Investigations

NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
STEERING
PE10038BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC09/24/201005/10/2011Loss of Power Steering Assist
 Odi has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.when the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.according to bmw drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.bmw further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a malfunctioning cooling fan or an under-voltage condition in the power steering system.a permanent loss of power steering assist may be due to an error in the internal electronics, and may also result in the continuous running of the power steering pump.the voq complaints allege 5 minor crashes and 3 fires.the crashes are described as hit the curb.the fires are described as melted wires. there were no property damage claims.odi has received similar complaints for other model year mini.additional information is required to evaluate the frequency, consequence, and scope of this issue.accordingly the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (see ea11-005).
EA11005BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC05/04/2011Loss of Power Steering Assist
 Odi has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.when the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.according to bmw drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.bmw further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a malfunctioning cooling fan or an under-voltage condition in the power steering system.a permanent loss of power steering assist may be due to an error in the internal electronics, and may also result in the continuous running of the power steering pump.the voq complaints allege 5 minor crashes and 3 fires.the crashes are described as hit the curb.the fires are described as melted wires. there were no property damage claims.odi has received similar complaints for other model year mini cooper vehicles.additional information is required to evaluate the frequency, consequence, and scope of this issue.accordingly, the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis.
PE10038BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC09/24/2010Loss of power steering assist
 The office of defect investigations has received 54 complaints and a confidential number of field reports alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle. when the power steering assist stops working it requires increased force to steer the vehicle.some drivers reported experiencing difficulty while trying to steer or control the vehicle.the reports indicate that the loss of power steering assist may be related to a power steering pump failure.
STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
PE10038BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC09/24/201005/10/2011Loss of Power Steering Assist
 Odi has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.when the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.according to bmw drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.bmw further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a malfunctioning cooling fan or an under-voltage condition in the power steering system.a permanent loss of power steering assist may be due to an error in the internal electronics, and may also result in the continuous running of the power steering pump.the voq complaints allege 5 minor crashes and 3 fires.the crashes are described as hit the curb.the fires are described as melted wires. there were no property damage claims.odi has received similar complaints for other model year mini.additional information is required to evaluate the frequency, consequence, and scope of this issue.accordingly the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (see ea11-005).
EA11005BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC05/04/2011Loss of Power Steering Assist
 Odi has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.when the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.according to bmw drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.bmw further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a malfunctioning cooling fan or an under-voltage condition in the power steering system.a permanent loss of power steering assist may be due to an error in the internal electronics, and may also result in the continuous running of the power steering pump.the voq complaints allege 5 minor crashes and 3 fires.the crashes are described as hit the curb.the fires are described as melted wires. there were no property damage claims.odi has received similar complaints for other model year mini cooper vehicles.additional information is required to evaluate the frequency, consequence, and scope of this issue.accordingly, the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis.
PE10038BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC09/24/2010Loss of power steering assist
 The office of defect investigations has received 54 complaints and a confidential number of field reports alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle. when the power steering assist stops working it requires increased force to steer the vehicle.some drivers reported experiencing difficulty while trying to steer or control the vehicle.the reports indicate that the loss of power steering assist may be related to a power steering pump failure.
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP
PE10038BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC09/24/201005/10/2011Loss of Power Steering Assist
 Odi has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.when the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.according to bmw drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.bmw further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a malfunctioning cooling fan or an under-voltage condition in the power steering system.a permanent loss of power steering assist may be due to an error in the internal electronics, and may also result in the continuous running of the power steering pump.the voq complaints allege 5 minor crashes and 3 fires.the crashes are described as hit the curb.the fires are described as melted wires. there were no property damage claims.odi has received similar complaints for other model year mini.additional information is required to evaluate the frequency, consequence, and scope of this issue.accordingly the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (see ea11-005).
EA11005BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC05/04/2011Loss of Power Steering Assist
 Odi has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.when the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.according to bmw drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.bmw further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a malfunctioning cooling fan or an under-voltage condition in the power steering system.a permanent loss of power steering assist may be due to an error in the internal electronics, and may also result in the continuous running of the power steering pump.the voq complaints allege 5 minor crashes and 3 fires.the crashes are described as hit the curb.the fires are described as melted wires. there were no property damage claims.odi has received similar complaints for other model year mini cooper vehicles.additional information is required to evaluate the frequency, consequence, and scope of this issue.accordingly, the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis.
PE10038BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC09/24/2010Loss of power steering assist
 The office of defect investigations has received 54 complaints and a confidential number of field reports alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle. when the power steering assist stops working it requires increased force to steer the vehicle.some drivers reported experiencing difficulty while trying to steer or control the vehicle.the reports indicate that the loss of power steering assist may be related to a power steering pump failure.
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
PE10038BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC09/24/201005/10/2011Loss of Power Steering Assist
 Odi has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.when the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.according to bmw drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.bmw further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a malfunctioning cooling fan or an under-voltage condition in the power steering system.a permanent loss of power steering assist may be due to an error in the internal electronics, and may also result in the continuous running of the power steering pump.the voq complaints allege 5 minor crashes and 3 fires.the crashes are described as hit the curb.the fires are described as melted wires. there were no property damage claims.odi has received similar complaints for other model year mini.additional information is required to evaluate the frequency, consequence, and scope of this issue.accordingly the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (see ea11-005).
