Problems with 2005 MINI Cooper STEERING

The first time i had a problem, i was driving and maintaining speed when suddenly the power-steering failed. i jerked the steering wheel and turned it with force, and then the power-steering returned. another time, the power-steering failed while i was driving and remained off until i turned off the ignition and then turned the ignition back on.

2005 mini cooper sudden loss of power steering. due to defect in design power steering cooling fan fails, causing pump to overheat and relay gets fried. mini refuses to acknowledge problem, and fix. cost for replacement of pump, fan, labor is $1300-$1400. vehicle has 59000 miles. curiously they have redesigned fan with cover to protect it and pump has also been redesigned. why hasn't there been a recall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph and trying to make a turn, the power steering failed making it very difficult to maneuver the vehicle. the failure was intermittent. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that the power steering failed without warning; it was very difficult to keep the vehicle under control. the dealer replaced the power steering pump, and cooling fan. the cooling fan was previously replaced under the warranty. the failure and the current mileages were 113,306.

On three occasions, my 2005 mini cooper has had power steering failure. each time, i was driving at speeds between 35-45mph and has put me in dangerous positions where i was unable to steer myself out of major materials and onto a safer road. i am not strong enough to easily overpower my vehicle's steering. my first experience happened as i was driving 35mph on a busy road at peak hour. i was on a four lane road, two in each direction. i was in the left hand lane coming up to my apt when my steering went out. i was unable to maneuver to the right lane to pull over due to the sheer strength needed and high traffic volumes. i immediately put my hazards on to alert motorists and slowed down my speed. i was left stranded before a major curve in the road. i was unable to move my car in either direction. a second experience occurred prior to a curve as i was exiting an interstate highway. as i attempted to turn the wheel i noticed the wheel was stiff/rigid. i could not make the curved exit ramp and blocked tremendously high speeding exiting traffic behind me. i believe this is a significant danger to drivers. prior to each incident, there were no warnings/lights indicating issues of any kind. i would suggest an investigation, as i was not able to find any recalls from miniusa. i have searched the internet and have found many forums (usa & uk) of mini owners discussing each of their incidents caused by power steering failures. i strongly believe this is not an isolated problem and could cause great harm to owners. it is common that once an accident/death has occurred due to faulty parts, a recall is made. an investigation should be made before this happens. *tr

After my 2005 mini cooper passed the 60,000 mile mark, the power steering began to fail on a regular basis. after driving the car for about a half-hour, the power steering would simply stop working and it became very difficult to turn the steering wheel. pulling over, shutting down and restarting the car would temporarily fix the problem. my local bmw dealer repeatedly checked the car and was never able to find any problem. a local independent mechanic determined that the problem was caused by a faulty cooling fan on the power steering pump which was replaced at my expense. the power steering has been ok since. *tr updated 08/03/11 *bf updated 12/05/11

While driving about 30 mph, the power steering suddenly quit working. i attempted to make a right hand turn and controlling the vehicle was very difficult. there was no warning that the steering was about to go.

Following rear end impact, there was an engine compartment fire, which was later traced to the power steering pump. terminals were burned off the pump, and alternator also failed as a result. note: there was absolutely no collision damage to front end. *tr

I own a 2005 mini cooper. as i was driving it, i suffered a complete loss of power steering. i have had little to no problem with my mini before this, but completely lost ability to steer. luckily i was in an alley at the time and was able to safely pull over. the car has been towed to the bmw dealership who was unaware of any investigation into minicooper. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. then contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was stopped and shut off. the vehicle was then towed to an independent repair shop and the power steering pump was replaced. the failure recurred approximately one year later. the vehicle was taken back to an independent repair shop, but repairs were not performed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 55,000.

2005 mini cooper 2 door standard vehicle has a power steering failure. it started 2 months ago with an intermittent loss of the power steering at any given time of the vehicle in use. 60% of the time the power steering goes out. it is very difficult to steer or turn corners. it happens without warning and is very scary as the drive handling is immediately changed and the maneuvering to the end of the curve changes drastically. this problem has now increased as of late to the power steering not turning off, even after the key has been removed from the ignition. the power steering motor hums and whines loudly as the car sits parked and with no key inserted. i had to disconnect the battery to turn the car completely off. i called concord, ca. mini (bmw), and after having explained to them the above mentioned problems, they state that there are no bulletin claims for this and my warranty has expired. they further state that to fix this problem will cost me at least $1200. i went online and found 225,000 other folks with this exact same problem. i am hoping that this forum and my added complaint will generate enough concern for driver safety and bring about a recall or some level of ownership on mini to rectify this situation. for now i will keep my mini cooper off the street and battery disconnected as it is a danger to the safety of my family and other drivers and pedestrians. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while traveling 40 mph and turning right, the power steering suddenly stopped functioning. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 117,000.

