MINI Complaints

AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH THE POWER STEERING OF MY 2003 MINI COOPER ERRATICALLY ENGAGED AND DISENGAGED SEVERAL TIMES. I RESPONDED BY SLOWING DOWN AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ONCE STOPPED, I TURNED THE CAR OFF COMPLETELY. ONCE OUT OF THE VEHICLE I HEARD AN ELECTRIC MOTOR RUNNING. I OPENED THE HOOD TO INVESTIGATE AND NOTED A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE RISING FROM THE AFT PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I WENT BACK TO THE IGNITION SWITCH TO CONFIRM IT WAS OFF AND REMOVED THE KEYS. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTINUED TO RUN AND AS I WENT BACK TO THE OPEN HOOD THE SMOKE VOLUME HAD INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. THE SMOKE HAD A VERY CLEAR ELECTRICAL SMELL AND COLOR. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TRYING TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. WHILE OBTAINING TOOLS FROM THE HATCH OF THE CAR, THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP ASSEMBLY ERUPTED IN FLAMES. I OBTAINED MY FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND DIRECTED IT AT THE AFT PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS PRODUCED NO RESULTS AND THE FLAMES RETURNED QUICKLY. I THEN GOT THE TOOLS FROM THE HATCH OF THE CAR AND CUT THE BATTERY CABLES. THIS CAUSED THE FIRE TO SUBSIDE IMMEDIATELY. AT THE REPAIR FACILITY THE POWER STEERING PUMP ASSEMBLY (ELECTRIC) WAS REMOVED AND DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE FACT THAT I HAD TOOLS AND 25 YEARS MECHANICAL EXPERIENCE PREVENTED THIS CAR FROM BURNING TO THE GROUND. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ON TWO LEVELS. FIRST: LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. SECOND: FIRE HAZARD, ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT CANNOT BE TURNED OFF WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS MUST BE INVESTIGATED AND THE MANUFACTURE DIRECTED TO APPLY A FIX TO ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. *TR

EXPERIENCED TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH NO WARNING LIGHTS. OCCURRED MOSTLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR ON HOT DAYS. THE CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AT LOW SPEED WITH NO POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING SPORADICALLY CAME AND WENT. EVENTUALLY, THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD REMAIN ON AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR, CAUSING THE BATTERY TO GO DEAD. REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN IN MAY 2012 AT ABOUT 130,000 MILES AND HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES SINCE. *TR

WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, THE POWER STEERING WAS FINE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAME STIFF. I WAS DRIVING UP A CURVY MOUNTAIN ROAD WHEN IT HAPPENED AND I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE SURE I COULD NAVIGATE THE TURNS. THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED 8-10 TIMES SINCE - SOMETIMES WITH A COMPLETELY COLD CAR, OTHER TIMES AFTER DRIVING 25-30 MILES, TURNING OFF THE CAR AND THEN TURNING IT BACK ON AGAIN. IF, WHEN I TURN THE CAR ON, THE POWER STEERING ISN'T WORKING, I TURN THE CAR OFF, LET IT SIT FOR 10 SECONDS OR SO AND RESTART IT. THIS PROCESS FAILED ONCE, BUT AFTER TURNING IT OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE POWER STEERING FAILING WHILE DRIVING SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT. HOWEVER, MY PARTNER HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM TWICE WHILE DRIVING. I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE AT THE MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN DENVER, CO REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND HE DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ANY PROBLEMS OR INVESTIGATIONS REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I PURCHASED A USED MINI COOPER S SIX MONTHS AGO, IN DECEMBER 2011. I DROVE MY VEHICLE AS I NORMALLY DUE, JUST ACROSS TOWN ABOUT 10 MILES, AND IT WAS FINE. I PARKED MY CAR AND WENT INSIDE. WHEN I CAME OUT, ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES LATER, AND TRIED TO BACK OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE POWER STEERING WAS NON-EXISTENT. I PULLED BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND CHECKED THE FLUID LEVEL AND LET THE CAR COOL DOWN FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK. SINCE THEN, THE POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENT. IF THE CAR IS HOT, IT USUALLY DOES NOT WORK, BUT IF THE CAR IS GIVEN A CHANCE TO COOL DOWN, THEN IT SEEMS TO WORK, BUT THE PROBLEM IS OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY AND I HAVE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER MINI OWNERS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE APPROX. 20 MILES AWAY. ON A TURN, THE CAR STEERING WAS ALMOST NON RESPONSIVE. I MANAGED THE TURN AND TURNED MY CAR OFF. WHEN I RESTARTED IT, THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME. I HAD TO STOP AND START MY CAR A FEW MORE TIMES TO GET TO MY DESTINATION. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED CLOSER TO MY DESTINATION THEN MY HOME SO IT WAS SAFER TO GO THERE. IT EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY ON THAT FIRST TURN OFF OF A 65 MPH ROAD. I'M NOT THAT STRONG. IT TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD NOT TO GO IN THE DITCH. LUCKILY NOTHING WAS COMING. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE TODAY. THEY REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THERE WAS NO LEAD UP TO THIS INCIDENT. I HAD POWER STEERING AND IN A SECOND, I DIDN'T. *TR

UPON STARTING MY CAR IN THE PARKING LOT AT THE END OF A WORK DAY, AN INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2007 MINI COOPER INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG. MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG (CODE 93A8 STAGE 1). HE RESET THE LIGHT AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED A FEW DAYS LATER. HE CHECKED THE CODE AGAIN AND IT WAS THE SAME. AS A RESULT, HE CONTACTED THE NEAREST MINI SERVICE CENTER. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG CONNECTION, MINI CHARGES ABOUT $600 TO REPLACE IT EVEN THOUGH NO ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED, NO HARD STOPS, NOTHING TO TRIGGER THE AIR BAG. UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS FIXED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *TR

POWER STEERING SUDDENLY DOES NOT SEEM TO WORK. THE STEERING IS DIFFICULT AND JERKY. *TR

EIGHT MONTHS AFTER MINI OF CONCORD REPLACED MY HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FOR THE GASOLINE LEAK AND STRONG GAS SMELL WITHIN THE CABIN, AGAIN THE GAS SMELL STARTED UP IN THE CABIN (FOR ALL TRIPS). I TOOK IT BACK TO MINI OF CONCORD (THIS IS 22 MONTHS AFTER BUYING CAR), AND THEY AGAIN FOUND A LEAK IN THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND LINE, AND REPLACED THE PARTS - AGAIN. THIS WAS THE FOURTH REPLACEMENT OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP ON MY CAR! THEY ALSO REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BECAUSE OF THE LOUD NOISE IT WAS MAKING ON STARTUP. AND THE INLET CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND WHILE AT A TRAFFIC STOP, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER ASSIST WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 44,000.

ONE MONTH AFTER MINI OF CONCORD REPLACED MY HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FOR THE GASOLINE LEAK AND STRONG GAS SMELL WITHIN THE CABIN, AGAIN THE GAS SMELL STARTED UP IN THE CABIN (FOR ALL TRIPS). I TOOK IT BACK TO MINI OF CONCORD (THIS IS 14 MONTHS AFTER BUYING CAR), AND THEY AGAIN FOUND A LEAK IN THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND LINE, AND REPLACED THE PARTS - AGAIN. THIS WAS THE THIRD OF FOUR REPLACEMENTS OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP ON MY CAR. *TR