EA11005BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC05/04/2011Loss of Power Steering Assist
 Odi has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.when the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.according to bmw drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.bmw further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a malfunctioning cooling fan or an under-voltage condition in the power steering system.a permanent loss of power steering assist may be due to an error in the internal electronics, and may also result in the continuous running of the power steering pump.the voq complaints allege 5 minor crashes and 3 fires.the crashes are described as hit the curb.the fires are described as melted wires. there were no property damage claims.odi has received similar complaints for other model year mini cooper vehicles.additional information is required to evaluate the frequency, consequence, and scope of this issue.accordingly, the investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis.
PE10038BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC09/24/2010Loss of power steering assist
 The office of defect investigations has received 54 complaints and a confidential number of field reports alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle. when the power steering assist stops working it requires increased force to steer the vehicle.some drivers reported experiencing difficulty while trying to steer or control the vehicle.the reports indicate that the loss of power steering assist may be related to a power steering pump failure.

Consumer Complaints

Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
STEERING
02/01/201395500
 My power steering is failing. it causes myself or when my wife drives (with both my young children in the car) to come and go intermittently. at times in parking lots or even at highway speeds it will go from normal usage and ease of use to heavy manual steering. this needs to be addressed more then just being looked into. this is very dangerous and could/will cause loss of life if not resolved per bmw/mini cooper and it's ownership. i listed it as crash in the yes form. so far it has only been into the curb a few times at typical parking speeds. so far is the statement here. this will become an issue if not resolved and i hope that it is just a curb and not another car/family that are affected due to this known issue.
02/22/20131066001
 Power steering assist intermittently failed multiple times today at various speeds. turning the car off and back on again seems to temporarily fix the problem but after some time, the power assist will fail again. car is very difficult to steer without power assist. *tr
02/22/2013106600
 Power steering assist intermittently failed multiple times today at various speeds. turning the car off and back on again seems to temporarily fix the problem but after some time, the power assist will fail again. car is very difficult to steer without power assist.
01/01/2012500001
 Beginning early 2012 (approx), there was intermittent power steering failure; the frequency increased through 2012. total power steering failure as of january 19, 2013. mechanic advises this is a failure of the power steering pump - a well known issue with 2004 mini coopers. *tr
01/01/201250000
 Beginning early 2012 (approx), there was intermittent power steering failure; the frequency increased through 2012. total power steering failure as of january 19, 2013. mechanic advises this is a failure of the power steering pump - a well known issue with 2004 mini coopers
12/27/20121160001
 Took my car into the mechanic to have it look at for a new clutch. they noticed the power steering pump was leaking. they replaced the fluid and cautioned me about getting it replaced soon. *tr
12/27/2012116000
 Took my car into the mechanic to have it look at for a new clutch. they noticed the the power steering pump was leaking. they replaced the fluid and cautioned me about getting it replaced soon.
11/24/20121200001
 Power steering wheel suddenly failed and became stiff while getting off freeway. took great force to turn steering wheel to steer car. luckily able to stop car safely. *tr
11/24/2012120000
 Power steering wheel suddenly failed and became stiff while getting off freeway. took great force to turn steering wheel to steer car. luckily able to stop car safely.
11/07/20121188501
 Left home with no power steering issues. half way to work, driving on the highway and began to take a right hand curve in the road and out of no where there is no power steering. no warning or indication that anything was wrong prior to this. luckily i reacted quickly and the curve was not too sharp because i was in the right hand lane with cars to the left of me and behind me. would have been bad news had the curve been a little sharper. i checked the power steering fluid level and it was full. when i turned the car off and back on again, the power steering was working again. drove the car again later in the day, when i started the car everything was working perfectly and then part way to my destination the power steering went out again. *tr
11/07/2012118850
 Left home with no power steering issues. half way to work, driving on the highway and began to take a right hand curve in the road and out of no where there is no power steering. no warning or indication that anything was wrong prior to this. luckily i reacted quickly and the curve was not too sharp because i was in the right hand lane with cars to the left of me and behind me. would have been bad news had the curve been a little sharper. i checked the power steering fluid level and it was full. when i turned the car off and back on again, the power steering was working again. drove the car again later in the day, when i started the car everything was working perfectly and then part way to my destination the power steering went out again.
10/24/2012803001
 While taking a corning my power steer abruptly vanished almost causing me to crash. very dangerous. have heard of this happening with many other minis around the same age. *tr
10/24/201280300
 While taking a corning my power steer abruplty vanished almost causing me to crash. very dangerous. have heard of this happening with many other minis around the same age.
