Problems with 2004 MINI Cooper S STEERING

The power steering is very stiff to drive and cannot drive my cooper because i can no longer steer the vehicle.

When you turn wheel left or right it makes a noise and it's very hard to turn. so i think it's the steering: electric power assist system. recall id # 240625.

The vehicle was hard to steer and smoke was coming from the engine. took the car home, did not see flames, parked car in the driveway switched cars and left. received a call from the fire department that my mini was on fire and i needed to return to my house.

The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed last month, prompting me to research ways to fix the vehicle online. i found that mini usa had issued a recall on my car, but was informed by the dealership and then mini that my vin number did not fall among those vehicles recalled. i'm wondering whether mini appropriately limited their recall considering my vehicle has the same problem that prompted the recall, and falls within the same model and year range. i think the department should investigate whether to expanding the recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that there was a progressing condition in which the steering wheel made an abnormal noise and was difficult to turn left or right. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000. vin tool confirms parts not available.

I was driving my daughter to school when it first happened, the wheel got so tight and i hit the curb. thank god i was in a school zone and therefore i was driving slow. after that, i noticed that same day that my battery was drained when i was leaving from work. i got a jump but then it happened again when i stopped for groceries. i figured something must be wrong with the battery (which is fairly new) or the alternator. i took my car to a shop and they diagnosed the battery and the alternator was fine. but they also said there was a strange noise coming from my power steering pump. i bought power steering fluid thinking that was the reason, but after i poured some its still the same. i started researching and i found out a lot of people are having this same issue and its a defective issue for this mini generation. *tr

I experienced a sudden loss of power steering on my vehicle. fortunately this did not result in a crash but it sure scared me. i am concerned about my safety driving this vehicle and may consider getting rid of it. i am disappointed in mini's unresponsiveness to this issue. *tr

Was about to park my car and all of sudden the steering began feeling tight. it seems that all assistance with the power steering was lost. upon investigation over the internet it seems that the power steering pump is blown. fortunately, i was not driving fast,but this can cause a potential fatal injury. *tr

3 months ago i became aware of a fault in my mini cooper 2004 regarding the power steering cooling fan. steering had become overly difficult, and after taking the vehicle to my usual mechanic and then bmw, this was found to be defective. i then discovered the issue had been the subject of an unofficial recall by mini usa (bmw), and took the car to the nearest dealership, in beverly, ma, a round trip of 200 miles, to have the item fixed. after this, the car became hard to control on curves. it appears the failure of the power steering cooling fan put undue strain on the steering knuckle, and at 80,000 this has become prematurely worn. consequently, the vehicle is very hard to handle properly on turns, and is becoming a safety issue. for three months my mechanic has been trying to secure this part from mini usa to no avail. meanwhile my car is becoming more undrivable by the day. this part is an essential component of the safety of the vehicle. i have petitioned bmw for an answer, and after two weeks of people avoiding the issue, it seems the part remains unavailable. mini usa(bmw)'s best response was to ask me to drive back to ma to have the car looked at, which point they may offer me a loaner. but this is beside the point: aside from not providing an essential component that affects the safety of the vehicle, they want me to waste a day driving to ma, then pay the dealer's over-inflated service charges, because they made it clear on the phone they will not sell this part to non-mini repair facilities when it finally does arrive (there is still no date for this, by the way). essentially they are covering up an issue by keeping the matter in-house, failing to provide a component, and forcing customers to drive hundreds of miles and use only their facilities. clearly this is outrageous and illegal. any assistance from your office would be appreciated. *tr

The steering knuckle on my car has become prematurely worn following a steering pump failure, and consequently, the steering has become imprecise and the car hard to control around curves. i was not made aware of the design defect (documented by dot) of the steering pump until i researched the steering issue and discovered there was an 'unofficial' recall to fix the pump. my complaint is that for two months, bmw usa still has the steering knuckle on back order. meanwhile my vehicle is becoming harder to drive and will soon be a safety concern. it is imperative that dot force bmw usa to make this part available immediately because it is a crucial component in the safety of the vehicle. *tr

While driving around town the power steering quit working making the car very hard to turn. it was not noticeable driving straight, but when taking a left or right turn you almost cannot make the turn unless you really crank on the steering wheel. this problem has been happening intermittently without no warning. in order to get the power steering back, the ignition has to be completely shut off, and then restarted. *tr

Steering failure whilst on highway, headed to the grass curb, smoke in cabin (smelt of burning wire insulation). did manage to release the hood and open to see if i could extinguish, fire was focused directly behind the engine under exhaust manifold. nothing to due but wait for the fire truck, car completely burned front to back, nothing left to salvage. *tr

The power steering system failed. it appears to be an electrical issue because once i restarted the vehicle the power steering system returned to normal. i almost ran into a parked car because i could not turn without a lot of effort. *tr

I was on an exit ramp from the highway and around the curve i felt the steering stiffen. when i had to turn right i had to swing very wide into the other lane because i had no power steering. thank god no one was there! it returned after i shut my car off after pulling into a parking lot. then the next day it did it again. today it went out and hasn't returned yet. my husband checked to make sure the fan worked and it does. this is a known to bmw problem and no recall in the usa. canada has a recall. tell me please, why we do not? *tr

