Problems with 2005 MINI Cooper S STEERING

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. while driving 30 mph, the power steering failed. the failure was intermittent. at times, the power steering would reset itself after being turned off and restarted. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

2005 mini cooper s, 50,000 miles on the odometer, loses power steering which causes significant problems at slow speeds. the car will still steer at faster speeds, but with very heavy, unpredictable response. the problem began with an increased droning noise when the steering wheel was in the neutral position which would diminish when the steering wheel was turned. the problem was intermittent, and therefore, i thought it was related to a low fluid level issue. i went to the dealership and purchased "special" steering fluid, and no mention was made to me about any steering pump defect. i installed the fluid to the recommended level with no change in response. i telephoned the dealership service department and the person who answered the phone said he knew the problem, and that i needed a new steering pump, cooling fan, hoses, and reservoir, and the cost of the work was $1600.00. i then did internet research and learned that this problem is frequently experienced in 2004 and 2005 mini cooper models. i then telephoned mini cooper's corporate complain department and i was told to spend the money to repair the car. this problem is undoubtedly a persistent defect, and should be the subject of recall repair program. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to control and the steering pump stayed on while the vehicle was turned off causing the battery to fail. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the power steering pump failed and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 74,000.

I drive a 2005 mini cooper s, with approximately 49,000 miles driven. on october 22, 2010, the power steering on the car completely failed while driving on the highway, leaving barely enough control over the car to drive very cautiously. the car was diagnosed by two mechanics, one a reputable new england chain and the other an expert mini cooper facility, and both determined that the power steering pump, rack and fan had all failed on the car. even using refurbished parts, the repair is costing $1,100; with new parts, my understanding is that the repair would have been upwards of $2,000. my understanding is that nhtsa is already investigating frequent power steering issues for minis in this date range. the mini shop doing the work for me certainly confirms the stories i've read about other shops around the country - the manager told me that they're doing about 6-7 power steering jobs per month on these cars. hopefully the addition of my situation to the database can help justify a recall - it certainly seems warranted based on the volume of problems that mini owners have had. *tr

Power steering for the last year or so only works a fraction of the time. the first time it went out was while driving on the freeway. last weekend it stopped working and didn't work again for a full week. very hard to drive this vehicle when it goes out unexpectedly. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini coopers s. while driving 30 mph, the power steering begin to fail and the vehicle became uncontrollable. the contact shut off the vehicle and when restarting, the power steering resumed normal operation. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. the dealer informed the contact that the power steering pump would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified who advised the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle and offered no further assistance. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 93,000.

Power steering completely fails. *tr

Complaint in association with nhtsa action number: pe10038 2005 mini cooper s - power steering failure while driving. i own a 2005 mini cooper s with approximately 60,000 miles on the clock. recently while driving home from work, in the process of turning a corner, the steering on the car became instantly heavy causing me to temporarily veer in to the oncoming traffic lane. fortunately at the time there were no other cars coming in the opposite direction and i was able to compensate for the loss of steering control and correct the direction of the car. the situation remained for the duration of my journey, but i was able to safely navigate the car home. i restarted the engine and this appeared to correct the problem. however, during the next 2 car trips similar failures occurred (fortunately i was prepared for the possibility and so did not end up in the opposing traffic lane). the mini dealership diagnosed this as a failure of the power steering pump, a problem which i understand to be the subject of a recently opened nhtsa investigation (pe 10038). personally i believe this situation to be potentially extremely dangerous. there was no warning that the power steering was going to fail, and when it did, the impact was immediate and caused me to steer in to the oncoming traffic (as a result of not being able to turn the corner at the required angle). due to the immediate nature of the failure i was not able to correct the problem safely in time. i am writing this report to be added to the existing nhtsa investigation (pe 10038). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph when the steering wheel became extremely stiff. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the contact was informed that the power steering pump would need to be replaced, but it was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 104,304. updated 01/20/11 *bf the power steering pump was replaced on october 15, 2010. updated 03/28/11 updated 03/28/11

