2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

PARKED THE VEHICLE AFTER A SHORT TRIP OF APPROX. 10 MILES. LEFT CAR FOR APPROX 5 TO 7 MINUTES. RETURNED TO FIND SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO UNHOOK THE BATTERY CABLE. GOT THE BATTERY UNHOOKED AND SMOKE DIMINISHED. TRIED RESTARTING CAR, RESTARTED FINE, BUT NO POWER STEERING. ASSUMING THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT UP IN SMOKE. FORTUNATELY, DAMAGE SEEMS TO BE LIMITED TO PS PUMP... NOT SURE YET IF SMOLDERING/SMOKE INDICATES ANY OTHER DAMAGE UNDER THE HOOD OR NOT. *TR

POWER STEARING WENT OUT ON 2005 MINI COOPER WHILE DRIVING ON LOTS OF CURVES ALONG COLUMBIA RIVER, SEEMS TO BE A THING WITH THESE CARS AFTER LOOKING ON LINE. JUST GLAD I'M NOT SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES DUE TO HAVING TO MUSCLE THE CAR ON THE ROAD. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE HAD A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT REPORTEDLY CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND TURNED OFF MY CAR. I HAD NO PROBLEM STEERING THE CAR UP TO THAT POINT. I GOT OUT AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE. MY WIFE CAME INSIDE AND TOLD ME MY CAR SMELLED FUNNY AND WAS SMOKING (LIGHT) UNDER THE HOOD. I RAISED THE HOOD AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HEAT SHIELD IN THE REAR OF THE ENGINE, WHICH IS BELOW THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR AND ABOVE THE PS PUMP. I COULD HEAR SIZZLING, WHICH I INTERPRETED AS WATER. I WENT INSIDE TO CALL A MECHANIC FRIEND AND THEN REALIZED IT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA TO LEAVE A SMOKING CAR ALONE. WHEN I CAME OUTSIDE AGAIN, THE SMOKE HAD TURNED DARK AND HEAVIER. WHEN I REACHED THE CAR, I COULD SEE A RAGING FIRE BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD. I RAN INTO MY GARAGE AND RETURNED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHICH I USED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER THAT THE PUMP CAUSED THE FIRE AND THEY WOULD ONLY REIMBURSE FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE POWER STEERING PUMP, NOT FOR THE PUMP ITSELF. I WAS TOLD THAT PS FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON MINI COOPERS OF MY YEAR (AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS) AND MODEL. AFTER CHECKING THE INTERNET, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MFGR.'S RECALL AND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A NHTSA INVESTIGATION. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY CATASTROPHIC! *TR

2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE WITH 65K MILES. ORIGINAL OWNER. YESTERDAY MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AS I DROVE HOME FROM WORK. NO WARNING SIGN AND IT WAS HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND MANEUVER THE CAR. I WAS GLAD IT WAS ME DRIVING AND NOT MY WIFE. SCARY EXPERIENCE WHEN DRIVING AT 65MPH+ ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER S - ENGINE FIRE A FEW DAYS AGO (7/27/2011) MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CAUGHT FIRE IN THE LOWER REAR ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE PARKED IN A BUSINESS PARKING LOT. IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE (ABOUT 6 MILES) THREE HOURS PRIOR WITH NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. THE CAR IGNITION WAS OFF AND THERE WAS NO KEY PRESENT IN OR NEAR THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY, A CO-WORKER SPOTTED THE CAR BILLOWING SMOKE FROM BENEATH THE HOOD AND WE WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BEFORE ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE OR SURROUNDING PROPERTY. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND SUBSEQUENT ELECTRICAL FIRE - THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERHEATING AND EVENTUAL IGNITION OF AN ELECTRICAL HARNESS CAUSED BY A SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT PRIOR TO THE FIRE, THERE WAS NO INDICATION IN THE VEHICLE (WARNING SYSTEM) OR BY THE VEHICLES PERFORMANCE THAT THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH THE PUMP OR HANDLING. IT FAILED COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING! WHILE PARKED AND UNATTENDED! THANKFULLY, THE CAR WAS NOT PARKED IN MY GARAGE AT NIGHT WHERE THE FIRE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY GOTTEN A LOT WORSE BEFORE BEING DISCOVERED AND COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN DEVASTATING TO MY PROPERTY AND FAMILY. AS IT STANDS THE CAR IS SCHEDULED TO BE REPAIRED AT A COST OF NEARLY 1000.00, POSSIBLY MORE AS WE DO NOT YET KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE CAUSED TO ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS WITHIN THE VEHICLE BY THE PUMPS FAILURE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND ONLY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND WAS RECENTLY MECHANICALLY INSPECTED LAST MARCH. NO ISSUES WERE FOUND WITH THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF IT'S LAST MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER POWERING OFF THE IGNITION, HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING PUMP. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND CUT THE BATTERY LINE. THE DEALER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE STEERING PUMP. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,746 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,540. UPDATED 9/13/11 *CN THE CONSUMER REPALCD THE PUMP, FLUID AND OTHER SMALL PARTS. UPDATED 01/23/12

I HAVE A JANUARY 2005 BUILT MINI COOPER S (R53) WITH APPROXIMATELY 21,000 MILES ON IT. ON FEBRUARY 12, 2011 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A WINDING ROAD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH SPEED TURN. THE UNEXPECTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE MADE THE STEERING COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE CAUSING THE CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND NEARLY HIT A TREE (I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I WASN'T KILLED!). AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT UNWARRANTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURES ARE QUITE COMMON WITH THE EARLIER MINI COOPER MODELS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURE VIA A MANDATORY SAFETY RECALL. AFTER THE INITIAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE PUMP WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY IN THAT IT WOULD RUN FINE FOR A WHILE AND THEN FAIL AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING A SHORT TIME LATER MAKING THE CAR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AT TIMES, THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NOT SWITCH OFF AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR'S IGNITION AND THE CAR'S BATTERY WOULD ULTIMATELY GO FLAT LEAVING US STRANDED. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE MINI DEALERSHIP ON 2/17//2011 AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AS HAVING A BAD BATTERY (CLAIMING THAT THE BATTERY WAS SO LOW THAT THE CAR WAS ACTUALLY SHUTTING DOWN THE POWER STEERING IN ORDER TO STAY RUNNING). THEY CHARGED US $160 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS. WE THEN REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH AN OEM BATTER FROM THE DEALERSHIP ($130) AND IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. WE ALSO CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER (MINI USA) DIRECTLY AND THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP CLAIMING THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. ULTIMATELY, ON JULY 26, 2011 (AT 21,385 MILES) WE REPLACED THE FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP (PART # 32-41-6-778-425) AT A COST OF $735.29 (PLUS LABOR). THE MINI DEALERSHIP WANTED WELL OVER $1,000 TO PERFORM THE WORK AND SO WE PURCHASE A REMPLACEMENT PUMP FROM THE MINI DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT INSTALLED OURSELVES. *TR

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND SOMETIMES WHILE MOVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL MAKING THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT THE RELAY IN THE AUXILIARY ENGINE FAN HAD FAILED LIKELY AS A RESULT OF THE POWER STEERING FAN FAILING. BOTH THE AUXILIARY ENGINE FAN AND THE POWER STEERING FAN HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS AND LABOR WAS $1060.14.

WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. ALSO, THE LIGHT WHICH INDICATES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS OFF COMES ON WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I USED THE SAME WRITE-UP ON A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT AS THE SYMPTOMS ARE ACCURATE FOR MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE, WITH APPROXIMATELY 72,000 MILES. *TR