I bought my used mini cooper s (64,686 miles) from honda dealership - serramonte (daly city, ca) on march 13, 2012. i'm the second owner of this vehicle. the steering problem first occurred on june 2012, but it was temporary. while driving the steering wheel became hard to maneuver from left to right. i had to pull over and stopped the car to see what's wrong. it came back to normal after i turned on the engine. the steering problem would happen occasionally, i would do the same procedures and the steering would go back to normal again. today (3/27/13), while i was driving at 35 mph in the residential area, i noticed my steering wheel stiffen like last time. i stopped and turned off the engine and fired it back up. this time, it stayed stiff permanently. i had to drive the car back home during rush hours. luckily i managed to get home without getting involved in an accident. i checked the steering fluid level under the hood and found out that it was full. i googled the steering problem on the 2004 mini cooper s, i came to find out the same problems were experienced by many mini owners. i need your advice as soon as possible on how i can get my car repaired before it cause a major accident on the road. this is the only vehicle i have to make a living. because of these common steering problems, i hope mini would take full responsibility for this. *tr

Sudden loss of power steering, couldn't turn wheel ,hit curb. *tr

I stopped my car in a parking lot to run some errands. when i returned to my car and got it started, i realized that the power steering of my car became really stiff. it was really hard for me to steer my car left and right. the power steering of my car no longer function as before and it was really difficult for me to drive on the road, especially when i have to turn left or right at a road junction. *tr

Power steering assist intermittently failed multiple times today at various speeds. turning the car off and back on again seems to temporarily fix the problem but after some time, the power assist will fail again. car is very difficult to steer without power assist. *tr

Power steering randomly goes out on car. low-speed fan has seized, damaging power steering pump. car has no power steering at all. *tr

My power steering is failing. it causes myself or when my wife drives (with both my young children in the car) to come and go intermittently. at times in parking lots or even at highway speeds it will go from normal usage and ease of use to heavy manual steering. this needs to be addressed more then just "being looked into." this is very dangerous and could/will cause loss of life if not resolved per bmw/mini cooper and it's ownership. i listed it as "crash" in the yes form. so far it has only been into the curb a few times at typical parking speeds. so far is the statement here. this will become an issue if not resolved and i hope that it is just a curb and not another car/family that are affected due to this "known" issue. *tr

Hello, i had been experience problems with the power steering (loosing power) of my mini cooper s 2004 model. in jan 2013, i brought my 2004 mini cooper s for the replacement of the power-assist steering function, which include power steering hose ($56.25), power steering pump ($710.00) and labor ($315.00). in may 2013, i received a notice for the repair expense reimbursement from mini. apparently this problem is known (but unknown to me) for mini model year 2002-2205. i submitted the reimbursement request and received the return receipt on june 10, 2013. since then i have attempted to reach to mini customer relation by phone (1-866-275-6464) 4 times and still have not received the reimbursement. i am writing this letter to ask for your assistance. mini should live up to standard and reimburse my expense. please let me know if you need any additional information from me. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

First incident: vehicle mileage 37004 (12/31/2009): 2004 mini cooper s was being driven on surface streets and power steering was lost without warning making the vehicle exquisitely difficult to turn. upon arrival at a mechanic, the power steering pump was determined to be faulty and both the pump and fan were replaced. there were no accidents or injuries associated with this injury. second incident: vehicle mileage ~55,000 (1/19/2013): same vehicle as above was being driven onto a sharp right banking on ramp to the i-10e freeway when the power steering suddenly failed without warning. the car was occupied by a driver and a passenger. despite the driver's quick reactions, the car hit the curves outer concrete retaining wall nearly head on. the wall could not be avoided because of the lack of warning of the power steering failure, as well as the minimal space on the shoulder of the outside of the curve, estimated by the driver as less than a car width wide. the driver was estimated by a police officer to be driving below the speed limit. the driver received chemical burns to his upper extremity from the airbag, the passenger was hospitalized for three days with a pneumothorax and required a chest tube to be placed. an extended warranty will not prevent people from being injured, but a recall will. updated 06/12/13*lj updated 07/10/13*lj *tr

Took my car into the mechanic to have it look at for a new clutch. they noticed the power steering pump was leaking. they replaced the fluid and cautioned me about getting it replaced soon. *tr

Power steering wheel suddenly failed and became stiff while getting off freeway. took great force to turn steering wheel to steer car. luckily able to stop car safely. *tr

Left home with no power steering issues. half way to work, driving on the highway and began to take a right hand curve in the road and out of no where there is no power steering. no warning or indication that anything was wrong prior to this. luckily i reacted quickly and the curve was not too sharp because i was in the right hand lane with cars to the left of me and behind me. would have been bad news had the curve been a little sharper. i checked the power steering fluid level and it was full. when i turned the car off and back on again, the power steering was working again. drove the car again later in the day, when i started the car everything was working perfectly and then part way to my destination the power steering went out again. *tr

While taking a corning my power steer abruptly vanished almost causing me to crash. very dangerous. have heard of this happening with many other minis around the same age. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the electrical power steering pump caught on fire, melting all of the wires. the fire department was not contacted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 110,000.

