MINI Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. HE WAITED 20 MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE WHICH PERFORMED NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE LOCA LMECHANIC. ONE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER MECHANIC VERIFIED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 114,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 114,300.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY FOR TWO MILES, AND THEN THE FAILURE REOCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2005 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE SUDDENLY DISAPPEARING FROM TIME TO TIME, AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. SO FAR I AVOIDED ACCIDENT BUT THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS. I HEARD IT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF MINIS, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED. *TR

TEMPORARY LOSS OF POWER STEERING. HAPPENS PROBABLY ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I HAVE A POWER STEERING LEAK - BUT NOT BAD ENOUGH TO CAUSE A PROBLEM. I HAVE NEVER LOST A QUANTITY OF FLUID THAT REQUIRED REFILLING. CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 70K MILES - SEEMS ODD TO HAVE A POWER STEERING LEAK AT THAT MILEAGE. LEAK FIRST SHOWED UP AT ABOUT 50K MILES. *TR

1. DRIVING IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, CAR STARTS OVER HEATING. 2. CONSTANT POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAS HAPPENED 2 TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. (3 YEAR SPAN) AND ALSO 2 TIMES FOR THE ORIGINAL OWNER. 3. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. OLD PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE MOVED OFF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000. UPDATED 02/08/11*LJ UPDATED 04/21/11

ON SEPT. 19, 2010, MY 2005 MINI COOPER S HAD BEEN PARKED IN A GARAGE FOR ABOUT 10 HOURS. WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE, I FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL AND I HAD TO REALLY MUSCLE IT TO DRIVE IT. I'D NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT BEFORE. BECAUSE I HAD TO GET TO WHERE I WAS GOING, I DROVE IT VERY CAREFULLY. AFTER ABOUT FORTY MINUTES, I STOPPED AT A SERVICE AREA TO USE THE RESTROOM. WHEN I CAME BACK OUT AND STARTED MY CAR UP, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. SINCE THEN, I'VE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT. I HAD PLANNED ON MENTIONING THIS TO MY MECHANIC WHEN I GO IN TO HAVE MY BRAKES DONE IN THE NEXT WEEK. BUT THEN MY HUSBAND FORWARDED ME A NEWS STORY ABOUT THE POWER STEERING ISSUE AND I FIGURED THAT I SHOULD REPORT MINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED SUDDENLY. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS THEN REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING, REPAIR COST APP. $ 2.000.-, NO HELP FROM MINI USA. *TR

COMPLETE FAILURE OF POWER STEERING PUMP WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN ALMOST COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING. POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED ONLY TO HAVE THE REMANUFACTURED UNIT FAIL 12 MONTHS LATER. UPON INVESTIGATION IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR 2002-2006 MINI COOPERS. HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS PUMP DESIGN IS POOR AND PRONE TO FAILURE. *TR