Most liked posts in thread: NHTSA opens steering probe on '04-'05 Mini Cooper

I wonder

if the braintrusts at the NTHSA will figure out that the problem is in all MINIs from introduction till the system changed with the 2nd gen car?

Reading over on MINI2, it seems the dealers there recognize that the system is, uh, problematic, and has done a lot of good will repairs and replacements. Here? We get the "First time I heard of that!" comments and the like.

Mine died mid turn at 108k miles. Dust build up was the problem.

Matt

 

<needs crossing fingers smilie>

 

I wonder if would be retro-active. Reimbursing anyone who has already to pay for the repair/replacing on this pump.

Mine failed at 70k miles going straight down a hwy...

 

It depends...

if there is a recall, then go to your MINI dealer and ask for some money. I'm sure if the request comes with the letterhead of "Dewey, Cheetum and How" it wouldn't hurt either!

Matt

 

That would be my first question: what is different about the 2004-2005 steering from the cars produced before and after??? Looks to be the same to me....

 

What does BMW have over the NHTSA that this has gone so long and now only for '04 & '05s. :mad2:

This is a BIG problem and the whole MINI community knows it, so does BMW rrr:
I'll stop here before I blow my top :incazzato:

Mark

 

The NHTSA

does their investigations based on the years of the complaints. So go file your issues so they know where to look. Yes BMW/MINI knows about this, but they will only be held accountable when the big nasty gov says "step up" or someone files a class action lawsuit.

Go to the office of defect investigations and submit your complaint if you've had issues....

Matt

 

I'll be visiting the dealer. That is one thing that has not gone out on my '05 R53 and I just recently went over 80k miles.

Thanks for posting. My wife was just asking me about it as she had just heard about it on the news.

 

Thanks for the link . I'm on it. Everyone join in .

Mark

 

I just went to the link and called the number that was on the home page. Went right to a human, that's right---a HUMAN .
He took al the info, filed a complaint and gave me a complaint number. It only took about 5 min.

Thanks Dr. O.

Mark

 

Everyone who has had this issue needs to do this for sure. I'll let everyone know what find out from the dealer. I was going to go by anyway to see if I have ball joints going out. Might as well have them check the steering though they just replaced the steering rack under my aftermarket warranty.

 

Notice the use of the word "mishaps"....

cause there are complaints! I know, I logged one as have others. I didn't crash cause of mine, so I guess it's not a mishap.

A really cool site is myCarStats.com. You can sign up for free, list the types of cars you care about, and they will e-mail you notifications about complaints, recalls, investigations etc. I just checked there and there are 15 complaints listed for steering systems on the 2005 MCS alone. 14 are failures (most total, a few intermittant) and one car fire. The last one I'd call a "mishap" for sure!

there are 24 complaints for 2004 on the MCS. I didn't check the rest of the years..... "First we've ever heard of it!" my foot!

Anyway,

Have fun with the site.

Matt