MINI Complaints

I STARTED TO HEAR THIS WINDING OR LOUD HUMMING SOUND, DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM..IT WAS EXAMINED BY A MECHANIC,,AND IT WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILING, AND THE ELECTRIC COOLING FAN FAILING. READ ABOUT MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS STEERING PUMP ON 2005 MINI'S. THE COST WAS $1226.00 TO REPLACE. EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT LOST POWER STEERING, IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AT ANYTIME. *TR

THE FIRST TIME THE POWER STEERING FAILED WAS WHEN I WAS EXITING OFF A HIGHWAY REST STOP. WHEN LEAVING THE STOP, THE POWER STEERING WORKED AGAIN. FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, INCIDENTS OF STIFFNESS BECAME MORE FREQUENT ESPECIALLY AT THE END OF MY COMMUTE HOME FROM WORK. THREE MONTHS LATER IT LACKS POWER STEERING FULL TIME. AFTER ALL I'VE READ ABOUT THIS ONLINE, MY CONCERN IS THAT THE COST OF THE REPAIR MAY BE AROUND $1300. *TR

OUR COUNTRYMAN UNEXPECTEDLY RAN OUT OF GAS WHEN THE DIGITAL FUEL LEVEL DISPLAY STILL HAD TWO BARS ILLUMINATED AND THE ON BOARD COMPUTER INDICATED THERE WERE 57 MILES LEFT. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING, WHICH IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK. THERE ARE MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES OF THIS ISSUE REPORTED HERE: HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/R60-COUNTRYMAN-TALK/215262-RAN-OUT-OF-GAS.HTML THE DIGITAL FUEL LEVEL GRAPH IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS CANDY CORNS SINCE ON THIS VEHICLE EACH SEGMENT LOOKS SIMILAR TO A CANDY CORN. *TR

POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN GO OUT ALL TOGETHER. POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. LASTED A YEAR. FAILED AGAIN, AND DEALER REPLACED OUT OF WARRANTY BUT CHARGED LABOR. THIRD PUMP FAILING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. HE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY TIGHT INDICATING THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE ANY WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,000.

BURNED MY LEFT LEG, JUST ABOVE THE ANKLE ON THE EXHAUST PIPE WHILE RETRIEVING PARCEL FROM THE BOOT OF THE VEHICLE. IT LEFT A NASTY SCAR ON MY LEG. *KB

HOUSING FOR THE TIMING CHAIN CAME LOOSE AND CAUSED DAMAGE THAT WILL COST $1800 TO REPAIR. THE SERVICE GUY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. HE SAID HE HAS BEEN SEEING A LOT OF THEM IN THE PAST TWO YEARS AND ITS A 10 HOUR JOB. WHILE I WAS SIGNING FOR THE LOANER, SOMEONE ELSE WAS ON THE PHONE SAYING THEY REPLACED THE TIMING CHAIN ON ANOTHER CAR. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW WHERE MINI IS MAKING A TON OF MONEY ON REPAIRS. THE SERVICE GUY ALSO SAID, "IT APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE HOUSING, BECAUSE ONCE WE REPLACE IT THEY NEVER HAVE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. AND I SOME OF THE CARS HAD THIS DONE TWO YEARS AGO." *KB

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ENTERING TURN, AND CAR WAS HARD TO STEER, HAD TO JERK WHEEL TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR. WHEN WILL SOMETHING BE DONE WITH MINE AND OTHERS WHO HAVE THIS ISSUE. DOES IT TAKE A DEATH FOR CAR DEALERS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *KB

MY POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S FAILED AT 45 MPH IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN FOR A DIAGNOSES IN WHICH THEY INFORMED ME THE REPAIR WOULD BE OVER $1K. I DECLINED THE REPAIR AS I HAVE LOCATED A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, AND AM NOW TAKING IT UP WITH MINI HQ. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO MERGE ONTO THE SHOULDER BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,300 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 10/18/11 UPDATED EVOQ 11/01/11.