Investigations

NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
PE07022BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC04/19/200708/15/2007ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
 In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), bmw stated that the cause of the alleged defect is an insufficient seal of the ground cable of the power steering pump at its attachment to the chassis.water ingress can occur and the water can travel along the power steering pump power cable and come in contact with the power steering pump power cable connector.the connector can then corrode and a high thermal load condition can occur.according to bmw, this ultimately could result in a localized smoldering condition that does not propagate. to correct the water ingress issue, bmw implemented changes to the wire routing, the power steeringpump connector and the ground eyelet connection between february and july of 2002. in a review of warranty claim data sent by bmw, 67 percent of the vehicles noted in warranty claims had production dates after august 1, 2002. additionally, odi noted eight reports of consumers witnessing flames coming from the engine compartment.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-011) to further assess the scope, frequency andpotential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
EA07011BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC08/14/200708/13/2008ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
 The office of defects investigation (odi) analyzed consumer complaints to bmw of north america, llc (bmw)and to odi that alleged failures of the electrohydraulic power steering (ehps) used in model year 2002 through 2003 mini cooper vehicles.the analysis determined that 43 of the 52 (83%) reports were related to allegations of power steering loss and 9 (17%) were related to allegations of engine compartment fires. although some of the reports alleging fires note small flames were visible in the engine compartment, analysis of the damage caused by these failures indicates that even the most severe incidents were limited to localized thermal damage to the ehps electrical connections and wiring insulation.none of the complaints alleging loss of power assisted steering indicated that the increased effort resulted in a crash or loss of vehicle control. a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by circumstances.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
EA07011BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC08/14/200708/13/2008ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
 The office of defects investigation (odi) analyzed consumer complaints to bmw of north america, llc (bmw)and to odi that alleged failures of the electrohydraulic power steering (ehps) used in model year 2002 through 2003 mini cooper vehicles.the analysis determined that 43 of the 52 (83%) reports were related to allegations of power steering loss and 9 (17%) were related to allegations of engine compartment fires. although some of the reports alleging fires note small flames were visible in the engine compartment, analysis of the damage caused by these failures indicates that even the most severe incidents were limited to localized thermal damage to the ehps electrical connections and wiring insulation.none of the complaints alleging loss of power assisted steering indicated that the increased effort resulted in a crash or loss of vehicle control. a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by circumstances.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.
PE07022BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC04/19/200708/15/2007ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
 In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), bmw stated that the cause of the alleged defect is an insufficient seal of the ground cable of the power steering pump at its attachment to the chassis.water ingress can occur and the water can travel along the power steering pump power cable and come in contact with the power steering pump power cable connector.the connector can then corrode and a high thermal load condition can occur.according to bmw, this ultimately could result in a localized smoldering condition that does not propagate. to correct the water ingress issue, bmw implemented changes to the wire routing, the power steeringpump connector and the ground eyelet connection between february and july of 2002. in a review of warranty claim data sent by bmw, 67 percent of the vehicles noted in warranty claims had production dates after august 1, 2002. additionally, odi noted eight reports of consumers witnessing flames coming from the engine compartment.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-011) to further assess the scope, frequency andpotential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP
EA07011BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC08/14/200708/13/2008ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
 The office of defects investigation (odi) analyzed consumer complaints to bmw of north america, llc (bmw)and to odi that alleged failures of the electrohydraulic power steering (ehps) used in model year 2002 through 2003 mini cooper vehicles.the analysis determined that 43 of the 52 (83%) reports were related to allegations of power steering loss and 9 (17%) were related to allegations of engine compartment fires. although some of the reports alleging fires note small flames were visible in the engine compartment, analysis of the damage caused by these failures indicates that even the most severe incidents were limited to localized thermal damage to the ehps electrical connections and wiring insulation.none of the complaints alleging loss of power assisted steering indicated that the increased effort resulted in a crash or loss of vehicle control. a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by circumstances.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.
PE07022BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC04/19/200708/15/2007ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
 In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), bmw stated that the cause of the alleged defect is an insufficient seal of the ground cable of the power steering pump at its attachment to the chassis.water ingress can occur and the water can travel along the power steering pump power cable and come in contact with the power steering pump power cable connector.the connector can then corrode and a high thermal load condition can occur.according to bmw, this ultimately could result in a localized smoldering condition that does not propagate. to correct the water ingress issue, bmw implemented changes to the wire routing, the power steeringpump connector and the ground eyelet connection between february and july of 2002. in a review of warranty claim data sent by bmw, 67 percent of the vehicles noted in warranty claims had production dates after august 1, 2002. additionally, odi noted eight reports of consumers witnessing flames coming from the engine compartment.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-011) to further assess the scope, frequency andpotential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
PE07022BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC04/19/200708/15/2007ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
 In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), bmw stated that the cause of the alleged defect is an insufficient seal of the ground cable of the power steering pump at its attachment to the chassis.water ingress can occur and the water can travel along the power steering pump power cable and come in contact with the power steering pump power cable connector.the connector can then corrode and a high thermal load condition can occur.according to bmw, this ultimately could result in a localized smoldering condition that does not propagate. to correct the water ingress issue, bmw implemented changes to the wire routing, the power steeringpump connector and the ground eyelet connection between february and july of 2002. in a review of warranty claim data sent by bmw, 67 percent of the vehicles noted in warranty claims had production dates after august 1, 2002. additionally, odi noted eight reports of consumers witnessing flames coming from the engine compartment.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-011) to further assess the scope, frequency andpotential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
EA07011BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC08/14/200708/13/2008ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
 The office of defects investigation (odi) analyzed consumer complaints to bmw of north america, llc (bmw)and to odi that alleged failures of the electrohydraulic power steering (ehps) used in model year 2002 through 2003 mini cooper vehicles.the analysis determined that 43 of the 52 (83%) reports were related to allegations of power steering loss and 9 (17%) were related to allegations of engine compartment fires. although some of the reports alleging fires note small flames were visible in the engine compartment, analysis of the damage caused by these failures indicates that even the most severe incidents were limited to localized thermal damage to the ehps electrical connections and wiring insulation.none of the complaints alleging loss of power assisted steering indicated that the increased effort resulted in a crash or loss of vehicle control. a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted. accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist. the agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by circumstances.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.

Consumer Complaints

Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
STEERING
02/22/2013136000
 I was driving my car home from work on friday night, 2/22, when the steering wheel locked up on me and i had a hard time turning it. it then started working fine again after a few minutes. then it locked up again while i was driving. since it was on a highway i was doing over 60 m.p.h. it was terrifying not having complete control of my vehicle at that speed.
02/05/201385000
 The power steering pump fan then pump failed resulting in a complete loss of power assisted steering. while the vehicle was steerable, the loss was surprise at slow speeds when turning off a road. it took a very significant force to control the vehicle and i almost hit a concrete abutment. i doubt that a young teen or any person who was not that strong, would have been able to control the vehicle. the dealer when presented with the repair knew of the issue and of many reports of a near accident like mine.
02/22/2013136000
 I was driving my car home from work on friday night, 2/22, when the steering wheel locked up on me and i had a hard time turning it. it then started working fine again after a few minutes. then it locked up again while i was driving. since it was on a highway i was doing over 60 m.p.h. it was terrifying not having complete control of my vehicle at that speed.
02/05/201385000
 The power steering pump fan then pump failed resulting in a complete loss of power assisted steering. while the vehicle was steerable, the loss was surprise at slow speeds when turning off a road. it took a very significant force to control the vehicle and i almost hit a concrete abutment. i doubt that a young teen or any person who was not that strong, would have been able to control the vehicle. the dealer when presented with the repair knew of the issue and of many reports of a near accident like mine.
02/22/2013136000
 I was driving my car home from work on friday night, 2/22, when the steering wheel locked up on me and i had a hard time turning it. it then started working fine again after a few minutes. then it locked up again while i was driving. since it was on a highway i was doing over 60 m.p.h. it was terrifying not having complete control of my vehicle at that speed.
02/05/201385000
 The power steering pump fan then pump failed resulting in a complete loss of power assisted steering. while the vehicle was steerable, the loss was surprise at slow speeds when turning off a road. it took a very significant force to control the vehicle and i almost hit a concrete abutment. i doubt that a young teen or any person who was not that strong, would have been able to control the vehicle. the dealer when presented with the repair knew of the issue and of many reports of a near accident like mine.
