MINI Complaints

REPEATED POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAVE REPLACED PUMP (AS WELL AS BELTS, FLUIDS, ETC.) NEW PUMP FIXED PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. NOW IT JUST STOPS WORKING AGAIN! NO COMPUTER CODE SHOWING PROBLEM. MAY WORK FINE ON START THEN JUST GO OUT A ANY POINT. MAY STAY OUT. MAY BE FINE AFTER RESTART. NO POWER STEERING WITHOUT NOTICE IS DANGEROUS! CAR HAS 90K MILES. SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM! THIS HAPPENS REPEATEDLY AT ALL SPEEDS, AT ALL DRIVING TIMES, AT MANY VARYING CIRCUMSTANCES (WET/DRY, HOT/NOT HOT, ENGINE COLD/ENGINE WARM, STRAIGHT ROADS/CURVY ROADS). DATE BELOW IS TODAY'S DATE, BUT THIS BEGAN HAPPENING 2 MONTHS AFTER BOUGHT CAR USED. DEALER HAS MADE NUMEROUS GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO REPAIR, BUT THE PROBLEM KEEPS RETURNING. IT IS A DEFECT AND A DANGEROUS ONE!!!!! *TR

POWER-ASSISTED STEERING FAILS ON 2004 COOPER MINI. VEHICLE NOT DRIVEN AGGRESSIVELY. SHUTTING VEHICLE OFF, THEN RESTARTING, WILL OCCASIONALLY RESTORE POWER STEERING BUT ONLY FOR A BRIEF PERIOD. POWER-ASSISTED STEERING WORKS WHEN FIRST STARTED FOR THE DAY, BUT QUITS ENTIRELY WITHIN 30 - 45 MIN. LATER. DRIVING WITHOUT POWER-ASSISTED STEERING IS POSSIBLE BUT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. *TT

2005 MINI COOPER POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH ON A WINDING 2 LANE RURAL ROAD. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE CAR ON THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY. HAD THIS BEEN A HEAVILY TRAVELED HIGHWAY, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH DIFFERENT. WHEN IT HAPPENED, IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I FOUND MYSELF IN THE ONCOMING LANE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER. *TT

THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S FAILED, LEADING TO EXTREMELY DIFFICULT OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. CAR WAS UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT FAILURE NOT COVERED.

I HAVE A 2004 MINI COOPER WITH 87,000 MILES ON IT. THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE TOTAL CVT TRANSMISSION FAILURE THAT TOOK PLACE LAST FRIDAY 07/29/11. I WAS ENTERING INTO A LARGE INTERSECTION WHEN THE CAR STARTED BUCKING AND RATTLING. I JUST MADE IT INTO A HESS STATION PARKING LOT (THANK GOODNESS THERE WAS ONE THERE) WHEN IT WOULDN'T GO ANY FURTHER. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY SAID THAT THE TRANS WAS DEAD AND I WAS GOING TO NEED A NEW ONE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE AREN'T ANY REBUILT OPTIONS AND THE NEW TRANS IS GOING TO COST ME $5000 + $1200 FOR LABOR. I HAVE DONE A BUNCH OF RESEARCH ON THESE CVT TRANSMISSIONS AND APPARENTLY THEY HAVE BEEN A HUGE PROBLEM AND BMW/MINI HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I THINK IT IS A DISGRACE THAT THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN AND COST PEOPLE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ASAP!!!! *TT

CONTINUOUS RELAPSING/REMITTING PROBLEM. POWER STEERING HAS BEEN GOING OUT NEARLY ONCE A WEEK FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF. 90% OF THE TIME THE POWER STEERING COMES BACK ON AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 BMW MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. WHEN THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED SHE NOTICED THAT THE WIRES WERE MELTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RELAY AND POWER STEERING PUMP BOTH FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 41,000. .UPDATED 09/19/11 *BF THE CONTROL HARNESS AND POWER SUPPLY HARNESS CONNECTOR MELTED ON THE POWER STEERING MOTOR. THE VEHICLE HAS SINCE BEEN REPAIRED.

DRIVING TO WORK 4 MILE TRIP POWER STEERING RANDOMLY STOPS WORKING ALMOST LOCKING UP THE STEERING WHEEL. TRIED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD A FULL GROWN MAN STRUGGLES TO BE ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL ABOUT A QUARTER OF A TURN. SHUT OFF CAR WAIT TO START BACK UP. POWER STEERING STILL DEAD CALL TOW TRUCK AND HAVE IT HAULED TO REPAIR SHOP. TOLD POWER STEERING PUMP HAS DIED AND NEEDS REPLACED ALONG WITH POWER STEERING PUMP FAN. *KB

2005 MINI COOPER S - ENGINE FIRE A FEW DAYS AGO (7/27/2011) MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CAUGHT FIRE IN THE LOWER REAR ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE PARKED IN A BUSINESS PARKING LOT. IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE (ABOUT 6 MILES) THREE HOURS PRIOR WITH NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. THE CAR IGNITION WAS OFF AND THERE WAS NO KEY PRESENT IN OR NEAR THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY, A CO-WORKER SPOTTED THE CAR BILLOWING SMOKE FROM BENEATH THE HOOD AND WE WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BEFORE ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE OR SURROUNDING PROPERTY. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND SUBSEQUENT ELECTRICAL FIRE - THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERHEATING AND EVENTUAL IGNITION OF AN ELECTRICAL HARNESS CAUSED BY A SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT PRIOR TO THE FIRE, THERE WAS NO INDICATION IN THE VEHICLE (WARNING SYSTEM) OR BY THE VEHICLES PERFORMANCE THAT THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH THE PUMP OR HANDLING. IT FAILED COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING! WHILE PARKED AND UNATTENDED! THANKFULLY, THE CAR WAS NOT PARKED IN MY GARAGE AT NIGHT WHERE THE FIRE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY GOTTEN A LOT WORSE BEFORE BEING DISCOVERED AND COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN DEVASTATING TO MY PROPERTY AND FAMILY. AS IT STANDS THE CAR IS SCHEDULED TO BE REPAIRED AT A COST OF NEARLY 1000.00, POSSIBLY MORE AS WE DO NOT YET KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE CAUSED TO ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS WITHIN THE VEHICLE BY THE PUMPS FAILURE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND ONLY DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED AND WAS RECENTLY MECHANICALLY INSPECTED LAST MARCH. NO ISSUES WERE FOUND WITH THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF IT'S LAST MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE CLOSING THE REAR HATCH DOOR THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BURNS ON HER LEGS CAUSED BY THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE EXHAUST PIPE EXTENDS OUT FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS A DESIGN FLAW. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,130. BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE EXHAUST PIPE EXTENDS OUT BEYOND THE REAR BUMPER AND IT IS SHING THERE IS CONSIDERABLE RISK THAT A CHILD LEFT UNATTENDED NEAR THE VEHICLE COULD EXPERIENCE THE SAME TYPE OF BURNS. UPDATED 10/03/2011 *LN *TR