Problems with 2003 MINI Cooper S STEERING

2003 mini cooper s. car over heated and power steering failed. pulled off to the side of the road. fan on power steering pump failed, caused pump to fail and car to over heat.

Electric power steering pump went out without any warning. i noticed it when i was going around a bend and the steering effort had greatly increased. if i had to make a emergency maneuver, i probably would not have been able to complete it successfully. *kb

Power assist steering failed to assist making it extremely difficult to turn a corner. *tt

In september 2011, i was driving my 2003 mini cooper s at 55mph on a rural two lane highway when i experienced a momentary loss power steering of power steering. this resulted in the wheel becoming very difficult to turn. when power steering returned (without warning), my car swerved but i was able to keep it on the road. this happened several times over the next 20 miles before i lost power steering and it did not return.when i arrived home, i checked the power steering pump and it was non-operational. i replaced the pump and its dedicated cooling fan. in august 2012 (125000 miles), i again lost power steering at highway speeds. the second failure was identical to the first (suddenly came and went before cutting out and not returning). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 10 mph, the power steering completely failed without warning causing difficulty in maneuvering the steering wheel. the contact pulled over to the side of the road and the engine was turned off. upon restarting, the contact resumed cautiously with the steering malfunction. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised that the failure was related to the power steering pump. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. the contact stated that accelerating from a stop and attempting a turn at approximately 5 mph, the power steering would seize and become difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 114,000.

Power steering unit on my 2003 mini cooper s started to operate intermittently making it very difficult to maintain lane control. without power steering i would grip hard and barely make it through a turn, then the power steering would operate causing me to oversteer into the adjacent lanes or oncoming traffic. i've been driving cars, trucks and motorcycles for over 40 yrs and have never experienced a driving situation as dangerous as this. i will no longer allow my daughters to drive this car until i feel confident the problem is resolved. *tr

Complete power steering failure, on surface road in castro valley, ca. the sudden loss of power steering caused me to continue straight, while trying to regain control of car, i continued into on coming traffic, if another car was in opposite direction a significant accident would have occurred. prior to this failure this was no evidence of a repair needed. *tr

2003 mini cooper s power steering box failure only 70,000 miles. *tr

Power steering pump started to become louder around 83k miles. when i was driving around a turn, the steering wheel tightened up and it became almost impossible to turn the wheel. i almost wrecked because of this. after research, it is concluded that my power steering gave out. nothing has been done yet to correct the failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. the contact stated while driving 65 mph the power steering failed. the vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane because the steering wheel was very hard to maneuver. the dealer was contacted in regards to a recall and stated only a class action law suit was in progress. the contact was told to bring the vehicle into the dealer to be repaired at her own expense. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 58,000. updated 08/31/*lj the power steering pump was replaced. updated 09/12/11

Power steering abruptly failed in rush hour traffic. was fortunately able to get vehicle to the shop for repair without further incident. power steering failures are unfortunately almost guaranteed in my year and make vehicle. the independent mechanic said that this is a very common complaint and mini usa has even redesigned the power steering pump due to the high failure rate, and also recommended replacing the fan due to high likelihood of shorting or fire. i participate in an enthusiast forum where these reports are common which is why i took it to the shop immediately, to avoid further in-driving failure or worse, a car fire. this issue has been investigated in the past and it is unconscionable that neither nhtsa nor mini usa has recalled these vehicles for what is an almost guaranteed failure with obvious and potentially grave safety risks. i am paying $1200 for the repair which is expensive but not out of line with what others are paying and worth my personal piece of mind since mini usa will not publicly admit there is a problem. vehicle is a 2003 mini cooper s with 87,000 miles. *tr

Sudden loss of steering due to the failure of the power steering pump when exiting highway. fortunately, i had enough strength to stay within the curve of the off ramp while braking to a stop. my wife would not have had the strength to keep the auto from going off the ramp.

Power steering has become intermittent. when the car is started, sometimes the power steering is functioning and sometimes it is not.

While driving at a speed of approximately 35-40, the power steering assist failed completely. the car became almost impossible to steer and created a very unsafe moment as i made a 90 degree turn. i was able to get the car home with great physical effort involved. the problem seems exactly as described in on-line descriptions from other mini owners. it is a very dangerous condition .... it is also very expensive to repair. i am surprised that a recall has not been required due to the obvious safety issue!

