Problems with 2005 MINI Cooper STEERING

While driving on a curvy road the power steering went out making it very difficult to maneuver. this seems to be an intermittent problem and is very dangerous! *tr

Loss of power steering..nearly a collision. *tr

Was driving on nys thruway when i thought i'd gotten a flat tire due to sluggish steering now hours later and a little internet investigation i think it to be the power steering pump. this should be recalled asap before someone is killed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the steering wheel failed without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was advised to the contact that the steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000. *tr

The power steering failed. searching, this appears to be a very common problem. *tr

Intermittently on cold start the power steering is inoperative. turning the car off and then back on again will usually result in the power steering becoming operative again. dealership says pump needs to be replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, he attempted a right turn and the steering wheel failed. the contact stated that the amount of energy needed to turn the wheel increased. the contact powered off and restarted the vehicle as it resumed normal operation. the vehicle function properly until the failure recurred the following day. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 18,600. returned by usps on 4/8/2013. 2nd attempt on 4/9/2013. *kb

Intermittent power steering failures while car is in motion. one minute power steering functions, next minute, no ps at all. power steering pump continues to run even when engine is off and key out of ignition. after returning to vehicle, battery is dead as a result of continuously running pump or fan. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the steering became extremely difficult to maneuver. the failure recurred as the contact was driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated that the power steering pump would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 64,000. *tr

-my dependent daughter was driving approximately 50 mph during in normal conditions when power steering assist turned off. steering became very difficult and dangerous. follow-on occurrences were regularly repeated after approximately 10 - 15 miles. due t

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 18 mph, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to maneuver without warning. the vehicle also overheated and a loud noise was heard coming from the front end of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the technician advised that the power steering fluid needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 74,000. *tr

While turning into a shopping plaza parking lot the steering wheel locked up and i was not able to control or complete the turn. thank god i was driving at a slow speed and pedistrians were not near by. i experienced the same thing when i was leaving to return home and two more times after that. something needs to be done ,innocent lives are at risk. *tr

While driving the power steering pump stopped working . *tr

The power steering has been going in and out for the last three weeks. when it first happened i was driving on the highway at 50 mph and the steering became very difficult. turning took a large amount of effort. after arriving at home and taking it out the next day it worked fine and then went out again while going 35 mph and trying to make a curve in the road. we took the car in for repairs and was told the power steering pump and fan worked fine but the power steering was intermittent when driven. a power connector for the pump was repaired and the next day the car starting losing the power steering again. if this happened at highway speed it could easily cause an accident and/or injuries. i've read too many stories online for this to be a fault with the design. *tr

No power steering. hard to steer. *tr

After driving around town for 15 minutes power steering stopped working and had to struggle to turn a corner. had to make a wide turn. if another vehicle had been approaching, there would have been a collision. very difficult to control this vehicle when power steering fails. this loss of power steering has happened four times within last two weeks. research on internet shows this to be more than a common problem; it seems to be widespread. this much i do know: it scared the hell out of me and is dangerous. if bmw doesn't voluntarily fix the problem, then the government should force a recall on all affected vehicles before someone is seriously injured or dies. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road and then towed to the contact's residence. the failure occurred five times. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

The steering wheel stops turning while mid-turn. i took the car to mini of san francisco and for whatever reason, they could not find a problem. the steering continues to be a problem, happening randomly when the car is first started up. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated while attempting to exit a parking lot, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

2005 mini cooper. consumer writes in regards to catastrophic electric power steering pump failure. *smd the consumer stated while driving in heavy, rapidly moving traffic, the electric steering failed. an inspection revealed the electric power steering motor had stopped, quite likely due to the failure of the auxiliary fan. the consumer was quoted a price of $ 1100 for the parts alone.

Power steering pump failure. *tr ## vin failed ##

Intermittent power steering failure. after long drive ~150 a loud buzzing under car continued after car engine was shut off. moving the steering wheel made the buzzing change sounds. starting and shutting the car's engine did not resolve the buzzing. disconnected the battery to avoid battery failure. *tr

On my drive to work on the third of december the steering assist went out while on the freeway and trying to exit onto an off-ramp. the turn was very sharp and i nearly didn't make it. thank goodness it was a slow time in the day for if it wasn't i may have hit someone else. this is a large safety issue and having read that this complaint is becoming wide spread i would hate to see anyone get hurt. the steering is still an issue and i made sure to take precaution on my drive home not to take any route that would produce a sharp turn in fear of not being able to make it quick enough. the steering is extremely difficult, and i stress extremely as if you are working against the car to try to get the steering wheel to move and the car will not take sharp corners as it once did, but rather must take long shallow turns, which is not always a possibility. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was awaiting diagnosis. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure and the current mileage was 58,500.

