Problems with 2004 MINI Cooper STEERING

Driving on the highway and the power steering failed for no apparent reason. car had just been inspected and there were no other mechanical or road hazard issues but i almost collided with a vehicle because the steering wheel froze. in actuality, it required a great deal of strength--unexpectedly so it felt frozen. *tr

After driving 5 miles and stopped at a traffic light, when the light turned green i began a left turn and had no power steering, i had to pull the steering wheel with all my strength to keep from causing a wreck. i drove 5 more miles to work and parked. 2 hours later i went outside and heard a motor running in my car. the running motor had drained my battery, i had to jump start the car to get home. the mini dealer in charleston sc said i had to bring the car to them to replace a rmfd power steering part which was a dealer only part. i live 100 miles from the dealer, i had to take car to my local mechanic so he could unhook the motor so the battery would not be drained while i parked until i could get a day off work to drive the mini to charleston. parts needed for the fix: intake manifold; hose clamp; rmfd power steering; core return. the total repair costs 969.00 and a day off work. i have a 2 year guarantee on this fix. *tr

Tl*the contact owns 2004 mini cooper. while the contact was driving approximately between 25 to 30 mph, there was a slight loss of power steering without warning. the failure was a continuous occurrence. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 70,441 updated 02/01/11*lj the power steering pump had to be replaced. 03.22.11

Power steering pump stopped working. *tr

1. an hour into a highway drive, all the electrical failed. all lights, gauges, radio, etc. all but the power steering returned in a moment, less than a second. 2. the power steering does not work. 3. power steering pump internal electronics area shows significant scorching and melting. pump was replaced but power steering system still inoperable. the old pump is available. *tr

After starting the mini, which is parked in a parking garage, i noticed the steering wheel was very difficult to turn, as if the power steering wasn't working. this had happened once before, but that time the problem went away after a few minutes. it was approximately 70 outside, and the power steering fluid was full. i drove the car to do errands, approx 10 miles round trip, and the problem persisted even after turning off the car and letting it sit for a few minutes while i went to the store. the steering functioned when i used a lot of force to turn the wheel, but i was worried about safety if i had to swerve or turn the wheel quickly for any reason; i would be unable to do so. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. while traveling 15 mph and making a turn in either direction the contact noticed that the steering wheel would intermittently be extremely difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. there were no prior warnings and the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 80000 and the failure mileage was 75000. updated 01/11/2011*lj updated 02/28/11

Dear nhtsa, our complaint matches the nhtsa investigation being conducted regarding the intermittent power-loss of the power steering pump of the 2004-5 mini cooper we own a 2004 mini cooper. our power steering loss began feb '10 and described as unexpected and intermittently-occurring total loss-of-assist to steering. this was rectified by a purchase of a new power steering pump from mini cooper (elmsford, ny) and purchase of labor (installation) from straub auto repair (hastings on hudson, ny) during that month. *tr

2004 mini cooper- 50k miles- power steering fan / motor failure leading to electrical system malfunction, heat/fire damage resulting in inability to turn off engine. *tr

Started to have intermittent power steering failure in january 2010, then it finally stopped working in july 2010, haven't had power steering since. *tr

Temporary loss of power steering. happens probably once or twice a month. i have been told by the dealer that i have a power steering leak - but not bad enough to cause a problem. i have never lost a quantity of fluid that required refilling. car has approximately 70k miles - seems odd to have a power steering leak at that mileage. leak first showed up at about 50k miles. *tr

The cars power steering started failing for a few seconds while driving at slow speed. this has happened at least 20 or more times over the last 2 years. the steering of the vehicle becomes extremely hard. there is no warning that this will occur, so clearly it could result in an accident. in the last 12 months, the power steering has started to fail when the car is started, but started working again if the car was restarted or after a short period of time. this week, after 3 hours of driving, the car was parked for 15 minutes, when the car was restarted there was no power steering at all during another 5 minutes of driving. the care was stopped for another 20 minutes and when restarted power steering was restored. i am very concerned that this failure could occur during high speed maneuvering and could result in a major accident. i feel that i have been lucky to date that i haven't been in a situation that resulted in an accident, precise control of the vehicle is impossible without the power steering. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. he contact noticed an unknown fluid leak on the ground under the vehicle while parked. the contact inspected the vehicle and found that power steering fluid was leaking. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the mechanic replaced the power steering pump, steering hose, pressure hose, return hose, and the suction hose. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mileage was 61,400.

Continuous relapsing/remitting problem. power steering has been going out nearly once a week for the last year and a half. 90% of the time the power steering comes back on after restarting the car.