Steering on my mini cooper 2005 failed this morning, resulting in a near accident in a parking garage. it felt like the power steering was failing. it came back briefly on the way to the repair shop, but the tech confirmed that there is a problem. it is currently being diagnosed, but it is likely the power steering pump. *tr

I have a 2005 mini cooper s. last year the power steering pump randomly stopped working on my way to school. i did not crash or anything but it was very hard to steer my car. i have not replaced the pump because honestly i do not know how to and i believe the pump costs nearly $1000. the pump on my car still works fine most of the time. now every once in a while on sharp corners the pump will give out and if i pull over, shut the car off, and turn the car back on the pump will work again. this is obviously either a defect with the pump itself or the electronics which run the pump. the fact that shutting my car off and turning it back on makes me think it is mostly an electrical problem, possibly inside the pump itself. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering failed suddenly with no prior warning. a local mechanic stated that the electronic power steering pump failed which caused the failure. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were approximately 51,000.

2005 mini cooper s. complete power steering failure. shutting off engine and restarting corrected problem for a short time, then problem resumed. happened numerous times over the course of the next two weeks. *tr

2005 mini cooper s (bmw) power steering unit failure - vehicle has less than 50,000 miles. *tr

I own a 2005 mini cooper s 2 door hard top with currently 90,000 miles. just recently a semi loud whirring sound started from underneath the hood as soon as the engine is started. immediately i can notice that the pitch of the noise subtly changes when you go to turn the steering wheel in either direction. i had a certified mechanic look at the car and he confirmed to me that the power steering pump is failing. when i am driving the mini cooper the steering will intermittently begin to get a little harder to steer. the pump is on the way to complete failure and hard steering will end up being the result. i have been researching this issue via the web and have discovered that the failing power steering unit in mini coopers has been a known issue with bmw but i have yet to find any information as to what they are doing about it. aside from speed, steering a motor vehicle is one of the most important safety concerns when in operation. *tr

On sept. 19, 2010, my 2005 mini cooper s had been parked in a garage for about 10 hours. when i went to leave, i found that the power steering was not working at all and i had to really muscle it to drive it. i'd never had a problem with it before. because i had to get to where i was going, i drove it very carefully. after about forty minutes, i stopped at a service area to use the restroom. when i came back out and started my car up, the power steering was working again. since then, i've had no problem with it. i had planned on mentioning this to my mechanic when i go in to have my brakes done in the next week. but then my husband forwarded me a news story about the power steering issue and i figured that i should report mine. *tr

On september 12th i was making my commute home from work in my 2005 mini cooper s. upon my return home, my battery indicator light went on. i parked and turned off the car and the next morning when i went to run errands the power steering was non-existent. i had he car towed to the bmw/mini dealership where they gave me a diagnosis of a failing power steering pump and a bad alternator. *tr updated 09/08/11 *bf

Sometime in late summer of last year, my car began to make a "honking" sound. it sounded like the clutch that had already been replaced on both of our 2005 mini coopers under warranty (another possible safety issue?) but the clutching seemed ok. up until the time i was able to get the car in to the shop to get looked at, i noticed a puddle in the garage, and i also noticed it was getting harder to steer. the shop determined that my steering rack was leaking and needed to be completely replaced, which we did. now, just over 1 year later, the car is already exhibiting the same behaviors exactly. something in the vehicle is causing the rack to malfunction and require replacement. *tr

Electric power steering pump & fan failure during left turn. several thousands of mini coppers in the uk have had similar recalls. in fact i did find a recall for the power steering pump fan for faulty wires. i could fall under the same recall, but bmw mini dealers are stating that it will cost me just for diagnostics (roughly $90), they also states they knew about a filed complaint but said they couldn't even look at the fan without charging me. i did find after days and days of internet searches that their was a recall # issued for the fan but could not locate it again. website citing bbc article. www.newmini.wordpress.com/?s=mini+cooper+power+steering+failure. everyday i feel less and less safe driving my mini. thanks. *tr

