MINI Complaints

2005 MINI COOPER POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY FAILING. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS NOT A "PROBLEM", BUT WILL PROBABLY NEED TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. AFTER READING MULTIPLE POSTS, AND THE INVESTIGATION THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION HAS STARTED...THIS IS LOOKING MORE LIKE A COVERUP ON MINI'S PART INSTEAD OF AN ACCEPTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR, AND IT HAS PUT HER SAFETY AT RISK TWICE NOW WHEN IT FAILED WHILE MAKING A TURN. *TR

I HAD DRIVEN MY CAR ~ 40 MILES AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 45 MPH TO 70 MPH. THE LAST 20 OR SO MILES HAD BEEN ON AN INTERSTATE. SHORTLY AFTER I EXITED THE FREEWAY, MY STEERING BECAME VERY TIGHT AND HARD TO MANIPULATE. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL I PARKED THE CAR, ABOUT 5 MILES LATER. WHEN I RE-STARTED THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED NO LESS THAN 15 TIMES SINCE THEN. IT OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AND USUALLY WILL CORRECT ITSELF IF I TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT.

OCCASIONAL DIFFICULTY IN STEERING MY 2004 MINI COOPER. THE STEERING BECOMES DIFFICULT AND I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT FOR IT TO WORK AGAIN. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE A WEEK. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP IN 2002 MINI COOPER FAILED WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND RUN, CAUSED ME TO DRIFT INTO THE ONCOMING LANE, ALMOST HITTING THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *TR

I HAVE NOTICED FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS THAT MY CAR HAS BEEN LURCHING. IN JUST THE LAST WEEK I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN I GET TO ABOUT 55-65 MPH, MY RPM'S ARE AROUND 4000. I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THE RPM'S INCREASED. I HAD SOME MINOR WORK DONE ON THE AUTO-SEQUENTIAL TRANSMISSION IN 2010. I HAD BROKEN THE LINE AND HAS BEEN WELDED BACK IN AND HAD NO MAJOR PROBLEMS ASIDE FROM THE LURCHING UNTIL RECENTLY. ALL FACTORY PARTS ARE STILL ON THE CAR. TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. I AM OUTSIDE MY WARRANTY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE THEN JERKED VIOLENTLY FOLLOWED BY AN INDEPENDENT RESET OF THE POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT BARELY MISSED CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER NOR WAS THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

I HAVE A 2004 MINI COOPER S WITH APPROX 80K MILES. THE POWER STEERING RANDOMLY AND INTERMITTENTLY FAILS TO WORK. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY SIX TIMES DURING THE LAST TWO MONTHS. I INTEND TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP, BUT AM TOLD THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN AGAIN, EVEN WITH REPLACED PUMP. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING OF THE VEHICLE FAILS, CAUSING THE CAR TO SWERVE DANGEROUSLY INTO OTHER LANES, AS IT REQUIRES A LOT OF STRENGTH TO KEEP THE CAR IN ITS LANE WHEN THIS HAPPENS ON A BEND IN THE ROAD. THIS OCCURS APPROXIMATELY ONCE A MONTH. AT OTHER TIMES, THE POWER STEERING PUMP DOES NOT EVEN TURN ON WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. THE STEERING WHEEL IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN LIKE THIS. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE STEERING PUMP OR FAN CAN BE HEARD CLEARLY STRUGGLING. THE CAR MUST BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED SEVERAL TIMES TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THIS OCCURS USUALLY ONCE WEEKLY. I HAVE HEARD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MINI COOPER AND NOT ISOLATED TO ME AND TO FILE A COMPLAINT. NOTHING HAS YET BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. *TR

THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAILING ON AND OFF FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. I FIRST NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS TRYING TO GET OUT OF A PARALLEL PARKING SPOT. UPON TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING IT, THE POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. IT MOST OFTEN HAPPENED WHEN MANEUVERING OUT OF PARALLEL PARKED SPOTS. SOMETIMES IT WOULD HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES IN ONE DAY AND THEN NOT AGAIN FOR A FEW MONTHS. SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I WAS DRIVING I FELT THE POWER STEERING LOCK UP AND HAVE HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR TO SAFELY AND RESTART THE STEERING. I TOOK IT IN TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP AND DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD IT SOUNDED LIKE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND GIVEN A QUOTE OF $895 TO GET IT REPLACED. *TR

EXTREMELY LOUD ENGINE NOISE DURING A COLD START. THE ROOT CAUSE IS THE FAILURE OF TIMING BELT TENSIONER. THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REPLACE THE TENSIONER AND ADJUST OR REPLACE THE BELT/CHAIN. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT. *TR