10/05/2012110000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the electrical power steering pump caught on fire, melting all of the wires. the fire department was not contacted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 110,000. kmj
10/05/2012110000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the electric power steering pump caught fire melting all of the wires. the fire department was not contacted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 110,000. pm
10/28/20111136391
 As i was driving on local road i noticed a car double parked i tried to pass the vehicle when i noticed my steering wheel was stiff it was very hard to turn it at all i almost slammed into double parked car that i could not pass and had no control of my vehicle. its very uncomfortable to drive a vehicle that way so its parked for now if i knew that it would be that dangerous to drive this vehicle i would never bought it. *tr
10/28/2011113639
 As i was driving on local road i noticed a car double parked i tried to pass the vehicle when i noticed my steering wheel was stiff it was very hard to turn it at all i almost slammed into double parked car that i could not pass and had no control of my vehicle. its very uncomfortable to drive a vehicle that way so its parked for now if i knew that it would be that dangerous to drive this vehicle i would never bought it
08/30/20121601001
 Had just made minor engine repairs - hoses - belt - thermostat - water pump - oil change - oil filter - air filter - less then one week - 30mp making left turn - gripping very hard on the wheel to finish the turn - no power steering - tested fan - fan ok - pulled steering pump off - what do i do now - buy pump - call dealer - wait to here from you *tr
08/30/2012160100
 Had just made minor engine repairs - hoses - belt - thermostat - water pump - oil change - oil filter - air filter - less then one week - 30mp making left turn - gripping very hard on the wheel to finish the turn - no power steering - tested fan - fan ok - pulled steering pump off - what do i do now - buy pump - call dealer - wait to here from you
05/25/2010775763
 Lost power steering unexpectedly in my car. power steering pump and fan were replaced 6/3/2010. on 6/29/2011, i again lost power steering unexpectedly mileage- 96250 . power steering pump and fan were replaced again. on 6/26/2012 i yet again lost power steering - mileage -111834, pump and fan were replaced for the 3rd time. each time the fan had failed and the pump overheated. *tr
08/13/2012110000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated the power steering failed without warning. the failure only occurred once. the vehicle was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 110,000. kmj
05/25/2010775763
 Lost power steering unexpectedly in my car. power steering pump and fan were replaced 6/3/2010. on 6/29/2011, i again lost power steering unexpectedly mileage- 96250 . power steering pump and fan were replaced again. on 6/26/2012 i yet again lost power steering - mileage -111834, pump and fan were replaced for the 3rd time. each time the fan had failed and the pump overheated. *tr
08/13/2012110000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated the power steering failed without warning. the failure only occurred once. the vehicle was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 110,000. kmj
05/25/2010775763
 Lost power steering unexpectedly in my car. power steering pump and fan were replaced 6/3/2010. on 6/29/2011, i again lost power steering unexpectedly mileage- 96250 . power steering pump and fan were replaced again. on 6/26/2012 i yet again lost power steering - mileage -111834, pump and fan were replaced for the 3rd time. each time the fan had failed and the pump overheated. *tr
08/13/2012110000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated the power steering failed without warning. the failure only occurred once. the vehicle was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 110,000. kmj
05/25/201077576
 Lost power steering unexpectedly in my car. power steering pump and fan were replaced 6/3/2010. on 6/29/2011, i again lost power steering unexpectedly mileage- 96250 . power steering pump and fan were replaced again. on 6/26/2012 i yet again lost power steering - mileage -111834, pump and fan were replaced for the 3rd time. each time the fan had failed and the pump overheated.
08/13/2012110000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated the power steering failed on the vehicle. the contact stated there was no warning prior to the failure. the contact stated that the failure only happened one time. the vehicle had not been inspected. the failure mileage and current mileages were 110,000.rl
08/05/2012847001
 Driving at around 40 mph and the power steering pump failed. the steering was extremely difficult. *tr
07/30/20121
 Driving down the road and the steering got hard. after almost wrecking and making it home , turned car off and 10 minutes later it worked again. *tr
08/05/2012847001
 Driving at around 40 mph and the power steering pump failed. the steering was extremely difficult. *tr
07/30/20121
 Driving down the road and the steering got hard. after almost wrecking and making it home , turned car off and 10 minutes later it worked again. *tr
08/05/201284700
 Driving at around 40 mph and the power steering pump failed. the steering was extremely difficult.
07/30/20121
 Driving down the road and the steering got hard. after almost wrecking and making it home , turned car off and 10 minutes later it worked again. *tr
08/12/2011600001
 Intermittent loss of power steering. occurs whether vehicle is hot or cold. can occur after vehicle has sat overnight. will start working again after shutting down and restarting the vehicle. *js
07/30/2012
 Driving down the road and the steering got hard. after almost wrecking and making it home , turned car off and 10 minutes later it worked again.
08/12/2011600001
 Intermittent loss of power steering. occurs whether vehicle is hot or cold. can occur after vehicle has sat overnight. will start working again after shutting down and restarting the vehicle. *js
08/12/201160000
 Intermittent loss of power steering. occurs whether vehicle is hot or cold. can occur after vehicle has sat overnight. will start working again after shutting down and restarting the vehicle.
07/23/2012800001
 I returned home after driving for 15 minutes. i turned the car off and a motor kept running. i restarted the car to see if a electrical fan had kept running. i turned the car off again, but the noise of a fan or pump was still heard. i looked for a fuse to remove, but could not find the one that stopped the noise. i disconnected the battery, so the wiring would not overheat. i reconnected the battery the following morning and the noise still persisted. i called the dealer fermin mini of tampa bay to ask what the noise could be. i drove the car to the dealer for a replacement steering pump and fan. *tr
08/12/201160000
 Intermittent loss of power steering. occurs whether vehicle is hot or cold. can occur after vehicle has sat overnight. will start working again after shutting down and restarting the vehicle.
