MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND SOMETIMES WHILE MOVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL MAKING THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT THE RELAY IN THE AUXILIARY ENGINE FAN HAD FAILED LIKELY AS A RESULT OF THE POWER STEERING FAN FAILING. BOTH THE AUXILIARY ENGINE FAN AND THE POWER STEERING FAN HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS AND LABOR WAS $1060.14.

UNABLE TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR FROM THE INSIDE; IMMEDIATE FAILURE. AT ABOUT 36,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 60,000 MILES, THE DRIVER'S DOOR COULD ONLY BE OPENED BY PULLING ON THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE MULTIPLE TIMES OR OPENING THE WINDOW & USING THE OUTSIDE HANDLE. THE ISSUE APPEARS TO BE A CABLE THAT COMES OFF A PULLEY IN THE OPENING MECHANISM. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CABLE IN ITS PROPER POSITION; THE FIX LASTED ABOUT 2 YEARS BEFORE RE-OCCURRING CAUSING THE CAR TO FAIL STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. THIS IS A PROBLEM KNOWN TO MINI/BMW AND IS REPORTED IN MANY ONLINE MINI COOPER FORUMS. *TT

LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER THE CAR. AT TIMES, THERE WOULD BE NO POWER STEERING ASSIST; RESTARTING THE CAR WOULD SOLVE THE ISSUE. ULTIMATELY, THE ISSUE APPEARED TO BE A BUILT-IN ELECTRICAL RELAY IN THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP THAT STICKS. ONLY REPLACEMENT OPTION WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PUMP. *TT

THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S FAILED, LEADING TO EXTREMELY DIFFICULT OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. AT SPEED THE CAR IS OK, IF A BIT CUMBERSOME. AT LOW SPEEDS OR IN A PARKING LOT, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. AT FIRST, THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT - RESTARTING THE CAR SOMETIMES RESTORED CONTROL. HOWEVER, FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS THE POWER STEERING IS COMPLETELY DEAD.

WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. ALSO, THE LIGHT WHICH INDICATES THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS OFF COMES ON WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. I USED THE SAME WRITE-UP ON A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT AS THE SYMPTOMS ARE ACCURATE FOR MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE, WITH APPROXIMATELY 72,000 MILES. *TR

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MY 2004 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. I HAVE DONE HOURS OF RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE CONTACTED HALF A DOZEN MINI DEALERSHIPS TO FIND OUT, THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM (ON 2001-2005 MODELS) AND CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. THERE IS NO WARNING (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) WHEN THIS PART GOES DEFECTIVE, SO BASICALLY WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING JUST SHUTS OFF LEAVING ABOUT 30LBS OF PRESSURE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. GOOD THING I AM A STRONG MALE, BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR ASSISTANCE. BY NO MEANS AM I SEXIST, BUT BELIEVE ME THIS CAR IS REALLY HARD TO MANEUVER WITHOUT POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE. THE COST OF REPAIRS RANGES FROM $1000-$1500 ($800 JUST FOR THE PUMP), PLUS $200 FOR HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST GARAGE. I BELIEVE SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE BEFORE THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS INJURIES OR EVEN DEATHS. *TR

POWER STEERING ABRUPTLY FAILED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. WAS FORTUNATELY ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POWER STEERING FAILURES ARE UNFORTUNATELY ALMOST GUARANTEED IN MY YEAR AND MAKE VEHICLE. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SAID THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT AND MINI USA HAS EVEN REDESIGNED THE POWER STEERING PUMP DUE TO THE HIGH FAILURE RATE, AND ALSO RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE FAN DUE TO HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF SHORTING OR FIRE. I PARTICIPATE IN AN ENTHUSIAST FORUM WHERE THESE REPORTS ARE COMMON WHICH IS WHY I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP IMMEDIATELY, TO AVOID FURTHER IN-DRIVING FAILURE OR WORSE, A CAR FIRE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED IN THE PAST AND IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT NEITHER NHTSA NOR MINI USA HAS RECALLED THESE VEHICLES FOR WHAT IS AN ALMOST GUARANTEED FAILURE WITH OBVIOUS AND POTENTIALLY GRAVE SAFETY RISKS. I AM PAYING $1200 FOR THE REPAIR WHICH IS EXPENSIVE BUT NOT OUT OF LINE WITH WHAT OTHERS ARE PAYING AND WORTH MY PERSONAL PIECE OF MIND SINCE MINI USA WILL NOT PUBLICLY ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS A 2003 MINI COOPER S WITH 87,000 MILES. *TR

POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENT MAKING CAR DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I'M THE SECOND OWNER OF CAR. FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES.

ON MY 2009 MINI COOPER CLUBMAN WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. OUR TEENAGER WAS PRIACTICING PARALLEL PARKING FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES ON A HOT DAY. AFTER IT FAILED, WE TURNED OFF THE CAR. TWO HOURS LATER WHEN WE RESTARTED THE CAR IT WAS FUNCTIONING AGAIN. THE DEALER, SAYS THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING UNLESS THEY CAN REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, WHICH THEY HAVE NOT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) T