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Mini recalls 86,000 hatchbacks, convertibles from 2002 to 2005

Mini is recalling 86,018 cars built for model years 2002 through 2005 over concerns about the power steering system. The affected vehicles include both R50 Cooper and R53 Cooper S hatchbacks as well as convertibles (where applicable). Mini's public communications with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the issue are decidedly oblique and simply pointing out owners could "experience temporary or permanent loss of the electro-hydraulic steering assistance." Worryingly, Mini claims it's aware of 20 accidents and five injuries due to the power-steering issue. This isn't the first time Mini has had problems with the power steering systems on these first-gen Coopers. The automaker had so many claims of bad power steering pumps and cooling fans that it upped the warranty on those units to 13 years or 150,000 miles for the same 2002 to 2005 models being recalled here. This author's personal 2006 model is on its third fan and second pump, though that year has never officially been investigated or recalled. A slight drop in steering assist and a low-battery warning at engine startup are the main signs your car needs recall work. Owners of the affected hatchbacks and cabrios will be notified by Mini and asked to report to their local dealer to have the electrohydraulic steering system's wiring and components inspected. Any repairs will be done free of charge. Read on for the official NHTSA bulletin. Related Video: Report Receipt Date: OCT 15, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 Component(s): STEERING Potential Number of Units Affected: 86,018 Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC SUMMARY: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles and 2005 Cooper and Cooper S Convertible vehicles. The affected vehicles may experience temporary or permanent loss of the electro-hydraulic steering assistance. CONSEQUENCE: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, potentially iincreasing the risk of a vehicle crash. REMEDY: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the electro-hydraulic power steering system, replacing the components and wiring, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 1, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

2014 Mini Cooper S

One of the big challenges as an automotive journalist is reviewing cars that you have a personal connection to. I have a strong passion for Minis. My first new car was a 2004 Cooper S, and I still own a 2006 model. It's this affinity that's left me with a general disdain of the 2007 to 2013 model relative to my first-gen.
The last-generation cars, with their turbocharged engines, softer suspensions, duller steering and homelier looks are, in my mind, inferior to their 2002 to 2006 predecessors. As a car reviewer, though, I couldn't in good conscience argue the same point. The R56, as the last-gen cars were known internally and by enthusiasts, was a better-balanced vehicle that retained the lion's share of the abilities and character of the first-generation, R53 Cooper S, but they were better thought out, better designed, more livable, and felt like more complete products.
Before the third-generation of the reborn Mini Cooper S landed in my driveway, I couldn't help but wonder whether the model would continue its slide towards mass appeal, or if it would re-embrace the enthusiast realm with a stronger driver-focused mission. As I found out during my week with the car, it was a bit of both.

Utah man builds iRacing simulator inside 2005 Mini Cooper S

Brent Cheney is an artist and part-time racer who used to own a tuning shop for time attack cars. That's why, when he decided to get into iRacing and wanted an immersive simulator, he wouldn't settle for mere technical excellence. As first covered by Salt Lake City's KSL news, then in more detail by Motor Authority, Cheney decided he wanted to cut a car into pieces, and rebuild it in the basement of his Salt Lake City, Utah house with a racing sim inside. He needed "the right aesthetic," ruling out something like a Toyota Corolla, but he refused the sacrilege of cutting up anything too precious to an enthusiast. After narrowly missing out on buying a 1999 BMW M3 convertible, then turning to a Mitsubishi Eclipse done up in splashy green like Brian O'Conner's car in the original "Fast and Furious," he ended up with a Mini Cooper. The Brit was a better choice than the German and the Japanese, in fact, thanks to a hardtop that would create a dark enclosure, and seams and shutlines in the right places to hide the necessary cuts.  Cheney found a 2005 Cooper S that had been junked over an engine issue, getting the coupe for $1,000 and parting out the internals he didn't need for the same $1,000 he paid. After watching a YouTube video on how to cut a car, he dismembered the Cooper into seven pieces with a cordless reciprocating saw wielding a Diablo Steel Demon 6-inch blade, and carried the pieces into his man cave. He reassembled those pieces on a wood base with the aid of 200 brackets and many more sheetmetal screws, nuts, and bolts. Once the car was put back together, body parts and trim pieces hid all the seams. Before reinstalling the interior, the artist laid in the sim equipment. After doubling the minimum requirements for iRacing, Cheney's system included an Intel Core i9 8-core processor NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB Founders Edition video card running Windows 10 inside a Thermaltake PC case under the Cooper S hood, as the new "engine." A Fanatec Podium DD1 direct-drive steering column and wheel and Fanatec V3 pedals went in the cabin, along with a Harman Kardon home theater 5.1 surround sound system. He mounted the wheel on the Mini's steering column with a fabricated adapter, put the Fanatec pedals where the car's pedals had been, put a ButtKicker Mini transducer in the original Mini seat for extra realism, and hid all the wiring beneath the carpet and interior trim components.