I have lost the power steering on my 2005 mini cooper about six times. this has become a big, frustrating, and potentially dangerous problem. *tr

While picking my grandson from school on oct 18 2010 at 2:30 pm i was backing out of a parking space onto the highway , half still in parking space and half on the highway my car stopped--- it would not go forward or backward --- could not turn the steering wheel, it would not turn--the motor running all the time --i turned the key off and on twice before the car would move .only reason we were not hit by traffic is because we were in a school zone and traffic was slow at that time. i called my mini dealer in baton rouge and asked if they had other people with trouble with their mini they said no-- asked they to check if mini had anything going on with mini s they would not check they just saying they had not received and official notice they said i could bring it in and it would cost me about 800.00 to have it fixed. *tr

Started noticing the steering wheel was very difficult to turn, usually right after starting the vehicle, but turning the car off and restarting would rectify the problem. initially it would occur every 2 to 3 monthes, but as time went on it became more frequent. i decided to take it to the dealer to have the problem checked out after it happened 3 times in one day - twice while i was driving causing me to pull to the side ofthe road and shut off and restart the car in order to be able to easily turn the steering wheel. only after getting the power steering pump replaced was i informed of the the frequency of issues like this with other cars. the dealer did fix the problem by replacing the power steering pump at a cost of approximately $900.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while driving approximately 55 mph the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. the vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane and shut off. within a few minutes he was able to restart the vehicle. the vehicle drove normally for approximately 15 minutes before the failure recurred. the failure began to recur intermittently, so the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 61,000. the vin was unavailable.

The power steering in our 2005 mini cooper has a recent history (within the past year) of intermittently failing, making the car difficult, if not impossible, for our small-sized drivers (about 100 lbs.) to maneuver. this has proved dangerous on the road, but injuries have so far been avoided, just when we were going to get it fixed, the problem appeared to self-correct. this week, however, the car has failed to start or take a charge to a one-year-old battery. our reliable and trustworthy mechanic cannot diagnose the source of the problem, but we are wondering if there may be a drain on the battery from this power steering problem. *tr

The power steering suddenly stopped working while i was making a left turn. oncoming traffic had to stop suddenly because i was not able to turn safely within a normal turn. i had to turn very hard and with great difficulty. *tr

I was driving my 2005 mini cooper today when the power steering went out and it became very difficult to control the vehicle around sharp turns at slower speeds. i have not yet corrected the failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while traveling 40 mph the contact noticed that the steering wheel suddenly become tight and was difficult to turn. the vehicle was not diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 48000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact noticed an oil leak on the ground under the vehicle while parked in a residential driveway. 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.

Power steering pump fails . power steering goes out intermittantly

The power steering in my 2005 mini cooper has gone out. it started failing intermittently for about 6 months then as of september 2010 has failed completely. it is extremely difficult to steer and turn the car. i took it in to my local mechanic when it was failing intermittently and they could not recreate it. nothing has been changed/fixed at this time. *tr

I just bought a 2005 mini cooper which is in excellent condition upon buying. after a week, my power steering went out on a turn that i could barely make. i couldn't make any of the turns all the way home! i thought maybe it's because the key wasn't in the ignition right. i took out the key and re-started my car. it worked and the power steering came back on! well, a couple days later this issue has now become a dangerous problem. i would make a right turn off a main road and i was shocked that my car wouldn't turn. to make things even worse, there was a school bus i almost hit! i had to slam on the brakes and try to make this impossible turn. after this incident, the problem has happened every time i have driven my car. its becoming more frequent! it goes out all the time and i'm not able to drive my car for short distances. i have been keeping track of how many times this has occurred, i'm now at 31 times! many of those times, i was very close to hitting many people! i'm am very lucky to have not been in an accident or driven off the road!! *tr updated 08/17/11*bf updated 1/27/2012 *ln *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that the power assist locked up and he lost power steering functionality. the steering wheel would become extremely stiff, making it difficult to steer the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been. the contact called the manufacturer who offered 15% off for the repair costs. the current mileage was 44,389. the failure mileage was approximately 44,370.