While driving at any speed i or my husband have lost power steering in our 2005 mini cooper s. this electro-hydraulic power steer pump & fan has been a long standing problem in these minis. (this has been a complete recall in canada.) the loss of power steering makes the vehicle very unsafe as it is a sudden onset. it is problematic at slow or fast speeds. i can barely steer the vehicle when this occurs. it is almost impossible to get in/out of our garage or in/out of parking spaces. i have had to find parking in strategic areas most often where i could pull straight in a spot and pull straight out. it is also scary on ramps or interstate as instead of having a responsive sporty car it feels like you are driving a tank that you cannot control. this has happened many times in last 10-12 months. it has become more frequent in last few months. we received a notice for "warranty extension/ repair reimbursement" and called for several months but were told mini had been unable to get the parts. we called and they now say they have the parts so we drove nearly 1 hour to dealership and now they will not repair it because the part has not failed. they state they drove it and there has been no failure. i would guess it has stopped working while i have been driving it about average 1x/week but more frequent as time progresses. the failure may end up being me... in a casket! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the contact was exiting the highway when the power steering failed. the contact was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the vehicle was not repaired and the failure recurred several times after the vehicle would warm up. the manufacturer was notified and they stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. the failure mileage was 69,500.

Had been driving for about thirty minutes was going west on a busy four lane city street, preparing to turn onto a side street and the power steering stopped working. i could hardly turn the mini into the side street and came close to hitting another car turning beside me. was able to park and an hour later tried to drive home, power steering worked for about 5 minutes and then quite again. did not have an accident but it was close several times. it was all i could do to steer the car at slow speeds and i am 6'2 and 205 pounds a woman would not have been able to do it in all probability. *tr

My daughter was driving on the highway back from college and the power on the steering went out on her. it started coming back on and off intermittently and she was able to steer it slowly back home from there. *tr

In september 2012 i noticed a loud fan noise that wouldn't turn off. the car was also overheating. i noticed that it was very hard to steer the car, but i thought that was due to the overheating. mechanic determined failed cylinder head gasket in 11/2012. the radiator was replaced and the thermostat was replaced. in 11/2012 the water pump was also replaced. in 12/2012 the battery had to be replaced. in 06/2013 the heater core was replaced. i believe that these issues are directly related to the loss of power steering and the associated fan failing, which caused the car to overheat and the battery to fail. please see nhtsa complaints 10453158, 10444328, 10379750, 10442431,10379459 for similar cases of these same issues related to the failure of power steering and the associated pump. *tr

When turning off the engine, the fan won't turn off and keeps running. it drains the battery very quickly. i took it to auto shop and the report says steering pump internal failure. *tr

The power steering pump stops operating while the vehicle is in motion. it has happened three times to date: the first incident was at low speed in a parking structure; the second incident happened at freeway speed; the most recent incident occurred on a surface street while decelerating to a stop. in each case, control of the car was maintained but was very difficult. the pump function was restored by stopping and cycling the vehicle ignition to off and then restarting the engine. *tr

Power steering pump failure. *tr

Power steering failed, called dealer twice and bmw company twice, knew about problems, but sent me in a circle. dealer said to go to company for help and info, company said to go to dealer, very deceptive practices. *tr

Parked the car to go in a store, in the store for 10 minutes. came out to start the car and the steering wheel was stiff and did not want to move. cut the car off and was looking into ways to get the car towed. i tried to start the car back up maybe 15-20 minutes later and it was working just fine. ever sense then, the car's power steering would stop functioning and then reset itself once the car was stopped and idle. you can never predict when this will happen or when it won't. the power steering issues have gotten progressively worse with longer intervals of wait time before the power steering starts functioning again. the wheel when the power steering stops functioning is virtually immovable it is almost impossible to make turns unless they are wide ones. this is a tremendous safety hazard and the power steering pump is clearly defective. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while driving approximately 20 mph, there was a complete loss of power steering without any warning. the contact was able to continue driving with extreme difficulty in turning the steering wheel. the steering malfunction recurred three times. the vehicle was taken to an independent auto shop where the power steering pump, fan and other related components were replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. there was a concurrent investigation under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump). the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while attempting to drive the power steering failed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. however, the dealer was contacted who stated that the power steering unit might be defective. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 149,000.

Power steering failed when parking the car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that the power steering failed while driving 40 mph, causing a loss of steering capabilities. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection where they stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 39,207. the vin was not available.