07/23/2012800001
 I returned home after driving for 15 minutes. i turned the car off and a motor kept running. i restarted the car to see if a electrical fan had kept running. i turned the car off again, but the noise of a fan or pump was still heard. i looked for a fuse to remove, but could not find the one that stopped the noise. i disconnected the battery, so the wiring would not overheat. i reconnected the battery the following morning and the noise still persisted. i called the dealer fermin mini of tampa bay to ask what the noise could be. i drove the car to the dealer for a replacement steering pump and fan. *tr
07/23/201280000
 I returned home after driving for 15 minutes. i turned the car off and a motor kept running. i restarted the car to see if a electriacal fan had kept running. i turned the car off again, but the noise of a fan or pump was still heard. i looked for a fuse to remove, but could not find the one that stopped the noise. i disconnected the battery, so the wiring would not overheat. i reconnected the battery the following morning and the noise still persisted. i called the dealer fermin mini of tampa bay to ask what the noise could be. i drove the car to the dealer for a replacement steering pump and fan.
07/09/2012570001
 Steering suddenly became very difficult and stayed that way. it was fine the next day, but as the car was being driven a while the problem came back. *tr
07/16/2012615001
 Power steering pump failed while driving on highway without notice. never got a warning light before during or after failure. narrowly avoided an accident since i was not prepared for steering to be so difficult to turn the wheel. i was able to pull over into a parking lot where i turned the car off, let it sit for a while and then turned it back on and the steering was ok again. since the steering is back and no warning lights, i assume everything is going to work ok from now on. *tr
07/09/2012570001
 Steering suddenly became very difficult and stayed that way. it was fine the next day, but as the car was being driven a while the problem came back. *tr
07/16/2012615001
 Power steering pump failed while driving on highway without notice. never got a warning light before during or after failure. narrowly avoided an accident since i was not prepared for steering to be so difficult to turn the wheel. i was able to pull over into a parking lot where i turned the car off, let it sit for a while and then turned it back on and the steering was ok again. since the steering is back and no warning lights, i assume everything is going to work ok from now on. *tr
07/09/201257000
 Steering suddenly became very difficult and stayed that way. it was fine the next day, but as the car was being driven a while the problem came back
07/16/2012615001
 Power steering pump failed while driving on highway without notice. never got a warning light before during or after failure. narrowly avoided an accident since i was not prepared for steering to be so difficult to turn the wheel. i was able to pull over into a parking lot where i turned the car off, let it sit for a while and then turned it back on and the steering was ok again. since the steering is back and no warning lights, i assume everything is going to work ok from now on. *tr
07/09/201257000
 Steering suddenly became very difficult and stayed that way. it was fine the next day, but as the car was being driven a while the problem came back
07/16/201261500
 Power steering pump failed while driving on highway without notice. never got a warning light before during or after failure. narrowly avoided an accident since i was not prepared for steering to be so difficult to turn the wheel. i was able to pull over into a parking lot where i turned the car off, let it sit for a while and then turned it back on and the steering was ok again. since the steering is back and no warning lights, i assume everything is going to work ok from now on.
09/27/2011980001
 Power steering failed after 3 hour trip - while parking. steering has returned and quit multiple times since - and now has quit working it seems for good. car is hard to steer, especially at low speed, but i am still able to drive it. *tr
06/25/2012940001
 Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult. later went back to normal. a month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead. *tr
09/27/2011980001
 Power steering failed after 3 hour trip - while parking. steering has returned and quit multiple times since - and now has quit working it seems for good. car is hard to steer, especially at low speed, but i am still able to drive it. *tr
06/25/2012940001
 Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult. later went back to normal. a month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead. *tr
09/27/201198000
 Power steering failed after 3 hour trip - while parking. steering has returned and quit multiple times since - and now has quit working it seems for good. car is hard to steer, especially at low speed, but i am still able to drive it.
06/25/2012940001
 Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult. later went back to normal. a month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead. *tr
07/05/2012780001
 Power steering is loss is random, once steering is lost after turning off and car cools it works again. leading me to believe that the cause of the problem is in the unit's design. hesitant to spend upwards of $800 (in parts) to replace when it may not solve the problem. manufacturer should investigate and issue recall due to tremendous complaints on similar failures and not solution is available. *tr
09/27/201198000
 Power steering failed after 3 hour trip - while parking. steering has returned and quit multiple times since - and now has quit working it seems for good. car is hard to steer, especially at low speed, but i am still able to drive it.
06/25/201294000
 Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult. later went back to normal. a month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead.
07/05/2012780001
 Power steering is loss is random, once steering is lost after turning off and car cools it works again. leading me to believe that the cause of the problem is in the unit's design. hesitant to spend upwards of $800 (in parts) to replace when it may not solve the problem. manufacturer should investigate and issue recall due to tremendous complaints on similar failures and not solution is available. *tr
06/25/201294000
 Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult. later went back to normal. a month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead.
07/05/201278000
 Power steering is loss is random, once steering is lost after turning off and car cools it works again. leading me to believe that the cause of the problem is in the unit's design. hesitant to spend upwards of $800 (in parts) to replace when it may not solve the problem. manufacturer should investigate and issue recall due to tremendous complaints on similar failures and not solution is available.