Power steering failed after 27,000 miles. intermittently works for 5 minutes in the morning and sometimes intermittently functions when driving which creates a dangerous situation. had the mini dealer inspect it from mini corporates recommendation. dealer indicated the electronics are malfunctioning and that they had plenty of replacement units in stock for circa $1,600.00. my claim was rejected because it is not uncommon for earlier mini cooper power steering units to fail. i have investigated and there are multiple companies now in the business of rebuilding/remanufacturing specifically mini cooper power steering units. odd that a relatively low volume vehicle could generate so many business opportunities to fix a problem that apparently does not exist. *tr

2003 mini cooper s power steering pump failure. sudden loss of steering assist and nearly wrecked the car if my wife was driving i doubt she could have saved it. google search turns up hundreds of like posts. on another quick search, as of 2006, 50 pump failures resulted in the total loss of the car because of fire. and these are people that post. maybe 10% of the mini drivers post online. this is a disgrace! *tr

Hi, i'm the third owner of a 2003 mini cooper s since february 2010, located in montreal, quebec, canada. in the begining of may 2011 my car started to have big issues with the power steering. the power steering pump is running discontinous, all the lights (front, back and dashboard) are dimming and after just afew miles of driving the steering wheel becomes stiff and hard to turn. i have this problem now everyday when i try to drive the car. i've checked the power steering pump fan and it spins free. no blow of the f5 fuse (as other people reported). it happend to me in the last year for 3 times, but only for a short time. the power steering pump went out, but few hours after i turned off the engine and didn't drive the car, the pump came back normally (excepting the continous whining noise of it). didn't take it to the dealer yet for a pump replacement. i know the power steering pump failure is a common problem on minis 2002-2006 and i want to claim this problem on my car too. hope this problem to become a recall soon for mini/bmw. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

While driving, the power steering assist will intermittently fail completely, making it very difficult to steer the vehicle, and greatly increasing the likelihood of an accident. the fluid levels are correct, and power steering will return after shutting the vehicle off and letting it sit for a while.. i have not yet taken corrective action. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. while the contact was driving approximately 30 mph, the power steering failed to operate. the vehicle was driven to the side of the road, and the engine was turned off. the vehicle began to function normally within thirty seconds before the failure recurred. the was able to continue driving. he vehicle was inspected and he observed that electric power steering pump had failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 91,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph the steering wheel became very stiff and within a few minutes he smelled fumes inside the vehicle. he opened the hood of the vehicle and it was on fire. the fire department was notified; however, there was no mention of a fire report. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or local mechanic for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was contacted and did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any of the recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 113,000.

I was leaving my home when i notice, as soon as i start my car, that my steering is very stiff. i have to use my whole body to turn the wheel and maneuver the car. it has been going on for almost a week now off and on. go online and research problem to find its going to cost me near $1000 to fix. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 20 mph, the power steering failed without prior warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the contact was awaiting a response from the technician to determine the cause of failure. the contact discovered that the power steering pump defect was a common problem while doing further research on the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 89,000. the vin was unavailable.

2003 mini cooper s just had a power steering system failure resulting in at least $600.00 in repair cost. car only has 80,000 miles on it and when the system failed, steering went to manual effort, no assist, no warning. fortunately i was driving and not my wife as she would have had difficulty completing the turn. i know the steering still operates, but if you aren't ready for the drastically increased effort required to complete a turn, you will loose control of the vehicle. half-way through a turn in traffic conditions is no time to find out you don't have the strength to finish it. there was absolutely no warning of impending failure. to have a major safety and control system of your vehicle fail this quickly (only 80,000 miles) leaves me wondering as to the safety of the other vital systems on the vehicle. mini made changes on the power steering system on later vehicles to address this without having any recall or voluntary repair program for retrofit to the older vehicles. this is not fair and definitely not safe. *tr

Experienced a complete loss of power steering while driving at high-speed and preparing to exit the highway. as such, i nearly drove off the road attempting to turn the vehicle on the exist ramp -- very hard emergency braking was necessary because it was virtually impossible to turn, and thus, control the car. i later discovered by mini of san diego (who conducted repairs) that the power steering pump had failed and had to be replaced costing approximately $1,100. they also informed me that chronic problems with mini power steering pumps were being investigated and that a recall might be issued to correct the problem. i researched further and believe that the 1st year being reviewed is the 2004. i believe that the 2003 should also be included as well in the event of a recall since i experienced the very same problem being investigated, and the danger resulting from the defect is considerable.

