MINI Complaints

ATTEMPTING TO TURN INTO SCHOOL PARKING LOT, POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY STOPPED WORKING, STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE POWER STEERING HAS INTERMITTENTLY FALTERED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR BUT HAS NOW FAILED ENTIRELY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY ABNORMAL ODOR THAT ENTERED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE, SIMILAR TO EGGS. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROADWAY AND UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE FOUND A SMALL FIRE HAD ERUPTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND POSSIBLE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN DRIVING. IT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. IT WAS AS THOUGH THE CAR STEERING BECAME LOCKED. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE A POLICE CAR STOP TO ASSIST ME TO MOVE ME TO A SAFE SPOT ON THE STREET. *TR

BOUGHT 2011 MINI COUNTRYMAN S IN 6-2011. I TURNED VEHICLE ON IN THE MORNING (11-5-2011 AT 730AM) TO DRIVE TO WORK. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE ON MY DRIVEWAY. NO ISSUES DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. NO VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS OR ALARMS CAME ON. AFTER PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE ATTEMPTED TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY ONTO THE STREET AND NOTICED THAT I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO BACK OUT. REQUIRED EXTREME AMOUNT OF FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK (APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES) ON SURFACE STREETS BUT HAD VERY LIMITED STEERING ABILITY. WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK (SOME 15MINUTES LATER), PARKED VEHICLE AND TURNED OFF IGNITION. CAME BACK APPROXIMATELY 15MINUTES LATER AND TURNED VEHICLE BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO ANOTHER FACILITY WITHOUT ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS. LATER DROVE HOME AND DID NOT DRIVE IT UNTIL MORNING OF 11-7-2011. WHEN I TURNED ON THE IGNITION ON 11-7-2011 TRANSIENTLY NOTICED STEERING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN TURNED ITSELF OFF. I WAS ABLE TO STEER WITHOUT ANY ISSUES AND DROVE IT TO NEAREST BMW DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. WAS TOLD BY BMW DEALERSHIP THAT MY ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO REPLACED. STILL WAITING FOR REPAIR TO BE COMPLETED. *TR

AS I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND A FIRE TO THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE COMING FROM ELECTRICAL WIRES. WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH OUT TOO MUCH DAMAGE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TO ELIMINATE POWER TO THE TROUBLED AREA.CAR IS BEING TOWED TO MINI COOPER OF PEABODY MASSACHUSETTS. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. THIS OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. MOST RECENTLY, LAST WEEK, IT WAS OUT FOR 3 DAYS AND THEN IT STARTED WORKING AGAIN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN BROOKWOOD STREET AND WENT TO MAKE A CURVE WHEN I REALIZED THAT I COULDN'T TURN THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO PULL HARDER ON THE WHEEL AND MAKE THE CURVE. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF TO LOOK THINGS OVER,CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID WHICH WAS FULL. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE STEERING WORKED AGAIN.I FINISHED DRIVING TO WORK WITH NO PROBLEMS. WHEN I CAME OUT OF WORK I AGAIN HAD NO POWER STEERING AND HAD THE CAR TOWED INTO A SHOP WHERE THEY TOLD ME THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED AND IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $1300 TO FIX. I HAD THE REPAIR DONE BUT AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AS THEY TOLD ME IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN EVEN WITH THE NEW PART. *TR

POWER STEERING DROPPED OUT UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN STEERING CONTROL BEFORE A COLLISION, BUT POWER STEERING NEVER CAME BACK ON. I FOUND OUT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED, PERHAPS BROUGHT ON BY A POWER STEERING FAN FAILURE. BOTH THE FAN AND PUMP WERE REPLACED. *TR

DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED TURNING RIGHT INTO PARKING GARAGE POWER STEERING FAILED AND ALMOST CAUSED VEHICLE TO CONTACT ANOTHER CAR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN THE PAST WEEK THAT THE POWER STEERING HAS RANDOMLY FAILED. TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED CAR AND STEERING STARTS WORKING CORRECTLY AGAIN. *TR

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH, WHEN POWER STEERING FAILED. POWER STEERING FAILURE ACCOMPANIED BY OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES. GAUGE CLUSTER RESET, ALL FAILURE LIGHTS WENT ON. POWER STEERING RESTORED SHORTLY AFTER FAILURE. OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY TWO MORE TIMES AFTER FIRST INCIDENT. AFTER POWER STEERING FAILURE NOTICED, ISSUE WITH CHARGING SYSTEM ALSO. CHARGING SYSTEM VOLTAGE CONSISTENTLY LOW, SOMETIMES EVEN GOING DOWN TO 10V ACCOMPANIED BY LOSS OF POWER AND OTHER MALFUNCTION LIGHTS. *TR