2003 MINI COOPER S Complaints

2003 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING ASSIST AND NEARLY WRECKED THE CAR IF MY WIFE WAS DRIVING I DOUBT SHE COULD HAVE SAVED IT. GOOGLE SEARCH TURNS UP HUNDREDS OF LIKE POSTS. ON ANOTHER QUICK SEARCH, AS OF 2006, 50 PUMP FAILURES RESULTED IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE CAR BECAUSE OF FIRE. AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT POST. MAYBE 10% OF THE MINI DRIVERS POST ONLINE. THIS IS A DISGRACE! *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST WILL INTERMITTENTLY FAIL COMPLETELY, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE, AND GREATLY INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN ACCIDENT. THE FLUID LEVELS ARE CORRECT, AND POWER STEERING WILL RETURN AFTER SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF AND LETTING IT SIT FOR A WHILE.. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN CORRECTIVE ACTION. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER S WITH LOW 70 THOUSAND MILES COUGH FIRE ON JANUARY 31 2011 AROUND 4 AM IN THE MORNING. IT WAS SEEN TO START ON THE PASSENGER SIDE UNDER AIRBAG AND CAR WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE THE FRONT END UNDER THE HOOD AND UNDER PASSENGER DASH WAS TOLD FAILURE WAS ABS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY WITHIN THIRTY SECONDS BEFORE THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. HE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND HE OBSERVED THAT ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES HE SMELLED FUMES INSIDE THE VEHICLE. HE OPENED THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO MENTION OF A FIRE REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY OF THE RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

I WAS LEAVING MY HOME WHEN I NOTICE, AS SOON AS I START MY CAR, THAT MY STEERING IS VERY STIFF. I HAVE TO USE MY WHOLE BODY TO TURN THE WHEEL AND MANEUVER THE CAR. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST A WEEK NOW OFF AND ON. GO ONLINE AND RESEARCH PROBLEM TO FIND ITS GOING TO COST ME NEAR $1000 TO FIX. *TR

EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH-SPEED AND PREPARING TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY. AS SUCH, I NEARLY DROVE OFF THE ROAD ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON THE EXIST RAMP -- VERY HARD EMERGENCY BRAKING WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE IT WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN, AND THUS, CONTROL THE CAR. I LATER DISCOVERED BY MINI OF SAN DIEGO (WHO CONDUCTED REPAIRS) THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED COSTING APPROXIMATELY $1,100. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT CHRONIC PROBLEMS WITH MINI POWER STEERING PUMPS WERE BEING INVESTIGATED AND THAT A RECALL MIGHT BE ISSUED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I RESEARCHED FURTHER AND BELIEVE THAT THE 1ST YEAR BEING REVIEWED IS THE 2004. I BELIEVE THAT THE 2003 SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED AS WELL IN THE EVENT OF A RECALL SINCE I EXPERIENCED THE VERY SAME PROBLEM BEING INVESTIGATED, AND THE DANGER RESULTING FROM THE DEFECT IS CONSIDERABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE FROM THE TECHNICIAN TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP DEFECT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WHILE DOING FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2003 MINI COOPER S JUST HAD A POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILURE RESULTING IN AT LEAST $600.00 IN REPAIR COST. CAR ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILED, STEERING WENT TO MANUAL EFFORT, NO ASSIST, NO WARNING. FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING AND NOT MY WIFE AS SHE WOULD HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY COMPLETING THE TURN. I KNOW THE STEERING STILL OPERATES, BUT IF YOU AREN'T READY FOR THE DRASTICALLY INCREASED EFFORT REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A TURN, YOU WILL LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HALF-WAY THROUGH A TURN IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IS NO TIME TO FIND OUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FINISH IT. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OF IMPENDING FAILURE. TO HAVE A MAJOR SAFETY AND CONTROL SYSTEM OF YOUR VEHICLE FAIL THIS QUICKLY (ONLY 80,000 MILES) LEAVES ME WONDERING AS TO THE SAFETY OF THE OTHER VITAL SYSTEMS ON THE VEHICLE. MINI MADE CHANGES ON THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM ON LATER VEHICLES TO ADDRESS THIS WITHOUT HAVING ANY RECALL OR VOLUNTARY REPAIR PROGRAM FOR RETROFIT TO THE OLDER VEHICLES. THIS IS NOT FAIR AND DEFINITELY NOT SAFE. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER S WITH POWER STEERING FAILURE. POWER STEERING GOES IN AND OUT. CAR RADIO TURNS ON WHEN CAR IS OFF AND NO KEY IS IN THE ENGINE, CAUSING BATTERY TO DRAIN. ONCE MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHEN I WAS LEAVING A PARKING AREA CAUSING ME TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED DAMAGES. I HAVE HOWEVER REPLACED THE ENGINE DUE TO FAULTY WIRING IN APROX 2009. A FUSE THAT RUNS EVERYTHING FOR COOLING BLEW AND GAVE ME NO WARNING THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING. *TR