12/11/20121150001
 I parked my car in a parking garage after driving approximately 20 miles. i walked to a dentist down the street for an appointment. while at the dentist i get a call that went to my voicemail that my car (while parked with the engine off) was on fire and was filling the parking garage with smoke. upon receiving the message i rushed home to find that the fire was already out, but the smell of smoke was still very strong. i noticed that the inside indicating lights of the car were on as if the key was in the ignition of the car. i immediately disconnected the battery and inspected the car to find the source of the fire. upon inspection i found that the flames had come from behind and slightly below the motor. there was a metal shield that was blackened by the flames that i could not see around so i jacked up the car and removed the driver side wheel to further inspect the source of the fire. after doing so i could then clearly see that the source of the fire was the power steering pump due to the surrounding burn marks. the total amount of damage has yet to be assessed by my insurance company. they towed the car and are inspecting the car on dec 13, 2012. *tr
12/05/2012980031
 One night i'm driving just normally on the highway, everything was fine, no signs of any other parts included and out of nowhere my power steering goes out. i almost got into an accident. *tr
12/11/2012115000
 I parked my car in a parking garage after driving approximately 20 miles. i walked to a dentist down the street for an appointment. while at the dentist i get a call that went to my voicemail that my car (while parked with the engine off) was on fire and was filling the parking garage with smoke. upon receiving the message i rushed home to find that the fire was already out, but the smell of smoke was still very strong. i noticed that the inside indicating lights of the car were on as if the key was in the ignition of the car. i immediately disconnected the battery and inspected the car to find the source of the fire. upon inspection i found that the flames had come from behind and slightly below the motor. there was a metal shield that was blackened by the flames that i could not see around so i jacked up the car and removed the driver side wheel to further inspect the source of the fire. after doing so i could then clearly see that the source of the fire was the power steering pump due to the surrounding burn marks. the total amount of damage has yet to be assessed by my insurance company. they towed the car and are inspecting the car on dec 13, 2012.
12/05/2012980031
 One night i'm driving just normally on the highway, everything was fine, no signs of any other parts included and out of nowhere my power steering goes out. i almost got into an accident. *tr
12/05/201298003
 One night i'm driving just normally on the highway, everything was fine, no signs of any other parts included and out of nowhere my power steering goes out. i almost got into an accident.
07/13/20121350001
 As i was pulling into my driveway i noticed that smoke was coming from my hood. i immediately stopped the car and popped the hood to find smoke and fire coming from my engine compartment. i was able to disconnect the battery and extinguish the fire before it did extensive damage. cause of fire was failed power steering pump. *tr
07/13/2012135000
 As i was pulling into my driveway i noticed that smoke was coming from my hood. i immediately stopped the car and popped the hood to find smoke and fire coming from my engine compartment. i was able to disconnect the battery and extinguish the fire before it did extensive damage. cause of fire was failed power steering pump.
09/01/2012100000
 Power steering failure. power steering failed while driving at approximately 35-40 mph. upon turning off and restarting vehicle power steering worked for a short period of time - followed by intermittent failures/normal operation.
10/06/2012730001
 I was driving down a small city street in my 2003 mini cooper s and went to make a left turn - as soon as i did, the steering became very heavy...and un-responsive. i was able to through muscle strength force the car through the turn but had there been anyone next to me this surely would have caused a collision as it was a very difficult turn. the disappearance of the power steering was sudden and was completely gone. the car is now parked. *tr
10/06/201273000
 I was driving down a small city street in my 2003 mini cooper s and went to make a left turn - as soon as i did, the steering became very heavy...and un-responsive. i was able to through muscle strength force the car through the turn but had there been anyone next to me this surely would have caused a collision as it was a very difficult turn. the disappearance of the power steering was sudden and was completely gone. the car is now parked.
09/16/20121320001
 Power steering function failed; steering is now non-powered. *tr
09/16/2012132000
 Power steering function failed; steering is now non-powered.
05/13/201289000
 On the morning of sunday may 13th 2012 (mothers day), i drove the vehicle approx 11 miles to my mother-in-law's home. during this 11 mile ride all seemed normal with the vehicle. after visiting for a few hours i drove it approx 5 more miles to a stop & shop, again all seemed fine with the vehicle. within the 10-15minutes i was inside purchasing mothers day flowers, stop and shop employees had noticed a fire in the parking lot. i walked into the parking lot to find the police and fire fighters approaching my car. when i got to it there was no more fire but still plenty of smoke coming from under the hood and driver side wheel well. i took a look under the car to see that there was no more fire, so the fire department left. i was not able to start the car so i jacked up the front of the vehicle to see what had caught fire. the fire had originated from the electric/hydraulic power steering pump. the socket on the pump was still smoking a lot and very melted. the plug connector on the 12v/grounding cables feeding the pump was also very melted. since this fire occurred on a 12v line it also shorted out the battery completely. i was able to jump the car started in order to drive it about 15-16 miles home. since then the pump has been disassembled to find that the entire circuit board was compromised (burned/ashes). i decided to file this complaint after i had researched this issue extensively. apparently this is a common problem. most simply fail, either causing accidents or merely making it extremely hard do drive. few other unlucky owners have there pumps burst into flames. mini is aware of the issue but offers minimal to no compensation. in canada a recall has already been issued for these defective pumps. i can only hope and pray that nhtsa along with mini usa choose to issue a recall before this causes a very serious accident (if it hasn't already).
05/15/2012850001
 My power steering suddenly failed as i was driving on a windy back road, almost didn't make the turn, and since it has failed completely. when i called the local mini dealership (mini of fairfield county, ct) last week to finally get the part replaced (quoted $1700 at multiple locations) the customer service person replied with, how did you know about the recall? overjoyed i drove my mini in this morning at 7am only to be told that there is no official recall and i am still on the hook for the $1700. not pleased. calling mini today. *tr
08/23/20121210001
 Drove 2003 mini to work 11.5 miles. as i was making a turn into the parking garage the steering went out and became very difficult to maneuver. there was no warning or previous indication that there might be a problem with the steering. *tr
05/15/2012850001
 My power steering suddenly failed as i was driving on a windy back road, almost didn't make the turn, and since it has failed completely. when i called the local mini dealership (mini of fairfield county, ct) last week to finally get the part replaced (quoted $1700 at multiple locations) the customer service person replied with, how did you know about the recall? overjoyed i drove my mini in this morning at 7am only to be told that there is no official recall and i am still on the hook for the $1700. not pleased. calling mini today. *tr
08/23/20121210001
 Drove 2003 mini to work 11.5 miles. as i was making a turn into the parking garage the steering went out and became very difficult to maneuver. there was no warning or previous indication that there might be a problem with the steering. *tr
05/15/201285000
 My power steering suddenly failed as i was driving on a windy back road, almost didn't make the turn, and since it has failed completely. when i called the local mini dealership (mini of fairfield county, ct) last week to finally get the part replaced (quoted $1700 at multiple locations) the customer service person replied with, how did you know about the recall? overjoyed i drove my mini in this morning at 7am only to be told that there is no official recall and i am still on the hook for the $1700. not pleased. calling mini today.
08/23/20121210001
 Drove 2003 mini to work 11.5 miles. as i was making a turn into the parking garage the steering went out and became very difficult to maneuver. there was no warning or previous indication that there might be a problem with the steering. *tr
08/23/2012121000
 Drove 2003 mini to work 11.5 miles. as i was making a turn into the parking garage the steering went out and became very difficult to maneuver. there was no warning or previous indication that there might be a problem with the steering.
07/12/2012106000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed a chattering noise and suddenly the vehicle would not accelerate. the contact also stated that he was a mechanic. after inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. prior to the transmission failure, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the power steering pump and cooling fan would have to also be replaced. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
07/12/2012106000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed a chattering noise and suddenly the vehicle would not accelerate. the contact also stated that he was a mechanic. after inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. prior to the transmission failure, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the power steering pump and cooling fan would have to also be replaced. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000. sm.
05/15/20121420351
 Power steering failed. car is rack and pinion steering and can be driven without the pump but had i been going around a curve when it failed, the increased wheel effort required could have resulted in a serious accident! *tr
07/12/2012106000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed a chattering noise and suddenly the vehicle would not accelerate. the contact also stated that he was a mechanic. after inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. prior to the transmission failure, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the power steering pump and cooling fan would have to also be replaced. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000. sm.
05/15/20121420351
 Power steering failed. car is rack and pinion steering and can be driven without the pump but had i been going around a curve when it failed, the increased wheel effort required could have resulted in a serious accident! *tr
07/12/2012106000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 30 mph the contact noticed a chattering noise and suddenly the vehicle would not accelerate. the contact stated he was a mechanic. after inspecting the vehicle he noticed the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. prior to the transmission failure the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. after inspecting the vehicle the contact noticed the power steering pump and cooling fan would have to be replaced. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000. da
05/15/2012142035
 Power steering failed. car is rack and pinion steering and can be driven without the pump but had i been going around a curve when it failed, the increased wheel effort required could have resulted in a serious accident!