06/29/2012
 The power steering stopped operating as we were making a 90 degree turn at an intersection. we were able to pull over and turn off the engine. we checked the power steering fluid level, and found it was in the proper range. after a short wait we restarted the can and the power steering seemed to be operating.
06/10/201294000
 My mini cooper intermittently, without warning becomes very difficult to steer. power steering failed rounding a corner on the freeway, nearly resulting in a high speed crash.
06/02/201260788
 I was driving through atlantic city, and when i tried to make a left turn, the power steering assist on my minicooper failed. the steering wheel was rigid and needed to be forcibly turned using a great deal of strength. i almost ran into a fence surrounding a parking lot, but was able to apply the brakes, wrestle with the wheel , and edge into the parking lot.
06/01/2011120000
 Experienced total loss of power steering on several occasions with no warning lights. occurred mostly after starting the car on hot days. the car is very difficult to steer at low speed with no power steering. power steering sporadically came and went. eventually, the power steering pump would remain on after turning off the car, causing the battery to go dead. replaced power steering pump and fan in may 2012 at about 130,000 miles and haven't had any issues since.
06/02/201260788
 I was driving through atlantic city, and when i tried to make a left turn, the power steering assist on my minicooper failed. the steering wheel was rigid and needed to be forcibly turned using a great deal of strength. i almost ran into a fence surrounding a parking lot, but was able to apply the brakes, wrestle with the wheel , and edge into the parking lot.
06/01/2011120000
 Experienced total loss of power steering on several occasions with no warning lights. occurred mostly after starting the car on hot days. the car is very difficult to steer at low speed with no power steering. power steering sporadically came and went. eventually, the power steering pump would remain on after turning off the car, causing the battery to go dead. replaced power steering pump and fan in may 2012 at about 130,000 miles and haven't had any issues since.
05/26/201247685
 Power steering intermittently goes out and steering becomes very difficult (i.e. hard to control the car). this problem has occurred several times without warning and after restart goes away. in february of 2012 there was a recall for this specific problem in canada. this is a safety issue, please rectify it.
05/21/201257198
 Power steering is of great concern as it has periods where it seems that the power steering quits working. also when adjusting the direction as i am backing up into my driveway steering is sort of lazy and it make a high pitch whining noise when i turn the steering wheel.
05/19/2012128000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 65 mph the steering wheel locked and became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
05/21/201257198
 Power steering is of great concern as it has periods where it seems that the power steering quits working. also when adjusting the direction as i am backing up into my driveway steering is sort of lazy and it make a high pitch whining noise when i turn the steering wheel.
05/19/2012128000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 65 mph the steering wheel locked and became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
05/19/2012128000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 65 mph the steering wheel locked and became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000. rvk
05/19/2012128000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving at approximately 65 mph the steering wheel locked up and became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 128,000. da
05/11/2011
 Power steering pump failed while driving. luckily incident happened at low speed.
05/03/201286000
 I was merging onto highway i-25, taking a sharp turn at 50 mph when the power steering suddenly failed. i nearly missed the turn and almost crash down the on-ramp, which would've placed me heading perpendicular straight into highway traffic.
04/22/201247000
 My mini was parked for about 2 hours. when i went to leave in it, i could not steer it. the power steering was completely unresponsive. i was able to drive it home (about 5 miles) but it was very difficult to steer and unsafe to drive.
04/06/201256000
 Power steering pump wont shut off after vehicle is disabled, causing the battery to die. the power steering pump will disable while driving.
03/01/2012
 I was unable to get my vehicle smogged. the obd was not communicating with smog machine. took it to dealer and found the power steering electrical was causing a short circuit in the system.
02/07/201274252
 Hydraulic power steering assist system failed while on the road 3 times causing a crash hazard. the power steering would return intermittently until it completely stopped working.
02/20/201250500
 Occasional power steering failure. at first it occurred mostly at start up for less than a minute. after calling the dealer for info, i added fluid, turned the wheel to lock in both directions and that seemed to help for a couple weeks. the issue has since returend, about 1 occurrence per week. most recently i had no power steering for the entirety of a ~30 minute drive. i'm concerned that the steering will fail mid-turn, particularly while driving dangerous mountain roads. does the pump need to be replaced or is this an electrical issue as desciped in existing complaints?
02/07/201274252
 Hydraulic power steering assist system failed while on the road 3 times causing a crash hazard. the power steering would return intermittently until it completely stopped working.
02/20/201250500
 Occasional power steering failure. at first it occurred mostly at start up for less than a minute. after calling the dealer for info, i added fluid, turned the wheel to lock in both directions and that seemed to help for a couple weeks. the issue has since returend, about 1 occurrence per week. most recently i had no power steering for the entirety of a ~30 minute drive. i'm concerned that the steering will fail mid-turn, particularly while driving dangerous mountain roads. does the pump need to be replaced or is this an electrical issue as desciped in existing complaints?
02/07/201274252
 Hydraulic power steering assist system failed while on the road 3 times causing a crash hazard. the power steering would return intermittently until it completely stopped working.
