We have classified the 119 complaints from 2003 MINI Cooper S about STEERING into the following categories.
Occasionally the steering over my mini cooper s is becoming very hard. it seems like the power steering is failing. the car then can only be steered with a lot of difficulty. i can no longer risk to have my daughter or wife drive this car. i checked the steering fluid and it is at optimal levels. it usually happens at lower speed, but i have not driven it on the freeway since this issue started to appear.
Power steering pump failed while driving
Power steering went out without warning, causing loss of control while vehicle was in motion; mini usa advised it was still driveable, but to be cautious due to lack of control/power steering; when parked, smoke began to plume from under hood where a fire was noticed in back of engine. called mini usa back and they advised us to not drive vehicle, as it was a safety hazard. contacted mini to set up recalled part (hydraulic power steering), but they were not willing to have car towed to dealer (120 miles from my residence).
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. while driving at various speeds, the steering became very difficult to maneuver. after turning off and restarting the vehicle 30 minutes later, the power steering returned to normal, but then failed again. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electro-hydraulic power steering failed and needed to be replaced. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the dealer wanted to charge for the repair because of the mileage on the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 181,000. vin tool confirms parts not available.
I was approaching a corner on a back road and half way through the power steering failed which caused the car to go off the road rolling two and a half times landing on the roof.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect. updated 05/18/16*lj updated 06/14/16.*jb
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. while operating the vehicle at low speeds, the steering wheel required excessive force in order to turn. while inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the power steering fluid leaked from the power steering fluid reservoir. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 136,000.
Suddenly out of nowhere as soon as i started the car to back out of my driveway & go to work the steering was completely locked up, only having approximately an inch to inch and a half of mobility in either direction. i then turned the car off, let it sit off for about 5 mins then re-started it and the steering was still the same way.
Power steering pump failed at 69,000 miles. pump and fan were replaced under warranty, but dealer required additional work to be performed to keep extended warranty in force. the work included replacement of all power steering hoses at a cost of over $600.00
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. while driving 40 mph and attempting to make a turn, the power steering failed. as a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. a police report was filed. the contact sustained contusions to the face and lost a tooth. the occupants of the other vehicle sustained unknown injuries. medical attention was not required. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 213,000.
Steering fluid continuously leaks - replace hydraulic hose twice - known defect - mini refused to fix for free engine cooling - fan runs after shutoff continuously - known defect - mini refused to fix for free electrical - doors, windows, sunroof fire off on their own while car is moving and when is parked. will do this at highway speed or when sitting outside (rain or shine) - car unlocks itself and windows all open up -known defect - kind of distracting at highway speed -mini refused to fix for free. dealers will not fix these issues unless you make them recall vehicles with multiple small problems ( not just one big problem) - this model has 73 tsbs that dealers charge you to fix even though the problems are known and dangerous issues. in my mind, many small problems can be more dangerous than a few big ones - steering, door locks, cooling - not good. this is an old car but these problems are old too - known tsbs should not be subject to warranty time frames, they are still dangerous after the warranty expires. when these cars are routinely ...
8/13/2014- i was stopped at a stop sign in a mall parking lot and smoke started billowing out from under the right front side of the car and at the same time started coming through the vents into the cabin of the car. i tried to shut off the car, but it would not turn off. a bystander came running and opened the hood, smoke poured out, told me to call roadside assistance as he was opening hood and then told me to hang up and call 911 that my car was on fire. flames were coming out of the engine area but there was too much smoke. the engine fan was still running. another passerby had an commercial extinguisher and emptied it on my vehicle. the fire dept. was pulling up as they were trying to push it aside, the car re-ignited and it took the fire department approx. 15 to make douse the fire without it re-igniting. all of these people looked my vehicle over and could find no reason for it to ignite. i purchased the car used about 4 weeks ago and have put about 3000 miles on it ...
I was exiting an expressway and while on the ramp coming off, the steering became very unresponsive and heavy. in doing some research on the internet it sounds like my power steering pump has failed. *tr