During the first incident i was driving in town, suddenly the steering had a hard resistant making it difficult to do a right turn. i had to muscle the wheel in order to keep from veering into oncoming traffic. when i pulled the vehicle over to do an under the hood inspection and check the steering fluid level, i saw nothing that indicate damage. once i restart the vehicle, it seem to correct itself. i though was it was maybe a fluke. later on, my wife indicated she heard a whining noise that came from under the hood, and ask me to look into it. after looking it over, i add some belt dressing, because i thought could have been the problem. in the meantime i made several calls to the mini dealership in tempe, az. the service manager stated this noise could be several indicators, such as an aging steering pump, a mixture of non-recommended fluid in the reservoir or the pump could be going out. i dismissed the mix fluid indicator, because the levels were always within range and to my knowledge was never tampered with or topped off. as several months went by, the vehicle continue to operate without incident, other than the whining noise, which was heard when the vehicle was started for the first time of the day, or while the vehicle was running in idle. recently, my wife call me from work and indicated while she was driving to work for the 2nd time, the steering seem to lock and was difficult to steer. she manage to drive home without injury to herself or others. that same day, when i looked over the vehicle for leaks, damage or fluid levels and the vehicle steering again locked in place. after a little research, i found this has been a major safety issue with the 2004 and 2005 mini coopers, which has been acknowledged by mini of canada who issued a recall. on the flip side, mini corp in the us and local dealers do not. please advise with a reply. *tr

I noticed a strange noise coming from the passenger side wheel area. took the car to the dealer and power steering pump failure was diagnosed. *tr

I started my car after it had been sitting parked for a few days, to find that my power steering had completely failed. the car was next to impossible to drive - but i had to move it to avoid it being towed. while able to maneuver the car with great difficulty, this unpredictable failure could have been catastrophic had i been driving on the highway, or in a densely populated area requiring quick steering reactions. this seems to be an endemic problem. see this thread on the mini north american motoring discussion pages: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/stock-problems-issues/74213-the-great-power-steering-pump-failure-problems-thread-22.html. *tr

On multiple occasions at various speeds and at random times, the power steering on my 2005 mini cooper s will stop working. after researching the issue, this appears to be a very common problem that plagues almost every mini sold since 2002. i would also like to reference nhtsa action number :ea11005, as it applies to my particular issue. *tr

Dear sir/madam, today (9/29/2010) i saw a news item, "(cnnmoney.com) -- the national highway traffic safety administration has opened an investigation into possible power steering failures in mini cooper cars" and felt compelled to add to the existing complains regarding the dangerously defective power steering electrohydraulic pump in my 2005 mini cooper s. while driving in the city, average speed of 25 to 35 mph, the power assistance provided by the power steering went down to zero, totally unassisted, without any previous warning whatsoever, making the steering of the vehicle extremely difficult, almost impossible, while going around a roundabout (traffic circle) at no more than 25 mph. consequentially i was unable to steer first right and the left around the circle, my passenger side front wheel striking the right side curb at the point that i needed to turn left, damaging both the wheel and the tire, and possibly the suspension (macpherson strut). and i ask you, what if i had to steer to avoid a mother pushing a baby stroller, or even an errant dog or cat at the moment the power steering assistance decided to quit? what if the failure occurred at a higher speed while merging on a freeway? i consider bmw/mini to be totally responsible for any deaths or injuries and property damages related to their negligent failure to engineer a properly working power steering pump (an known problem as the newer models have done away with the electrohydraulic pump in favor of a totally electrical assisted steering). i also urge you to look into the failure rate of the power steering fan due to its absurd location (under the car unprotected from the dirt, water, stones,etc. 5-6 inches from the road) an afterthought of a solution that bmw/mini used to resolve the previously known to them power steering pump failure. my car has 27,000 miles, and is dealer maintained since new. i urge you to take action regarding this problem before something more tragic happens. thank you. *tr