Power steering pump failure. the failure happened on a snow covered curvy road, lost control and went into the ditch. no damage, was able to get the car slowed enough before crashing. thankful no other cars were in the other lane. was able to drive the car out under its own power. will not drive the car now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. when the contact started the ignition, the power steering warning indicator illuminated with a sudden loss of power steering. a strong electrical burning odor emitted inside of the vehicle. the failure occurred six times when the vehicle was in motion. an authorized dealer was notified and advised the contact to have the failure diagnosed to determine the cause. the will schedule an appointment for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

Power steering pump failed, causing hard to control conditions in vehicle. *tr

I purchased a 2003 mini cooper s used in november 2007. it had 30,000 miles. shortly after purchase the power steering pump went out. the dealership replaced it promptly, dec. 2007. i am now experiencing intermittent power steering failure again, at 79,000 miles, 49,000 miles on a new pump. it comes and goes while driving. very dangerous while taking curves. *tr

Power steering pump, noise, binding, and eventual failure. *tr

Driving home yesterday, my 2003 mini cooper s suddenly lost power steering as i was going around a curve. i had to muscle the car back into my lane to avoid hitting the car in the lane beside me. i was about half a mile from home and made it there without further incident -- but turning at slow speeds was dangerously difficult. i contacted the mini repair shop this morning and they said that this intermittent unexpected loss of steering control is unfortunately somewhat common with minis. *tr

Driving vehicle normally, power assist for the steering fails causing greatly increased effort to steer. this is addressed in pe10038 but the model years affected should include 2002 and 2003 as the electric power assist systems were the same. i have not yet attempted to replace any parts, only have confirmed fluid is full and both cooling fans operate. cycling the ignition key briefly to the off position will cause power assist to resume. *tr

Complete failure of power steering pump while driving resulting in almost complete loss of steering. power steering pump was replaced only to have the remanufactured unit fail 12 months later. upon investigation it became apparent that this is a known problem for 2002-2006 mini coopers. have been informed that this pump design is poor and prone to failure. *tr

2003 mini cooper s - power steering has repeatedly failed at high and low speed driving. wife ran onto sidewalk once when control was lost. smells like something is burning when driving. steering fails. when car cools control comes back, but fails again after less than a mile. called 3 dealerships who all knew & had repaired cars with the same issues. estimated $1500-2000 out of my pocket to fix with no help from manufacturer. i complained that the car had barely 40,000 miles on it and failure should not be occurring on german engineered car. one service tech said "the problems are in the pumps and those aren't designed or manufactured by bmw, so it is not bmws' fault." but they are the ones who sold these cars with theses issues for 4 years. flushed power steering fluid myself which was burnt and black. replaced with new recommended fluid. lasted about 30 miles before burning smell returned and steering problems continued as before. saw online article where bmw cautioned that 2002-2005 minis may have steering issues but no recall would be issued. the article estimated 225,000 cars at risk and a recall might destroy the mini line. so be it. 2002 and 2003 models should be included in investigation of 2004 and 2005 model years. considering selling the car to recoup investment, but after hearing of numerous steering failures and even fires that total the cars and even burn down homes and garages where they are parked makes me feel like i would be putting someone else unwittingly in danger. the car has currently sat in storage with the battery removed from the car while i debate whether or not to replace the power steering pump in hopes of fixing the problem or get rid of the car. i would have to tell they buyer the issues, which means less money, and i still owe $6500. i would lose all equity i have in a car i paid $20,000 for just a couple of years ago. bmw should fix this problem or i and others have unsafe cars worth a fraction of cost. *tr

