MINI Complaints

WITHOUT WARNING, IN MARCH 2011, MY POWER STEERING FAILED. SERVICE DETERMINED THE COOLING FAN FOR THE ELECTROHYDRAULIC STEERING PUMP MOTOR IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED--INTAKE MANIFOLD AND FAN WITH PROTECTING GRILLE. NO MENTION WAS MADE THAT A FURTHER FAILURE, OF THE PUMP ITSELF, COULD OCCUR. IN JUNE 2011, THE ELECTROHYDRAULIC STEERING PUMP MOTOR FAILED WHILST I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. SERVICE REVEALED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT AND SAID PUMP WAS REPLACED. *KB

WHILE DRIVING THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT TURNED OFF. AT THE SAME TIME THE SEAT BELT LIGHT CAME ON. HAD BOTH CHECKED AND WHEN CAR WAS RETURNED BOTH LIGHTS WERE OUT. PASSENGER SEAT BOTTOM WAS REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BOTTOM. NO PROBLEM NOTED FOR THE SEAT BELT LIGHT. 1/2 MILE FROM DEALER BOTH WARNING LIGHTS AGAIN TURNED ON AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT TURNED OFF. AT THIS POINT I AM NOT SURE IF THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE OR NOT.

THE POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING AND BECAME NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER. THE LACK OF CONTROL NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I PULLED OVER AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT SEEMS THE POWER STEERING WAS OKAY. IT KEEPS CUTTING OUT AND I HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THE CAR AND RESTART IT IN ORDER TO GET IT TO WORK AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT EVENTUALLY IT WILL STOP WORKING COMPLETELY. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THEY RECOMMENDED HAVING THE DEALER RUN DIAGNOSTICS. DIAGNOSTIC AT THE DEALER IS EXPENSIVE AND IS NOT CREDITED TOWARDS THE REPAIRS SO I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO GET THE ISSUE ADDRESSED BY THE MINI DEALER. *TR

2004 MINI COOPER S FIRST HAD AN ISSUE THAT DRAINED THE BATTERY. ONCE POWER WAS RESTORED AND THE CAR WAS DRIVEN AND THEN SHUT OFF, THERE WAS A WHIRRING NOISE, SIMILAR TO A FAN RUNNING, THAT CONTINUED AFTER THE KEY HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THIS NOISE AND THE APPARENT POWER DRAIN CONTINUES UNTIL THE BATTERY IS DRAINED ONCE MORE. FOLLOWING THESE ISSUES, THE MINI BEGAN TO BECOME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO STEER. IT IS DIAGNOSED AS A POWER STEERING FAILURE THAT IS APPARENTLY COMMON AMONG THIS GENERATION OF MINI COOPER. NO ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, OR FIRES HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO THIS FAILURE, HOWEVER THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL PARTS ARE REPLACED. *TR

POWER STEERING HAS BEEN GOING OUT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN - USUALLY AFTER GOING OVER A POTHOLE OR BUMP IN THE ROAD. *TR

THE STEERING PUMP COOLING FAN STARTED TO FAIL AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO STATED THE STEERING RACK WAS LEAKING FLUID AND WAS GOING TO NEED REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF OVER $1,000.00.

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 2005 MINI COOPER. REQUIRES STOPPING VEHICLE AND RESTARTING ENGINE. THE FREQUENCY OF FAILURE OR POWER ASSIST INCREASING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER POWERING OFF THE IGNITION, HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING PUMP. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND CUT THE BATTERY LINE. THE DEALER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE STEERING PUMP. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,746 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,540. UPDATED 9/13/11 *CN THE CONSUMER REPALCD THE PUMP, FLUID AND OTHER SMALL PARTS. UPDATED 01/23/12

I HAVE A JANUARY 2005 BUILT MINI COOPER S (R53) WITH APPROXIMATELY 21,000 MILES ON IT. ON FEBRUARY 12, 2011 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A WINDING ROAD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH SPEED TURN. THE UNEXPECTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE MADE THE STEERING COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE CAUSING THE CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND NEARLY HIT A TREE (I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I WASN'T KILLED!). AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT UNWARRANTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURES ARE QUITE COMMON WITH THE EARLIER MINI COOPER MODELS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURE VIA A MANDATORY SAFETY RECALL. AFTER THE INITIAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE PUMP WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY IN THAT IT WOULD RUN FINE FOR A WHILE AND THEN FAIL AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING A SHORT TIME LATER MAKING THE CAR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AT TIMES, THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NOT SWITCH OFF AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR'S IGNITION AND THE CAR'S BATTERY WOULD ULTIMATELY GO FLAT LEAVING US STRANDED. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE MINI DEALERSHIP ON 2/17//2011 AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AS HAVING A BAD BATTERY (CLAIMING THAT THE BATTERY WAS SO LOW THAT THE CAR WAS ACTUALLY SHUTTING DOWN THE POWER STEERING IN ORDER TO STAY RUNNING). THEY CHARGED US $160 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS. WE THEN REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH AN OEM BATTER FROM THE DEALERSHIP ($130) AND IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. WE ALSO CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER (MINI USA) DIRECTLY AND THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP CLAIMING THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. ULTIMATELY, ON JULY 26, 2011 (AT 21,385 MILES) WE REPLACED THE FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP (PART # 32-41-6-778-425) AT A COST OF $735.29 (PLUS LABOR). THE MINI DEALERSHIP WANTED WELL OVER $1,000 TO PERFORM THE WORK AND SO WE PURCHASE A REMPLACEMENT PUMP FROM THE MINI DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT INSTALLED OURSELVES. *TR

2004 MINI COOPER WITH 60K MILES. TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WAS ADVISED BY MINI COOPER DEALER NEEDS REPLACEMENT, MAKES WHINING NOISE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. HAVE NOT DRIVEN CAR SINCE APRIL 2011. CAN NOT AFFORD $5K REPLACEMENT COST. *TR