Power steering intermittently turned on and off during the normal operation of the car three times since purchase ten months ago. the actual failure of the power steering pump occurred on 8/16/2010 when the relay within the unit failed and would not turn the pump off even when the cars engine was off. the result was a drained battery and the car was unable to be jump started because the power steering pump turned on and continued to drain power as soon as it was connected to power even with the engine off and the key out of the ignition. this is very dangerous as the steering wheel is nearly impossible to turn when the pump shuts down and all three occurrences were when traveling at highway speeds in excess of 55 mph. also when the car is off the cooling fan is also off and the pump heats up to the point where there is a very real risk of engine fire. the car was towed to a mechanic to have the power steering pump and the cooling fan replaced. the work is not yet completed but the estimated cost is 1,700 usd. this appears to be a recurring problem with mini coopers as the number of forums devoted to and persons reporting this issue on the forums are astounding. *tr

Pulled into a bookstore came back 30min later, tried to pull out of the parking lot and there was no power steering. my wife isn't quite strong enough - so i had to drive it the rest of the way home. very sudden and without warning, could have been much worse. power steering pump failure. *tr

The power steering on my 2005 mini cooper s began malfunctioning on 8-9-2010. while going left on a mixmaster, the power steering failed and i thought i was going to hit the side of the bridge and perhaps drive off of the side of the bridge. the passenger in my car helped me steer (with force) to the left and drive to the straightaway. the power steering is intermittent, working five percent of the time. my car was serviced in june of 2010 due to a problem with the tension belt, which caused the car to have a burning smell and no air conditioning. the "service engine" light is on ten percent of the time and the "check tire pressure" light is on often, though i no longer have run-flat tires. my car is difficult to drive due to the lack of power steering. at the time of the first incident, my car had approximately 75,000 miles. *tr

I own a 05 mini cooper s that has power steering problems..the steering went out when driving 75mph..since then the power steering motor will not shut off on its own and the battery must be disconnected which is another issue altogether...i am not able to drive this vehicle as it is not safe...it started as an intemittent problem and now is a constant problem...i only own this vehicle as was hoping mini would step up and take care of this... *tt

Power steering assist fails repeatedly. solution has been to stop car and restarted engine; seems to reset pump electronics. this intermittent power steering failure has happened dozens of times in the 3 years we've owned the car and can be very dangerous if driver is not aware of the change in steering ability. we're going to have to replace the pump i believe and with all the other complaints about this problem i feel mini/bmw should view this as a manufacturer defect and cover under warranty -- it is clearly a dangerous part and poor design. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. while driving 35 mph and at other speeds, the power steering fan became inoperable and power steering functionality was lost. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the power steering fan was replaced at the contact's expense. the manufacturer had not been notified. the failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Power steering will go out without notice at all speeds. it will reset if the car is turned off and restarted, however the interval to the next power outage is unpredictable. it occurred the first time, and then didn't reoccur for a couple of months. then when the problem returned it did this for approximately two weeks, then didn't happen again for another month. it has no been a fairly common problem. have also had experiences where making a turn, the power assist will go out, and then return, which has me putting extra exertion into making the turn, only to have it come back on resulting in oversteer.

My power steering is going out. upon my own investigation i have learned that this is a common problem. should such a vital piece to having control of the car be a problem? no. cost of repair is $1,070 as quoted from my dealer. *tr

Takata recall. dealership wanted to charge me $1000 to fix this airbag. steering also stiff and at time unresponsive. number three misfire is a design flaw. horn does not work. lens on headlights make light very dim.