My 2005 mini cooper lost powersteering functionality during a short interstate drive (indiana interstate 65 from exit 64 to exit 68) on september 15th, 2010 at 11:20am. parking lot maneuvering and interstate on-ramp driving was normal, interstate off-ramp and subsequent in-town driving was with no powersteering assist, and therefore required a great deal of force to turn. the power steering pump cooling fan was later determined to have completely seized, presumably causing thermal shutdown of the powersteering pump. my analysis of the failure of the cooling fan leads me to conclude that the spal brand fan used was improperly applied to the application. the design and placement of the fan into the mini causes water and foreign material to pool into the blade housing and cause corrosion of the steel fan motor housing and eventual seal damage resulting in motor failure. this is obviously a common problem with these vehicles: the online message boards show numerous similar failures. i am waiting on a new cooling fan to arrive to fix the failure. *tr

2005 mini cooper power steering goes out typically within the 1st hour of driving. the power steering failure is not consistent, but i find it happens more often in hot weather when i have the a/c on "auto" or full blast. (???) the a/c also affects the radio reception, so perhaps it drains too much power. at times i need to pull off to the side of the road and drive as if i have manual steering. i turn off the engine, let it rest for 30 seconds then start it up again. the power steering goes back to normal. we have not taken the mini in for service, as it is not consistent and we do not like the dealership as they seem to take advantage of our automotive ignorance and charge an arm and a leg. *tr updated 08/17/11*bf updated 1/27/2012 *ln *tr

Intermittent failure of power steering beginning at approximately 48,000 miles, with increasing frequency and duration until complete failure of power steering at approximately 55,000 miles, despite full power steering fluid reservoir at all times. mini dealer advises new power steering pump required. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that when driving at low speeds and attempting a turn, the steering would become increasingly resistant. the failure would only occur when turning and once the turn was complete, the steering would return to normal. the vehicle was inspected by the dealer and they advised that the steering pump may be the cause of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was approximately 76,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact was driving 55 mph when the power steering failed without warning. the steering wheel became increasingly tight when the failure occurred. the contact replaced the power steering pump himself. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 88,000 and the current mileage was 113,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while driving at 35 mph, the power steering failed and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. the contact shut off the engine and when restarting, the power steering assist did not reset itself. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence having to utilize extreme bodily force to maneuver the steering wheel. the dealer was contacted and they advised having the power steering pump replaced. the power steering pump was replaced at the contact's expense. the failure and current mileages were 56,500. the vin was unavailable

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated while driving various speeds, there was a loss of power steering. the contact was able to continue driving. the vehicle was taken to both the dealer and independent mechanic and they informed the contact that the electric power steering pump would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 56,000. the vin was unavailable. updated 2/23/11 *cn

My power steering completely went out in my 2005 mini cooper while coming around a turn on a busy highway in a major city. i was away from home and scared to death. after doing a little research this appears to be a common problem with mini models 01-06. this part needs to be recalled asap before someone is killed. currently i am fighting with the mini customer relations department because my "caseworker" is also mysteriously unavailable and they will not let me speak to anyone else because my "caseworker" has all the details about the car's defect eventhough they work out of a call center and all the notes are uploaded in the computer and visible for all "caseworkers". *tr