Power steering suddenly cut out during normal driving conditions in downtown san francisco, making it very difficult to steer. driver was able to bring the car to a stop safely, but this failure could have caused an accident had it occurred on a curving road. the power steering pump was determined to have failed, and was replaced by the consumer, for a repair cost of close to $700. the power steering pump is not supposed to fail this early in the lifetime of a vehicle.

The power steering assist on my 2004 mini cooper started failing very sporadically over one year ago becoming more and more frequent until finally i experienced complete failure of the power assist. sometimes this would occur when i was first starting the car but then as the frequency increase, it would also just stop working while i was driving, sometimes going as fast as 50-60 miles per hour, making the vehicle very difficult to steer. i had the power steering pump replaced with a brand new one, which seems to have corrected the problem. the car only had 83,000 miles on it at the time the power steering pump had to be replaced, which, i believe, is unacceptable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. while driving at approximately 35 mph, the contact noticed steering became extremely difficult. after the initial failure, the steering problems became intermittent. the vehicle identification number was unavailable at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 78,000. the failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Mini cooper (2004 with ~74k miles) with intermittent power steering problems. steering wheel would randomly become very stiff when turning and then free up unexpectedly. when this would occur, the car would understeer (not turning as far as intended) and i would find myself reacting by turning harder, usually resulting in oversteering and erratic turns. it felt like something was binding and then letting go but it wasn't predictable or repeatable with consistency. dealership determined that 'power steering pump was cutting out. replaced the faulty ps pump to resolve.' cost was $1009.94. one week later, exactly same condition returned. dealership now determined 'found steering shaft from steering wheel to steering rack to be seized and binding. replaced steering shaft and aligned steering wheel to front tires.' no additional charge; problem has been fixed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering would fail without prior warning. when this would occur, the contact could not control the steering wheel in either direction. the dealer stated that the failure was common in his year, make and model and recommended replacing the power steering pump. the contact confirmed that the failure occurred intermittently. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 67,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. while driving 15-20 mph, the power steering suddenly failed. the contact had to pull the vehicle over. a diagnostic has not been performed to determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 37,640.

the power steering in my 2004 mini cooper began malfunctioning last year. this makes it difficult to steer and control the vehicle. it malfunctions every time i drive the car, the pump stops working a few minutes or immediately after i start the engine. i have not had an accident due to the malfunction, but one could be possible, if i were to have to make a sharp turn at a moment's notice. since this part is a dealer only part, it is extremely expensive and i have not been able to afford it since i was laid off last year. help! *tr

Power steering failed soon after starting. the car had been outside on a cold day, but not unusual (~20 degrees f). it functioned again when re-started. *tr

While driving on the freeway my power steering pump died i could hardly change lanes on the freeway, it felt like my steering wheel had locked, turning in any angle was very hard worst than driving a truck, i kept a firm grip with one hand while trying to control the gears, my arms, back, and hand is still hurting, had no warning signals, it wheel just locked up and was very hard to managed i wasnt able to handle the car did not feel safe, did not have full control of handling the steering this is serious protential accident waiting to happen i called the dealer and was told that there were recalls but not for my vin 2004. my mini is now in the repair shop to have the pump replace and the fan. this is a deadly issue and mini should recall and pay for this problem for those of us who had to pay out of pocket we should get refunds, so far out of pocket is over $1100.00, i hope this send a message to the manaufacture that lives are at stake here, great car but not safe to drive without full control. i'm so thankful i didnt have to move quickly out of the way or i would not be here to report this bad experience i lost a day of work trying to get this resolved and the cost of a rental car. *tr

Approximately one month ago i was on ortega highway in southern california with my child in the back seat. as i was maneuvering the mini along the curvy road the power steering went out. fortunately i had gotten through the worst of the hair pins and was going slower than the speed limit etc. suddenly the steering began to work again. my husband was informed by a mechanic that it was the power steering fan. we had it replaced and it seemed okay. on november 26th i had my children in the car going to my sisters i went to make a left hand turn and the car didn't want to turn. the power steering failed again. i was fortunate once again as there was no on coming traffic because if there was i would have had a head-on collision. there are no warning lights for this issue and i had never been informed of power steering issues being so sudden on this vehicle. i believe a massive recall for the 02-04 years would be an extremely good idea. i goggled the issue and have found many others with these years that are having the same problem. my vehicle is only 4 years old. i have a truck older than it that has never had to have the power steering replaced. i can not afford to replace it now due to financial issues. the pump alone is between 400-500 dollars. please, please, please get them to recall this before someone dies! or is that what everyone is waiting for?!? *tr

Power window on passenger side comes down only sometimes and sometimes it doesn't work for weeks. steering is making noises. *tr

