2004 MINI COOPER Electrical System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY WAS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL ABOVE THE GEAR BOX. THE BATTERY ACID LEAKED ONTO TWO SHIFTER CABLE LINKAGES, WHICH CAUSED THEM TO MELT UNEXPECTEDLY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED ONE OTHER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED SIX MONTHS AGO BECAUSE OF THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AGAIN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

Mileage: 130,000

DRIVING DOWN HONDA PARKWAY I HEARD POP SOUND. TPMS LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD. I PULLED OFF OF ROAD INTO A GAS STATION. AT THAT TIME I DIDN'T HAVE ANY POWER BRAKES.THE CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN ABOUT 10 MINS. THE FIRE DEPT PUT OUT FIRE.

Mileage: 135,000

I DROVE MY SISTER'S 2004 MINI COOPER SOMETIME IN SPRING OF 2012 TO CHECK ON WORK DONE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. AS I YIELDED INTO A ROUNDABOUT AND ENTERED IT, THE POWER STEERING CUT OFF WHICH STEERING EFFORT BECAME VERY HEAVY AND VERY NEARLY HAD A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. I SISTER INFORMED ME AFTERWARDS THAT THE ISSUE JUST HAPPEN RECENTLY OCCURRED TO HER TOO, AS SHE EXITED A HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP AT NEARLY 55MPH, AND POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. LUCKILY, SHE WAS ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY WITH THE POWER STEERING LOSS. PULLED TO THE SIDE, SHUT THE VEHICLE, AND TURNED ON THE VEHICLE AGAIN, AND POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. IT HAS INTERMITTENTLY GOING OFF/ON W POWER SINCE THEN WHICH THE DEALER RECOGNIZES, BUT WARRANTY HAS BEEN EXPIRED SINCE IT'S 9 YEARS AND OVER 100,000 MI. AND WE ARE LEFT WITH A BILL AT AROUND $1,400 AVERAGE. $800 IN PARTS ALONE. THERE ARE MANY MINI CUSTOMERS KNOWN TO HAVE THIS ISSUE OF POWER STEERING LOSS IN THEIR EARLY MODELS TOO, SAME AS MY SISTER'S YEAR MODEL. SO FAR FORTUNATELY, THERE ARE NO INJURIES NOR FATALITIES DIRECTLY FROM THIS POWER STEERING LOSS FROM WHAT I KNOW OF. BUT MANY ARE FACED WITH THIS LARGE REPAIR WITH WE'RE FACING, AND SOME MAY FOREGO/ DELAY REPAIRING IT. TRANSPORT CANADA, RECOGNIZES THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND RECALLED ABOUT 9,000 MINI'S LAST YEAR. AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP PART IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THEIRS. WHEN ARE WE GOING TO ACT LIKE OUR NEIGHBORS? UNTIL WE GET SOMEONE HORRIBLY INJURED OR KILLED?! OR HAVE MINI CUSTOMERS SUCH MY SISTER FACING THIS LARGE REPAIR ORDER ON THIS DEFECTIVE PART THAT'S KNOWN TO FAIL PREMATURELY? THIS IS A SERIOUS GAMBLE WITH LIVES. *TR

Mileage: 90,000

DRIVING OFF-RAMP AT 35 MPH POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND STEERING BECAME REALLY HARD, LIGHTS WENT OFF, AC STOPPED WORKING, AND LOTS OF ENGINE LIGHTS CAME UP, ALMOST CRASHED WHEN TURNING A CORNER AND ENGINE STARTED FAILING.....GOT HOME AND SHUT OFF CAR, WHEN TRIED TO TURN ON AGAIN, IT FAILED TO START....... *TR

Mileage: 55,000

12-4-10: THE POWER STEERING PUMP KEPT RUNNING AFTER THE CAR WAS OFF AND DRAINED THE BATTERY IN 2 HOURS. SEPT., 2012: TWO INCIDENTS OF POWER STEERING LOSS WHILE DRIVING. FIRST TIME I HAD NO POWER STEERING WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE, STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING WORKED. SECOND TIME I LOST POWER STEERING BRIEFLY WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED. MY MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING FAN HAD SEIZED AND REPLACED IT. WHEN HE TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE. HE REPLACED THE PUMP AS WELL AND THE PROBLEMS WERE CORRECTED. *TR

Mileage: 38,000

THE POWER STEERING FAILED, COMMON PROBLEM IN 2004 MINI COOPER. CANADA HAS ISSUED A RECALL IN JANUARY 2012. *TR

Mileage: 140,000

THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN ACTING STRANGE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, THE STEERING WOULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES, AND ON THE OTHER OCCASIONS WOULD WORK JUST FINE. A TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP REVEALED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD FAILED. THIS SEEMS LIKE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MOST OF THE 2004 MINI COOPERS, A DEFECTIVE PART WAS PUT INTO THE CAR WHILE MANUFACTING. MINI IS NOT TAKING ANY RESPONSIBILITY OF IT, AND THE DEALERSHIP IS ASKING FOR $1200 TO REPLACE IT. DUE TO THE POWER PUMP FAILURE, THE TEMPARATURE RISES AND MAY HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO A FEW HOSES AROUND THAT AREA. *TT

Mileage: 83,000

LOST POWER STEERING AT HIGHWAY SPEED DUE TO POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. SHORT CIRCUIT OR FIRE MELTED POWER STEERING PUMP WIRING HARNESS. DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO OTHER PORTIONS OF ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS BY FIRE, RESULTING IN BLOWN FUSES. UPON REMOVING KEY FROM IGNITION AT ROADSIDE, ENGINE KEPT RUNNING UNTIL BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED. *TT

