MINI Complaints

POWER STEERING PUMP STARTED TO BECOME LOUDER AROUND 83K MILES. WHEN I WAS DRIVING AROUND A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED UP AND IT BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. I ALMOST WRECKED BECAUSE OF THIS. AFTER RESEARCH, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT MY POWER STEERING GAVE OUT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 MINI COOPER. RECENTLY, COMPLETE POWER TO THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN LOST WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE OVER THE PAST MONTH. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED ON A PAVED CITY STREET AT SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE POWER FAILURES OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS REQUIRED TO BE BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE POWER TO THE VEHICLE COULD BE RESTORED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED MINI COOPER REPAIR CENTER (NIELLO MINI, SACRAMENTO, CA) ON 07/26/11. THE DEALERSHIP COULD FIND NO FAULTS WITH THE VEHICLE AND HAD US DRIVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE LOT "AS IS" WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO BRING IT BACK IN FOR FURTHER TESTING IF THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. NEXT TIME COULD BE TOO LATE AS THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT TO OCCUR. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2004 MINI COOPER S 5 MONTHS AGO. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER EVERYTHING WORKED FINE ON THE CAR. THERE WAS A WHINING NOISE IN THE CAR, WHICH HE TOLD ME WAS NORMAL ON MIN COOPERS. I WAS DRIVING FROM BOISE, ID TO OLYMPIA, WA IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S. THEN SUDDENLY, ABOUT 200 MILES INTO MY TRIP, WHILE I WAS OVER TAKING A SEMI TRUCK ON A RIGHT HAND CURVE. MY POWER STEERING TIGHTENED AND I HAD TO HOLD ON REALLY TIGHT. I ALMOST RAN INTO THE SIDE WALL. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND THAT MY POWER STEERING HAD DIED. IT SEEMS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF SAFE WAY FOR THE POWER STEERING TO DIE. LOOSING POWER STEERING THE WAY IT DID, AND HOW HARD IT IS TO TURN THE STEERING WITHOUT THE PUMP SOUNDS VERY SCARY. I DROVE DOWN STEEP HILL WITH SHARP CURVES DURING THE TRIP AND I'M SO GLAD THE PUMP DIDN'T DIE THEN. I THEN DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY CAREFULLY AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING. NOW I KNOW THAT THE WHINING NOISE WAS FROM THE POWER STEERING SINCE THE WHINING NOISE WENT AWAY ONCE THE POWER STEERING DIED. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH OTHERS AS WELL. NOW MY CAR IS PARKED AND I'M NOT SURE IF I SHOULD REPLACE THE PART OR NOT. I FEEL BMW SHOULD TAKE SOME INITIATIVES TO FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY HARD TO MANEUVER. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO A RECALL AND STATED ONLY A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT WAS IN PROGRESS. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED AT HER OWN EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. UPDATED 08/31/*LJ THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 09/12/11

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. DOOR WOULD ONLY OPEN MANUALLY WITH A KEY FROM THE OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. I HAD TO ENTER AND EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. *TT

TRUNK DOOR OPENED WHILE DRIVING AROUND 50MPH. ITEMS IN TRUNK FLEW OUT. ANOTHER DRIVER PULLED UP ALONGSIDE ME TO NOTIFY ME OF THE SITUATION. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SENSOR HAD FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,800.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF AND ADDITIONAL FORCE HAD TO BE APPLIED IN ORDER TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND COOLING FAN. THE LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE COOLING FAN. THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED AND THE STEERING CONTINUED TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REVIEWED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM BEGAN TO FUNCTION AGAIN. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

I OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER, THE POWER STEERING PUMP COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO EUREKA SPRINGS ARKANSAS WHEN THIS HAPPENED, LUCKILY MY HUSBAND WAS THE ONE DRIVING, I DON'T EVEN WANT TO IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF IT HAD BEEN ME. I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAR THROUGH THOSE CURVES. *KB