06/20/2012950001
 Power steering occasionally fails during low speed turns, e.g. u-turn or driving in parking lots. *tr
06/20/201295000
 Power steering occasionally fails during low speed turns, e.g. u-turn or driving in parking lots
06/28/201274100
 While i was driving mini 2003 (odo: 74k) on i-90 highway at 70mph, suddenly the power steering wheel stopped working on june 28, 2012. i barely made to exit from the highway, and got home. next day, the car was sent to the bmw-mini dealershop, and assesed the failure of power steering pump. they know this happens frequently with mini, but it was not covered by manufacturers. the only option was to replace the part. the part was replaced and the cost was $1,200.
06/12/2012128000
 On 6/12/12 i was driving my car towards my small neighborhood at speed of 10-15 miles an hour. for no apparent reason the steering wheel felt as if it was locked in place. with all my force i had to pull over to the side. i had the car checked and confirmed that the hydraulic power steering pump has failed. there was no service engine light on or any warnings what so ever, the power steering pump failed without any notice. if i were driving at high speeds of 70 miles an hour on the freeway i could have seriously been hurt.this is unacceptable.
06/03/2012121991
 At approximately 35mph the power steering of my 2003 mini cooper erratically engaged and disengaged several times. i responded by slowing down and trying to maintain control of the vehicle. once stopped, i turned the car off completely. once out of the vehicle i heard an electric motor running. i opened the hood to investigate and noted a small amount of smoke rising from the aft portion of the engine compartment. i went back to the ignition switch to confirm it was off and removed the keys. the electric motor continued to run and as i went back to the open hood the smoke volume had increased dramatically. the smoke had a very clear electrical smell and color. i immediately began trying to disconnect the battery. while obtaining tools from the hatch of the car, the electric power steering pump assembly erupted in flames. i obtained my fire extinguisher and directed it at the aft portion of the engine compartment. this produced no results and the flames returned quickly. i then got the tools from the hatch of the car and cut the battery cables. this caused the fire to subside immediately. at the repair facilty the power steering pump assembly (electric) was removed and determined to be the cause of the fire. the fact that i had tools and 25 years mechanical experience prevented this car from burning to the ground. in my opinion this is a major safety issue on two levels. first: loss of directional control. second: fire hazard, electrical component that cannot be turned off with the ignition switch. this must be investigated and the manufacture directed to apply a fix to all affected vehicles.
02/15/2012120000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 55 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle suddenly regained power steering. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
02/15/2012120000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 55 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle suddenly regained power steering. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000. kmj
02/15/2012120000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving at approximately 55 mph the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle suddenly regained power steering. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000. da
08/13/201189550
 The power steering failed and stooped working as i was driving through boston. now, the power steering pump stays on even when the key is taken out of the ignition.
04/02/201094927
 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
04/21/201285400
 Power assist for steering failed completely while driving normally. subsequent brief (< 1 minute) function after restarting engine also ends up in failure. behavior is consistent with failure that caused canada to issue recall for same model vehicle for same issue (transport canada recall # 2003055).
04/02/201094927
 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
04/21/201285400
 Power assist for steering failed completely while driving normally. subsequent brief (< 1 minute) function after restarting engine also ends up in failure. behavior is consistent with failure that caused canada to issue recall for same model vehicle for same issue (transport canada recall # 2003055).
04/02/201094927
 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
04/21/201285400
 Power assist for steering failed completely while driving normally. subsequent brief (< 1 minute) function after restarting engine also ends up in failure. behavior is consistent with failure that caused canada to issue recall for same model vehicle for same issue (transport canada recall # 2003055).
04/02/201094927
 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
04/21/201285400
 Power assist for steering failed completely while driving normally. subsequent brief (< 1 minute) function after restarting engine also ends up in failure. behavior is consistent with failure that caused canada to issue recall for same model vehicle for same issue (transport canada recall # 2003055).
04/02/201094927
 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
04/21/201285400
 Power assist for steering failed completely while driving normally. subsequent brief (< 1 minute) function after restarting engine also ends up in failure. behavior is consistent with failure that caused canada to issue recall for same model vehicle for same issue (transport canada recall # 2003055).
04/08/201269600
 The power steering system failed. it comes from the power steering pump failure and also made the alternator and battery go bad. it becames very difficult to turn the wheel.
03/25/201283567
 My 2003 mini cooper (r50), with manual shift and 83,567 miles, was parked on a city street when a passerby noticed smoke and fire coming out of the engine area. the fire department was called to put the fire out. the time from the car being parked until the flames were extinguished is estimated at 10 to 20 minutes.the car was towed the following morning to a mini dealer service center for diagnosis. the diagnosis was that the auxiliary power steering cooling fan had failed. the other items that are estimated to need replacement are the power steering pump, engine wiring harness, auxiliary wiring harness, power steering pump reservoir hose and power steering return hose. at the time i was on a trip out-of-town 600 miles away from home and the car is still at the out-of-town dealer. prior to the incident no signs of anything suspect with the car were noticed. approximately 1 hour prior to the incident the bonnet of the car was opened at a military entrance gate vehicle inspection and no signs of any issues were noticed at that time. to my knowledge there is no aftermarket equipment in the affected area. i am the 2nd owner of the car having purchased it at 35,086 miles mid-2007 from a long-time friend who was the first owner. i maintain the car and keep all maintenance records. i believe the manufacturer should be responsible for all repairs and the return of the car to my home. i have read about recalls by transport canada for 2002-2005 mini steering pumps which would indicate this issue is worthy of investigation for recall. this is a dangerous vehicle defect. please formally investigate this incident.
04/02/201280000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that the power steering assist failed without warning while driving approximately 30 mph. the power steering warning light illuminated after the failure occurred. the steering wheel had to be turned with extreme force as smoke emitted from under the hood. the contact was able to extinguish the fire. the fire initiated in the steering pump compartment. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 80,000. kmj
10/13/201065000
 Went down a dirt rode to meet a client. powersteering was working. met with client, got back in the car, and the powersteering was no longer working. it is very difficult and dangerous to drive this car when there is no powersteering.
04/02/201280000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that the power steering assist failed without warning while driving approximately 30 mph. the power steering warning light illuminated after the failure occurred. the steering wheel had to be turned with extreme force as smoke emitted from under the hood. the contact was able to extinguish the fire. the fire initiated in the steering pump compartment. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 80,000. kmj
10/13/201065000
 Went down a dirt rode to meet a client. powersteering was working. met with client, got back in the car, and the powersteering was no longer working. it is very difficult and dangerous to drive this car when there is no powersteering.
11/15/2011193000
 The steering pump failed on the freeway
04/02/201280000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated the power steering failed while driving at approximately 30 mph, without warning. the power steering illuminated after the failure occurred. the steering had to be turned with force, and, a few minutes later smoke emitted from the under the hood. the contact was able to contain the fire. the fire initiated in the steering pump compartment. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 80,000. li
10/13/201065000
 Went down a dirt rode to meet a client. powersteering was working. met with client, got back in the car, and the powersteering was no longer working. it is very difficult and dangerous to drive this car when there is no powersteering.
11/15/2011193000
 The steering pump failed on the freeway
04/02/201280000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated the power steering failed while driving at approximately 30 mph, without warning. the power steering illuminated after the failure occurred. the steering had to be turned with force, and, a few minutes later smoke emitted from the under the hood. the contact was able to contain the fire. the fire initiated in the steering pump compartment. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 80,000. li
10/13/201065000
 Went down a dirt rode to meet a client. powersteering was working. met with client, got back in the car, and the powersteering was no longer working. it is very difficult and dangerous to drive this car when there is no powersteering.
11/15/2011193000
 The steering pump failed on the freeway
10/13/201065000
 Went down a dirt rode to meet a client. powersteering was working. met with client, got back in the car, and the powersteering was no longer working. it is very difficult and dangerous to drive this car when there is no powersteering.
11/15/2011193000
 The steering pump failed on the freeway
03/10/2012
 While driving at high way speed car lost steering assist, intermittently came bad then failed, i then slowed down steering did not came back, once stopped large amount of smoke coming from under hood the smell of electrical burning, even with key off i could hear electric power steering pump still trying to run, the fire was from the heavy battery feed wires into the power steering pump the composite end of pump melted, once i disconnected the battery the source of fire was removed, i have spent the last 4 years working in a gm dealer ship, master ase tech, i feel if i was a typical consumer and had not known to pull battery power the out come could had been worse
02/16/201280100
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a residential garage, smoke emitted from under the hood of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the mechanic confirmed that the power steering pump caught fire and melted the wiring harness. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 80,100 and the current mileage was 80,600.