02/20/201250500
 Occasional power steering failure. at first it occurred mostly at start up for less than a minute. after calling the dealer for info, i added fluid, turned the wheel to lock in both directions and that seemed to help for a couple weeks. the issue has since returend, about 1 occurrence per week. most recently i had no power steering for the entirety of a ~30 minute drive. i'm concerned that the steering will fail mid-turn, particularly while driving dangerous mountain roads. does the pump need to be replaced or is this an electrical issue as desciped in existing complaints?
10/05/201160000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic advised that the power steering pump would have to be replaced. there was an open investigation of the failure under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
03/14/201264000
 Failure of power steering pump made vehicle very difficult to maneuver in traffic and when parking.
03/16/201254671
 Exiting on an off-ramp from the freeway the power steering pump failed and steering became rock hard and it took considerable strength to keep the car from going straight and running into the guard rail around the turn. very scary experience and if i had decreased muscle strength the car would have veered straight for the guard rail and at high freeway exit speeds.
10/05/201160000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic advised that the power steering pump would have to be replaced. there was an open investigation of the failure under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. kmj
03/14/201264000
 Failure of power steering pump made vehicle very difficult to maneuver in traffic and when parking.
03/16/201254671
 Exiting on an off-ramp from the freeway the power steering pump failed and steering became rock hard and it took considerable strength to keep the car from going straight and running into the guard rail around the turn. very scary experience and if i had decreased muscle strength the car would have veered straight for the guard rail and at high freeway exit speeds.
10/05/201160000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic advised that the power steering pump would have to be replaced. there was an open investigation of the failure under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. kmj
03/14/201264000
 Failure of power steering pump made vehicle very difficult to maneuver in traffic and when parking.
03/16/201254671
 Exiting on an off-ramp from the freeway the power steering pump failed and steering became rock hard and it took considerable strength to keep the car from going straight and running into the guard rail around the turn. very scary experience and if i had decreased muscle strength the car would have veered straight for the guard rail and at high freeway exit speeds.
03/13/2012124840
 While driving on an interstate highway, the power steering completely failed, resulting in a near-loss of control and crash due to the sudden dramatic increase in physical effort required to control the car. the failure was determined to be related to the power steering pump no longer functioning. there was no loss of fluid or breach in the hydraulic system. this is apparently a very common problem among this model of car.
10/05/201160000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic advised that the power steering pump would have to be replaced. there was an open investigation of the failure under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. kmj
03/14/201264000
 Failure of power steering pump made vehicle very difficult to maneuver in traffic and when parking.
03/16/201254671
 Exiting on an off-ramp from the freeway the power steering pump failed and steering became rock hard and it took considerable strength to keep the car from going straight and running into the guard rail around the turn. very scary experience and if i had decreased muscle strength the car would have veered straight for the guard rail and at high freeway exit speeds.
03/13/2012124840
 While driving on an interstate highway, the power steering completely failed, resulting in a near-loss of control and crash due to the sudden dramatic increase in physical effort required to control the car. the failure was determined to be related to the power steering pump no longer functioning. there was no loss of fluid or breach in the hydraulic system. this is apparently a very common problem among this model of car.
10/05/201160000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving at approximately 40 mph the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver because the power steering stopped functioning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic. the mechanic stated the power steering pump would have to be replaced but referred the contact to nhtsa because there was an investigation open. the investigation under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) may be related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. ds
03/14/201264000
 Failure of power steering pump made vehicle very difficult to maneuver in traffic and when parking.
03/16/201254671
 Exiting on an off-ramp from the freeway the power steering pump failed and steering became rock hard and it took considerable strength to keep the car from going straight and running into the guard rail around the turn. very scary experience and if i had decreased muscle strength the car would have veered straight for the guard rail and at high freeway exit speeds.
03/13/2012124840
 While driving on an interstate highway, the power steering completely failed, resulting in a near-loss of control and crash due to the sudden dramatic increase in physical effort required to control the car. the failure was determined to be related to the power steering pump no longer functioning. there was no loss of fluid or breach in the hydraulic system. this is apparently a very common problem among this model of car.
03/16/201254671
 Exiting on an off-ramp from the freeway the power steering pump failed and steering became rock hard and it took considerable strength to keep the car from going straight and running into the guard rail around the turn. very scary experience and if i had decreased muscle strength the car would have veered straight for the guard rail and at high freeway exit speeds.
03/13/2012124840
 While driving on an interstate highway, the power steering completely failed, resulting in a near-loss of control and crash due to the sudden dramatic increase in physical effort required to control the car. the failure was determined to be related to the power steering pump no longer functioning. there was no loss of fluid or breach in the hydraulic system. this is apparently a very common problem among this model of car.
09/13/201193000
 Experienced power steering loss driving along a suburban road. after stopping and restarting the car the power steering returned.
02/26/201287860
 While exiting the freeway the steering suddenly and without warning became extremely heavy taking significantly more effort then normal to just move the wheel slightly. the next day the power steering worked normally but the fan on the power steering pump continued to run after the engine was turned off. after 5 minutes in a parking lot it had drained the battery to the point where it struggled to start the engine. when i returned home i was forced to disconnect the battery until i can get it serviced.
