MINI Complaints

THE PLASTIC HOUSING FOR BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE BEGINNING TO CRACK; POTENTIALLY EXPOSING THE XENON LIGHTBULBS. FAILURE OF HEADLIGHT(S) WHILE DRIVING COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY ON AN UNFAMILIAR ROADWAY. *TR

IT WAS SO SCARY TO NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE TURNS ON FREEWAY! ON MY WAY BACK FROM WORK SAN FRANCISCO, I STARTED EXPERIENCING VERY STIFF POWER STEERING HALF WAY AND THE SITUATION GOT WORSE AND WORSE. TO THE END I ALMOST COULDN'T MAKE TURNS. I BARELY CAN FINALLY PARK THE CAR IN FRONT OF MY GARAGE AND I WAS HORRIFIED BY THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT. BROUGHT THE CAR TO GET CHECKED AND IT TURNED OUT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS WAY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN I CAN AFFORD BUT CAN I NOT TO GET THAT REPAIRED? I NEEDED THE CAR TO GO TO WORK ETC. MINI COOPER SHOULD RECALL THIS POWER STEERING PUMP. IT'S A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

I OWN A 2003 MINI COOPER AUTOMATIC AND I'VE ALREADY HAD TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE COOLING FAN REPLACED TWICE, AND NOW, ONLY A YEAR LATER AFTER MY 2ND REPLACEMENT AND A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS LATER, IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR A THIRD TIME. THE CARE ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS COSTLY AND A SAFETY ISSUE FOR DRIVERS. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CAR BY MINI OR BMW. *TR

BACKING OUT OF PARKING PLACE, CAR IS DIFFICULT TO STEER. THIS THE THIRD TIME IT HAS OCCURRED. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE POWER STEERING YET DUE TO COST. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER HAS POWER STEERING PROBLEMS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. SEEMINGLY RESOLVES SPONTANEOUSLY. *TR

I WAS LEAVING MY HOUSE FOR WORK IN THE MORNING. AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY ONTO THE STREET, I DISCOVERED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS REALLY HARD TO TURN. CONSEQUENTLY I ENDED UP ALL THE WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, AND IT TOOK GREAT EFFORT TO GET THE CAR INTO THE DIRECTION I INTENDED. FORTUNATELY THERE WASN'T ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN I WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET, OTHERWISE IT COULD BE DANGEROUS... I STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET, CHECKED THAT EVERYTHING ELSE WAS OK EXCEPT POWER STEERING. SINCE I ONLY NEEDED TO TAKE LOCAL STREETS, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK - IT JUST FELT LIKE MY VERY FIRST CAR THAT WAS MANUAL AND WITHOUT POWER STEERING!

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, ON A WINDY ROAD WHEN MY CAR LOST IT'S POWER STEERING. THE GARAGE HAS TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP, FAN AND STEERING RACK FOR A TOTAL COST OF ABOUT $3,000! I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE NOT RUN OFF THE ROAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THERE WERE THREE VEHICLES PARKED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CONTACTS VEHICLE THAT SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE PARKING GARAGE WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ALSO SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

ON MULTIPLE INCIDENTS, THERE IS NO INDICATION LEADING UP TO THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING TO THE POINT WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN OR MANEUVER. PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR DURING INITIAL STARTUP OF THE CAR, OR AFTER 15 MINS OF DRIVING, OR AFTER 2-3 HOURS OF DRIVING. SO FAR, ON ALL OCCURRENCES, ONCE THE CAR IS SHUT OFF AND TURNED BACK ON THEN POWER STEERING RESUMES. TOOK MY CAR TO MINI OF STEVENS CREEK ON 8/8/11 AND WAS QUOTED $180 FOR DIAGNOSTICS, $848 FOR PARTS, $253 FOR LABOR. MINI HAS DECLINED TO HONOR A NO-COST REPLACEMENT. I NEED TO FIND MORE REASONABLE PRICE FOR REPAIR AS I CANNOT AFFORD THE QUOTED $1300 AT THE MOMENT. I HAVE YET TO HAVE THIS POWER STEERING PROBLEM FIXED. *TR

AFTER CAR WAS SITTING FOR 4 HOURS THE POWER STEERING DID NOT WORK; I MUSCLED THE CAR HOME AND WHEN I STARTED IT TO TAKE TO MY MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY IT WAS WORKING AGAIN; I REVIEWED THIS ON LINE AND DISCOVERED THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS (MINI COOPER, 56,000 MILES, '03. *TR