03/10/2012
 While driving at high way speed car lost steering assist, intermittently came bad then failed, i then slowed down steering did not came back, once stopped large amount of smoke coming from under hood the smell of electrical burning, even with key off i could hear electric power steering pump still trying to run, the fire was from the heavy battery feed wires into the power steering pump the composite end of pump melted, once i disconnected the battery the source of fire was removed, i have spent the last 4 years working in a gm dealer ship, master ase tech, i feel if i was a typical consumer and had not known to pull battery power the out come could had been worse
02/16/201280100
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a residential garage, smoke emitted from under the hood of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the mechanic confirmed that the power steering pump caught fire and melted the wiring harness. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 80,100 and the current mileage was 80,600.
02/16/201280100
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a residential garage, smoke emitted from under the hood of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the mechanic confirmed that the power steering pump caught fire and melted the wiring harness. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 80,100 and the current mileage was 80,600. kmj
02/16/201280100
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the garage smoke emitted from under the hood of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic. the mechanic confirmed the power steering pump caught fire and melted the wiring harness. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 80,100. and the current mileage was 80,600. rds
02/14/201249000
 While driving the 2003 mini, the power steering failed making the vehicle difficult to steer. since the orginal incident, the power steering works intermittently. research shows the likely reason for the problem is a power steering pump failure. i am ordering a new pump to replace the failed pump. this seems to be a common issue with mini for this year model. mini should be held responsible for the cost of the repair including labor as the pump appears to have had issues since 2002.
12/05/201170426
 Power steering failure. power steering pump failed suddenly without warning,causing the vehicle to become unresponsive to normal steering wheel operation, resulting in driver having to take unexpected and sudden steering correction to avoid running off the road or colliding with an oncoming vehicle.
12/21/2011152000
 2003 mini cooper, power steering pump just quit making the car unsafe too drive. was told this is a common thing with the mini cooper and after checking on line i see there is a lot of people having the same problem! i think bmw needs to step up to the plate and take care of this!!! after all 800 dollars for a new one is a bit much!!!
12/23/201186000
 On the date of incident i parked my car in a wells fargo bank parking lot after going to the gym. upon returning to my car an individual who had parked next to me informed me that your car is smoking i looked and white smoke was coming from under the hood. i opened the hood to inspect it and saw white smoke which smelled electrical. the individual who noticed smoke came out of her suv to help. she and i looked and she informed me that she saw a small flame comig from under the engine. i saw it and extinguished it with a bottle of water i had. i then heard an electrical spinning/humming as if something was still electrically charged. the smoke then began to intensify and got so out of control i was tempted to call 911 but then i thought to disconnect any power to the car by disconnecting the battery. this action cut all power to the car and stopped the smoke and electrical spinning/humming. i called aaa and had my car towed to my mechanic. on the evening of 12/23/2011 my mechanic called me and informed me that my power steering pump had failed and estimated the repairs at $1,046. on 12/26/2011 my car was returned to me by my mechanic who showed me the failed power steering pump which melted other wires and components of the power steering mechanism. total out-of-pocket expenses was $1,053.
12/21/2011152000
 2003 mini cooper, power steering pump just quit making the car unsafe too drive. was told this is a common thing with the mini cooper and after checking on line i see there is a lot of people having the same problem! i think bmw needs to step up to the plate and take care of this!!! after all 800 dollars for a new one is a bit much!!!
12/23/201186000
 On the date of incident i parked my car in a wells fargo bank parking lot after going to the gym. upon returning to my car an individual who had parked next to me informed me that your car is smoking i looked and white smoke was coming from under the hood. i opened the hood to inspect it and saw white smoke which smelled electrical. the individual who noticed smoke came out of her suv to help. she and i looked and she informed me that she saw a small flame comig from under the engine. i saw it and extinguished it with a bottle of water i had. i then heard an electrical spinning/humming as if something was still electrically charged. the smoke then began to intensify and got so out of control i was tempted to call 911 but then i thought to disconnect any power to the car by disconnecting the battery. this action cut all power to the car and stopped the smoke and electrical spinning/humming. i called aaa and had my car towed to my mechanic. on the evening of 12/23/2011 my mechanic called me and informed me that my power steering pump had failed and estimated the repairs at $1,046. on 12/26/2011 my car was returned to me by my mechanic who showed me the failed power steering pump which melted other wires and components of the power steering mechanism. total out-of-pocket expenses was $1,053.
04/01/201040000
 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.
06/27/200765525
 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 bwm 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.
11/15/2011193000
 The power steering went out while i was driving on the freeway.
11/04/2011136300
 Driving at slow speed turning right into parking garage power steering failed and almost caused vehicle to contact another car. this is the second time in the past week that the power steering has randomly failed. turned off and restarted car and steering starts working correctly again.
09/19/201152000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. he contact was driving and the steering wheel became very tight indicating that the power steering failed. the contact did not have any warning prior to the failure. the vehicle was not inspected to diagnose the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage and current mileage was 52,000.
09/19/201152000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. he contact was driving and the steering wheel became very tight indicating that the power steering failed. the contact did not have any warning prior to the failure. the vehicle was not inspected to diagnose the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage and current mileage was 52,000. rvk
09/19/201152000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated the power steering failed on the vehicle. the contact was driving and could still steer the vehicle, but the steering became very tight. the contact did not have any warning prior to the failure. the vehicle had not been inspected. the vin was not available. the failure mileage and current mileage was 52,000.rl
08/30/2011101450
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. while driving approximately 50 mph, a slight loss of power steering occurred without warning. the contact continued in operation because there was no shoulder area on the road. the steering wheel was engaged forcefully in oder to maneuver the vehicle. the vehicle was taken an independent mechanic who detected a faulty power steering pump. the vehicle was repaired. there was a closed investigation under nhtsa action number ea07011 (steering: hydraulic power assist: pump) which the contact believed to be related to the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 101,450. kmj
08/25/2011109000
 We purchased a 2003 mini cooper just weeks ago from a private party. almost instantly the power steering went out while my daughter was driving.luckily she wasn't in heavy traffic on the la freeway.we were told by the service center that we needed a new power steering pump. we purchased this and had it installed for approx.$1200.00. however the electric power steering pump fan still would not shut off when the engine was turned off, so this issue was still not resolved. immediately following this repair my daughter was driving on the freeway at 60 mph when the car suddenly jerked and slowed to a stop. luckily my daughter was in the right hand lane and could pull over on to the side of the busy freeway.(still no power steering working)the car was towed to the mini dealer.they diagnosed that the cvt transmission needs to be replaced, at a cost of $7150 approx. and this is before they can even diagnose the steering fan electrical problem. from all the complaints on this website about both of these problems, mini needs to take responsibility! we don't know what to do,as the repairs are much more than the cars value and the mini service manager states that the new cvt transmission only has a 2 year warranty.if this is a defective transmission, why should we pay for another one. as of today my daughter has to walk/bus to school and the mini sits.we are interested in the class action suit.
08/30/2011101450
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. while driving approximately 50 mph, a slight loss of power steering occurred without warning. the contact continued in operation because there was no shoulder area on the road. the steering wheel was engaged forcefully in oder to maneuver the vehicle. the vehicle was taken an independent mechanic who detected a faulty power steering pump. the vehicle was repaired. there was a closed investigation under nhtsa action number ea07011 (steering: hydraulic power assist: pump) which the contact believed to be related to the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 101,450. kmj
08/25/2011109000
 We purchased a 2003 mini cooper just weeks ago from a private party. almost instantly the power steering went out while my daughter was driving.luckily she wasn't in heavy traffic on the la freeway.we were told by the service center that we needed a new power steering pump. we purchased this and had it installed for approx.$1200.00. however the electric power steering pump fan still would not shut off when the engine was turned off, so this issue was still not resolved. immediately following this repair my daughter was driving on the freeway at 60 mph when the car suddenly jerked and slowed to a stop. luckily my daughter was in the right hand lane and could pull over on to the side of the busy freeway.(still no power steering working)the car was towed to the mini dealer.they diagnosed that the cvt transmission needs to be replaced, at a cost of $7150 approx. and this is before they can even diagnose the steering fan electrical problem. from all the complaints on this website about both of these problems, mini needs to take responsibility! we don't know what to do,as the repairs are much more than the cars value and the mini service manager states that the new cvt transmission only has a 2 year warranty.if this is a defective transmission, why should we pay for another one. as of today my daughter has to walk/bus to school and the mini sits.we are interested in the class action suit.