Had just made minor engine repairs - hoses - belt - thermostat - water pump - oil change - oil filter - air filter - less then one week - 30mp making left turn - gripping very hard on the wheel to finish the turn - no power steering - tested fan - fan ok - pulled steering pump off - what do i do now - buy pump - call dealer - wait to here from you *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated the power steering failed without warning. the failure only occurred once. the vehicle was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 110,000. updated 9/10/12 *cn

Driving at around 40 mph and the power steering pump failed. the steering was extremely difficult. *tr

The car loses power steering intermittently and it makes it extremely difficult to turn. it is very dangerous when it happens on the intersection and i can't turn the car. i drive with my child and this freaks me out. it happened several times and in may 2013 i received mini recall/extension of warranty letter and called mini dealer in sacramento ca and they put me to the recording machine, where i left a message regarding extension of warranty by mini and to schedule replacement of power steering - no reply. called them twice, they seem to ignore my calls. very upset with dealer's ignorance. *tr

Driving down the road and the steering got hard. after almost wrecking and making it home , turned car off and 10 minutes later it worked again. *tr

I returned home after driving for 15 minutes. i turned the car off and a motor kept running. i restarted the car to see if a electrical fan had kept running. i turned the car off again, but the noise of a fan or pump was still heard. i looked for a fuse to remove, but could not find the one that stopped the noise. i disconnected the battery, so the wiring would not overheat. i reconnected the battery the following morning and the noise still persisted. i called the dealer fermin mini of tampa bay to ask what the noise could be. i drove the car to the dealer for a replacement steering pump and fan. *tr

Power steering pump failed while driving on highway without notice. never got a warning light before during or after failure. narrowly avoided an accident since i was not prepared for steering to be so difficult to turn the wheel. i was able to pull over into a parking lot where i turned the car off, let it sit for a while and then turned it back on and the steering was ok again. since the steering is back and no warning lights, i assume everything is going to work ok from now on. *tr

Steering suddenly became very difficult and stayed that way. it was fine the next day, but as the car was being driven a while the problem came back. *tr

Power steering is loss is random, once steering is lost after turning off and car cools it works again. leading me to believe that the cause of the problem is in the unit's design. hesitant to spend upwards of $800 (in parts) to replace when it may not solve the problem. manufacturer should investigate and issue recall due to tremendous complaints on similar failures and not solution is available. *tr

The power steering stopped operating as we were making a 90 degree turn at an intersection. we were able to pull over and turn off the engine. we checked the power steering fluid level, and found it was in the proper range. after a short wait we restarted the can and the power steering seemed to be operating. *tr

Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult. later went back to normal. a month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead. *tr

My mini cooper intermittently, without warning becomes very difficult to steer. power steering failed rounding a corner on the freeway, nearly resulting in a high speed crash. *tr

I was driving through atlantic city, and when i tried to make a left turn, the power steering assist on my minicooper failed. the steering wheel was rigid and needed to be forcibly turned using a great deal of strength. i almost ran into a fence surrounding a parking lot, but was able to apply the brakes, wrestle with the wheel , and edge into the parking lot. *js

Power steering intermittently goes out and steering becomes very difficult (i.e. hard to control the car). this problem has occurred several times without warning and after restart goes away. in february of 2012 there was a recall for this specific problem in canada. this is a safety issue, please rectify it. *tr

Power steering is of great concern as it has periods where it seems that the power steering quits working. also when adjusting the direction as i am backing up into my driveway steering is sort of lazy and it make a high pitch whining noise when i turn the steering wheel. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 65 mph the steering wheel locked and became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000.

I was merging onto highway i-25, taking a sharp turn at 50 mph when the power steering suddenly failed. i nearly missed the turn and almost crash down the on-ramp, which would've placed me heading perpendicular straight into highway traffic. *tr

My mini was parked for about 2 hours. when i went to leave in it, i could not steer it. the power steering was completely unresponsive. i was able to drive it home (about 5 miles) but it was very difficult to steer and unsafe to drive. *tr

Power steering pump wont shut off after vehicle is disabled, causing the battery to die. the power steering pump will disable while driving. *tr

Exiting on an off-ramp from the freeway the power steering pump failed and steering became rock hard and it took considerable strength to keep the car from going straight and running into the guard rail around the turn. very scary experience and if i had decreased muscle strength the car would have veered straight for the guard rail and at high freeway exit speeds. *js

Failure of power steering pump made vehicle very difficult to maneuver in traffic and when parking. *js

While driving on an interstate highway, the power steering completely failed, resulting in a near-loss of control and crash due to the sudden dramatic increase in physical effort required to control the car. the failure was determined to be related to the power steering pump no longer functioning. there was no loss of fluid or breach in the hydraulic system. this is apparently a very common problem among this model of car. *tr

Bmw installed plastic power steering pump that should have been recalled because the part is faulty and leaks power steering fluid. i had to replace pump with metal power steering pump. *tr