05/26/200940000
 Power steering failed, car would not turn. second occasion 1/19/12 same thing at 40mph. after car rests problem disappears. almost impossible to turn car at all.
12/27/2011175000
 Power steering stopped working---while driving on curve---impacted car control. regained power steering. this happened two more times. very dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
09/07/201190000
 Electric power steering pump failed while driving. i noticed it when i went to change lanes and the car resisted. i slowed for a corner and when attempting to turn, it became very apparent that there was no steering assist. this is a common failure on the first generation mini coopers that is unacceptable and depending on the circumstances, potentially dangerous.
01/06/2012115900
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving 35 mph, the contact stated the vehicle lost all power steering. the dealer informed the contact that the power steering pump failed and to replace the pump as well as the battery to correct the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 116,000 and the failure mileage was 115,900. rvk
01/06/2012115900
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving 35 mph, the contact stated the vehicle lose all power steering. the dealer informed the contact that the power steering pump had failed and to replace the pump as well as the battery to correct the failure. the manufacturer had not been notified. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 116,000 and the failure mileage was 115,900. bw
10/14/201165000
 I was driving my mini cooper s on the freway going into a turn, the wheel became extreamly hard to turn with no notice. i could not make the turn all the way and the drivers side tires and fender hit the curb on the freeway. i fought the car off the freeway and let it sit for 15 mins while i called mini. the dealer said that my power steering had faild. after a wait of 15 mins the car started and drove just fine. i drove the car to the dealership and they tested the power steering pump and said that it was good at that time. they told me that it would continue to be a problem with just giving out at random times unless i spent $4000 and had all the components replaced even though it tested good at the time. they replaced all the bushings and struts in the front at that time for $2000. they told me not to replace the power steering unless it totaly stoped working. the second insident was 5000 miles later on a round about at 35 mph. the steering had just failed again. this is a dangerous situation when the dealer tests the system after a failure and claims that it is good, and then it fails again with no warning. i think that the manufacture should take responsibility and have all the systems upgraded to not fail at such low millage and if they do fail to be able to track such a failure.
01/04/2012117238
 I had driven the vehicle to work without incident. started vehicle after work and immediately noticed that the power steering was not working. drove the vehicle 34 miles and parked it for 30 minutes. when i restarted the vehicle the power steering was again working.
10/14/201165000
 I was driving my mini cooper s on the freway going into a turn, the wheel became extreamly hard to turn with no notice. i could not make the turn all the way and the drivers side tires and fender hit the curb on the freeway. i fought the car off the freeway and let it sit for 15 mins while i called mini. the dealer said that my power steering had faild. after a wait of 15 mins the car started and drove just fine. i drove the car to the dealership and they tested the power steering pump and said that it was good at that time. they told me that it would continue to be a problem with just giving out at random times unless i spent $4000 and had all the components replaced even though it tested good at the time. they replaced all the bushings and struts in the front at that time for $2000. they told me not to replace the power steering unless it totaly stoped working. the second insident was 5000 miles later on a round about at 35 mph. the steering had just failed again. this is a dangerous situation when the dealer tests the system after a failure and claims that it is good, and then it fails again with no warning. i think that the manufacture should take responsibility and have all the systems upgraded to not fail at such low millage and if they do fail to be able to track such a failure.
01/04/2012117238
 I had driven the vehicle to work without incident. started vehicle after work and immediately noticed that the power steering was not working. drove the vehicle 34 miles and parked it for 30 minutes. when i restarted the vehicle the power steering was again working.
10/14/201165000
 I was driving my mini cooper s on the freway going into a turn, the wheel became extreamly hard to turn with no notice. i could not make the turn all the way and the drivers side tires and fender hit the curb on the freeway. i fought the car off the freeway and let it sit for 15 mins while i called mini. the dealer said that my power steering had faild. after a wait of 15 mins the car started and drove just fine. i drove the car to the dealership and they tested the power steering pump and said that it was good at that time. they told me that it would continue to be a problem with just giving out at random times unless i spent $4000 and had all the components replaced even though it tested good at the time. they replaced all the bushings and struts in the front at that time for $2000. they told me not to replace the power steering unless it totaly stoped working. the second insident was 5000 miles later on a round about at 35 mph. the steering had just failed again. this is a dangerous situation when the dealer tests the system after a failure and claims that it is good, and then it fails again with no warning. i think that the manufacture should take responsibility and have all the systems upgraded to not fail at such low millage and if they do fail to be able to track such a failure.
01/04/2012117238
 I had driven the vehicle to work without incident. started vehicle after work and immediately noticed that the power steering was not working. drove the vehicle 34 miles and parked it for 30 minutes. when i restarted the vehicle the power steering was again working.
12/15/201179000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 30 mph and making a turn, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the power steering pump failed and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000. kmj
01/01/201261000
 Sudden power steering failure while driving.
01/04/2012117238
 I had driven the vehicle to work without incident. started vehicle after work and immediately noticed that the power steering was not working. drove the vehicle 34 miles and parked it for 30 minutes. when i restarted the vehicle the power steering was again working.
12/15/201179000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving at approximately 30 mph and making a turn the steering became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic. the technician stated the power steering pump had failed and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000. ds
01/01/201261000
 Sudden power steering failure while driving.
