MINI Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, HE SUDDENLY HAD A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITH OUT ANY WARNING. THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AFTER THE FAILURE. HE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND IT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WAS A TSB BUT NO RELATED RECALLS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 109,000. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ

POWER STEERING QUIT UNEXPECTEDLY. I WAS IN A PARKING LOT, JUST STARTED THE CAR, AND HAD NO POWER STEERING. I DROVE IT A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD TO A GAS STATION, TURNED IT OFF, AND WHEN TURNED BACK ON AGAIN IT WORKED FINE. ORIGINALLY HAPPENED ON 2/12/11 AND HAS NOT RECURRED AS OF 2/22/11. *TR

THE CAR HAS A LOUD RATTLE SOUND WHEN STARTED WHEN COLD , OR THE FIRST TIME AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT. NOISE WILL SUBSIDE AS ENGINE COMES UP TO RUNNING TEMPERATURE. HAS DEVELOPED INTO A HARD STARTING ISSUE OVER TIME. AT TIMES IT TAKES AS MANY AS TEN ATTEMPTS CRANKING THE ENGINE TO GET IT TO START. WHEN RESEARCHING ONLINE, I HAVE FOUND A FORUM ON MINI COOPER PROBLEMS THAT DESCRIBES THE ISSUE EXACTLY AND ALSO HAS A VIDEO WITH SOUND THAT EXACTLY MATCHES MY CARS PROBLEM. THEY DESCRIBE IT AS THE TIMING CHAIN AND TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER THAT COULD CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE IF NOT CORRECTED.

2005 MINI COOPER POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES IN MY MINI COOPER. THE CAR BECOMES EXTREMELY HARD TO DRIVE WHEN IT FAILS (MUCH HARDER THAN AN OLD CAR WITHOUT POWER STEERING-ITS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILS). SEVERAL TIMES IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WHILE MAKING A TURN. IF I TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT THE POWER STEERING WILL COME BACK FOR A WHILE. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION! *TR

FAILED COMPONENT 1: LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS DIAGNOSED AT DEALERSHIP AS BAD AND OIL LEAK IS DUE TO FAULTY O RING. FAILED COMPONENT 2: POWER STEERING TOTAL FAILURE. DEALER STATED THIS WAS DUE TO POOR DESIGN OF STEERING PUMP FAN (POOR PLACEMENT OF THE FAN). DEALER STATED THERE WAS A POSSIBLE RECALL REGARDING POWER STEERING FAILURE DUE TO THIS POOR DESIGN POSSIBLY PENDING. WORK TO REPAIR THESE FAILED COMPONENTS HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED PENDING A DEALER RECALL. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE.

AFTER STARTING THE MINI, WHICH IS PARKED IN A PARKING GARAGE, I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN, AS IF THE POWER STEERING WASN'T WORKING. THIS HAD HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, BUT THAT TIME THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY AFTER A FEW MINUTES. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 70 OUTSIDE, AND THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS FULL. I DROVE THE CAR TO DO ERRANDS, APPROX 10 MILES ROUND TRIP, AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED EVEN AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR AND LETTING IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES WHILE I WENT TO THE STORE. THE STEERING FUNCTIONED WHEN I USED A LOT OF FORCE TO TURN THE WHEEL, BUT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY IF I HAD TO SWERVE OR TURN THE WHEEL QUICKLY FOR ANY REASON; I WOULD BE UNABLE TO DO SO. *TR

I OWN A 2003 MINI COOPER WITH A CVT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, TRANSMISSION AND FRONT DIFFERENTIAL FILED AT 58000 MILES LUCKY FOR ME I WAS NOT ON THE INTERSTATE OR BUSY TRAFFIC AS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. MINI USA ARE TOTALLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND STOPPED PUTTING THIS DEFECTIVE PART IN NEWER MODEL VEHICLES. THEY WILL ALSO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND ARE UNWILLING TO RECTIFY IT. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE CONCERNING THIS TRANSMISSION BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON THERE IS STILL NO SAFETY RECALL. I HOPE IT IS NOT GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE TO BE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED BEFORE ANYTHING IS DONE. ALSO THE BUSHINGS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE A FRAME ARE BAD WCH IN MY OPINION IS A SERIOUS FAULT AND COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. COST OF REPLACEMENT IS 7,000+ THESE CARS ARE ROLLING DEATH TRAPS IN MY OPINION AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *LN

THE SECOND POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2002 MINI COOPER S HAS FAILED. THE FIRST TIME WHEN IT HAPPENED I HAD LOSS OF STEERING WHILE DOING A LOW SPEED TURN AND HIT A CURB. *LN

WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 MINI COOPER S, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE MAKING A TURN AT LOW SPEED. WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING, IT IS HARD TO STEER DURING LOW SPEED. AFTER TURNING OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK. BUT THE POWER STEERING PUMP SEEMS TO BE ON ALL THE TIME WITH A HUMMING NOISE EVEN AFTER THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF. WHICH LEADING TO THE DRAINING OF THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY GAVE OUT AFTER A COUPLE JUMP STARTS. AS OF 2/15/2011, I HAVE DISCONNECTED THE POWER TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN. BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD OF THE HIGH COST OF REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND COOLING FAN. I HAVE NOT REPLACE THEM YET. I STILL HAVE THESE PARTS. *LN

POWER STEERING IN 2004 MINI COOPER ALMOST COMPLETELY LOCKS UP WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER VISUAL INDICATORS DEPICT THE STATUS OF THE POWER STEERING FLUID OR OVERALL STEERING SYSTEM. ABILITY TO STEER CAR CHANGES INSTANTANEOUSLY FROM FULL "NORMAL" CONTROL TO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PARALLEL PARK (AT EXTREMELY SLOW SPEED) OR MAKE A BASIC 90 DEGREE TURN (AT ANY RELEVANT SPEED). MAKES THE CAR DANGEROUS AND STRESSFUL TO DRIVE. *TR