT IS BAD. BMW HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND ISSUED A 10 YEAR 150,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND RECALL FOR APPROXIMATELY 150,000 VEHICLES OVER MODEL YEARS 2004 - 2006. FOR SOME REASON THEY REFUSE TO INCLUDE THE 2005 MINI COOPER S IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND WANT ~$2,000 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT BOTTOM FOR THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE CAUSED BY A KNOWN AND ADMITTED DEFECTIVE PART. MINI SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE SENSOR UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY AS THEIR PARENT COMPANY BMW HAS DONE FOR VARIOUS MODELS AFFECTED BY THE SAME DEFECT. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP SEIZED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. POWER STEERING FAN FAILURE AND ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. POWER STEERING HOSES LEAKING AND ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. OUTPUT SHAFT SEAL IS LEAKING, BUT HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED AT THIS TIME. THESE REPAIRS COST ME APPROXIMATELY $1000! I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT POWER STEERING FAILURES IN THE 2004-2005 MINI. PLEASE MAKE BMW PAY FOR THIS! *TT

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG SRS FLOOR MAT SENSOR IS DAMAGED AND MAY CAUSE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG TO NOT DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE SRS AIRBAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. *TR

WHEN TURNING INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT 10-15MPH, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS IN POWER AND THE STEERING BECAME STIFF. I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF TILL I PULLED THE VEHICLE INTO OUR GARAGE AND TURNED IT OFF. AT THIS TIME THE COOLING FAN AND POWER STEERING REMAINED ACTIVE, CREATING LOUD WHINING NOISES. I LET IT RUN FOR 30 MINUTES BUT THE ISSUE REMAINED. ONLY THING THAT RESOLVED THE ISSUE WAS DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY. EVEN RECONNECTING THE BATTERY THE POWERSTEERING FAN RE-ENGAGED. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILS DURING DRIVING. SEEMS TO BE AFTER ENGINE GETS HOT. HAPPENS UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY (I-684) AT 65 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING ASSIST APPROX. 30 MILES FROM MY HOME. THIS MADE THE CAR DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, ESPECIALLY WHEN TAKING TURNS IN AND OFF OF EXITS. MUCH FORCE WAS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND STEERING THE VEHICLE FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP HOME. I WILL REPORT THIS TO MINI ON MONDAY. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE AND CAR BECOME VERY HARD TO TURN. ALMOST CRASHED INTO A CURB TAKE A 90 DEGREE SHARP TURN. ALL FUSES RELATED TO PUMP DID NOT FAIL. STEERING FLUID LEVEL IS AT PROPER AMOUNT. I JACKED UP THE CAR FRONT THE FRONT AND IT WAS A LITTLE BETTER WITHOUT ANY LOAD ON THE FROM END BUT FELT VERY NOTCHY ABOUT EVERY 20% OF A FULL TURN OF THE WHEEL. ELECTRIC COOLING FAN THAT COOLS THE PUMP IS NOT BLOCKED AND I CAN SPIN IT FREELY. MANY MINI COOPER OWNERS ARE COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS. MY POWER STEERING PUMP DOES NOT KEEP RUNNING AFTER THE CAR IS SHUT DOWN. *TR

I HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AS IT HAD FAILED. IT FIRST FAILED WHILE I WAS ON A HIGHWAY OFF-RAMP AND NEARLY CRASHED. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE POWER STEERING FAN SEIZING AND THEREFORE IT WAS NOT COOLING THE POWER STEERING PUMP. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION OF MY OWN, I FOUND OUT THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS THE LOW FAN SPEED RESISTOR FAILED ON THE ENGINE COOLING FAN. THE POWER STEERING FAN WILL ONLY ACTIVATE ONCE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN IS RUNNING. IF THE LOW FAN SPEED RELAY FAILS, THE ENGINE COOLING FAN WILL ONLY TURN ON AT 233F (HIGH SPEED FAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURE). ONCE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN TURNS ON AT 233F, THE POWER STEERING FAN WILL TURN ON TO COOL THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE POWER STEERING FAN WILL BE TOO HOT AT THIS POINT AND WILL OVERHEAT ITSELF AND SEIZE. THE POWER STEERING FAN FAILURE THEN CAUSES THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO OVERHEAT AND FAIL. IF THE POWER STEERING FAN IS NOT REPLACED BEFORE THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILS, THIS CAUSES THE ENTIRE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM TO FAIL AS WELL AND LEAK HYDRAULIC FLUID. IF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILS, THIS CAN CAUSE THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO ULTIMATELY CATCH ON FIRE DUE TO IT OVERHEATING FROM LOW LEVELS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID. THE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF PARTS ALONE FOR THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM IS $1,296.35. THIS SYSTEM IS REQUIRED FOR DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED AS IT IS A "POWER ASSISTED STEERING" SYSTEM, THUS MAKING IT VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED. IF YOU VISIT ANY MINI FORUM (I.E. WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM OR WWW.MOTORINGALLIANCE.COM) YOU CAN FIND HUNDREDS OF POSTS ABOUT THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILING IN MINIS. I REPLACED THE PUMP AND FAN ($876.46 PARTS COST), THEN HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM ($1296.35 PARTS COST) WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE LOW SPEED ENGINE FAN RESISTOR FAILING AND CAUSING THE ENTIRE PROBLEM. *TR