Problems with 2003 MINI Cooper STEERING

While driving, i noticed how difficult it had become to turn the wheel of the car when completing a turn. this occurred three times in succession at which point i was able to park the car safely out of traffic in a private parking lot. after opening the hood and not being able to see anything visually wrong, i.e., nothing broken, leaking, empty, etc. i called my husband who came to drive the car home. no warning lights appeared on the dashboard at any time when either of us drove the car. my husband did not experience any difficulty in turning the wheel when driving the car home. however, my husband then drove the car the same day a few hours later and encountered the same problem that i had. it was hard to turn the wheel - there was no power steering. this difficulty in turning the wheel happened in drive as well as reverse, whether turning right or left. very scary! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 20 mph he attempted to make a left turn and the steering wheel became very stiff. the vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane and turned off. upon restarting the vehicle, the steering wheel remained very stiff. the vehicle was parked and shut off. an authorized dealer informed the contact that they needed to replace the control module on the power steering pump. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 80,000.

On sep 5, 2010 around 2:40pm, i parked my 2003 mini cooper in front of the lowe's store in san bruno, ca and went inside for shopping with my wife. after 20 minutes later we heard a store employee called 911 for the smoke/fire came out from my car. i went out the store immediately and saw the firefighters were about to put out the smoke. the firefighters opened the hood and heard the noise under the car. next, they disconnected the car battery and the noise was gone. the mini cooper was towed to the auto repair shop for the diagnostics. here is the diagnostics result: "inspected vehicle and found the power steering inoperative. inspected power steering pump and wiring. found wiring melted and the power steering pump failed. found over current damage due to power steering pump failure causing battery light to illuminate. replaced the power steering pump, wiring harness, power steering pump fan, and alternator." i believe this is a mini cooper design failure according to bbc special reports in 2009. link 1: mini power steering failures http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/02/mini_steering_system_failures.html link 2: minis that could catch fire http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/04/mini_update.html. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while the contact was driving approximately 30 mph, there was a loss of power steering without warning. the vehicle was driven to the side of the road. the engine was turned off and restarted. the vehicle resumed normally for two miles, and then the failure reoccurred. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the power steering pump was replaced. the failure mileage was approximately 77,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while making a right turn at 10 mph, the power steering suddenly failed. the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. he waited 20 minutes and restarted the vehicle which performed normal. the vehicle was taken to three loca lmechanic. one mechanic stated that the power steering harness needed to be replaced. the vehicle was also taken to an auto parts store where the contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. another mechanic verified that the power steering pump had to be replaced. the failure mileage was approximately 114,000 and the current mileage was approximately 114,300.

Loss of power steering while driving. *tr

2003 mini cooper had power steering failure while being driven. *tr

I have a 2003 mini copper. i am experiencing the power steering shutting off. this has happened a few times usually when starting or stopping the car. and during hot weather in the summer. i also had the power steering fan replaced because it was bad. *tr

Intermittent power steering (ps) failure. approximately 20 minutes into a drive, power steering would fail (at any speed), making car extremely difficult and unsafe to drive. took all my strength to turn the wheel; a frail person could kill someone. turning the ignition off and on again would reset power steering assist. had to replace ps pump fan and ps pump (damaged by overheating), at great expense (>$1100), to drive safely again. *tr

When it first happened i was approaching a corner for a turn and without warning the power steering went out. another car was at the corner and i almost hit it because i wasn't expecting to have to manually force the steering wheel to turn the car. there is no set time or length of drive for the power steering to just quit. now even going straight down the road i can sometimes feel the steering stiffen up so i will make a turn to check and sure enough no power steering. sometimes while in the middle of a turn the car will feel like it jumps a little sideways and i'm not sure if its the power steering trying to engage or what. i haven't done anything to replace the pump yet but i try not to drive it as often to decrease the chances of hitting something or the power steering pump going out all of the way. *tr

I have an 03 mini cooper base model that had the impending power steering failure. it happened suddenly and without any indication. last june i received the reimbursement letter, so i sent in my information and receipt for the replacement. as time passed and no response from mini i decided to contact costumer relations, needless to say they had nothing on file and said it should take another month to receive my info. another month passed, keep in mind we are in august now, no response. called them up and was told my information is still not there. so i sent two emails with my receipt in hopes that it might speed up the process. about three months later i called and they had said they received my information and that they had sent it to their reimbursing division. two days ago i called and they gave me the run around again. this is just outrageous, if your going to send a letter say you'll reimburse everyone do it in a timely professional manner. just before all this happened i had no problem with mini. i was actually thinking about buying a 4door version of the mini. after this incident i will not be purchasing a mini or bmw for that matter. in addition i will influence people into not purchasing any of their products. i understand they had a lot of people send in letters for reimbursements but it is not ok to lie to people. i also know i am not the only one who has had this issue. i am trying to contact as much people as i can about this matter in hopes that this doesn't happen to anyone else. nobody should have to deal with this. *tr

My 20 year old daughter has a 2003 mini cooper with approximately 47,000 miles. the vehicle has been maintained very well, including oil changes, a 100 point inspection at 25,000 miles, coolant flush, brake system flush, etc. she was driving it home from work on a county road. as she rounded a curve the power steering went out. the failure had never occurred before this time. she could barely turn the wheel, according to her description and narrowly missed hitting an oncoming car. she drove it to the nearest parking lot and called me at work. i left work and exchanged cars with her. the problem was intermittent for about a week and then the power steering went completely out. i called the mini dealer, which is about 50 miles away and they claimed the problem was not very common but to drive the vehicle until the problem persisted. they suggested this because they wanted to be able to track active fault codes. no injuries were sustained as a result of the failure but it was a close call. i searched the internet, only to find out that bmw was well aware of the issue. i also found extensive documentation from other mini owners who shared similar experiences. someone should not have to be injured of killed before bmw is forced to step up and do the right thing by addressing this significant, known, safety issue. oh and by the way, i just picked my daughter's mini up from dreyer and reinbold bmw in indianapolis. the bill was $1200. ironic that bmw can afford to invest millions of dollars in indy car sponsorship but they are not willing to step up and take responsibility for a safety issue. *tr

Vehicle lost power steering. i had the power steering assist cooling fan replaced twice and the relay switch for the cooling fan. it worked fine for a time. now (10,000 miles later) is intermittent. *tr

The power steering pump failed while driving and proceeded to fail intermittently for several months with no warning, sometimes at high rates of speed and in turns. the power steering pump quit for good approximately six months later. i could have been severely injured or killed - or worse, hurt someone else. the mini cooper is very hard to steer without power steering. i'm a strong woman but it takes some serious upper arm strength and core strength to control the vehicle manually. the most disturbing part is the lack of warning. there is no clue that you are about to lose power. these parts are prohibitively expensive and there is a shortage of mechanics willing to work on these cars in our area. i don't know if the power steering fan was affected, as well, but i suspect it broke somewhere in that time, too. i know there are incidents of these cars catching fire, and thankfully, we have not experienced that. please help. this is so dangerous. *tr

Mini cooper power steering failure. need to maneuver vehicle to avoid a collision with another and on coming vehicle. steering wheel locked-up and driver was distracted. this power steering failure was a result of failed power steering pump. this failure was corrected by a repair. costing 850.00 us dollars. old part is available

The power steering on my 2003 mini cooper stops working while driving without warning. it happens when going straight ,as well as mid-turn. it has happened three times. i was told i must replace the power steering pump. *tr

2003 mini cooper. power steering failed intermittently then completely. steering failed but would restart after car was restarted. steering shut off and came back on suddenly during a long sweeping curve causing a near loss of control. i think this is a very dangerous defect. replace the pump with a rebuilt at my own expense since the car was bought used. second pump has also failed after about a year. *tr

The power steering pump and related parts in my 2003 mini cooper had to be replaced in 2006 and again in 2009. there was no specific incident that caused the problem: the power steering just stopped working while i was driving the car. 4/26/2006 38,492 miles power steering fan seized - replaced by dealer under warranty 5/03/2006 38, 709 miles power steering pump faulty -replaced by dealer under warranty 11/19/2009 89,305 miles power steering pump, power steering rack and steering shaft defective - repair paid for by car owner. mechanic returned defective parts to mini cooper. *tr

Lost power steering with burning smell and lots of smoke. as evidenced on the attached document, the engine wiring harness was burnt. the car could have lost all power. the repair bill was $4097.91. i was without a car for weeks with no loaner car offered. national mini cooper denied that this was an issue. there is now a pending recall. the new parts might also need to be replaced. i was driving on the highway when this occurred.

Spontaneous engine bay fire in 2003 mini cooper with 60,000 miles. vehicle was driven normally to work, turned off, parked, locked and left. unattended car caught fire several minutes later. seattle city fire department responded to emergency call, but fire self-extinguished within 10 minutes. soot covered engine bay and acrid smoke permeated vehicle. inspection revealed melted connection between wiring harness and power steering pump, requiring replacement of pump, cooling fan, wiring and other parts. internet communities of mini owners contain numerous reports of sudden engine bay fires in 2002 and 2003 mini coopers caused by electrical shorts linked to faulty power steering pumps or fans. frequently these fires occur after the car has been switched off. they always result in moderate vehicle damage and major repair costs (mine is estimated @ $1,600). occasionally they result in total vehicle loss and / or additional property damage. had this fire occurred in my home garage at night the results could have been catastrophic; if this kind of incident (sudden power steering pump failure + electric fire) were to occur on a freeway at speed it could easily result in fatalities. bmw / mini usa has reportedly quietly reimbursed individual owners who have suffered spontaneous fires, but has not acknowledged the widespread nature of the problem -- which is ridiculous. as i discovered while researching my incident, if you google "mini cooper fire" or "mini power steering pump failure" you get a rash of these reports. apparently nhtsa investigated mini engine bay fires in 2006-2008 and dismissed the problem, alluding only to the chance of some "localized smoldering." this is irresponsible -- my mini was billowing acrid black smoke and could easily have burned out, taking other cars on the parking deck with it. shocking that this major, dangerous vehicle defect has been ignored. i am one of many victims. please reopen this investigation into mini fires. thank you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. when the contact drove the vehicle at any various speeds she noticed that the power steering would suddenly begin to malfunction without warning. the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 63,000.

Driving 55mph on highway. car starts pulling left and right as if caught in a groove. pull off next exit and notice i have no power steering as almost impossible to steer as car comes to a stop. *tr

While driving a 2003 mini cooper vehicle steering malfunctioned while driving on highway. auto barely made it to dealership. determined to be a faulty power steering pump with adjoining parts. vehicle had 46,594 miles and mini would not cover defect even though other owners complained of problem. repair to me was $979.01 + 6% connecticut sales tax! *tr

On aug. 9, 2008, i noticed that the steering on my 2003 mini cooper was extremely tight when i started the car. as i drove it, it loosened up. the next day, aug. 10, the situation worsened--every time the car was stopped, then started, the steering tightened. there was no loosening up at all. i brought the car to a local pep boys to see if anything could be done. they diagnosed a possible psp failure. they couldn't do anything as only mini has the schematics for this repair. i called the mini dealership in peabody, ma first thing monday and got an appt. for today, aug. 14. since i have no other vehicle, i had to drive the car when necessary. sometimes the steering was fine. other times, it was very difficult to steer. the dealership replaced the faulty psp today. they acknowledged a complete failure. i've owned several cars with more mileage on them than this one (it currently has 60k and is five years old) and never experienced any psp problems, never mind an outright failure. *tr

2003 mini cooper. power steering pump failure. it works, then stops. . cuts out mostly during turns. dangerous! told by mini dealer that no recall was involved. parts and labor was over $1200.00 to repair. new power steering pump lasted 2 years before same exact problem occurred. *tw

The power steering pump on my mini cooper caught on fire. *tr

I bought this vehicle used in march 2008. luckily in massachusetts they have a law requiring warranties for all used cars for x number of miles/months depending on mileage at time of sale and all that. i have already had the muffler re-welded into place where its mounts failed. the only reason it didn't fall off is because mini included a safety "catch" bar for when/if this happens. but my big problem now is that the power steering pump has gone out; it happened very suddenly. the repair could be done outside of the dealership but i'm afraid to take a german made machine of this quality to a chop-shop and hope they can get it done. i called a vw dealership where i bought it and they said they were unsure they knew how to do the repair. *shiver* mini in boston wants $900-1000.00 to do the repair as the part is about $800 and the time involved will be about 2 hours at $125 per hour. pray for me, please! *tr

1. the malfunction happens spontaneously 2. the power steering pump malfunctions and causes the steering wheel to be stiff placing me or anyone else driving/on the road in danger due to the reluctance of the wheel to turn. 3. the dealership offered no monetary support but instead told me there was nothing i could do about it but to replace it and attempted to charge me $1000 dollars in cash. instead i took the car to an independent mechanic and was charged $700. a ridiculous price to pay for my safety. *tr

Power steering failure. *tr

My car was parked after being driven for 20 miles or so. within ten minutes of being parked, my officemate ran into the office saying my car was smoking. it was actually on fire. the fire department came and put out the fire. my mechanic says that it is a failure of the power steering pump. i need to replace it, the fan, and most of the wiring around the part. right now, i'm trying to find a wire for him that mini will not get him. it is in the process of being corrected. *tr

Overheating of power steering pump. *tr

I am the owner of a 2003 minicooper. the power steering pump has failed on my mini in addition to the cooling fan and the wiring harness to the pump. this is a consistent problem with all mini coopers made between 2002 and 2006. it is a poor design that results in an expensive repair that will only repeat itself because the repair does not solve the issue of placement of the pump right over the catalytic converter. it i has also on numerous occasions resulted in fires in the engine compartment. *tr

My car has approximately 65k miles on it. as i was driving to work this morning on the highway, going approximately 65-70 mph, my power steering failed. my reservoir is full, and i have yet to find a garage who is willing and/or able to address the problem (having already stopped at 3 today). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. when the contact would turn off the vehicle, she could still hear the motor fan running. she took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the power steering hose and fan needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired because the warranty expired, and the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. also, all of the windows on her vehicle would spontaneously open. she took the vehicle to the dealer and a technician deactivated the convenience power system for the power windows. after the repair, the failures continued. the contact called the manufacturer, but they did not provide any assistance. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 73,000.

I will be installing what will be the third manual 5-speed transmission in my mini. same problem, seems to be the final drive bearing is failing likely due to lack of lubrication. i have records of all service and check it regularly and it has never been low. the bearing is apparently not getting a proper supply of fluid. problem number two, my power steering pump failed on me once. it exploded while i was driving. the hoses basically got too hot and blew up. i fortunately was able to limp it to a shop without any fire. on another occasion the power steering fan continued to run even when the ignition was shut off, needed to replace the entire pump this time which cost me $500 installed with a remanufactured pump. third, i have had to put three windshields in the car. none of these repairs were warranted! mini needs to suck it up and claim responsibility for these shoddily made cars, they have made their money and don't care to help with anything. i am a loyal bmw customer but i think i will stick with the older models now as they aren't impossible to work on and find parts for. god knows i will not pay 23 grand for this nightmare again. *tr

First power steering problem occurred around 31,000 miles, in the form of a slight vibration. since the 50,000 miles mark, power steering has failed on innumerable occasions, frequently 5 or 6 times within a few minutes, and while driving and taking sharp turns, potentially causing loss of control of the vehicle. at first, turning ignition on and off temporarily resolved the issue. however, this is no longer effective. other power functions have been disrupted as well, such as power locks and power windows, sometimes locking you in the car (door latch mechanism is also unpredictably faulty at the same time, resulting in being potentially locked in without any means to exit the car-this has happened on a couple of occasions). the power steering is now staying on even after the engine is turned off and the ignition key removed, and as a result, the battery is being discharged. based on available information, this is the final stage before the car spontaneously catches on fire. i am now in a situation where my car is at risk of spontaneously catching on fire, and my locks and windows frequently unexpectedly malfunction, particularly when the steering pump malfunctions, potentially locking me into my car, with a steering pump that will not shut off and threatens to catch on fire. catch on fire while i'm locked into my car... *tr

Without notice, the battery died. upon install of a new battery, a fan started running before the vehicle was turned on. an independent mechanic and the dealer confirmed that the electrical steering pump and steering pump fan had failed and needed replacing. the dealer where i purchased it said i needed to take the vehicle to the dealer where i last had it serviced. i contacted corporate services who informed me that i was eligible for a goodwill warranty extension provided i took to the vehicle for inspection at the dealer where i last had it serviced. the service dealer, and corporate relations, would not provide a goodwill extension because they maintained that my mechanic caused the steering pump to fail. the dealer offered to repair the parts for about $1900 for a new pump and $140 for a new fan. after some research, including information the dealer told my mechanic, this failure is a regular problem with the earlier mini models and the dealers keep additional parts in stock to repair vehicles as they come in. additionally, i read that mini subsequently changed the design of this component to rectify the problem but never informed prior owners of this change. moreover, i also read that this problem has been happening with mini during the initial 50,000 miles of ownership, and in some cases the failure of the pump fan has caused engine fires while the vehicle is in operation. *tr

The power steering pump stopped working all of a sudden. i was driving to work when it went out, and i freaked out. i could hardly turn the steering wheel. i turned off the car and started it back up, and it started working again. this happened for about a week where it would kick on every once in a while, and then it went out for good. i have been quoted for around $1000 to get it repaired. i have been driving around with this issue for almost a year now. the only good thing, is that it has greatly strengthened my arm muscles... *tr

1) no notice given up to failure of power steering 2) power steering gave out on car after white smoke poured out of engine area 3) car is at dealership right now. *jb

Parked my 2003 mini cooper on the street. smoke started billowing out of the engine. popped the hood and saw the smoking continuously emanating from the engine compartment. had the car towed to the mini dealership in princeton. they told me that the power steering pump failed; that it leaked and melted the engine harness and power supply cable and power steering fan connectors. also, the main coolant fan was not functioning properly; and there was another leak in my valve cover gasket. i have read many instances where fires have been started for the same reason, and am lucky that did not happen to me. however, the damage to the car totaled over $3400. i had to have the power steering pump replaced; along with the engine harness, power supply cable, power steering fan and main cooling fan. if this is an issue with many mini coopers especially 03 and 04 editions, i think the manufacturers should take responsibility to fix the problem and ensure that it does not happen to anyone else. *tr

2003 mini cooper power steering failure. while driving at normal speeds the power steering suddenly quits working intermittently. it will work on and off. *tr

My car was brought into the dealership for an oil change and rear brake repair on tuesday (june 26, 2007). wednesday evening (june 27, 2007) the car was driven 15 minutes, parked for almost an hour, then driven a mere 30 seconds to change to a different parking spot. walked away for a minute and noticed smoke coming from the front of the car. upon opening the bonnet, there was flames coming from the underside of the engine. the first attempt at using a fire extinguisher temporarily put out the fire, then it re-ignited which the fire department was then called to put it out safely. the car was brought the next morning (june 28, 2007) to the dealership and was not looked at until the next day (june 29, 2009). the diagnosis was the steering pump failed, upon which it overheats causing the fire. the fire then damaged the loom (harness, or main wiring for the vehicle), which also ruined the battery. prior to the fire, there were no signs that the steering was failing, nor any indication that there was any other possible electrical problems. car mileage was at 65,500 at the time it was brought to the dealer, and about 65,525 miles at the time of the incident. nothing will be done until the insurance agents from both the consumer and dealership assess the damages. *tr

