This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The power steering wasn't working. It made it difficult to steer the car. After turning the car off, back on again, and moving the steering wheel from side to side slightly, the power steering re-engaged. This is the second time this has happened. Everything else with the car seemed to be running normal.
The power steering went out while my wife was driving home making driving extremely difficult. Having only 12 miles to travel she drove home fighting the steering all the way home when she arrived home I open the hood and could smell and see smoke from what I have discovered to be an electrical melt down on the power steering pump. The entire wiring connectors are melted and ash and un usable. We were lucky the car did not catch fire. However there is clear evidence the wires were on fire.
My 2006 R53 only has 40,000 miles and out of nowhere the steering became periodically stiff. After persisting for 2 weeks, it has become incredibly hard to move the wheel and the pump seems to have cut out completely. It is much stiffer then any car with manual steering that I have ever tried, rendering my MINItotally undriveable. Somehow the Cooper S is not included in the recall from Transport Canada" ( wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/saf-sec-sur/7/vrdb-bdrv/search/recalldetail.aspx"lang=eng&rn=2012029 )
The contact owns a 2006 MINICooper S. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 5 mph. Upon restart, the vehicle would operate as normal. The contact also stated that the steering wheel would intermittently seize. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 19,650. Updated 03/05/12 the consumer stated the vehicle was ultimately taken to the dealer for a diagnosis. However, they were unable to determine the cause of the stalling. Updated 03/06/12
- Miami, FL, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
My power steering is going in and out. I might have it, and drive another minute its not working. The car only has 58740 miles on it I have had it checked out and the pump seems to be the problem. MINIsays there is not problem with their steering pumps but when I go on line and check there seems to be a lot of others having the same problem at the same approximate mileage mark give or take a few. This is over a thousand dollar fix. Is MINIgoing to wait until there are enough accidents before they admit there in problem? I have checked the fluid and the fan all is working and fine. It's just the malfunctioning pump.
Complete power steering failure occurred while I was driving around a street corner! I was traveling around 15 mph(not very fast) and I was fortunate not to have an accident. There was absolutely no warning and took me by surprise.
My wife noticed an unusual electrical humming noise that rapidly became progressively louder coming from somewhere in the engine compartment when the car was running. Very quickly it became harder and harder to steer until it felt like there was no assisted steering at all. She has not been able to drive it since. Recently went to a MINIdealership to have it checked out with the result that they said the pump did indeed fail. No recall has been issued as of yet, even though this seems to be a widespread problem.
I was driving my vehicle on an entrance ramp to a parkway.halfway through the curve, my steering stopped working. I could not turn the wheel. I hit my brakes as the vehicle jumped the curb. I just missed hitting a tree. I called a friend to see if I lost a belt or something. When he started the car, the steering worked. He decided to drive the car to a shop for me and the same thing happened to him. The mechanic at the shop told me I would need a new power steering pump. He said this has happened to many MINICoopers. I don't know if anyone has gotten killed by this yet, but it should be recalled before it happens.
The contact owns a 2006 MINICooper convertible. While driving approximately 30 mph or less, the contact experienced a slight loss in the power steering. There was no warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The steering wheel maneuvered with difficulty, even though the power steering had not completely failed. The vehicle continued in operation. In addition, a ticking noise would emit from the transmission. The contact planned to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. Also in may of 2009, the engine and clutch were replaced. Most recent the dealer was notified of the faulty power steering pump and transmission malfunction and they advised the manufacturer would be informed of the defects. The approximate failure mileage was 44,164.
The contact owns a 2006 MINICooper. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the power steering malfunctioned. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic test but could not diagnose the failure. The contact reviewed numerous complaints online regarding the power steering failure. The contact restarted the vehicle and the power steering system began to function again. The contact did not notify the manufacturer of the failure. The contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The failure mileage was 77,000.
A problem developed with the steering wheel of my MINIcooper "S" (2006). The problem started somewhat gradually, over a period of several days to a week, during which the wheel became more and more difficult to turn. My vehicle has never been in an accident or in any sort of incident. It has less than thirty-five thousand miles on it. I took my MINIto an authorized MINIcooper repair facility who informed me that the knock (sp?) sensor and steering motor had failed and needed replacement. This was at a cost of approximately $2,000 dollars, however it did not resolve the issue. The steering wheel continues to be sluggish and difficult to maneuver. It is my belief that whatever is wrong with the steering is a design flaw, as no car with less than thirty-five thousand miles on it should exhibit such a strange and critical failure.
Sudden complete loss of power steering. Several days after the original battery failed and was replaced, there was a continuing sound like a fan or electric motor running constantly. This noise continued until the power steering ceased completely during a parking maneuver. After the steering failed the previously noted noise stopped.
Exiting the freeway engine lights started flashing and I immediately lost steering. Took all my strength to steer it to safety. Some smoke coming underneath. Local mechanic reported that the cooling fan for the hydraulic power steering had stopped and everything had over heated. Multiple wires and components completed melted. Local mechanic declined to fix and told us to take it to BMW/MINIto fix. They refused to acknowledge defect and we are still trying to get it repaired.
I had my car for a week after getting it back after a very expensive transmission replacement when I was driving it and tried to turn onto the highway. It was extremely difficult to make the turn and I narrowly avoided ending up in the bar ditch. Upon, getting my vehicle to town I immediately took it to a mechanic. My power steering has failed and I will probably be replacing the whole system at a thousand dollars or more. After paying 6500+ for a transmission that went out through no fault of my own, you can imagine my disappointment and frankly, my disgust. I called the closes MINIcooper dealership (about 400 miles away) they offered no helpful information and neglected any mention of the numerous problems with this component, the current investigation, and the class action lawsuit that was filed last fall. I found all that out through my own research on the internet. Obviously, I have not repaired this yet because I don't know how I can.
The contact owns a 2006 MINICooper convertible. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle would make a loud noise and the power steering would fail. In addition, there was a leak coming from over the power steering pump. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop who diagnosed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred him to an authorized dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 72,000.
The power steering failed 2 days ago on my 2006 MINICooper S with only 36,600 miles. It's a known issue & yet BMW/MINIrefuses to address it. I was very fortunate that it happened in a parking lot & not on my daily highway commute or during my recent vacation.
On February 9, 2011, we were informed by MINIservice that the seat occupancy sensor was faulty and that it would cost us $1,245 plus tax to repair as it is not covered by the warranty package which they sold us when the vehicle was purchased in 2007. Mileage of vehicle at that time was 46,810. The light indicating that there was a problem with the airbag sensor occurred months earlier, but we did not realize that it was indicative of a serious problem as small children did sit in that seat from time to time. On March 16, 2011, hydraulic power steering pump on vehicle failed. Mileage was 47,895.
On Saturday afternoon, 12 March 2011, a loud, high-pitched humming or whining, serious-sounding noise developed while I was driving, the loudness (and/or the pitch) of the noise would change when I turned the steering wheel. I checked the power steering fluid level, which was ok. The night of Sunday, 13 March, I left the car at atlantic motorcar services of wiscasset, Maine 04578, which specializes in MINIand other european vehicles. The following morning I described the problem and asked them to check it out. Atlantic found "the power steering pump (epas) is defective". they replaced the epas assembly (part # 32 41 6 778 425) at a cost of $1212.49; and bled, flushed and filled the system (ps service kitbg $99). This resolved the problem.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Damascus, OR, USA