2003 MINI COOPER Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 MINI COOPER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT, THE NEIGHBORS NOTICED THAT IT CAUGHT FIRE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND FILED A REPORT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE POLICE INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

WINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM THE BOTTOM WHERE IT MEETS THE HOOD OF THE CAR. DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW DOES NOT GO DOWN. I ONLY HEAR A CLICKING SOUND. WATER PUMP, OIL PAN AND VALVE COVER GASKETS FAILED PREMATURELY. I CAN'T SHIFT THE CAR INTO FIRST GEAR WITHOUT MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS.

WHILE TRAVELING NORTH ON US 221 FROM BENT MOUNTAIN, VA TO ROANOKE VA MY HYDRALIC STEERING TOTALLY FAILED. AS I TRAVELLED A SHORT DISTANCE MY BRAKE LIGHT WARNING LIGHTS, ABS LIGHT, OTHER BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT AND AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I LOOKED AT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GUAGE AND THE TEMP WAS NORMAL. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT, RAISED THE HOOD, CHECKED THE FLUIDS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND REENTERED THE CAR. WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVERS SEAT I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION, LOOKED FORWARD AND NOTED THICK STEAM COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, EXITED THE CAR AND WHEN THE STEAM DISSIPATED I NOTED THAT THE COOLING SYSTEM FILLING/OVERFLOW TANK WAS SPLIT IN HALF DAMAGING A PROTECTING COVER ON THE FIREWALL AND SPRAYED A BUILDING WALL AND WINDOW WITH ENGINE COOLANT 10 FEET AWAY IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAD...

ACCELERATING AFTER BEING STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, LOST POWER STEERING, SMOKE CAME OUT OF HOOD, ENGINE TEMPERATURE REDLINED, AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, ON A SLIGHT INCLINE IS WHEN I NOTICED THE RPM WAS HIGH AND THE SPEED REDUCING. (ALONG WITH SOME CRACKLING, ROUGH NOISES FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR) I LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL (LOWERED THE RPMS), TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T REGAIN SPEED THE CAR EVENTUALLY REDUCED DRIVING SPEED TO 30MPH WITH RPM AT 5. I MOVED OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY AND WAITED FOR HELP. WITH A CHILD IN CAR. TRANSMISSIONS SHOULD NOT FAIL ON A VEHICLE AT 50,000MILES. VERY SCARY SITUATION. I HOPE THIS ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR VEHICLE IS ADDRESSED. THAT ISSUE COULD SERIOUSLY HARM ALOT OF PEOPLE I HAVE READ TOO MANY SIMILAR STORIES ONLINE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 55 MPH WHEN GRAY SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AS THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE OVER HEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE HARMONIC DAMPER HAD DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2003 MINI COOPER DIED AT 59,000 MILES. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION, SAME AS NUMEROUS OTHER MINI COOPER OWNERS HAVE, AT A COST OF ABOUT $7,000. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CVT TRANSMISSION IN THE 2003 MINI COOPERS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO REPAIR IT. MINI COOPER HAS NOT RESPONDED TO THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY ITS CONSUMERS AND HAS NOT OFFERED TO HELP PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION COST. *TR