2003 MINI Cooper S Suspension Problems

I WAS STARTING MY VEHICLE AND IT MADE A BAD KNOCKING NOISE THEN IT WAS LIKE CRUNCHING NOISE SO I STOPPED TURN IT OFF AND WAITED FOR A WHILE WENT BACK TO THE CAR STILL MAKING A STRANGE NOISE BUT ONCE I PUT IT IN THE DRIVE IT STOPPED MAKING NOISE DROVE DOWN THE ROAD A BIT AND TALKING ABOUT APPARENTLY SLIPS OFF OF THE CAR SO IT JUST PULLS OVER INSIDE ALL THE ALL THE WEARING LIGHTS CAME ON SO PULLED OVER APPARENTLY THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN BUT THE HARMONIC BALANCER SEPARATED AND WITH SPINNING AGAINST ITSELF AND KNOCKED THE PIECES OFF OF IT AND THROUGH THE SERPENTINE BELT SO THAT NEEDS TO REPLACE NOW THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IT'S ONE PIECE IS THIS ONE PIECE THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR THESE WHATEVER CARS HAD THESE HARMONIC BALANCERS IS DANGEROUS AND IT COULD BLOW YOUR CAR UP THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

11362320

Incident

Jul 1, 2020

Mileage

140,000 mi

MY MINI COOPER S HAS LESS THAN 27,000 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN CAREFULLY DRIVEN AND HAS SUSTAINED NO CRASH DAMAGE. HAD SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS COME ON THE CAR AND HAD FAILURES WITH THE ABS, STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, AND FRONT WHEEL SENSOR. IN ADDITION AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD "MUSHROOMING" AND CRACKED FRONT SHOCK TOWER MOUNTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CAR, AND THAT ALONE WOULD COST OVER $1,400 TO REPAIR. I WAS TOLD THAT HITTING POTHOLES OR OTHER ROAD HAZARDS CAUSED THIS. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER, ROADSHOW MINI IN MEMPHIS, TN, STATED THAT THE SHOCK TOWERS AND FRONT BUSHINGS WERE CONSIDERED WEAR ITEMS, AND THAT THEY COULD BE REDAMAGED IMMEDIATELY IF THE CAR CAME IN CONTACT WITH ANOTHER POTHOLE. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS TOLD BY MINI USA THAT NO ENGINEERS OR NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES COULD BE CONTACTED, AND THAT THE DEALER WOULD HANDLE ALL QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. I ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY UPGRADES AND FIXES OFFERED BY MINI AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NONE. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE FAIRLY COMMON, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL AFTERMARKET COMPANIES THAT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE,. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT HE SEES THIS PROBLEM ON 3-4 CARS IN THE SHOP EVERY MONTH. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW, THAT THERE CAN BE STRUT COLLAPSE OR SUSPENSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING, AND THAT MINI SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS. FOR NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS TO HAVE RESULTED IN DEFORMED AND CRACKED STRUT TOWERS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND REPRESENTS A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. I HAVE NEVER OWNED AN AUTOMOBILE THAT HAD STRUT TOWER FAILURE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10344586

Incident

Jul 19, 2010

Mileage

26,799 mi

CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS FOR 2003 MINI COOPER S. CONSUMER STATES THAT HER SON WAS KILLED WHILE DRIVING HIS MINI COOPER S BACK IN JULY 2008. *NJ THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD HER SON LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED RECALL 03V086000 AND WANTED TO KNOW COULD THE RECALL HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTORY. *JB

NHTSA ID

10252391

Incident

Jul 19, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MINI COOPER S. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING 60 MPH, THE WHEEL AND TIRE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AT THIS TIME. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE COST FOR THE REPAIR WOULD RANGE FROM $3,000 - $5,000. THE AFFECTED COMPONENTS WERE THE STEERING, BRAKES, SUSPENSION, AND SHOCKS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES AVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 30,000.

NHTSA ID

10235781

Incident

Jul 24, 2008

Mileage

30,000 mi

AFTER READING INTERNET FORUMS REGARDING THE MINI COOPER CARS. I LEARNED OF A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT STRUT TOWERS DEFORMING UNDER REGULAR DRIVING CONDITIONS. UPON INSPECTION OF MY OWN MINI COOPER BY MYSELF I FOUND THAT MY TOWERS WERE DISTORTED IN A MUSHROOMING OF THE TOP SHEET METAL . I FOUND ONLINE THE MANUFACTURER OF A MACHINED ALUMINUM PLATE THAT BOLTS ON TOP OF THE TOWER ADDING ADDITIONAL STRENGTH TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER. MY VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE CRACKS IN THE TOWER BUT OTHER PEOPLE ARE FINDING CRACKS AS WELL AS THE DISTORTION. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE TOWER WHERE TO CRACK COMPLETELY THAT THE FRONT STRUTS WOULD BE FORCED UP AND CAUSING THE CAR TO LOOSE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL STEERING. *NM

NHTSA ID

10168206

Incident

Sep 13, 2006

Mileage

70,000 mi

JUST DRIVING ALONG ON A STRAIGHT SMOOTH ROAD AT 40 MPH WHEN THE LOWER REAR CONTROL ARM BROKE CLEAN IN HALF NEARLY CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR AS THE WHEEL ROTATED UP INTO THE FENDER WELL. SCOTTSDALE MINI INSISTS THAT THIS ARM SHOULD ONLY BREAK IF THE CAR WAS CRASHED AND THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAVE NEVER HIT ANY SIGNIFICANT POTHOLES OR OTHER ROAD HAZARDS. THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR CASES OF THIS FAILURE REPORTED ON THE INTERNET BUT MINI IS APPARENTLY RELUCTANT TO CLASSIFY IT AS A DESIGN FLAW. *JB

NHTSA ID

10150121

Incident

Feb 8, 2006

Mileage

23,000 mi

ON 1/26/06 I TOOK MY CAR INTO TUFFY AUTO TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED, AT THE TIME THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM HAD A CRACK IN IT. AT THAT TIME I CALLED MINI AND TOLD THEM THAT MY RIGHT REAR LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS DAMAGED. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MINI THAT MY DRIVING WAS THE CAUSE OF THIS AND THAT IT WOULDN'T BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I THEN TOOK PICTURES OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WHILE IT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO MY CAR, THESE PICTURES SHOW THAT THERE WAS A SHEARING EFFECT ON THE REAR-MOST PART OF THE ARM AND THERE WAS NO BENDING ON THE ARM. I THEN HAD THE CAR TAKEN BY FLAT-BED TO MY MINI DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY ARE REPLACING THE LOWER AND UPPER CONTROL ARM. MY PICTURES REFUTE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS BEING A DRIVERS FAULT AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO WARRANTY THE WORK.*JB

NHTSA ID

10149331

Incident

Jan 26, 2006

Mileage

37,282 mi

WHILE PULLING INTO THE PARKING GARAGE AT WORK, THE REAR OF MY MINI COOPER S MADE A NOISE. THE CONTROL ARM ON THE RIGHT, REAR SUSPENSION BROKE. WHEN LOOKING UNDER THE REAR, THE CONTROL ARM WAS IN TWO PIECES, BROKEN IN THE MIDDLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER AND I WILL BE REQUESTING THE PART BACK. *JB

NHTSA ID

10130518

Incident

Jul 27, 2005

Mileage

42,000 mi