Problems with 2004 MINI Cooper S STEERING

I was unable to get my vehicle smogged. the obd was not communicating with smog machine. took it to dealer and found the power steering electrical was causing a short circuit in the system. *tr

While exiting the freeway the steering suddenly and without warning became extremely heavy taking significantly more effort then normal to just move the wheel slightly. the next day the power steering worked normally but the fan on the power steering pump continued to run after the engine was turned off. after 5 minutes in a parking lot it had drained the battery to the point where it struggled to start the engine. when i returned home i was forced to disconnect the battery until i can get it serviced. *tr

Occasional power steering failure. at first it occurred mostly at start up for less than a minute. after calling the dealer for info, i added fluid, turned the wheel to lock in both directions and that seemed to help for a couple weeks. the issue has since returned, about 1 occurrence per week. most recently i had no power steering for the entirety of a ~30 minute drive. i'm concerned that the steering will fail mid-turn, particularly while driving dangerous mountain roads. does the pump need to be replaced or is this an electrical issue as described in existing complaints? *tr

Hydraulic power steering assist system failed while on the road 3 times causing a crash hazard. the power steering would return intermittently until it completely stopped working. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving 35 mph, the contact stated the vehicle lost all power steering. the dealer informed the contact that the power steering pump failed and to replace the pump as well as the battery to correct the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 116,000 and the failure mileage was 115,900.

I had driven the vehicle to work without incident. started vehicle after work and immediately noticed that the power steering was not working. drove the vehicle 34 miles and parked it for 30 minutes. when i restarted the vehicle the power steering was again working. *tr

Sudden power steering failure while driving. *tr

Beginning early 2012 (approx), there was intermittent power steering failure; the frequency increased through 2012. total power steering failure as of january 19, 2013. mechanic advises this is a failure of the power steering pump - a well known issue with 2004 mini coopers. *tr

Power steering stopped working---while driving on curve---impacted car control. regained power steering. this happened two more times. very dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *tr

Power steering pump failed as i was exiting i-80 @ exit 56 returning home from work. as i started onto the exit ramp and began to curve to the right, the steering was very hard in the car which resulted in my having to force the wheel to the right. i also was braking at this point given the surprise of the tight wheel. i ended up on the shoulder of the ramp before gaining control of the car and reducing the speed. when i got to the top of the ramp and stopped, the pump began to work again. on 12/27 the pump failed again as i backed out of my garage. i pulled the car back into the garage and parked it until i can resolve this issue. i purchased the car used several months ago with 67k miles. i searched the forums to see if anyone else has had this issue and found many reports of pump/fan failures. this is a safety risk to anyone who owns one of these cars. i cannot imagine what would've happened had my wife been driving my car when the pump failed, it was all i could do to keep from wrecking into the median area. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 30 mph and making a turn, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the power steering pump failed and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000.

Power steering intermittently working causing severe oversteer while entering highway traffic. had no indication of problem while on interstate. upon exiting interstate on a 30 mph loop steering failed . presently power steering is intermittent so the wife no longer gets to drive the cooper. good fortune was with me and i have driven cars without powersteering. even so i was caught off guard and i am hopeful this report will prevent others which may be less fortunate or experienced. the mini dealership didn't seem to care. *kb

Power steering failed. re-engaged when car cooled.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that when he started the vehicle the power steering failed and the steering wheel became abnormally stiff. the dealer was notified of the failure who stated that there were no recalls for the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 69,000...updated 01/04/12 *bf the consumer stated the power steering pump was replaced at a cost of $866.67 . the consumer has since traded the vehicle. updated 01/09/12

Lost power steering on freeway at 70 mile an hour. next day it work for 40 miles then failed again on freeway at 70 miles an hour, there is no warning or fluid loss,just complete steering loss . then it is very hard to control. *tr

The steering wheel went almost completely rigid and the wheel required a great deal of effort to turn. turning the wheel was far more difficult than in any vehicle i have driven without power steering, and there was a pulse of differing pressure against the turns at times. after shutting off the car and starting again, the steering was back to normal. *tr

As i was driving on local road i noticed a car double parked i tried to pass the vehicle when i noticed my steering wheel was stiff it was very hard to turn it at all i almost slammed into double parked car that i could not pass and had no control of my vehicle. its very uncomfortable to drive a vehicle that way so its parked for now if i knew that it would be that dangerous to drive this vehicle i would never bought it. *tr

After stopping at a red light, when i accelerated to make a left turn, lost power steering. drove to work next day with no power steering, but on the way home, it came back on. however, when i turn off the engine, the electric motor kept on running. had to disconnect battery to keep it from draining and/or cause a fire. *tt

Driving at approximately 45mph, when power steering failed. power steering failure accompanied by other electrical issues. gauge cluster reset, all failure lights went on. power steering restored shortly after failure. occurred approximately two more times after first incident. after power steering failure noticed, issue with charging system also. charging system voltage consistently low, sometimes even going down to 10v accompanied by loss of power and other malfunction lights. *tr