My mini cooper s has less than 27,000 miles on it. it has been carefully driven and has sustained no crash damage. had several warning lights come on the car and had failures with the abs, steering angle sensor, and front wheel sensor. in addition and most importantly, i was told that i had "mushrooming" and cracked front shock tower mounts on both sides of the car, and that alone would cost over $1,400 to repair. i was told that hitting potholes or other road hazards caused this. in addition, the dealer, roadshow mini in memphis, tn, stated that the shock towers and front bushings were considered wear items, and that they could be redamaged immediately if the car came in contact with another pothole. additionally, i was told by mini usa that no engineers or national representatives could be contacted, and that the dealer would handle all questions and concerns. i asked if there were any upgrades and fixes offered by mini and was told that there were none. however, this problem seems to be fairly common, and there are several aftermarket companies that address this issue,. the service manager at the dealership stated that he sees this problem on 3-4 cars in the shop every month. it appears that this is a design flaw, that there can be strut collapse or suspension failure while driving, and that mini should have addressed this problem with these cars. for normal driving conditions to have resulted in deformed and cracked strut towers is unacceptable and represents a hazardous situation. i have never owned an automobile that had strut tower failure under normal driving conditions. *tr

Tl*the contact owned a 2003 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while making a left turn at approximately 25 mph, the power steering completely malfunctioned. the vehicle moved off the road and crashed into a telephone pole. the contact sustained minor injuries. there was no police report filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer had not been notified. the failure mileage was approximately 74,000. updated 02/08/11*lj updated 04/21/11

Power steering lock on it. *tr

Complete loss of power steering when warm car is started. not a problem when car is cold. requires approximately 1.5 hours for car to cool before car can be started and safely driven with power steering restored. will be replacing with oem power steering pump. new pump is approx $600 and labor is approx $150 at independent mechanic. dealer estimate is approx $1300. other family members will not drive car due to fear that power steering will be lost while driving though this has not actually happened. *tr

Power steering failure. while driving the mini for about 20 minutes we made a turn on our road home and the power steering failed with no warning whatsoever! it was almost impossible to turn the wheel! we feel very fortunate because we live on a windy road that has many large redwood trees on the sides of the road with a creek down a ravine. we could have easily hit one of those trees head on. or if we weren't able to turn the wheels we could have ended up at the bottom of a ravine in the creek! extremely dangerous! *tr

2003 mini coopers- power steering failed during exit from nys thruway-ran off the ramp due to unexpected loss of steering power. no damage or injury- turned engine off- restarted- power steering back on. condition has occurred several times since. *tr

Power steering failed, making it very difficult to steer. nearly impossible to turn wheel while stopped. my wife can barely drive the car. from researching this site and other sites, my situation seems to be the same as thousands of others, and i would like my name to be added to the current investigation. *tt

On 5/26/10 lost power steering while driving on the long island expressway. 141,000 miles on car. power steering electronic pump replacement cost $ 1005.00. *tr

My friend and i got into my 03 mini cooper s this past weekend. we were driving along il rte 1 until i got up to a 2 way stop. i was making a left turn but i realized i lost all power to my power steering unit. i barely was able to make the turn in order to avoid getting broadsided by a dodge ram barreling at me at 60 mphs. *tr

Power steering pump on my 2003 mini cooper s failed, very hard to steer once failed, now i'm having the same failure again after replacing it last year. read on threads and owners everywhere are having the same problems. *tr

Tl* the contacts owns a 2003 mini cooper s. the contact stated the power steering failed intermittently. he confirmed that when shutting off the engine for a few moments the power steering would reset itself once it restarted. neither the dealer nor manufacturer was contacted to report the failure. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. updated 11/03/10. *lj

Sudden failure of power steering assist in traffic i was barely able to control car.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. the vehicle was parked and shut off for approximately 30 minutes when the contact was advised that the vehicle was on fire. the contact stated that fire was coming from under the hood. the fire extinguished independently and the vehicle was towed to an independent repair facility. the contact was informed that the power steering remained on while the vehicle was shut off and caused the fire. the power steering pump, wiring harness and battery were all replaced. the failure did not recur. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 92,000.

2003 mini cooper s, 90000 miles. power steering wheel failure during normal driving. the steering wheel is extremely hard to turn manually, thus causing panic and real danger, because the car swerved out of a turn. dealer says it is a common issue, and need to replace the fan or pump, repair price $1300. mini needs to recall the car. *tr

My 2003 mini cooper s spontaneously caught fire while parallel parking in los angeles, ca. the power steering pump failed, a fire shortly followed. the los angeles fire dept. was phoned. car needed to be towed. *tr

Driving home as usual, when i turned to back-in to the driveway and the power steering went out. very difficult to maneuver car into the driveway. left car overnight and tried again next day. fine the next day, but happened again the following day. 2003 mcs 31,700 miles. looking into cause of failure. *tr