Unexpected and permanent power steering failure. *kb

Electric fan that cools the power steering pump on our 2005 mini cooper failed. our mechanic says had we driven very far, our power steering pump would have failed. he tells us this is a common problem with minis, and a full 50% of his mini customers have experience fan failure, pump failure, or both. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while backing out of the driveway at approximately 5 mph, a complete loss of power steering occurred without warning. the contact experienced difficulty turning the steering wheel and applied excessive force to steer the vehicle. the engine was turned off and restarted. the vehicle resumed with normal functioning in the steering wheel. the intermittent failure progressed to whenever the vehicle was in operation at any speed being traveled. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they were unable to repair the vehicle and advised that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealer for repair. the contact scheduled an appointment at the dealer for diagnosis and repair. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Over the course of about a month and a half, the power steering began to "stick" in that i could not steer right or left without physically forcing the wheel to the right or left, using all my strength to do it. i thought i lost control of the car. the first time, it was a terrifying event. then it would go back to "normal" the next day, but then "stick" again on various occasions with no rhyme or reason; there was no pattern as to when it would occur. but it did happen at least once a week. the steering wheel would "stick" no matter if the car was at a complete stop, or while driving. after checking with local garages, they suggested to have my mini dealership repair it as no one could find the cause of the problem. mini diagnosed the failed power steering, and installed a fan with protecting "gri" (part # 32-41-6-781-742 @ $222.43) and installed a repair kit, lower "sect" (part # 32-30-6-763-722 @ $186.63). mini service found the steering shaft knuckle seized up, making it hard to turn the steering wheel. mini replaced the steering shaft, and also found the power steering fan to be seized, so they also replaced the steering fan. included in this diagnosis, mini found the control arm brackets, which are part of the steering of the car, needs repair in the near future too. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, all steering functionality was suddenly lost, making the steering wheel difficult to turn. she was able to drive home. the vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer where the contact stated that problem was common and was repaired at the contact's expense. the current and failure mileages were approximately 47,000. updated 05/25/11 *bf updated 05/31/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that the power steering would fail intermittently without warning. once the vehicle was shut off and restarted, the power steering would reset itself. the contact had a mechanic inspect the vehicle and they stated that the power steering pump and rack would need to be replaced. the failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated the power steering failed without prior warning. the contact stated it would be almost impossible to turn the vehicle because the electronic power assist would prevent the wheel from being turned. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 49,000 and the current mileage was 52,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned without warning. the contact called the local dealer but was told that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 49,000. the vin was not available.

Power steering pump failure without warning and intermittent steering system degradation prior to total failure. my wife was driving the 2005 mini when steering started failing. pulled over and was towed to garage for repairs. poor design and no accommodation for system failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while driving at approximately 20 mph, the power steering failed without warning; the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the steering assembly overheated which caused the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the contact planned to call the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were approximately 42,000. updated 11/05/10. *lj updated 12/7/10 *cn

Per the mini cooper power steering pump investigation - on march 24, 2010 i paid to have my power steering pump replaced after having my battery die for a second time. the mini dealership failed the first time to find the problem but upon the second battery dying they reported that the power steering pump was remaining on and drawing power from the battery even when the car was turned off. this also explained why i had been noticing the power steering stopped working on a number of occasions. *tr

Have a 2005 mini cooper with intermittent loss of power steering, driving along and occasionally the power steering just goes. requires increased force to steer and maintain control of vehicle with great difficulty. stop the car restart and all appears okay again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph making a left turn the power steering failed. as a result, it became very difficult to maneuver the steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 80,000. ..updated 11/29/12 *bf the consumer also stated the power steering pump would come on periodically when the vehicle was off and would run, until the battery drained. updated 12/03/12

I had just bought the car and flew to new jersey to get it. the mechanic told me that the power steering was out and he was not sure what the problem was. i drove it back to florida and did not have power steering the whole way. in april 2010, the power steering came back. i continued to have power steering and then in october 2010, it went out again for two days. then it came back. then in 2011, it went out again for two days during the year. and now it has been out since april of this year. i had been on disability from january till july, so i was not driving my car that much. i have not worried about fixing it. also, when i picked my car up in nj, they had written on my receipt that they would pay $500 towards the repair of my power steering. i have not had a chance to ask my attorney if that would still be valid or not. but it seems that a lot of the mini's are having the same issue. i was wondering if mini will be recalling the power steering and i can have my car fixed? *tr

2005 mini cooper convertible with approx 78,000 miles. about a week ago the power steering failed with no warning during commute. took car to regular local foreign car mechanics. power steering was working when they examined so could find no problem. day car was returned power steering failed again on afternoon commute. consistently has failed once car warms up. took to mini yesterday with power steering in full failure mode. dealer says it is fan which cools power steering pump. while dealer maintains they have rarely seen this problem online search of mini related sites as well as article printed in uk daily mail shows that this is a very common problem with this year car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chrysler mini cooper. the contact was driving 10 mph and attempting to park the vehicle when the steering wheel became extremely stiff without warning. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and located the failure at the power steering pump. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph the steering column malfunctioned causing the wiring harness and engine harness to ignite. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who informed the contact that there was a short in the steering pump which caused the fire. . the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 30,209. the vin was unavailable.