I was driving my mini cooper s on the freeway going into a turn, the wheel became extremely hard to turn with no notice. i could not make the turn all the way and the drivers side tires and fender hit the curb on the freeway. i fought the car off the freeway and let it sit for 15 mins while i called mini. the dealer said that my power steering had failed. after a wait of 15 mins the car started and drove just fine. i drove the car to the dealership and they tested the power steering pump and said that it was good at that time. they told me that it would continue to be a problem with just giving out at random times unless i spent $4000 and had all the components replaced even though it tested good at the time. they replaced all the bushings and struts in the front at that time for $2000. they told me not to replace the power steering unless it totally stopped working. the second incident was 5000 miles later on a round about at 35 mph. the steering had just failed again. this is a dangerous situation when the dealer tests the system after a failure and claims that it is good, and then it fails again with no warning. i think that the manufacture should take responsibility and have all the systems upgraded to not fail at such low mileage and if they do fail to be able to track such a failure. *tr

I had power steering one day and the next day when i was driving i began to make a turn and realized my power steering went out. to this day it has never came back. i was told it is something like an electric hydraulic pump but the price is so outrageous i cannot afford to get it fixed so i just try to drive it as little as possible and be as careful as i can. *tr

The vehicle's power steering failed without warning while driving down the road. this caused the vehicle to be very difficult to steer. the car is almost impossible to drive. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic advised that the power steering pump would have to be replaced. there was an open investigation of the failure under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

The electric power steering pump failed... saw smoke coming from engine area, even when power to engine was shut off and key removed. after several attempts to restart vehicle after talking with service mechanic, he advised to "restart" car until the power steering unit possibly turned back on. after 6 attempts (appox 3 mins apart), the system started to work again, but with a "stiff & grinding" noise coming from the pump being transmitted thru the steering wheel. cause of failure is "power steering pump/fan unit". very dangerous, as this happened at speed on freeway, and lost almost all control of steering.

Power steering failed after 3 hour trip - while parking. steering has returned and quit multiple times since - and now has quit working it seems for good. car is hard to steer, especially at low speed, but i am still able to drive it. *tr

Power steering failed abruptly causing dangerous driving condition. *tr

Experienced power steering loss driving along a suburban road. after stopping and restarting the car the power steering returned. *tr

Power steering stopped working, 1st time whilst at a traffic light, 2nd time whilst pulling out of a parking spot. steering becomes very heavy, almost unmanageable. i haven't used the car in the last three months as i have been out of the country, i need to look into replacing the steering pump, fan and a cover. *tr

Electric power steering pump failed while driving. i noticed it when i went to change lanes and the car resisted. i slowed for a corner and when attempting to turn, it became very apparent that there was no steering assist. this is a common failure on the first generation mini coopers that is unacceptable and depending on the circumstances, potentially dangerous.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering would seize. this failure recurred on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was not inspected nor repaired for the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 104,000. the vin was unavailable.

The power steering pump just all of a suddenly without warning failed on my mini cooper. i was going down the highway at 70 mph when i went to get off on a off ramp and the car took alot of force for me to steer it in the right direction. i was lucky to not have snow at the time because if i did i could have possibly lost control of my car. i know alot of people have had this happen to them and for the price that these pumps they should last alot longer than have. *kb

Failed steering pump assembly on 2004 cooper s with 60k miles. failure of steering pump assembly created loss of steering and induces unsafe driving scenario. from the showroom, this vehicle (and others of this era) has provided a unique whine from the power steering assembly. the dealer would later inform me that this was normal to the bmw mini line. years later this feature has become a known problem and is confirmed and being investigated by the nhtsa. bmw (the manufacturer) has yet to acknowledge or developed a repairable solution towards this flawed characteristic. another toyota in the making?.. i hope not. *tr

1)while driving my car in normal warm day temperatures in denver, co my power steering abruptly failed making it difficult to control my car. 2)has stayed failed 3)will have to get a rebuilt or new pump. *tr

Intermittent loss of power steering. occurs whether vehicle is hot or cold. can occur after vehicle has sat overnight. will start working again after shutting down and restarting the vehicle. *js

I was driving to work, on a windy road when my car lost it's power steering. the garage has to replace the power steering pump, fan and steering rack for a total cost of about $3,000! i was very lucky to have not run off the road. *tr

2004 mini cooper s first had an issue that drained the battery. once power was restored and the car was driven and then shut off, there was a whirring noise, similar to a fan running, that continued after the key had been removed from the ignition. this noise and the apparent power drain continues until the battery is drained once more. following these issues, the mini began to become more and more difficult to steer. it is diagnosed as a power steering failure that is apparently common among this generation of mini cooper. no accidents, injuries, or fires have occurred due to this failure, however the car is not safe to drive until parts are replaced. *tr