At first my battery died after i came out of work. i couldn't understand why since i didn't leave anything on. so i got the battery replaced for $200. recently the steering has been cutting out while driving. if you pull off into a parking lot and turn off the car you can still hear the cooling fan going. after approx 30 min the power steering will return to normal until it overheats again. so my battery was being drained by the power steering cooling fan. *tr

The power steering pump on my 2004 mini cooper has failed. i believe that this failure made the car dangerous to drive. the car is a low-mileage vehicle (43,000 miles at 4 years) and i believe this component has failed prematurely. i am a member of several mini enthusiast communities and am aware that this is a common problem with the mini. www.mini2.com has reports of around 1 in 4 vehicles having this pump fail prematurely. i believe an investigation is important due to member reports of fires starting under the hood. the part was replace at a mini dealership. *tr

Power steering went out in early 2008. luckily the car was parked when that happened or else it would have been a disaster since mini steering wheel is already heavier than other cars. had it fixed (replaced) at the dealership and had to pay around $1000 since the warranty expired. it's unacceptable that the steering power pump died this early only after 4 years. it's a ripoff for the consumers. something must be done about this. a few months later, the steering column and the lower shaft started to have issues as well. they started to make creaking noises. took the car to the dealership and they quoted at almost $1000 to replace the parts. the steering column and power pump should not have to be replaced after only four years! *tr

I had driven 2004 mini for about 30 minute, then parked it in driveway. within 15 minutes i looked over to see smoke coming from the engine. i opened the compartment and got help. we pushed it into a nearby field and called the fire dept. if it had stayed in the drive, it would have also ignited 2 cars, the house and a boat. who know about people and animals. i almost got run over trying to stop the mini as it was pushed. after the car was out, we had it towed to inskip auto in warwick ri. jeof said at first it was a power steering hose that burst and got on the hot exhaust...igniting. after looking at it further and with metlife insurance agent, they thought it was the power steering fan and pump failure. this overheated the electrical harness, to start the electrical fire. neither the insurance nor inskip felt it was covered by them. i am to pay $2,600. today when it pick it up. this covers labor, a power steering pump, fan and harness. i googled the problem on the internet to upsetting to me and find at least 250 posted mini's with the same problem. i don't understand how mini does not have to recall it. are they waiting for just as many deaths? *tr

After several months of intermittent power steering problems, the power steering pump on my car failed completely while trying to enter a rest stop on the new york state thruway. upon bringing the car to a mechanic, it was determined that the power steering cooling fan had been jammed, causing the pump to overheat. i then researched the issue online and found that several mini cooper models from 2002 to 2006 had been suffering from this issue, and that the only way to prevent it from happening a second time was to install an expensive fan guard on the new cooling fan. more recently, i found out about nhtsa research concerning the problem, and wanted to submit the experience i had with the problem. *tr

I have a 2004 mini cooper with about 61000 miles, and have recently experienced problems with the power steering. it was a very scary situation as the steering locked as i was driving on a los angeles freeway at a high speed. there is no warning indication, and there is definitely a potential danger. *tr

Driving to work and power steering system failed without warning. this failure created a dangerous situation. i was able to control the car, but it took a tremendous amount of effort. had my wife been driving, it is likely that she would lost control. *jb

I bought a used 2004 mini cooper last year. under certain conditions on a curvy road the power steering pump would get very hard to turn the wheel, especially in a sharp curve. with no dealerships within 150 miles i put up with it. now it stays on all the time and cannot be disconnected without taking the battery cable off the battery. it ruined 2 batteries before i realized it was staying on 24 hours a day. i bought the repair book and wiring diagram cd's to find it is straight wired from battery to inside the pump which glows bright red after running a few hours. if i had any type of oil leak, it would catch on fire. i contacted a repair center in atlanta ga and they can change it out for about $1000+ for the power steering pump and the open faced fan that caused the failure in the pump. it failed the exact month my warranty was over and they said sorry charlie. cannot currently pay to have it repaired so it has been sitting in my yard for almost a year. *tr

I bought this vehicle new in 2004, and have had consistent problems with the steering, most recently on friday, march 9, 2012. i have taken it to the mini cooper dealer at least four times for this problem. the power steering pump has been replaced, so has the steering column, as well as the lower steering shaft spindle. still, the power steering function goes out without warning. it is exceedingly dangerous and i have to drive this car to do my job, and i'm spooked by it. *tr

While driving my 2004 mini cooper, the power steering assistance suddenly disappeared. the loss of power steering made the vehicle difficult to steer/control at slow speeds. the problem was solved by replacing the power steering pump. *tr