MINI Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH AND TURNING RIGHT, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 117,000.

MY WIFE'S 2004 MINI COOPER (NON-S) HAS BEEN HAVING POWER STEERING FAILURES FOR THE PAST MONTH. I EXPERIENCED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY DRIVING DOWN A BUSY DALLAS HIGHWAY. WHILE TRYING TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT AS I WAS YANKING ON THE WHEEL, "WHAT IF THE POWER STEERING KICKS BACK IN ALL OF THE SUDDEN, WE WOULD END UP IN AN ACCIDENT." THANKFULLY, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN AND AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF, CHECKING THE FLUID RESERVOIR, AND STARTING THE CAR AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT, BUT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS I THINK WE MAY JUST PARK IT UNTIL AN OFFICIAL RECALL IS ISSUED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

2010 MINICOOPER. CONSUMER WRITES REGARDING A STRESS CRACK THAT DEVELOPED ON THE WINDSHIELD UNRELATED TO ANY IMPACT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRACK WAS A STRAIGHT LINE, NOT CONSISTENT WITH AN IMPACT WHICH LEAVES A SPIDER LIKE CRACK. *JB

MY 2004 MINI COOPER HAS HAD THE POWER STEERING FAIL INTERMITTENTLY, ALWAYS AFTER 20-30 MINUTES OF DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THE CAR HAS 37,000 MILES. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER S. COMPLETE POWER STEERING FAILURE. SHUTTING OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTING CORRECTED PROBLEM FOR A SHORT TIME, THEN PROBLEM RESUMED. HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. *TR

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING ON 8-9-2010. WHILE GOING LEFT ON A MIXMASTER, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HIT THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE AND PERHAPS DRIVE OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. THE PASSENGER IN MY CAR HELPED ME STEER (WITH FORCE) TO THE LEFT AND DRIVE TO THE STRAIGHTAWAY. THE POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENT, WORKING FIVE PERCENT OF THE TIME. MY CAR WAS SERVICED IN JUNE OF 2010 DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE TENSION BELT, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO HAVE A BURNING SMELL AND NO AIR CONDITIONING. THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT IS ON TEN PERCENT OF THE TIME AND THE "CHECK TIRE PRESSURE" LIGHT IS ON OFTEN, THOUGH I NO LONGER HAVE RUN-FLAT TIRES. MY CAR IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE DUE TO THE LACK OF POWER STEERING. AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST INCIDENT, MY CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES. *TR

COMPLAINT IN ASSOCIATION WITH NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE10038 2005 MINI COOPER S - POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. I OWN A 2005 MINI COOPER S WITH APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES ON THE CLOCK. RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING A CORNER, THE STEERING ON THE CAR BECAME INSTANTLY HEAVY CAUSING ME TO TEMPORARILY VEER IN TO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. FORTUNATELY AT THE TIME THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND I WAS ABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND CORRECT THE DIRECTION OF THE CAR. THE SITUATION REMAINED FOR THE DURATION OF MY JOURNEY, BUT I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY NAVIGATE THE CAR HOME. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND THIS APPEARED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, DURING THE NEXT 2 CAR TRIPS SIMILAR FAILURES OCCURRED (FORTUNATELY I WAS PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY AND SO DID NOT END UP IN THE OPPOSING TRAFFIC LANE). THE MINI DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THIS AS A FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP, A PROBLEM WHICH I UNDERSTAND TO BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECENTLY OPENED NHTSA INVESTIGATION (PE 10038). PERSONALLY I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION TO BE POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS GOING TO FAIL, AND WHEN IT DID, THE IMPACT WAS IMMEDIATE AND CAUSED ME TO STEER IN TO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC (AS A RESULT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN THE CORNER AT THE REQUIRED ANGLE). DUE TO THE IMMEDIATE NATURE OF THE FAILURE I WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM SAFELY IN TIME. I AM WRITING THIS REPORT TO BE ADDED TO THE EXISTING NHTSA INVESTIGATION (PE 10038). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHRYSLER MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AND LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

PARKING BRAKE ON 2010 MINI COOPER S DID NOT HOLD ON SLIGHT INCLINE. CAR ROLLED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. WITNESSES CONFIRM THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS FULLY ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. *TR

I HAVE LOST THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER ABOUT SIX TIMES. THIS HAS BECOME A BIG, FRUSTRATING, AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR