MINI Complaints

2004 MINI COOPER: POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND THAN IT WAS JUST GONE. ON SUNDAY 9-26-10 STARTED THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED FINE, UNTIL I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 70MPH AND IT WENT OUT AGAIN FOR GOOD.. DONE NOTHING YET TO FIX IT. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER POWER STEERING GOES OUT TYPICALLY WITHIN THE 1ST HOUR OF DRIVING. THE POWER STEERING FAILURE IS NOT CONSISTENT, BUT I FIND IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN IN HOT WEATHER WHEN I HAVE THE A/C ON "AUTO" OR FULL BLAST. (???) THE A/C ALSO AFFECTS THE RADIO RECEPTION, SO PERHAPS IT DRAINS TOO MUCH POWER. AT TIMES I NEED TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DRIVE AS IF I HAVE MANUAL STEERING. I TURN OFF THE ENGINE, LET IT REST FOR 30 SECONDS THEN START IT UP AGAIN. THE POWER STEERING GOES BACK TO NORMAL. WE HAVE NOT TAKEN THE MINI IN FOR SERVICE, AS IT IS NOT CONSISTENT AND WE DO NOT LIKE THE DEALERSHIP AS THEY SEEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR AUTOMOTIVE IGNORANCE AND CHARGE AN ARM AND A LEG. *TR UPDATED 08/17/11*BF UPDATED 1/27/2012 *LN *TR

MY 2005 MINI COOPER LOST POWERSTEERING FUNCTIONALITY DURING A SHORT INTERSTATE DRIVE (INDIANA INTERSTATE 65 FROM EXIT 64 TO EXIT 68) ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2010 AT 11:20AM. PARKING LOT MANEUVERING AND INTERSTATE ON-RAMP DRIVING WAS NORMAL, INTERSTATE OFF-RAMP AND SUBSEQUENT IN-TOWN DRIVING WAS WITH NO POWERSTEERING ASSIST, AND THEREFORE REQUIRED A GREAT DEAL OF FORCE TO TURN. THE POWER STEERING PUMP COOLING FAN WAS LATER DETERMINED TO HAVE COMPLETELY SEIZED, PRESUMABLY CAUSING THERMAL SHUTDOWN OF THE POWERSTEERING PUMP. MY ANALYSIS OF THE FAILURE OF THE COOLING FAN LEADS ME TO CONCLUDE THAT THE SPAL BRAND FAN USED WAS IMPROPERLY APPLIED TO THE APPLICATION. THE DESIGN AND PLACEMENT OF THE FAN INTO THE MINI CAUSES WATER AND FOREIGN MATERIAL TO POOL INTO THE BLADE HOUSING AND CAUSE CORROSION OF THE STEEL FAN MOTOR HOUSING AND EVENTUAL SEAL DAMAGE RESULTING IN MOTOR FAILURE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES: THE ONLINE MESSAGE BOARDS SHOW NUMEROUS SIMILAR FAILURES. I AM WAITING ON A NEW COOLING FAN TO ARRIVE TO FIX THE FAILURE. *TR

MY POWER STEERING IS GOING OUT. UPON MY OWN INVESTIGATION I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. SHOULD SUCH A VITAL PIECE TO HAVING CONTROL OF THE CAR BE A PROBLEM? NO. COST OF REPAIR IS $1,070 AS QUOTED FROM MY DEALER. *TR

2006 MINI COOPER S JCW GP FIRST TIME IN 2008 JUST NOTICED FAN WOULD COME ON MORE OFTEN AND POWER STEERING WHINED LOUDER. DEALER AT MAIN LINE MINI REPLACED. SECOND TIME IN 2010 STEERING WHEEL FELT LIKE IT LOST POWER BUT REGAINED DURING OCCASIONAL TURNS. DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS DUE TO AFTERMARKET PARTS (CAMBER PLATES) BUT THEN REPLACED IT ANYWAYS CAUSE MAIN MECHANIC DROVE IT AND NOTICED PLAY IN STEERING. *TR

MY 04 MINI S JUST HIT 90K AND RUNS GREAT UNTIL I WAS ON THE FREEWAY OVERPASS THE OTHER DAY. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT SUDDENLY ON A 55 MPH TURN AND ALMOST RAN ME RIGHT INTO THE SHOULDER BARRIER WHICH HAPPENS TO BE 50 FEET ABOVE THE LOWER FREEWAY. THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. MINI COOPER IS A GREAT CAR, BUT THIS POWER STEERING ISSUE IS A WELL KNOW ISSUE AMONGST THE COMMUNITY OF OWNERS AND MINI NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE AND HELP OWNERS WHO ARE OUT OF WARRANTY. ONCE YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT THE STEERING COMES BACK TO NORMAL. WHEN ITS HOT OUT THE STEERING SEEMS TO FAIL AND IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE CAR ONCE THIS HAPPENS WHICH WAS THE RESULT IN MY ABOVE EXPERIENCE. THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE IS WELL KNOW AND HAS MANY MANY ACCOUNTS OF FAILURES ON POPULAR MINI FORUMS. THE PART TO REPLACE THIS ISSUE A SINGLE POWER STEERING UNIT WHICH CAN BE BOUGHT FOR ABOUT $450 AND THE AVERAGE MECHANIC CAN REPLACE IT WITHIN AND HOUR OR SO. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY OVER SNOQUALMIE PASS. SINCE IT IS A WINDY ROAD, STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG A STREET ABOUT TO NEGOTIATE A TURN WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. HAD IT HAPPENED A FEW SECONDS LATER, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THE TURN AND MAY HAVE CRASHED. *TR

TRANSAXLE ON THE MINI COOPER FAILED. UNIT CONTAINS SEALED BEARINGS (SO I'M TOLD), THAT ARE NOT SERVICEABLE. THEREFORE, I HAD TO BUY A COMPLETE NEW UNIT AT A COST OF $3,000 ()INCLUDED $900 LABOR). I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON FAILURE FOR MINIS, AND THAT MINI AND BMW ARE REFUSING TO WORK WITH CONSUMERS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE APPARENTLY CHANGED THE DESIGN, RECOGNIZING THE POOR DESIGN OF THE ORIGINAL UNIT. *TR

ELECTRIC FAN THAT COOLS THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON OUR 2005 MINI COOPER FAILED. OUR MECHANIC SAYS HAD WE DRIVEN VERY FAR, OUR POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD HAVE FAILED. HE TELLS US THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MINIS, AND A FULL 50% OF HIS MINI CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCE FAN FAILURE, PUMP FAILURE, OR BOTH. *TR