MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 82,500. UPDATED 06/13/11 *BF UPDATED 2/15/2012 *LN *TR

SUDDEN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE ORIGINAL BATTERY FAILED AND WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A CONTINUING SOUND LIKE A FAN OR ELECTRIC MOTOR RUNNING CONSTANTLY. THIS NOISE CONTINUED UNTIL THE POWER STEERING CEASED COMPLETELY DURING A PARKING MANEUVER. AFTER THE STEERING FAILED THE PREVIOUSLY NOTED NOISE STOPPED.

I WAS DRIVING FROM EAST LOS ANGELES TO WEST LOS ANGELES (PLAYA DEL RAY) ON THE 105 WEST HGWY WHEN THE CARS TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. THIS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY IN LA DURING RUSH HOUR. I HAD TO SLOWLY MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY UNTIL I COULD FIND AN AREA WITH A SHOULDER. I BARELY MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER AND COULD HAVE DIED FROM ONE OF THE CARS SPEEDING PAST ME. LUCKILY I MADE IT. I CALLED AAA AND THEY BROUGHT A TOW TRUCK WHICH TOWED THE CAR INTO A SHOP WHICH STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. THEY SAID I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE THING WHICH WOULD COST $7,000 MINIMUM. I CALLED MULTIPLE OTHER DEALERS AND SHOPS, WHOM ALL GAVE THE SAME ESTIMATE. I DONATED IT TO MY LOCAL NPR STATION BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO PAY THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO REPLACE A FAULTY TRANSMISSION, WITH ANOTHER FAULTY TRANSMISSION. *TR

I OWN A 2005 MINI COOPER. MILEAGE IS 43,070. MY POWER STEERING PUMP RECENTLY MALFUNCTIONED. STEERING BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP EVENTUALLY WOULD NOT TURN OFF AND CONTINUED RUNNING AFTER I TURNED OFF MY CAR. PART HAD TO BE REPLACED. I UNDERSTAND THAT A CLASS ACTION WAS FILED IN OCTOBER 2010 REGARDING THIS SAME PROBLEM. I AM WRITING TO LET THE NHTSA KNOW THAT MY POWER STEERING PUMP ALSO MALFUNCTIONED. *TR

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING....MADE IT HOME...CHECKED ALL FLUID LEVELS...ALL OKAY....GOT BACK IN THE VEHICLE THE NEXT MORNING TO TAKE TO SERVICE STATION AND POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN...GARAGE COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM...SCARED TO DRIVE IT NOW FOR FEAR OF LOSS OF STEERING AGAIN! *TR

POWER STEERING FAILS. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED, BOTH WHILE DRIVING AS WELL AS AFTER JUST STARTING THE CAR. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND I SEE NO PATTERN TO IT'S OCCURRENCE. TYPICALLY IT IS REMEDIED BY TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RE-STARTING. THERE HAS BEEN A FEW OCCASIONS WHERE IT WILL SPUTTER IN AND OUT BEFORE IT GOES OUT COMPLETELY BUT THE MOST COMMON OCCURRENCE IS WHEN I START THE CAR, THERE'S IS NO POWER STEERING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED SEVERAL YEARS AGO BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE FOR A REPLACEMENT TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE RACK AND PINION. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND WAS CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FAILURE CAUSING A CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. UPDATED 06/24/11 *BF UPDATED 06/30/11. *JB

POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING, REQUIRING AN EXTREME EFFORT TO TURN STEERING WHEEL OR MAINTAIN WHEEL POSITION IF FAILURE OCCURS WHILE MANEUVERING ON A CURVED SECTION OF HIGHWAY. FAILURES BEGAN AS WARRANTY EXPIRED, AND IS NOW PERMANENT. BMW SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES WERE FAMILIAR WITH PROBLEM, STATING THAT THE CAUSE WAS FAILURE OF THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP, A NON-REPAIRABLE PART. BMW HAD THE PART IN STOCK, AND WITH INSTALLATION, GAVE AN ESTIMATE EXCEEDING $600.00 TO REPLACE PUMP. DUE TO THE COST, I HAVE NOT HAD THE REPAIR DONE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO ADVISED HIM THAT THE TIMING BELT TENSIONERS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. A FEW DAYS LATER HE HEARD A NOISE COMING IN THE ENGINE AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED HIM THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

EXITING THE FREEWAY ENGINE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AND I IMMEDIATELY LOST STEERING. TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO STEER IT TO SAFETY. SOME SMOKE COMING UNDERNEATH. LOCAL MECHANIC REPORTED THAT THE COOLING FAN FOR THE HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING HAD STOPPED AND EVERYTHING HAD OVER HEATED. MULTIPLE WIRES AND COMPONENTS COMPLETED MELTED. LOCAL MECHANIC DECLINED TO FIX AND TOLD US TO TAKE IT TO BMW/MINI TO FIX. THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE DEFECT AND WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET IT REPAIRED. *TR