08/30/2011101450
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. while driving over a bridge approximately 50 mph a slight loss of power steering occurred without prior warning. the contact continued in operation because there was no shoulder area on the road. the steering wheel was engaged forcefully in oder to maneuver. the vehicle was taken an independent mechanic who detected a faulty power steering pump. the vehicle was repaired. there was an open investigation which was closed under nhtsa action number ea07011 (steering: hydraulic power assist: pump). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 101,450. js
08/25/2011109000
 We purchased a 2003 mini cooper just weeks ago from a private party. almost instantly the power steering went out while my daughter was driving.luckily she wasn't in heavy traffic on the la freeway.we were told by the service center that we needed a new power steering pump. we purchased this and had it installed for approx.$1200.00. however the electric power steering pump fan still would not shut off when the engine was turned off, so this issue was still not resolved. immediately following this repair my daughter was driving on the freeway at 60 mph when the car suddenly jerked and slowed to a stop. luckily my daughter was in the right hand lane and could pull over on to the side of the busy freeway.(still no power steering working)the car was towed to the mini dealer.they diagnosed that the cvt transmission needs to be replaced, at a cost of $7150 approx. and this is before they can even diagnose the steering fan electrical problem. from all the complaints on this website about both of these problems, mini needs to take responsibility! we don't know what to do,as the repairs are much more than the cars value and the mini service manager states that the new cvt transmission only has a 2 year warranty.if this is a defective transmission, why should we pay for another one. as of today my daughter has to walk/bus to school and the mini sits.we are interested in the class action suit.
08/12/201190500
 While cruising 60mph i was approaching the curved ramp from i-26 to the cooper river bridge in charleston sc. all of a sudden the power steering failed. i had to man handle the steering wheel to enter the left curve. part way thru the curve, the power steering started again and immediately took the vehicle in a severe turn to the left. just about lost control of the car and several other vehicles on the highway swerved to avoid me. very dangerous situation. stopped at the mini dealer in charleston, service was absolutely no help. spoke with the parts guy and was told it is a real problem with the mini, they have them in stock and may usually get another delivery everyday. i would hope that the manufacture step to the plate and remedy this dangerous condition.
08/11/201181000
 I own a 2003 mini cooper automatic and i've already had to have the power steering pump and the cooling fan replaced twice, and now, only a year later after my 2nd replacement and a few thousand dollars later, it needs to be replaced for a third time. the care only has 80,000 miles on it. this is costly and a safety issue for drivers. i will never buy another car by mini or bmw
08/12/201190500
 While cruising 60mph i was approaching the curved ramp from i-26 to the cooper river bridge in charleston sc. all of a sudden the power steering failed. i had to man handle the steering wheel to enter the left curve. part way thru the curve, the power steering started again and immediately took the vehicle in a severe turn to the left. just about lost control of the car and several other vehicles on the highway swerved to avoid me. very dangerous situation. stopped at the mini dealer in charleston, service was absolutely no help. spoke with the parts guy and was told it is a real problem with the mini, they have them in stock and may usually get another delivery everyday. i would hope that the manufacture step to the plate and remedy this dangerous condition.
08/11/201181000
 I own a 2003 mini cooper automatic and i've already had to have the power steering pump and the cooling fan replaced twice, and now, only a year later after my 2nd replacement and a few thousand dollars later, it needs to be replaced for a third time. the care only has 80,000 miles on it. this is costly and a safety issue for drivers. i will never buy another car by mini or bmw
08/12/201190500
 While cruising 60mph i was approaching the curved ramp from i-26 to the cooper river bridge in charleston sc. all of a sudden the power steering failed. i had to man handle the steering wheel to enter the left curve. part way thru the curve, the power steering started again and immediately took the vehicle in a severe turn to the left. just about lost control of the car and several other vehicles on the highway swerved to avoid me. very dangerous situation. stopped at the mini dealer in charleston, service was absolutely no help. spoke with the parts guy and was told it is a real problem with the mini, they have them in stock and may usually get another delivery everyday. i would hope that the manufacture step to the plate and remedy this dangerous condition.
08/11/201181000
 I own a 2003 mini cooper automatic and i've already had to have the power steering pump and the cooling fan replaced twice, and now, only a year later after my 2nd replacement and a few thousand dollars later, it needs to be replaced for a third time. the care only has 80,000 miles on it. this is costly and a safety issue for drivers. i will never buy another car by mini or bmw
08/08/201190000
 Repeated power steering failure. have replaced pump (as well as belts, fluids, etc.) new pump fixed problem for about 2 months. now it just stops working again! no computer code showing problem. may work fine on start then just go out a any point. may stay out. may be fine after restart. no power steering without notice is dangerous! car has 90k miles. should not have this problem! this happens repeatedly at all speeds, at all driving times, at many varying circumstances (wet/dry, hot/not hot, engine cold/engine warm, straight roads/curvy roads). date below is today's date, but this began happening 2 months after bought car used. dealer has made numerous good faith efforts to repair, but the the problem keeps returning. it is a defect and a dangerous one!!!!!
08/11/201181000
 I own a 2003 mini cooper automatic and i've already had to have the power steering pump and the cooling fan replaced twice, and now, only a year later after my 2nd replacement and a few thousand dollars later, it needs to be replaced for a third time. the care only has 80,000 miles on it. this is costly and a safety issue for drivers. i will never buy another car by mini or bmw
08/08/201190000
 Repeated power steering failure. have replaced pump (as well as belts, fluids, etc.) new pump fixed problem for about 2 months. now it just stops working again! no computer code showing problem. may work fine on start then just go out a any point. may stay out. may be fine after restart. no power steering without notice is dangerous! car has 90k miles. should not have this problem! this happens repeatedly at all speeds, at all driving times, at many varying circumstances (wet/dry, hot/not hot, engine cold/engine warm, straight roads/curvy roads). date below is today's date, but this began happening 2 months after bought car used. dealer has made numerous good faith efforts to repair, but the the problem keeps returning. it is a defect and a dangerous one!!!!!
07/05/201149387
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving 15 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle suddenly lose all power steering without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the power steering system failed and needed to be replaced. the dealer performed the repairs. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current and failure mileages were 49,387. bw
06/06/201197000
 Several months ago, the power steering failed on my 2003 mini cooper at the beginning of a 40 minute drive home. the next day, all was fine and continued to be so until this afternoon. briefly this afternoon, the power steering failed again, but returned when the car was shut off and turned back on. however, once the engine was turned off again, the fan in the power steering column continued to run for at least 2 hours. the car started and drove fine, and again upon returning home, the fan continued to run. when the car was turned back on, the power steering again did not work, and now the fan is not running. i have read message boards detailing almost the same phenomenon and describing upwards of $1000 to fix this problem. the mini was just in for it's 100,000 mile service three weeks ago at the cost of $1700 and no mention was made of any issue with the power steering.
07/05/201149387
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving 15 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle suddenly lose all power steering without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the power steering system failed and needed to be replaced. the dealer performed the repairs. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current and failure mileages were 49,387. bw
06/06/201197000
 Several months ago, the power steering failed on my 2003 mini cooper at the beginning of a 40 minute drive home. the next day, all was fine and continued to be so until this afternoon. briefly this afternoon, the power steering failed again, but returned when the car was shut off and turned back on. however, once the engine was turned off again, the fan in the power steering column continued to run for at least 2 hours. the car started and drove fine, and again upon returning home, the fan continued to run. when the car was turned back on, the power steering again did not work, and now the fan is not running. i have read message boards detailing almost the same phenomenon and describing upwards of $1000 to fix this problem. the mini was just in for it's 100,000 mile service three weeks ago at the cost of $1700 and no mention was made of any issue with the power steering.
06/15/2011145000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph and making a right turn the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. he turned the vehicle off and restarted it; however, the failure continued to occur. the vehicle was not inspected by the dealer nor was it repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised him to take the vehicle to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the failure mileage was approximately 145,000. rk
06/15/2011145000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph and making a right hand turn the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. he then stopped and restarted the vehicle and the failure still occurred. the vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer nor repaired. the manufacturer was then contacted and they advised him to take it to a dealer for a diagnosis. the failure mileage was approximately 145,000. tb
06/23/201150512
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 bmw mini cooper. while driving 60 mph, the contact stated that the vehicle suddenly lose all power steering without warning. the dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vehicle had not been repaired. the current mileage and failure mileages were 50,512. bw
05/31/201182500
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55-60 mph, the vehicle lost power steering and the steering wheel would not turn. there were no warning lights prior to the failure. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current and failure mileages were 82,500-bk
05/11/2011103000
 I own a 2003 mini cooper. i am experiencing unexpected power stering loss that is currently a temporary condition. it often occurs while exiting onto hwy 10/61 cloverleaf in woodbury, minnnesota. on a couple occasions i have nearly driven off of the roadway down an embankment. it is an exit that is taken at 45-50 mph and an hill downward. when it occurs the car veers hard left as the power steering fails. the steering reqiures a heavy driver input in order to maintain direction of travel. the first time it occured i was off the roadway briefly until i could muscle it back onto the roadway. a very scary experience. i am sure if this occured with my wife or daughter behind the wheel, an accident would have occured. i am trying to figure out what the issue is, so i conducted an internet search and found many complaints from other owners. seems clearly to be a problem that is more an issue of design that wear and tear. what should i do?
05/05/201155868
 Power steering pump and fan failed at 55,000 miles. while it happened in my case while i was trying to park, it could easily happen at highway speeds and created a serious hazard.
05/11/2011103000
 I own a 2003 mini cooper. i am experiencing unexpected power stering loss that is currently a temporary condition. it often occurs while exiting onto hwy 10/61 cloverleaf in woodbury, minnnesota. on a couple occasions i have nearly driven off of the roadway down an embankment. it is an exit that is taken at 45-50 mph and an hill downward. when it occurs the car veers hard left as the power steering fails. the steering reqiures a heavy driver input in order to maintain direction of travel. the first time it occured i was off the roadway briefly until i could muscle it back onto the roadway. a very scary experience. i am sure if this occured with my wife or daughter behind the wheel, an accident would have occured. i am trying to figure out what the issue is, so i conducted an internet search and found many complaints from other owners. seems clearly to be a problem that is more an issue of design that wear and tear. what should i do?
05/05/201155868
 Power steering pump and fan failed at 55,000 miles. while it happened in my case while i was trying to park, it could easily happen at highway speeds and created a serious hazard.
05/11/2011103000
 I own a 2003 mini cooper. i am experiencing unexpected power stering loss that is currently a temporary condition. it often occurs while exiting onto hwy 10/61 cloverleaf in woodbury, minnnesota. on a couple occasions i have nearly driven off of the roadway down an embankment. it is an exit that is taken at 45-50 mph and an hill downward. when it occurs the car veers hard left as the power steering fails. the steering reqiures a heavy driver input in order to maintain direction of travel. the first time it occured i was off the roadway briefly until i could muscle it back onto the roadway. a very scary experience. i am sure if this occured with my wife or daughter behind the wheel, an accident would have occured. i am trying to figure out what the issue is, so i conducted an internet search and found many complaints from other owners. seems clearly to be a problem that is more an issue of design that wear and tear. what should i do?
05/05/201155868
 Power steering pump and fan failed at 55,000 miles. while it happened in my case while i was trying to park, it could easily happen at highway speeds and created a serious hazard.
04/22/201167345
 Power steering failed as car was moving. no apparent reason for failure. it was very difficult to control car without the steering. i was not going too fast but if it had happened at a higher rate of speed it would have been a disaster. steering remained unusuable until car was turned off and cooled slightly. when i started it, it was fine. it has happened several times since then after the car has been running about a half an hour or so.
01/15/201179000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. while the vehicle was parked with the engine on the contact heard a loud whining noise. the noise was coming from the front end of the vehicle. the failure occurred continuously. the last time the contact experienced the failure the vehicle was parked with the engine shut off and the power steering pump continued to run and drained the battery. the contact had to jump start the vehicle in order to start it. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer. the technicians stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
01/15/201179000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini copper. while parked with the engine on the contact heard a loud whining noise. the noise was coming from the front end of the vehicle. the failure occurred continuously. the last time the contact experienced the failure the vehicle was parked with the engine shut off and the power steering pump continued to run and drained the battery. the contact had to jump start the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer. the technicians stated the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000. ds
04/18/2011104000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering failed making it impossible to control the steering wheel. the vehicle then jerked violently followed by an independent reset of the power steering. the contact barely missed crashing into another vehicle as a result of the failure. the contact did not inform the dealer or manufacturer nor was the vehicle diagnosed or repaired. the current and failure mileage was 104,000.
04/11/201170616
 While backing out of a parking spot i noticed that the steering was stiff and it was soon evident that the power steering was not working at all. there was no prior warning that the power steering was starting to fail. the failure was sudden. after pulling back into the parking spot, shutting the car off and then restarting, the power steering became functional. after a few minutes of driving the power steering failed again without any warning which made it difficult to steer. luckily no accident occurred. power steering now appears to be completely non-functioning. coincidentally, this car has already had a steering pump replacement in december 2004 with 23070 miles on it. the first power steering pump failure was gradual, but alarming for such a low-mileage vehicle. this most recent failure occurred with less than 48000 miles on the new pump and suggests a faulty part/design which has the potential to cause more serious incidents.
04/05/201198000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph when the battery warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became stiff and failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician stated that the power steering pump and harness was melted and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
04/11/201170616
 While backing out of a parking spot i noticed that the steering was stiff and it was soon evident that the power steering was not working at all. there was no prior warning that the power steering was starting to fail. the failure was sudden. after pulling back into the parking spot, shutting the car off and then restarting, the power steering became functional. after a few minutes of driving the power steering failed again without any warning which made it difficult to steer. luckily no accident occurred. power steering now appears to be completely non-functioning. coincidentally, this car has already had a steering pump replacement in december 2004 with 23070 miles on it. the first power steering pump failure was gradual, but alarming for such a low-mileage vehicle. this most recent failure occurred with less than 48000 miles on the new pump and suggests a faulty part/design which has the potential to cause more serious incidents.
04/05/201198000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph when the battery warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became stiff and failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician stated that the power steering pump and harness was melted and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
04/11/201170616
 While backing out of a parking spot i noticed that the steering was stiff and it was soon evident that the power steering was not working at all. there was no prior warning that the power steering was starting to fail. the failure was sudden. after pulling back into the parking spot, shutting the car off and then restarting, the power steering became functional. after a few minutes of driving the power steering failed again without any warning which made it difficult to steer. luckily no accident occurred. power steering now appears to be completely non-functioning. coincidentally, this car has already had a steering pump replacement in december 2004 with 23070 miles on it. the first power steering pump failure was gradual, but alarming for such a low-mileage vehicle. this most recent failure occurred with less than 48000 miles on the new pump and suggests a faulty part/design which has the potential to cause more serious incidents.
04/05/201198000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph when the battery warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became stiff and failed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician stated that the power steering pump and harness was melted and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
04/11/201170616
 While backing out of a parking spot i noticed that the steering was stiff and it was soon evident that the power steering was not working at all. there was no prior warning that the power steering was starting to fail. the failure was sudden. after pulling back into the parking spot, shutting the car off and then restarting, the power steering became functional. after a few minutes of driving the power steering failed again without any warning which made it difficult to steer. luckily no accident occurred. power steering now appears to be completely non-functioning. coincidentally, this car has already had a steering pump replacement in december 2004 with 23070 miles on it. the first power steering pump failure was gradual, but alarming for such a low-mileage vehicle. this most recent failure occurred with less than 48000 miles on the new pump and suggests a faulty part/design which has the potential to cause more serious incidents.
04/05/201198000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 55 mph the battery light illuminated on the dash board. the contact also noticed the steering wheel became stiff and the power steering was not functioning properly and eventually went out. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technicians stated the power steering pump and harness had melted and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage 98,000. ds
04/11/201170616
 While backing out of a parking spot i noticed that the steering was stiff and it was soon evident that the power steering was not working at all. there was no prior warning that the power steering was starting to fail. the failure was sudden. after pulling back into the parking spot, shutting the car off and then restarting, the power steering became functional. after a few minutes of driving the power steering failed again without any warning which made it difficult to steer. luckily no accident occurred. power steering now appears to be completely non-functioning. coincidentally, this car has already had a steering pump replacement in december 2004 with 23070 miles on it. the first power steering pump failure was gradual, but alarming for such a low-mileage vehicle. this most recent failure occurred with less than 48000 miles on the new pump and suggests a faulty part/design which has the potential to cause more serious incidents.
04/05/201198000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 55 mph the battery light illuminated on the dash board. the contact also noticed the steering wheel became stiff and the power steering was not functioning properly and eventually went out. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technicians stated the power steering pump and harness had melted and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage 98,000. ds
04/05/2011
 Yesterday i was driving home normally. when i slowed to turn into the alley where i park my car my power steering failed. i missed slamming into the corner of the building by a couple inches and was able to park. i checked the fluid level and even put a little in. since the then the power steering is almost completely gone, but catches every now and then. this makes it extremely hard to drive. after reading of numerous others having this issue, i called bmw today. they recorded my information and said i would be informed if there was a recall by nhtsa, but that nothing was being done at this time.
03/29/201195000
 There were no warnings or events leading up to the power steering failure. fortunately, in my case there were no accidents or injuries resulting from the failure. my wife was driving when the power steering failed as she was close to home. she does not have enough strength to make the turn without the power steering so had it occurred on her way to work around a curve, there would have been a crash for sure. a couple of turns she needs to make have steep drop offs and oncoming traffic that may have resulted in death. i don't know if any deaths have been reported due to this, but i can see where it could easily happen and not be pinpointed as the cause since the failure was immediate and while she was driving, not after being stopped.
04/05/2011
 Yesterday i was driving home normally. when i slowed to turn into the alley where i park my car my power steering failed. i missed slamming into the corner of the building by a couple inches and was able to park. i checked the fluid level and even put a little in. since the then the power steering is almost completely gone, but catches every now and then. this makes it extremely hard to drive. after reading of numerous others having this issue, i called bmw today. they recorded my information and said i would be informed if there was a recall by nhtsa, but that nothing was being done at this time.
03/29/201195000
 There were no warnings or events leading up to the power steering failure. fortunately, in my case there were no accidents or injuries resulting from the failure. my wife was driving when the power steering failed as she was close to home. she does not have enough strength to make the turn without the power steering so had it occurred on her way to work around a curve, there would have been a crash for sure. a couple of turns she needs to make have steep drop offs and oncoming traffic that may have resulted in death. i don't know if any deaths have been reported due to this, but i can see where it could easily happen and not be pinpointed as the cause since the failure was immediate and while she was driving, not after being stopped.
04/05/2011
 Yesterday i was driving home normally. when i slowed to turn into the alley where i park my car my power steering failed. i missed slamming into the corner of the building by a couple inches and was able to park. i checked the fluid level and even put a little in. since the then the power steering is almost completely gone, but catches every now and then. this makes it extremely hard to drive. after reading of numerous others having this issue, i called bmw today. they recorded my information and said i would be informed if there was a recall by nhtsa, but that nothing was being done at this time.
03/29/201195000
 There were no warnings or events leading up to the power steering failure. fortunately, in my case there were no accidents or injuries resulting from the failure. my wife was driving when the power steering failed as she was close to home. she does not have enough strength to make the turn without the power steering so had it occurred on her way to work around a curve, there would have been a crash for sure. a couple of turns she needs to make have steep drop offs and oncoming traffic that may have resulted in death. i don't know if any deaths have been reported due to this, but i can see where it could easily happen and not be pinpointed as the cause since the failure was immediate and while she was driving, not after being stopped.
03/25/2011170000
 Have had the car for 7 years and it has never done this before. i was taking a right turn into my work when my power steering failed with no warning. this caused me apply the brakes hard and turn the wheel with a good amount of force to make the turn. it was lucky there wasn't anything on the other side of the road or i would have hit them. it happened at the end of a 50 mile drive, no issues until then. i stopped the car and restarted it an hour later and i worked fine. i drove it back home the next morning 50 miles with no issues. my main concern is having had the car for this amount of time it caught me by surprise, and my worry now is when will it happen again.
03/12/201140000
 Driving normaly power steering failed on freeway curve, had to fight to gain control
01/26/2011121800
 When i bought the mini back in march the night i brought it home the steering suddenly got really stiff. then went away for about 8 months working fine, then about 3 weeks ago got stiff again, went away and now is completely out.
01/02/201080000
 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.
01/06/201163000
 My 2003 mini cooper power steering pump went out while rounding a corner. barely gained control in time to stop. i when to the mini dealer and the mecanic said this is a commona flaw in minis from 2002-2005. i see it all the time. then i find out there is a class action suit on the defect. some cars have even caught on fire. car only has 63k in it
12/28/201050000
 Power steering pump failed while car was driving. it fried one battery. placed second brand new battery in to confirm the faulty power steering pump defect. learned from class action lawsuit posted online that bmw knew of the defective problem. bmw claimed they fixed the problem in 2007 to get nhsta to stop investigation. however, i was never contacted or informed of the problem by bmw between 2003 to 2010. bmw customer service told me their investigation found nothing wrong with the power steering pump therefore no recall! they will not pay for any part of repair after they told me to tow my car to the dealer. if the car failed during high speed on freeway i would have been hurt. no warning of when the power steering pump will fail so consumers will have no warning of this problem until it happens. if i did not stop the car immediately, my engine would have been on fire.
12/15/201063950
 Hi there is a problem with my mini cooper losing power steering , i have lost the power steering few times this week and when i took it to the bmw near my area they told me its a known problem with mini cars from 2001 to 2005 as the psp ( power steering pump ) on the modles have a fult and you may lose the dtreeing power at any time . i almost had 2 accidants becuase of this this week and they are asking my to pay
11/09/201048000
 My 2003 mini cooper has almost caught on fire several times, replaced transmision, electrical harness, power steering pump, a/c hoses and a/c service, weel bearings, injection plugs etc....... i still cannot find the real problem why is causing a short, it has almost caugh on fire several times, this car has been the most dangerous car i have ever own, i have never spend so much money on trying to fix any vehicle, right now i'm about $11,500 in costs of repairs, this is a crime to the consumer, i have been reading about a class action lawsuit that is in progress, i hope and pray that we get justice from the maker of mini.
11/11/201074651
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while driving approximately 45 mph the power steering failed. the contact husband was driving the vehicle, he had to place both hands on the steering to be able to control the vehicle. there was no warning lights on the instrumental panel before, or after the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to the garage diagnosed located the failure at the power steering pump, and fan. the vehicle wasn't repaired. the dealership was contacted they advised the vehicle warranty expired. the manufacturer denied assisting with the repair. the failure and the current mileage were 74,651. li
09/05/201077650
 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
11/05/2010110444
 Driving home from dropping my children off from school and the steering was very hard to turn the wheel. this was as i was going around a corner. it was very difficult to turn the wheel. i was fortunate that i was driving the car and not my teenage son or daught as they would not have had the strength to avoid an accident. i have done some online research on mini cooper forums and discovered that this is a common problem due to failure of a electrical power steering pump. i contacted the local dealer mini of murray utah to see if there was a safety recall in force and was told there was none. i was also told that this is a well know mini cooper issue. the service rep said that he had the same problem with his own vehicle. this a safety hazard and could have cost my the life of my children. this must be recalled.
09/05/201077650
 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
11/05/2010110444
 Driving home from dropping my children off from school and the steering was very hard to turn the wheel. this was as i was going around a corner. it was very difficult to turn the wheel. i was fortunate that i was driving the car and not my teenage son or daught as they would not have had the strength to avoid an accident. i have done some online research on mini cooper forums and discovered that this is a common problem due to failure of a electrical power steering pump. i contacted the local dealer mini of murray utah to see if there was a safety recall in force and was told there was none. i was also told that this is a well know mini cooper issue. the service rep said that he had the same problem with his own vehicle. this a safety hazard and could have cost my the life of my children. this must be recalled.
09/05/201077650
 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
11/05/2010110444
 Driving home from dropping my children off from school and the steering was very hard to turn the wheel. this was as i was going around a corner. it was very difficult to turn the wheel. i was fortunate that i was driving the car and not my teenage son or daught as they would not have had the strength to avoid an accident. i have done some online research on mini cooper forums and discovered that this is a common problem due to failure of a electrical power steering pump. i contacted the local dealer mini of murray utah to see if there was a safety recall in force and was told there was none. i was also told that this is a well know mini cooper issue. the service rep said that he had the same problem with his own vehicle. this a safety hazard and could have cost my the life of my children. this must be recalled.
09/05/201077650
 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
11/05/2010110444
 Driving home from dropping my children off from school and the steering was very hard to turn the wheel. this was as i was going around a corner. it was very difficult to turn the wheel. i was fortunate that i was driving the car and not my teenage son or daught as they would not have had the strength to avoid an accident. i have done some online research on mini cooper forums and discovered that this is a common problem due to failure of a electrical power steering pump. i contacted the local dealer mini of murray utah to see if there was a safety recall in force and was told there was none. i was also told that this is a well know mini cooper issue. the service rep said that he had the same problem with his own vehicle. this a safety hazard and could have cost my the life of my children. this must be recalled.
09/05/201077650
 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
11/05/2010110444
 Driving home from dropping my children off from school and the steering was very hard to turn the wheel. this was as i was going around a corner. it was very difficult to turn the wheel. i was fortunate that i was driving the car and not my teenage son or daught as they would not have had the strength to avoid an accident. i have done some online research on mini cooper forums and discovered that this is a common problem due to failure of a electrical power steering pump. i contacted the local dealer mini of murray utah to see if there was a safety recall in force and was told there was none. i was also told that this is a well know mini cooper issue. the service rep said that he had the same problem with his own vehicle. this a safety hazard and could have cost my the life of my children. this must be recalled.
10/12/201064177
 Power steering pump failure that ended up in fire. power steering failed and the battery icon light went on, afterwards it began to smell like burnt, i stopped the car immediately and open the bonnet, everything was covered on an ashes layer. the pump wires and connections were all melted along the pump.
08/15/2010136400
 2003 mini cooper had power steering failure while being driven
08/15/2010120000
 I have a 2003 mini copper. i am experiencing the power steering shutting off. this has happend 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.
10/09/201047578
 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!
08/15/2010136400
 2003 mini cooper had power steering failure while being driven
08/15/2010120000
 I have a 2003 mini copper. i am experiencing the power steering shutting off. this has happend 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.
10/09/201047578
 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!
