2002 MINI COOPER S Complaints

POWER STEERING FAILED AS I WAS DRIVING, UNABLE TO STEER CAR. AFTER SOME TIME, POWER RESUMED INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING NEARLY HIT THE OUTER BARRIER BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF FORCE REQUIRED TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. I FEEL IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR WRECK. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH THE MINI COOPER. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING CANADA HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING PUMPS. WOULD LIKE TO LOG A COMPLAINT TO SEE IF WE CAN GET MINI USA TO TAKE SOME ACTION. *TR

I TOOK MY 2002 MINI COOPER S IN FOR A VIRGINIA STATE SAFETY INSPECTION AND IT FAILED THE INSPECTION BECAUSE THE SRS AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE SEAT BELT TENSIONER AND WIRING TO THE SEAT BELT AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WERE FAULTY. THE DEALER IS CHARGING ME $1,000 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION PE05053 RESULTING IN BMW ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE FAULTY WIRING AND SEAT BELT TENSIONER. AND IT STATES THAT THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE IS HIGH ENOUGH TO ILLUMINATE THE AIRBAG LIGHT BUT DOES NOT EXCEED A LIMIT TO SET THE AIRBAG OFF. MY PROBLEM IS IF THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED I CANNOT PASS VIRGINIA'S STRICT SAFETY INSPECTION AND IF IT IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY BMW WHY ARE THEY NOT RECALLING ALL VEHICLES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE HAS 81,000 MILES ON IT WAY UNDER THE 150,0000 MILE WARRANTY AND I AM RIGHT AT THE TEN YEAR MARK.BMW TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL AND THAT THERE IS ONLY A BULLETIN TELLING THE MECHANICS THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE TO BE AWARE OF. BMW WOULD NOT REPAIR THIS UNDER A WARRANTY. *TR

POWER STEERING WENT OUT AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS, AFTER 3+ HOURS OF DRIVING. AFTER COOLING DOWN FOR AN HOUR, POWER STEERING CAME BACK, BUT ONLY LASTED 5 MIN., AND WAS OUT FOR ANOTHER DAY. COMES AND GOES, DEPENDING ON HOW HOT THE WEATHER/ENGINE IS, BUT STAYS OUT LONGER AND ONLY WORKS FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME NOW. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL/EXTENDED WARRANTY AS CANADA HAS SOON! *TR

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ILLUMINATED AFTER PASSENGER SEAT WAS MOVED. LIGHT WILL NOT TURN OFF. *TR

WHILE ON A SHORT VACATION OUT OF TOWN, CLOSE TO 230 MILES FROM MY HOME, MY COOPER S' POWER STEERING FAILED AND ALMOST CAUSE ME AN ACCIDENT. I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED THE FLUID AND SAW THAT THERE WERE NO VISIBLE LEAKS PRESENT. AFTER MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR A RENTAL VEHICLE, I NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING STARTED WORKING CORRECTLY AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THAT I PROCEEDED TO RETURN HOME AND THE STEERING DID NOT FAIL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. DURING MARCH OF 2012, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN, DURING A COMMUTE HOME FROM WORK ON FRIDAY, MAY 3RD. TO THIS DAY, I HAVE NO BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD ADDITIONAL REPAIRS OR DIAGNOSTICS, BECAUSE OF THE MONTHLY PAYMENTS, INSURANCE, FUEL AND PREVIOUS ISSUES OF REPAIRS UNDER 75,000 MILES INCLUDING THE HEAD GASKET, AND HEATER CORE. REGARDLESS OF THE POLICIES THAT BMW/MINI AND THE NHTSA HAVE CONCERNING USED VEHICLES, AND WARRANTIES, ABSOLUTELY NO VEHICLE PRODUCED BY AN INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN COMPANY OR BUSINESS SHOULD BE PRODUCING SUCH UNRELIABLE, UNSAFE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MOTOR VEHICLES AND NOT TAKE IMMEDIATE RESPONSIBILITY TO ISOLATE AND TERMINATE THE ISSUE RATHER THAN IGNORE AND DENY RESPONSIBILITY FOR POORLY MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS. *TR

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2002 MINI COOPER S. THE MINI DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THAT THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT WAS FAULTY...THAT THE "MRS CONTROL UNIT SHORTED". SINCE THIS IS A PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT, AND SINCE IT IS NOT A MECHANICAL DEVICE THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO WEAR, I BELIEVE THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THIS UNIT AT NO CHARGE...AND/OR AN ALERT SHOULD GO TO OTHER MINI OWNERS. I HAVE SINCE HAD THE CONTROL UNIT REPLACED (AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE) BECAUSE I FELT UNSAFE DRIVING WITHOUT AIRBAGS. *TR

LOSS OF POWER WHEN GOING 60 MPH IN THE HIGH SPEED LEFT LANE OF FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" AND UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. CAR WOULD ONLY GO 5 TO 10 MPH WITH LARGE TRUCK BEHIND AND BEARING DOWN ON ME. EML AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS ON DASH. WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A CONSTRUCTION LANE THAT HAPPENED TO BE RIGHT THERE. OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET CAR OUT OF THE WAY. CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED. FAULT CODES LIST THROTTLE BODY AND WIRING HARNESS AS PROBLEMS AND RECOMMENDATION IS TO REPLACE BOTH. FROM MY RESEARCH, THE PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN AND RELATES TO POOR CONNECTOR BETWEEN THROTTLE BODY AND WIRING HARNESS. MINI HAS SINCE REDESIGNED THE ANGLE OF THIS CONNECTOR TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. SUCH A LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. SHOULD BE RECALL ITEM. *TR

THIS CAR GOES INTO LIMP MODE AT VERY IN OPPORTUNE TIMES, BEFORE THIS LATEST TIME (AGAIN TO THE SHOP) IT NEARLY GOT ME T-BONED IN AN INTERSECTION, THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES FOR ENGINE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, THIS IS A KNOW DEFECT WITH THE WIRING HARNESS-I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE COVERED IN A RECALL FOR A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2002 MINI COOPER S ALMOST A MONTH AGO AND LOST THE POWER TO STEER MY CAR IN A TURN AT ALMOST 50 MPH. IF TOYOTA WOULD HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM I'M SURE SOME ONE WOULD BE IN JAIL OR MAYBE YOU WOULD HERE IT ON THE NEWS. THIS IS MY THIRD MINI IN 6 YEARS AND I NEVER HEARD A PEEP ABOUT THIS SCAREY PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ARE GOVERNMENT FOR MAKING THE ROADS SO SAFE. AT LEAST THEY ARE TAKING THE EFFORT TO STOP THOSE PESKY KIDS AND THERE TEXTING. THANKS AGAIN! *TT