MINI Complaints

MINI COOPER , POWER STEERING FROZE UP AND CAME BACK WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. *TR

2003 MINI COOPER S WITH 67,000K MILES, POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND CAUSED A SHORT CIRCUIT RESULTING IN A COMPLETE MELTDOWN. THE PUMP, HYDRAULIC LINES, COOLING FAN AND WIRING HARNESS WERE ALL BURNED OR MELTED. THERE WAS NO SYMPTOM OR INDICATION OF A FAILURE. CAR DROVE AND ACTED "NORMAL" PRIOR TO PARKING IT FOR THE DAY. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR, 8 HOURS LATER, NO POWER STEERING. IF IT HAD BEEN IN MY GARAGE WHEN THE SHORT/MELTDOWN OCCURRED, IT MAY HAVE CAUSED FIRE. MINIUSA BASICALLY SAID I WAS ON MY OWN DUE TO EXPIRATION OF MY WARRANTY. (60,000). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING POWER. HE TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTED; AFTER THE RESTART, THE STEERING CAPABILITIES RETURNED. THE FAILURE PROGRESSED AND BECAME WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MINI COOPER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHICH CAUSED DIFFICULTY IN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE IN OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER STEERING FLUID READING WAS AT THE CORRECT CAPACITY LEVEL. ALSO, HE MENTIONED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAN MOTOR COULD HAVE POSSIBLY OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND AT OTHER SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING FAN BECAME INOPERABLE AND POWER STEERING FUNCTIONALITY WAS LOST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE POWER STEERING FAN WAS REPLACED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.

DEAR SIR/MADAM, TODAY (9/29/2010) I SAW A NEWS ITEM, "(CNNMONEY.COM) -- THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLE POWER STEERING FAILURES IN MINI COOPER CARS" AND FELT COMPELLED TO ADD TO THE EXISTING COMPLAINS REGARDING THE DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE POWER STEERING ELECTROHYDRAULIC PUMP IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY, AVERAGE SPEED OF 25 TO 35 MPH, THE POWER ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE POWER STEERING WENT DOWN TO ZERO, TOTALLY UNASSISTED, WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS WARNING WHATSOEVER, MAKING THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, WHILE GOING AROUND A ROUNDABOUT (TRAFFIC CIRCLE) AT NO MORE THAN 25 MPH. CONSEQUENTIALLY I WAS UNABLE TO STEER FIRST RIGHT AND THE LEFT AROUND THE CIRCLE, MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL STRIKING THE RIGHT SIDE CURB AT THE POINT THAT I NEEDED TO TURN LEFT, DAMAGING BOTH THE WHEEL AND THE TIRE, AND POSSIBLY THE SUSPENSION (MACPHERSON STRUT). AND I ASK YOU, WHAT IF I HAD TO STEER TO AVOID A MOTHER PUSHING A BABY STROLLER, OR EVEN AN ERRANT DOG OR CAT AT THE MOMENT THE POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE DECIDED TO QUIT? WHAT IF THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT A HIGHER SPEED WHILE MERGING ON A FREEWAY? I CONSIDER BMW/MINI TO BE TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DEATHS OR INJURIES AND PROPERTY DAMAGES RELATED TO THEIR NEGLIGENT FAILURE TO ENGINEER A PROPERLY WORKING POWER STEERING PUMP (AN KNOWN PROBLEM AS THE NEWER MODELS HAVE DONE AWAY WITH THE ELECTROHYDRAULIC PUMP IN FAVOR OF A TOTALLY ELECTRICAL ASSISTED STEERING). I ALSO URGE YOU TO LOOK INTO THE FAILURE RATE OF THE POWER STEERING FAN DUE TO ITS ABSURD LOCATION (UNDER THE CAR UNPROTECTED FROM THE DIRT, WATER, STONES,ETC. 5-6 INCHES FROM THE ROAD) AN AFTERTHOUGHT OF A SOLUTION THAT BMW/MINI USED TO RESOLVE THE PREVIOUSLY KNOWN TO THEM POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. MY CAR HAS 27,000 MILES, AND IS DEALER MAINTAINED SINCE NEW. I URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION REGARDING THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMETHING MORE TRAGIC HAPPENS. THANK YOU. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED ON MINI COOPER S WITH APPROXIMATELY 71,000 MILES LAST WEEK. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 MINI COOPER, THE POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER/CONTROL AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED BY REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, ALL STEERING FUNCTIONALITY WAS SUDDENLY LOST, MAKING THE STEERING WHEEL DIFFICULT TO TURN. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT STATED THAT PROBLEM WAS COMMON AND WAS REPAIRED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 47,000. UPDATED 05/25/11 *BF UPDATED 05/31/11

DRIVING 55MPH ON HIGHWAY. CAR STARTS PULLING LEFT AND RIGHT AS IF CAUGHT IN A GROOVE. PULL OFF NEXT EXIT AND NOTICE I HAVE NO POWER STEERING AS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER AS CAR COMES TO A STOP. *TR