08/15/2010136400
 2003 mini cooper had power steering failure while being driven
08/15/2010120000
 I have a 2003 mini copper. i am experiencing the power steering shutting off. this has happend 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.
10/09/201047578
 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!
08/03/201082000
 Intermittant 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.
08/15/2010120000
 I have a 2003 mini copper. i am experiencing the power steering shutting off. this has happend 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.
10/09/201047578
 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!
08/03/201082000
 Intermittant 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.
08/15/2010120000
 I have a 2003 mini copper. i am experiencing the power steering shutting off. this has happend 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.
10/09/201047578
 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!
08/03/201082000
 Intermittant 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.
09/15/201080000
 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 pulled over and shut off. upon restart the steering wheel remained very stiff. the vehicle was then parked and shut off. an authorized dealer was notified and he was informed they need to replace control module on the the power steering pump. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. sm.
09/02/200846594
 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!
09/15/201080000
 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 pulled over and shut off. upon restart the steering wheel remained very stiff. the vehicle was then parked and shut off. an authorized dealer was notified and he was informed they need to replace control module on the the power steering pump. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. sm.
09/02/200846594
 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!
07/06/201082545
 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.
10/10/200855000
 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.
09/02/2010114000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while making a right turn, driving approximately 10 mph the power steering went out. the vehicle became very difficult to steering. the contact stated he was pulling into a parking lot and very quickly turned the vehicle off. the contact stated he waited approximately 20 minutes and the vehicle started as normal. the vehicle was taken to three local mechanics. one of the local mechanic performed a diagnostic on the vehicle and he was advised that the power steering harness needed replacing. the vehicle was taken to an auto parts store and they performed a diagnostic and he was advised that the power steering pump needed replacing. a local foreign vehicle mechanic replaced the power steering pump. the failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 114,300. vwb
09/03/201077000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. 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 the dealer. the technician replaced the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 77,000. the vin was unavailable. js
07/18/201074000
 Tl- the contact owned a 2003 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that while making a left hand turn at approximately 25mph the power steering totally went out. the vehicle went off the side of the road and crashed into a telephone pole. the contact received minor injuries. the paramedics responded as well as the police. there was no report filed but the contact was charged and received a ticket for driving at safe speed. the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle is currently at a storage lot. bmw has not been contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 74,000. rd
09/15/201080000
 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 pulled over and shut off. upon restart the steering wheel remained very stiff. the vehicle was then parked and shut off. an authorized dealer was notified and he was informed they need to replace control module on the the power steering pump. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. sm.
09/02/200846594
 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!
07/06/201082545
 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.
10/10/200855000
 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.
09/02/2010114000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while making a right turn, driving approximately 10 mph the power steering went out. the vehicle became very difficult to steering. the contact stated he was pulling into a parking lot and very quickly turned the vehicle off. the contact stated he waited approximately 20 minutes and the vehicle started as normal. the vehicle was taken to three local mechanics. one of the local mechanic performed a diagnostic on the vehicle and he was advised that the power steering harness needed replacing. the vehicle was taken to an auto parts store and they performed a diagnostic and he was advised that the power steering pump needed replacing. a local foreign vehicle mechanic replaced the power steering pump. the failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 114,300. vwb
09/03/201077000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. 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 the dealer. the technician replaced the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 77,000. the vin was unavailable. js
07/18/201074000
 Tl- the contact owned a 2003 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that while making a left hand turn at approximately 25mph the power steering totally went out. the vehicle went off the side of the road and crashed into a telephone pole. the contact received minor injuries. the paramedics responded as well as the police. there was no report filed but the contact was charged and received a ticket for driving at safe speed. the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle is currently at a storage lot. bmw has not been contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 74,000. rd
08/23/2010122621
 Loss of power steering while driving
09/02/200846594
 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!
07/06/201082545
 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.
10/10/200855000
 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.
09/02/2010114000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while making a right turn, driving approximately 10 mph the power steering went out. the vehicle became very difficult to steering. the contact stated he was pulling into a parking lot and very quickly turned the vehicle off. the contact stated he waited approximately 20 minutes and the vehicle started as normal. the vehicle was taken to three local mechanics. one of the local mechanic performed a diagnostic on the vehicle and he was advised that the power steering harness needed replacing. the vehicle was taken to an auto parts store and they performed a diagnostic and he was advised that the power steering pump needed replacing. a local foreign vehicle mechanic replaced the power steering pump. the failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 114,300. vwb
09/03/201077000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. 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 the dealer. the technician replaced the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 77,000. the vin was unavailable. js
07/18/201074000
 Tl- the contact owned a 2003 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that while making a left hand turn at approximately 25mph the power steering totally went out. the vehicle went off the side of the road and crashed into a telephone pole. the contact received minor injuries. the paramedics responded as well as the police. there was no report filed but the contact was charged and received a ticket for driving at safe speed. the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle is currently at a storage lot. bmw has not been contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 74,000. rd
08/23/2010122621
 Loss of power steering while driving
07/06/201082545
 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.
10/10/200855000
 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.
09/02/2010114000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. while making a right turn, driving approximately 10 mph the power steering went out. the vehicle became very difficult to steering. the contact stated he was pulling into a parking lot and very quickly turned the vehicle off. the contact stated he waited approximately 20 minutes and the vehicle started as normal. the vehicle was taken to three local mechanics. one of the local mechanic performed a diagnostic on the vehicle and he was advised that the power steering harness needed replacing. the vehicle was taken to an auto parts store and they performed a diagnostic and he was advised that the power steering pump needed replacing. a local foreign vehicle mechanic replaced the power steering pump. the failure mileage was 114,000 and the current mileage was 114,300. vwb
09/03/201077000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. 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 the dealer. the technician replaced the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 77,000. the vin was unavailable. js
07/18/201074000
 Tl- the contact owned a 2003 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that while making a left hand turn at approximately 25mph the power steering totally went out. the vehicle went off the side of the road and crashed into a telephone pole. the contact received minor injuries. the paramedics responded as well as the police. there was no report filed but the contact was charged and received a ticket for driving at safe speed. the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle is currently at a storage lot. bmw has not been contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 74,000. rd
08/23/2010122621
 Loss of power steering while driving
06/14/201047400
 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.
03/28/201065688
 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
01/11/2010745003
 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
08/09/2008740001
 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
11/19/2009893051
 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
04/02/2009605001
 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
08/09/2008600001
 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
07/25/2008756001
 The power steering pump on my mini cooper caught on fire. *tr
11/01/2007460001
 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
06/26/2008758081
 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
06/19/2008700001
 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
06/16/20081130001
 Power steering failure. *tr
11/26/200760000
 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.
04/26/2008230001
 Overheating of power steering pump. *tr
02/19/2008650001
 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
10/03/200771050101/03/2003
 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
STEERING - COLUMN
10/31/200564482104/21/2003
 Owner noticed change in steering resulting in hard turning and no return of steering wheel without assistance after turning vehicle. dealer found failure of lower steering shaft universal joint and replaced lower steering shaft assembly and retained old part. vehicle was manf. 2/2003 and has 64482 miles on it to date.
STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
04/24/20087400106/24/2003
 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
11/01/200737000106/23/2003
 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
03/14/20076000010007/13/2003
 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.
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP
01/10/200960000
 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.
01/01/1901265781
 Courtesy copy to the administrator of letter from kathleen biddick to mini usa re steering pump system of mini models manufactured in 2003 -2007. *nj the sudden and unpredictable loss of steering power in a vehicle is a threat to all drivers especially in fast moving traffic. the consumer is requesting a refund of $1,180.44 to cover the repair of the steering pump system on her 2003 mini cooper. the steering pump failed because of a manufacturing defect.*jb
11/15/2007107000704/13/2003
 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
11/13/20075500020008/06/2003
 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
10/03/200771050101/03/2003
 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
04/20/200763000108/24/2003
 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
06/27/200765525111/13/2003
 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
05/25/200679300204/02/2003
 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
04/21/200755000105/19/2003
 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
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
05/12/2008560001
 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
11/01/200737000106/23/2003
 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
11/13/20075500020008/06/2003
 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
10/09/2007114000105/15/2003
 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
08/11/200641000103/09/2003
 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
STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK
07/25/200559112304/21/2003
 Failure of steering gear assembly resulting in replacement of assembly 3x. failure resulted in more difficulty turning steering wheel and creaking noise emitting from underside of car. dealer stated there was a tsb on this issue. 1st instance 7/8/04 @32,297 miles, 2nd instance 3/2/05 @48,551 miles, 3rd instance 7/25/05 @59,112 miles. all failures occurred between july 2004 and july 2005. old part kept by dealership.*jb

Some parts © 2024 Advameg, Inc.
Based on public records. Inadvertent errors are possible.
This web site is not associated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by and has no official or unofficial affiliation with the vehicle's manufacturer.