MINI Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL SPORADICALLY AND MORE EFFORT HAD TO BE EXERTED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,000.

ON 5/26/10 LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING ON THE LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY. 141,000 MILES ON CAR. POWER STEERING ELECTRONIC PUMP REPLACEMENT COST $ 1005.00. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT HER EXPENSE. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD LIKELY NED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY STIFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT IT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,304. UPDATED 01/20/11 *BF THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED ON OCTOBER 15, 2010. UPDATED 03/28/11 UPDATED 03/28/11

POWER STEERING FAILURE CAUSED HARD STEERING AND SUPREME SCARE. PRIOR INTERMITTENT ON/OFF OF POWER STEERING PUMP PREVIOUS WEEK. HAD TO REPLACE PUMP AND FAN MOTOR. OLD PUMP IS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING PROBLEMS, THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY CAR FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE TRYING TO ENTER A REST STOP ON THE NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY. UPON BRINGING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN HAD BEEN JAMMED, CAUSING THE PUMP TO OVERHEAT. I THEN RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THAT SEVERAL MINI COOPER MODELS FROM 2002 TO 2006 HAD BEEN SUFFERING FROM THIS ISSUE, AND THAT THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING A SECOND TIME WAS TO INSTALL AN EXPENSIVE FAN GUARD ON THE NEW COOLING FAN. MORE RECENTLY, I FOUND OUT ABOUT NHTSA RESEARCH CONCERNING THE PROBLEM, AND WANTED TO SUBMIT THE EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2002 MINI COOPER S HAD AN INCIDENT APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AGO WHEN I COMPLETELY LOST POWER STEERING WHILE GOING A LOW RATE OF SPEED. I WAS ABLE TO MUSCLE THE STEERING FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES UNTIL THE POWER STEERING RETURNED. THIS OCCURRED ONCE MORE BUT VERY BRIEFLY IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE SOME TIME LATER. I DID NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM EITHER TIME BUT I SAW A STORY IN USA TODAY ON MINI STEERING PROBLEMS (29 SEPT) AND INSTANTLY RECALLED MY PROBLEM. I AM CERTAIN IT IS RELATED TO THE MINI STEERING ISSUE NOW BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA. *TR

UNEXPECTED AND INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. INTERMITTENT FAILURES FIRST STARTED AROUND 2008, THE FAILURES WOULD LAST FOR MINUTES TO HOURS LONG, DAYS, WEEKS, AND MONTHS WOULD GO BY BETWEEN FAILURES. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE CAUSE WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THE REPAIR WOULD COST ~$700 TO REPLACE. WHEN THE PUMP FAILS THE CAR IS *VERY* DIFFICULT TO STEER AT SLOW AND MODERATE SPEEDS. ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS A SURPRISE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NARROW, WINDY ROAD AND IT WAS A STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN THE LANE, AVOID HITTING ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND STAYING ON THE ROAD. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED AND AS OF THIS WRITING IS NEW ONE IS NOW INTERMITTENTLY FAILING. I JUST EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE WHEN TURNING FROM A STOP AND NARROWLY MISSED HITTING A CURB AS I STRUGGLED TO COMPLETE A TURN. THE PUMP FAILURE LASTED ABOUT 10 MINUTES. *TR

MINI COOPER (2004 WITH ~74K MILES) WITH INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. STEERING WHEEL WOULD RANDOMLY BECOME VERY STIFF WHEN TURNING AND THEN FREE UP UNEXPECTEDLY. WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR, THE CAR WOULD UNDERSTEER (NOT TURNING AS FAR AS INTENDED) AND I WOULD FIND MYSELF REACTING BY TURNING HARDER, USUALLY RESULTING IN OVERSTEERING AND ERRATIC TURNS. IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS BINDING AND THEN LETTING GO BUT IT WASN'T PREDICTABLE OR REPEATABLE WITH CONSISTENCY. DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT 'POWER STEERING PUMP WAS CUTTING OUT. REPLACED THE FAULTY PS PUMP TO RESOLVE.' COST WAS $1009.94. ONE WEEK LATER, EXACTLY SAME CONDITION RETURNED. DEALERSHIP NOW DETERMINED 'FOUND STEERING SHAFT FROM STEERING WHEEL TO STEERING RACK TO BE SEIZED AND BINDING. REPLACED STEERING SHAFT AND ALIGNED STEERING WHEEL TO FRONT TIRES.' NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE; PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED. *TR

POWER STEERING IN MY 2002 MINI COOPER FAILED. STEERING VEHICLE BECAME VERY DIFFICULT WITH LITTLE ABILITY TO TURN VEHICLE. REPAIR REQUIRED A NEW ELEC. STG PUMP AND COOLING FAN ($602) PLUS LABOR OF $384 FOR A TOTAL OF $986. *TR