Power steering pump failed while driving on freeway over snoqualmie pass. since it is a windy road, steering became difficult. *tr

My 2005 mini cooper s has had the power steering go out several times. this happens with no warning and has caused me to almost be involved in an accident. as i was changing lanes on major highways i couldn't turn the wheel and almost went into a concrete wall. it also went out while on a trip in the mountains, i was very concerned about going off the side of a mountain road. this power steering pump also has stayed running and killed my battery leaving me to find a jump. the issue is that it turns off and on at random times and with no warning. *tr

2005 mini cooper s power steering assistance suddenly disappearing from time to time, at least once a month. so far i avoided accident but this can be dangerous. i heard it happens to a lot of minis, but there is no recall issued. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. as he was making a left turn at 5 mph, the power steering pump locked without warning and caused uncontrollable hard steering. the dealer advised that the power steering pump would need to be replaced. the manufacturer advised there were no recalls and the failure was normal for his year, make and model. the contact advised the vehicle would be replaced by an independent mechanic. the failure and current mileages were 70,000.

2005 mini cooper s; while driving at highway speed 60 mph going around a bend on the highway complete failure of power steering car was very difficult to maneuver and almost crashed into median. *tr

Intermittent complete loss of power steering. now is no longer working. has caused very serious situations and potential accident. *tr

Multiple power steering failures. initially when driving for more than 1 hour, now (jan. 2011) often goes out when driving more than 10 minutes. sometimes comes/goes during a turn. extremely difficult to handle when cornering in the city or parallel parking.

I bought a 2005 mini cooper in sept 09 with 61,450 miles. several months later the steering "cut out" as i turned a corner. i took it to our mechanic who couldn't find anything wrong & said that it may just be that a speck of dirt that got into the system. it happened a couple more times and i assumed that the "dirt" was working its way out. then i had a dramatic incident where not only did the steering suddenly and unexpectedly cut out, but there was tremendous "drag" on the system and it took all my might & main to turn the steering wheel. trying to make a right turn i found myself in the opposite lane. i took the car back to the mechanic who eventually got the car to fail for him. he told me to go to a mini service center who could deal with the faulty electronics. i called mini of america to ask for assistance in making the car "right" but i was told that cars break, that it is beyond the 50,000 warranty and that if the car was unsafe, i should have it fixed. the rep said that "maybe" they would pay for part of the problem after it was diagnosed. i then spoke with a mechanic at a mini service center who knew immediately what was wrong. he said this is a common problem with minis before 2007 ----first the problem is intermittent, then the electronics completely fail. paying for maintenance and repairs for a car that i own is my responsibility but i believe that a car manufacturer is obligated to put out a safe car. if this is a design error, then the company should make it right. when i turn the wheel, i need to trust the electronics to respond -- because my life and the lives of my passengers depends on it. i think that mini should be required to insure that the computer that governs steering operates properly. at present i have a car that sits driveway because it is too dangerous to drive. i am making a trip to a city that has a service center in two weeks and i am hoping that mini corrects this problem with no expense to me. ...

Owner parked mini cooper at store went inside. while in store, heard over intercom that her vehicle was on fire. she went outside and saw flames underneath front of vehicle. fire went out before fire department arrived. investigation found that electro-hydraulic power steering system wiring had overheated and burned only - nothing else ignited. the damage was consistent with the previous ea analysis ea07-011 pertaining to 2002-2003 mini coopers. *tr

There were no "events" leading up to this. sudden failure of power steering pump as i turned off the highway onto a city side street - no notice, just complete failure of component. the failure left the vehicle with no power steering - only manual "arm strong" steering until repaired. personally replaced the pump with new part - no support from dealer or manufacture. *tr

The power steering on my 2005 mini copper s foes out intermittently which could potentially cause a terrible accident. i refuse to pay more than 1,000euros (since i serve overseas) to fix a "known" problem that bmw mini chooses to ignore despite the valid complaints from all over the world....*tr

