MINI Complaints

AS REPORTED BY HUNDREDS OF OTHERS TO NHTSA AND BY THOUSANDS ON THE INTERNET, THE POWER STEERING PUMP IN OUR 2005 MINI COOPER WILL SIMPLY STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT BECOMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ON-LINE AND WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A DEATH. IT IS MY OPINION THAT NHTSA MUST IMMEDIATELY MOVE TO ESCALATE THIS FROM ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO REQUIRE BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC ISSUE A RECALL ON ALL 2005 & 2006 MODEL MINI COOPERS, IF NOT EARLIER MODELS AS THERE ARE COMPLAINTS ON-LINE GOING BACK TO 2002 WHEN THE MODEL WAS FIRST INTRODUCED TO THE US MARKET. THE COST TO REPLACE THIS UNIT IS THE BETTER PART OF $900, BUT WHAT''S THE COST OF A LIFE? MINI SHOULD HAVE LONG SINCE RECALLED THIS UNIT AND THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE 2002 BUT THEY HAVE CLEARLY IGNORED COMPLAINT AFTER COMPLAINT INSTEAD CLAIMING THEY ''WORK CLOSELY WITH NHTSA ON ALL COMPLAINTS'' (THEY''RE REQUIRED TO DO SO BY LAW SO THEIR STATEMENT DOESN''T HOLD MUCH WEIGHT). AS THE FAILURE IS INTERMITTENT AN UNPREDICTABLE HOW CAN I ALLOW MY WIFE OR DAUGHTER WHO IS PREPARING TO LEARN TO DRIVE TO DRIVE EITHER OF OUR MINI COOPERS UNTIL IT''S REPLACED? MINI SHOULD BE FORCED TO DO IT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT

UNEXPECTEDLY, THE AIRBAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON. I'VE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF THIS OCCURRING ON THE WEB. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS SERVICED YET. IT IS NOT COVERED BY MINI'S WARRANTY. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND THEN TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NOTICED LEVEL OF POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LOW. NO APPARENT LEAK ON GROUND. NOTICED THE BOOTS ON RACK AND PINION ARE PRESSURIZED AND REALIZED THAT IS WHERE THE FLUID IS LEAKING INTO. *TT

THE POWER ASSIST FOR THE STEERING FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. OFTEN THIS OCCURS MIDWAY THROUGH A TURN. SOMETIMES TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RE-STARTING WILL RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT. REPORTED THE ISSUE TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND BEFORE I COULD FINISH THE SENTENCE THE TWO SERVICE WRITERS SAID THERE WAS NOT ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP! WITHOUT THE POWER ASSIST THE STEERING IS VERY HEAVY. AS A STRONG, EXPERIENCED DRIVER I KNEW WHAT TO DO WHEN THE POWER ASSIST FAILED, BUT THIS WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR AN OLDER OR LESS PHYSICAL DRIVER SINCE THE ASSIST FAILURE IS SUDDEN AND WITHOUT WARNING. AS A DRIVER YOU GO FROM BEING ABLE TO CASUALLY STEER WITH MINIMAL INPUT TO INSTANTLY NEEDING TO FORCEFULLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR!!!! THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 40,011 MILES AND CONTINUES TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT HE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO THE VACCUUM PUMP FAILING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 64,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING DIFFICULTY IN MANEUVERING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE CONTACT RESUMED CAUTIOUSLY WITH THE STEERING MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

ENGINE OIL SPRAYING FROM CAMSHAFT CHAIN TENSION-ER SEAL. OIL WAS SPRAYING OUT UNDER PRESSURE. I WOULD CONSIDER THIS TO BE A FIRE HAZARD, AS HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS ARE NEARBY. *TR

THE FAILURE IN MY POWER STEERING PUMP OCCURRED AT 70,000 MILES WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AS I WAS DRIVING WHILE CHANGING LANES. I COULD NOT TURN THE WHEEL WITHOUT EXCESSIVE FORCE. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT A PUMP, IN THE PROCESS OF FAILING, CAUSES ANOTHER PROBLEM; THE PUMP MIGHT RANDOMLY START WORKING AGAIN, AND POSSIBLY IN THE PROCESS OF A TURN. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ME AND CAUSED AN OVER COMPENSATION WHEN TURNING A CORNER (ON 2 OCCASIONS) AND POTENTIALLY ENDANGERED THE OTHER MOTORISTS ON THE ROAD, AS WELL AS MYSELF! I FOUND THAT IT WILL COST ME $1000.00+ TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. I AM CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED AND CANNOT AFFORD THIS EXPENSE. IN THE MEAN TIME, MY BELOVED MINI SITS IN THE GARAGE UNTIL A RECALL OR UNTIL I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THE POWER OF STEERING WOULD STOP WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,377.