Problems with 2002 MINI Cooper STEERING

So i bought a 2002 mini cooper less than a year ago and it currently has 74k miles and attempting to pull into a parking spot at the grocery my steering goes completely out while i was trying to turn into my spot and ripped off a black molding that goes over the front passenger wheel and a significant ding and scratch.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mini cooper. while driving approximately 50 mph, the steering wheel seized and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was able to coast to the side of the road. the contact powered off and restarted the vehicle, and was able to drive normally. the contact, a certified mechanic, diagnosed that the steering pump failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and did not offer assistance. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Power steering pump is very loud when turning the vehicle. can be very hard to turn wheel at times and sometimes the power steering has cut out while driving. mini has a recall but wont fix for me. *js

While driving east on sheridan dr. in the town of tonawanda, i experienced a complete failure of the power steering. i wrestled with the car for the rest of the day, and when i got home, i heard that the power steering cooling fan was running continuously, even though the car was shut off in the driveway. i assumed it would stop eventually, but was wrong and returned to a totally dead battery. i called the dealer, towne mini in williamsville, ny, and was told they were booked to june 17th, but that i could bring it in. midway between my home and towne, while on the 290, my power steering returned. when i got to towne, they as much as called me a liar, and refused to replace the pump and fan. they did however, find $1300 worth of other work that "needed" to be done to pass nys inspection. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the power steering assist failed and caused the vehicle to become difficult to operate. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not notified about the failure. the failure and current mileage was 107,000.

The power steering pump failed in my 2002 mini cooper for the second time. first time it happened was in 2011 and i got a new pump and had it professionally installed. today, 08/26/2013 my second power steering pump failed. this is a known issue with this vehicle and there has not been a recall. i do not have the time or the money to keep replacing a part that should have been recalled years ago. *tr

I was on the freeway when my power steering failed and i nearly crashed while trying to change lanes and exit the freeway. *tr

Power steering froze up car could not be steered in any direction. *tr

After a short trip, i had just parked the mini. fortunately, it was outdoors and within 50ft of my tool chest. on turning off the ignition and removing the key, i noticed an unusual noise; the [electric] power steering pump continued to run. a few seconds later, smoke appeared. i raced to my tool drawer, grabbing the first suitable tool, channel lock pliers, and proceeded to hastily disconnect one of the battery terminals. smoke was heavy at that point. disconnecting power prevented further damage, and was fortunately done in time, before the wiring harness was incinerated, or the situation became a self-sustaining conflagration. apparently, although there is a 100a fuse present, the fault protection on the power steering pump circuit is inadequate. i removed the power wire to the pump, to allow the vehicle to be driven, with heavy [non-assisted] steering, pending service. since the outcome is not so bad, why should i complain? consider if the vehicle were parked indoors, and/or if the same event were to happen to someone with less electrical aptitude. i don't expect accessories to last forever; the vehicle is 11 years old with ...

Power steering fails- car loses all power assisted steering pupm continues to run after engine shut off, possible fire result. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle became extremely difficult to steer. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis but no cause for the failure was identified. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileage was 130,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mini cooper. while driving approximately 20 mph the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the contact was able to park the vehicle but stated that the power steering had become inoperable. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 45,065.

My power steering fan continues to run even after the care is turned off. it completely drained my battery so i replaced the battery. two weeks later the same thing happened and i learned that my power steering pump and fan are defective. also intermittent loss of power steering while driving and needless to say this can be very dangerous. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 mini cooper. the contact was traveling 20 mph when the power steering assist failed. the vehicle was not taken to dealer for inspection and the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 66,000.

Driving car normally when power steering went out causing a great deal of loss of vehicle control, making turning very difficult. ended up swerving into other lane, fortunately no cars were in the lane at the time. had to re-start vehicle to gain steering back. has happened numerous times since this date. mini usa keep dodging the issue for a full on recall, instead extending the warranty, but my vehicle missed the warranty by 3 months so they will not replace without a hefty amount of money involved.