2005 mini cooper s. approximately 63,000 miles. october 22, 2009. i had just gotten home from work and parked in the garage. going in the house i smelled something burning. after a couple minutes of investigating in the house, i decided to go back into the garage, and find that it is a little smokey. i open the garage door and back the mini out onto the driveway. now there is smoke streaming from under the hood. i can hear spinning/clicking noises coming from the engine compartment. i open the hood and see flames coming out of the back of the engine, below the exhaust manifold. i emptied 3 fire extinguishers into the engine bay and it was still burning. called 911. by the time the fire department came, the fire had burned itself out. i was extremely fortunate that i went back into the garage within minutes to investigate, otherwise it could've been a huge car fire and potentially fire damage to the garage and house as well. *tr

The power steering failed during a left turn, almost causing me to head straight into opposing traffic waiting at the left turn signal opposite me. i managed to pull the wheel hard enough to get it to the curb. i restarted the car and it was fine. this happened again months later on a canyon road and finally on a 2 hour road trip where i was freeway driving approximately 70 mph when i felt the wheel tighten. as i was on straightaway, it wasn't obvious until i had to exit. again, i pulled over, turned the car off and restarted with no problem. i brought it in on 11/30/2010 and had to have the power steering pump replaced. now i have to go in because there is an electrical current coming through my steering wheel. there have been several other issues with this model that are not life threatening but have been an unnecessary expense. without quick reflexes and, quite frankly, a bit of strength, this could have been a very serious accident.

2005 mini cooper intermittent power steering started at 55,000 miles. during right hand turn at approximately 30mi/hr had near head on collision with the car in the left hand lane do to the unexpected power steering outage. repair was not covered under warranty (5,000 miles over) cost estimate at $1,200. car is safer without power steering. predictable, but difficult to drive. *tr

I had to replace the power steering pump as it had failed. it first failed while i was on a highway off-ramp and nearly crashed. the failure was due to the power steering fan seizing and therefore it was not cooling the power steering pump. after some investigation of my own, i found out that the root cause of this problem was the low fan speed resistor failed on the engine cooling fan. the power steering fan will only activate once the engine cooling fan is running. if the low fan speed relay fails, the engine cooling fan will only turn on at 233f (high speed fan minimum temperature). once the engine cooling fan turns on at 233f, the power steering fan will turn on to cool the power steering pump. the power steering fan will be too hot at this point and will overheat itself and seize. the power steering fan failure then causes the power steering pump to overheat and fail. if the power steering fan is not replaced before the power steering pump fails, this causes the entire hydraulic system for the power steering system to fail as well and leak hydraulic fluid. if the power steering system fails, this can cause the power steering pump to ultimately catch on fire due to it overheating from low levels of hydraulic fluid. the complete replacement of parts alone for the power steering system is $1,296.35. this system is required for driving the vehicle at any speed as it is a "power assisted steering" system, thus making it very hard to control the vehicle at any speed. if you visit any mini forum (i.e. www.northamericanmotoring.com or www.motoringalliance.com) you can find hundreds of posts about the power steering system failing in minis. i replaced the pump and fan ($876.46 parts cost), then had to replace the entire system ($1296.35 parts cost) when the system failed again because of the low speed engine fan resistor failing and causing the entire problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. the contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the steering wheel would not turn in either direction. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and they advised her that the power steering pump and assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. approximately one and a half years later while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled and would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they advised her that the power steering pump failed again and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the power steering pump. the manufacturer was contacted on both occasions and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 37,800. the vin was unavailable. the consumer stated one incident occurred on 01-sep-2009 with 37800 failure mileage and again on 16-feb-2012 at 53827 updated 06/07/12 *js

The power assist for the steering fails intermittently. often this occurs midway through a turn. sometimes turning the car off and re-starting will resolve the problem, other times it does not. reported the issue to the dealer service department and before i could finish the sentence the two service writers said there was not issue with the power steering pump! without the power assist the steering is very heavy. as a strong, experienced driver i knew what to do when the power assist failed, but this would be very dangerous for an older or less physical driver since the assist failure is sudden and without warning. as a driver you go from being able to casually steer with minimal input to instantly needing to forcefully turn the steering wheel to maintain control of the car!!!! the car currently has 40,011 miles and continues to have this problem intermittently. *tr