Mileage: 50,144

VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH MINI COOPER AND THE CORPORATION OF BMW ON HOW THEY HANDLED MY ISSUES WITH MY 2004 MINI. I CAME TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES IN RAMSEY, NEW JERSEY WITH THE REPAIRS THAT WERE RECALLED. I HAD PRINTED THE RECALLS AS EVIDENCE THAT THERE WERE IDENTICAL ISSUES AS THE REPAIRS NEEDED TO MY CAR! THE DEALERSHIP IGNORED AND REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT THE RECALLS ON PAPER AND TO MY DISMAY I WAS FORCED TO PAY OUT-OF-MY-OWN POCKET! I HAD NO CHOICE BECAUSE OF MY CONCERN TO DRIVE A 'SAFE' VEHICLE. TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT I HAD TO RETURN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME AND ADDITIONAL ISSUES THAT WERE NO REPAIRED! THE NEXT DAY THE MANAGER ASSURED ME THAT ALL WAS TAKEN CARE OF AND THE CAR WAS FINALLY SAFE! WRONG AGAIN! WITH ADDITIONAL CALLS TO BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND BMW I STILL DID NOT HAVE A SOLUTION NOR A SAFE CAR! . THE ISSUES WERE: 1.BRAKE LIGHT BEING REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEN CAUSED A FIRE. 2.STEERING 3.STABILITY CONTROL ULTIMATELY, I HAVE CONTACTED NHTSA SEVERAL TIMES TO ASSIST AND THE RESPONSE WAS TO CONTACT THE DEALER. I'M AT THE POINT I NEED TO NOW TAKE THIS TO A NEW LEVEL TO RESOLVE THIS SITUATION. *TR

Mileage: 30,000

WHILE DRIVING IN A 35MPH ZONE, SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD (BONNET). DRIVER NOTICED ODD STEERING RESPONSE SHORTLY BEFORE SMOKE APPEARED. REPAIR SHOP NOTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE CAUSING WIRING LOOM FIRE. RESEARCH HAS FOUND NUMEROUS POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURES ON MINI COOPERS. WHEN POWER STEERING FAILS, DRIVING IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE GIVEN SIZE OF STEERING WHEEL AND POWER ASSIST DESIGN. *KB

POWERS STEERING PUMP FAILURE, POWER STEERING PUMP COOLING FAN FAILURE

Mileage: 74,500

2004 MINI COOPER WITH MOTOR MOUNT, ELECTRICAL, FLAT TIRE SENSORS ISSUES. CVT TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT RECOMMENDED. *TGW ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED; DEAD NO POWER. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE IS SITTING IN THE GARAGE UN-DRIVABLE BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE $8,000 TO REPLACE THE CVT TRANSMISSION. *JB

2004 MINI COOPER- 50K MILES- POWER STEERING FAN / MOTOR FAILURE LEADING TO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, HEAT/FIRE DAMAGE RESULTING IN INABILITY TO TURN OFF ENGINE. *TR

Mileage: 50,003

AT FIRST MY BATTERY DIED AFTER I CAME OUT OF WORK. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SINCE I DIDN'T LEAVE ANYTHING ON. SO I GOT THE BATTERY REPLACED FOR $200. RECENTLY THE STEERING HAS BEEN CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING. IF YOU PULL OFF INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURN OFF THE CAR YOU CAN STILL HEAR THE COOLING FAN GOING. AFTER APPROX 30 MIN THE POWER STEERING WILL RETURN TO NORMAL UNTIL IT OVERHEATS AGAIN. SO MY BATTERY WAS BEING DRAINED BY THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN. *TR

Mileage: 45,000

I HAD DRIVEN 2004 MINI FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTE, THEN PARKED IT IN DRIVEWAY. WITHIN 15 MINUTES I LOOKED OVER TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I OPENED THE COMPARTMENT AND GOT HELP. WE PUSHED IT INTO A NEARBY FIELD AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPT. IF IT HAD STAYED IN THE DRIVE, IT WOULD HAVE ALSO IGNITED 2 CARS, THE HOUSE AND A BOAT. WHO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE AND ANIMALS. I ALMOST GOT RUN OVER TRYING TO STOP THE MINI AS IT WAS PUSHED. AFTER THE CAR WAS OUT, WE HAD IT TOWED TO INSKIP AUTO IN WARWICK RI. JEOF SAID AT FIRST IT WAS A POWER STEERING HOSE THAT BURST AND GOT ON THE HOT EXHAUST...IGNITING. AFTER LOOKING AT IT FURTHER AND WITH METLIFE INSURANCE AGENT, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE POWER STEERING FAN AND PUMP FAILURE. THIS OVERHEATED THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS, TO START THE ELECTRICAL FIRE. NEITHER THE INSURANCE NOR INSKIP FELT IT WAS COVERED BY THEM. I AM TO PAY $2,600. TODAY WHEN IT PICK IT UP. THIS COVERS LABOR, A POWER STEERING PUMP, FAN AND HARNESS. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET TO UPSETTING TO ME AND FIND AT LEAST 250 POSTED MINI'S WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MINI DOES NOT HAVE TO RECALL IT. ARE THEY WAITING FOR JUST AS MANY DEATHS? *TR

Mileage: 65,000