I was driving my 2005 mini cooper and when i slowed down to make a left and enter a shopping center, the steering wheel was really hard, there was oncoming traffic and i felt very unsecure and in danger. i took my car to an auto parts shop and checked the power steering fluid and it was ok. i turned the engine on and drove away and the power steering wheel was ok. 3 days later i noticed a buzzing sound from the engine, it would not stop even when i turned the engine off and removed the keys. i took it to the mechanic and i was informed that the power steering pump failed. i am reluctant to enter the freeway, i feel the car might fail and i can get into an accident. *tr

While i was driving on the highway approximately 65 mph my steering gave out and locked up, almost slamming me into the guard rail. i was fortunate enough to stop before tragedy. unfortunately i was blocking a lane of traffic until i could force my way of the roadway. the second incident happened as i was turning into my own driveway. the steering locked up again causing me to miss my driveway and crash into the ditch. the other safety issues with my car is the windshield wipers will stop working at random and the reverse and tail lights will fail at random. the engine light stays on and the codes read emissions failure. when i talk to mini cooper customer relations they gave me an extended 100,000 mile warranty on the power steering and emissions. mini cooper claims they can't do the safety repairs due to a part shortage. they extended my already extended warranty to 150,000 miles and are wanting to charge me for diagnostics on these extended warranty issues. they will not offer any resolution and claim it is my problem as a consumer and claim the power steering issues are not safety related. when i asked about the electrical lighting issues they replied with that's not mini coopers problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper convertible. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph the power steering failed and all of the warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 88,000.

Just got off the highway cause the steering started to get very difficult. after we looked in the manual and couldn't find anything about power steering fluid levels we headed towards our destination about 10 or so mins. later. steering was fine after that, then about 3 weeks ago we had the same issue, thankfully we were on a local road and it lasted about 3 mins. then steering became normal again. *tr

After driving at highway speed, i slowed down to turn into a parking lot when the power steering failed. the car could still be turned, but only with great effort and had there been any need to avoid another vehicle or pedestrian, it would have been impossible. after turning off the vehicle and restrarting, the power steering resumed working. the same failure has occurred on several other occasions but is only intermittent. *tr

Power steering suddenly does not seem to work. the steering is difficult and jerky. *tr

Parked car on city street and turned off car. heard high-pitched noise like something was still running. turned car on and back off again. still heard noise. saw gray, acrid smoke billowing from beneath hood. car started but power steering was out. had car towed to dealer. high-pitched noise was power steering pump fan which didn't turn off when car was turned off which burnt out the power steering pump, wires, harness and other related parts. $2000 repair made at mini/bmw dealer in san francisco. *tr

My power steering unexpectedly stopped working while driving to work. steering fluid level is fine and when i left work it was back on. it is continuing to stop and start working at unexpected times and without warning which makes steering hard when it goes out. *tr

When this happens, it becomes very difficult to turn the steering wheel. the first time it happened, the power steering was fine and then all of a sudden became stiff. i was driving up a curvy mountain road when it happened and i had to slow down to make sure i could navigate the turns. the problem has happened 8-10 times since - sometimes with a completely cold car, other times after driving 25-30 miles, turning off the car and then turning it back on again. if, when i turn the car on, the power steering isn't working, i turn the car off, let it sit for 10 seconds or so and restart it. this process failed once, but after turning it off and on again, the power steering came back on. i have not experienced the power steering failing while driving since the first incident. however, my partner has experienced this problem twice while driving. i spoke with someone at the mini cooper dealership's service department in denver, co regarding this problem and he didn't acknowledge that there have been any problems or investigations regarding this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering failed and while at a traffic stop, the contact was unable to turn the wheel. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the electronic power assist would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage and current mileages were 44,000.

I had been having problems with the power steering in my car going in and out at random times. to fix this problem i would just turn the car off and then back on. now, however, the power steering is always off. i have managed to drive just fine for months without, because i simply don't have the money to get the system replaced. it has finally come to the time of year when i have to get my inspection renewed, and i have now learned that the car will not pass inspection in my state because of its lack of power steering. if the car cannot pass a state inspection without the power steering, how is it that there has not been a recall made because of the power steering system failure making the car unsafe to drive? there is clearly a design flaw with the power steering system. it is entirely unfair that not only has there not been a recall made forcing bmw to fix this design flaw, but there is also laws in place that force me to either stop driving, get a new car, or spend money i don't have to get it fixed. *tr

The first problem was when the power steering failed for about 15 minutes. the vehicle became very difficulty to control, but eventually the steering started working again. in august the same problem occurred only this time for an hour. this made the vehicle almost useless. today 10/2/2012 the power steering failed completely while my wife was on the interstate. it was physically tiring to maintain control of this tiny car. this vehicle is dangerous and we no longer feel comfortable driving it. *tr