I purchased my 2004 mini cooper s 5 months ago. i was told by the dealer everything worked fine on the car. there was a whining noise in the car, which he told me was normal on min coopers. i was driving from boise, id to olympia, wa in my 2004 mini cooper s. then suddenly, about 200 miles into my trip, while i was over taking a semi truck on a right hand curve. my power steering tightened and i had to hold on really tight. i almost ran into the side wall. after further investigation i found that my power steering had died. it seems that there should be some kind of safe way for the power steering to die. loosing power steering the way it did, and how hard it is to turn the steering without the pump sounds very scary. i drove down steep hill with sharp curves during the trip and i'm so glad the pump didn't die then. i then drove the rest of the way carefully as possible without the power steering. now i know that the whining noise was from the power steering since the whining noise went away once the power steering died. it seems that this is a common issue with others as well. now my car is parked and i'm not sure if i should replace the part or not. i feel bmw should take some initiatives to fix this issue. *tr

The steering pump cooling fan started to fail and had to be replaced. the dealership also stated the steering rack was leaking fluid and was going to need replacement at a cost of over $1,000.00.

While leaving a shopping center my power steering failed. i was about 15 miles from home and i very cautiously proceeded home. what concerns me is there is extensive evidence that this is a recurring problem with the 2003-2006 mini cooper. some have narrowly escaped injury. *tr

I was driving on i-65 at 62 mph. right as i approached the on ramp to i-265, the power steering failed. i almost did not get the wheel turned in time to make the curve. i had no warning. *tr

I am writing to complain about my 2004 mini cooper s power steering pump failure. i have done hours of research on the internet and have contacted half a dozen mini dealerships to find out, this is a recurring problem (on 2001-2005 models) and can be very dangerous. there is no warning (check engine light) when this part goes defective, so basically while driving the power steering just shuts off leaving about 30lbs of pressure to turn the steering wheel. good thing i am a strong male, because i was able to stop the car on the side of the road for assistance. by no means am i sexist, but believe me this car is really hard to maneuver without power steering assistance. the cost of repairs ranges from $1000-$1500 ($800 just for the pump), plus $200 for having the car towed to the nearest garage. i believe something should be done about this issue before there are some serious injuries or even deaths. *tr

I have lost the power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s at least ten times within the last month. on each occasion the power steering was absent when the car was started. after shutting down the car and restarting, the power steering came back. i took the car to the dealership to get this fixed, and they said that the power steering was not getting enough electrical power and replaced my battery. however, after leaving the dealership and while parking, the power steering failed, again. after restarting the car two times, the power steering came back on. i will be returning to the dealership this evening. *tr

Power steering failed while driving car, causing vehicle to become much harder to steer, nearly causing accident. *tr

The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s has failed several times without warning. the car is very difficult to steer when the pump strops working without warning and my wife nearly had an accident because of this intermittent failure. i checked online and there are many complaints about the very same problem.. stopping the car and shutting the engine off and then restarting it, clears the problem. *tr

Failure of power steering system in 2004 mini cooper s. vehicle performed fine the night before, then the power steering wasn't working the next morning. this is the third instance of the problem i have encountered. the dealer said it was an electrical problem, and the best thing to do was restart the car and maybe the computer would reset itself. that worked the previous 2 times, but not this time. now i'm out of the warranty period... *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the power steering failed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. the vehicle was pulled over and shut off. upon restart, the vehicle momentarily operated as normal before the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken home and parked. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the failure and current mileages were 37,854.

Experienced total loss of power steering on several occasions with no warning lights. occurred mostly after starting the car on hot days. the car is very difficult to steer at low speed with no power steering. power steering sporadically came and went. eventually, the power steering pump would remain on after turning off the car, causing the battery to go dead. replaced power steering pump and fan in may 2012 at about 130,000 miles and haven't had any issues since. *tr

Mini cooper s 2004- power steering failure, going in and out, extremely difficult to navigate the vehicle around corners and disturbing to say the least. have not taken it to the dealership yet, apparently this is a 'common' problem on mini coopers of this manufacturing period, according to the service department representative at the local dealership. i'm afraid that if this happens when i'm driving at a crucial moment that it will lead to an accident. also concerned that the cost of repair (the car is not under warranty any more) will be more than i can bear as far as cost. this does not seem like a cost that should be burdened by the owner, it is an issue of safety and should be a major concern of the auto manufacturer. *tr

May 17th while turning left at an intersection was taken by surprise at the effort suddenly needed to turn my vehicle, causing me to go wider than needed. nearly hit another motorist turning left in other direction. stopped to check for low fluid level and found no deficiencies. was able to make it home where i will park the car indefinitely. *tr

The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed, leading to extremely difficult operation of the vehicle. at speed the car is ok, if a bit cumbersome. at low speeds or in a parking lot, a tremendous amount of effort is required to be able to control the car. at first, the problem was intermittent - restarting the car sometimes restored control. however, for the past few weeks the power steering is completely dead.