The incident occurred back in june 27, 2007. i parked my car and then noticed there was smoke coming from the front of the car. opened the bonnet and there were flames coming from the underside of the engine. the first attempt at using a fire extinguisher temporarily put out the fire, but it re-ignited and at this point called the fire department to put it out safely. the bmw dealer kept saying there was never a fire, just smoldering. the "smoldering" was the cause of a steering pump failure which overheats, which in turn damaged the loom (harness, or main wiring for the vehicle), which also ruined the battery. the cost was over $1000 to repair the "smoldering" damages. prior to the steering pump failure, there was no indication that there were steering problems, nor any possible electrical problems. car mileage was at 65,525 at the time of the incident. *tr

Driving normally, noticed that the power steering was not working. the car was very difficult to steer. parked car and noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. looked under hood, noticed smoke getting worse, so i drove the car up to street level from garage. looked under hood and there was a small fire starting at the lower rear of the engine. i was able to use fire extinguishers to put out the fire just as the fire department arrived. had car towed to the dealer. the initial diagnosis was that there was a stuck relay in the power steering unit, causing it to overheat. a wiring harness on or near the power steering unit was damaged by the heat and shorted some wiring, causing the fire. the fire was localized to the engine compartment. car is currently being repaired at the dealer. *jb

The power steering pump failed on my 2003 mini cooper. it went through stages of operation and non-operation before finally going out all together. i was charged $1,000 to replace. *jb

The wiring harness to the electrical power steering pump and the pump itself failed without warning. this caused an unsafe condition.*ak phone interview update (3/23/07): mr. kirk started his vehicle and found there was no power steering. he checked and found white smoke was coming from the power steering unit. the dealer mechanic told him the power steering harness was corroded and shorted as seen in other mini cooper that they serviced, and that mr. kirk was lucky that his vehicle didn't catch fire.

The power steering stops working while driving. restarting vehicle would correct problem ,dangerous because it is re-occurring more frequently . dealership presently replacing faulty pump out of warranty . youthfull - inexperienced driver warning to all!!! *kb

I had ~40,000 miles on my mini cooper last summer. the power steering just stopped working while i was motoring. i went to turn and whoa, no power assist. i'm estimating the date the problem occurred. i can look up the repair order if the correct date is important. i think that because of the many problems some of us have had, there is a reason why i have read that the 2007 mini is going to have a different steering system from the electrical-hydraulic ones we now have. i guess i was lucky because when it failed on my 2003 mc, there was no problem other than the loss of power assist. and it was repaired while still under the 50,000 mile warranty. in this day and age when it seems most cars last 150,000+ miles with no work beyond routine maintenance, it makes me wonder why bmw/mini can??t seem to get it right. there have been many p/s problems with minis. here is a thread and voting poll on the problem... http://www.mini2.com/forum/faults-fixes/49527-important-have-you-had-power-steering-pump-failure-please-vote-yes-no.html here are some real horror stories involving fires. some from other things, but many from the p/s pump. http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73527&highlight=power+steering+failure http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68356&page=3&highlight=obituary there are many additional web pages with threads like the above, but they are on the miniusa.com owners lounge web site where you need an account to access them. *nm

After car was sitting for 4 hours the power steering did not work; i muscled the car home and when i started it to take to my mechanic the next day it was working again; i reviewed this on line and discovered that it has happened to others (mini cooper, 56,000 miles, '03. *tr

Tl-caller owns a 2003 bmw mini cooper. current mileage 104650. failure mileage 99330. while going around a turn at 40 mph, it became hard to turn the car and he knew that the power steering had failed and he drove the car come. he purchased the replacement part from the dealer and installed it. weather was dry. temperature was approximately 30 degrees. ktf the consumer stated both failures were aat the electrical connector. water entered the connector which caused corrosion and a then a short. the terminal would then brek off causing the pump to fail. updated 06/08/07. *jb