12/23/201173321
 Power steering pump failed as i was exiting i-80 @ exit 56 returning home from work. as i started onto the exit ramp and began to curve to the right, the steering was very hard in the car which resulted in my having to force the wheel to the right. i also was braking at this point given the surprise of the tight wheel. i ended up on the shoulder of the ramp before gaining control of the car and reducing the speed. when i got to the top of the ramp and stopped, the pump began to work again. on 12/27 the pump failed again as i backed out of my garage. i pulled the car back into the garage and parked it until i can resolve this issue. i purchased the car used several months ago with 67k miles. i searched the forums to see if anyone else has had this issue and found many reports of pump/fan failures. this is a safety risk to anyone who owns one of these cars. i cannot imagine what would've happened had my wife been driving my car when the pump failed, it was all i could do to keep from wrecking into the median area.
12/15/201179000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving at approximately 30 mph and making a turn the steering became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic. the technician stated the power steering pump had failed and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000. ds
01/01/201261000
 Sudden power steering failure while driving.
12/23/201173321
 Power steering pump failed as i was exiting i-80 @ exit 56 returning home from work. as i started onto the exit ramp and began to curve to the right, the steering was very hard in the car which resulted in my having to force the wheel to the right. i also was braking at this point given the surprise of the tight wheel. i ended up on the shoulder of the ramp before gaining control of the car and reducing the speed. when i got to the top of the ramp and stopped, the pump began to work again. on 12/27 the pump failed again as i backed out of my garage. i pulled the car back into the garage and parked it until i can resolve this issue. i purchased the car used several months ago with 67k miles. i searched the forums to see if anyone else has had this issue and found many reports of pump/fan failures. this is a safety risk to anyone who owns one of these cars. i cannot imagine what would've happened had my wife been driving my car when the pump failed, it was all i could do to keep from wrecking into the median area.
12/15/201179000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving at approximately 30 mph and making a turn the steering became difficult to maneuver. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic. the technician stated the power steering pump had failed and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000. ds
01/01/201261000
 Sudden power steering failure while driving.
12/23/201173321
 Power steering pump failed as i was exiting i-80 @ exit 56 returning home from work. as i started onto the exit ramp and began to curve to the right, the steering was very hard in the car which resulted in my having to force the wheel to the right. i also was braking at this point given the surprise of the tight wheel. i ended up on the shoulder of the ramp before gaining control of the car and reducing the speed. when i got to the top of the ramp and stopped, the pump began to work again. on 12/27 the pump failed again as i backed out of my garage. i pulled the car back into the garage and parked it until i can resolve this issue. i purchased the car used several months ago with 67k miles. i searched the forums to see if anyone else has had this issue and found many reports of pump/fan failures. this is a safety risk to anyone who owns one of these cars. i cannot imagine what would've happened had my wife been driving my car when the pump failed, it was all i could do to keep from wrecking into the median area.
09/01/201180000
 The power steering pump just all of a sudden with out warning faild on my mini cooper. i was going down the highway at 70 mph when i went to get off on a off ramp and the car took alot of force for me to seer it in the right direction. i was lucky to have snow at the time because if i did i could have possibly lost control of my car. i know alot of people have had this happen to them and for the price that these pumps they should last alot longer than have.
01/01/201261000
 Sudden power steering failure while driving.
12/23/201173321
 Power steering pump failed as i was exiting i-80 @ exit 56 returning home from work. as i started onto the exit ramp and began to curve to the right, the steering was very hard in the car which resulted in my having to force the wheel to the right. i also was braking at this point given the surprise of the tight wheel. i ended up on the shoulder of the ramp before gaining control of the car and reducing the speed. when i got to the top of the ramp and stopped, the pump began to work again. on 12/27 the pump failed again as i backed out of my garage. i pulled the car back into the garage and parked it until i can resolve this issue. i purchased the car used several months ago with 67k miles. i searched the forums to see if anyone else has had this issue and found many reports of pump/fan failures. this is a safety risk to anyone who owns one of these cars. i cannot imagine what would've happened had my wife been driving my car when the pump failed, it was all i could do to keep from wrecking into the median area.
09/01/201180000
 The power steering pump just all of a sudden with out warning faild on my mini cooper. i was going down the highway at 70 mph when i went to get off on a off ramp and the car took alot of force for me to seer it in the right direction. i was lucky to have snow at the time because if i did i could have possibly lost control of my car. i know alot of people have had this happen to them and for the price that these pumps they should last alot longer than have.
09/07/201159995
 Power steering stopped working, 1st time whilst at a traffic light, 2nd time whilst pulling out of a parking spot. steering becomes very heavy, almost unmanageable. i haven't used the car in the last three months as i have been out of the country, i need to look into replacing the steering pump, fan and a cover.
09/01/201180000
 The power steering pump just all of a sudden with out warning faild on my mini cooper. i was going down the highway at 70 mph when i went to get off on a off ramp and the car took alot of force for me to seer it in the right direction. i was lucky to have snow at the time because if i did i could have possibly lost control of my car. i know alot of people have had this happen to them and for the price that these pumps they should last alot longer than have.
09/07/201159995
 Power steering stopped working, 1st time whilst at a traffic light, 2nd time whilst pulling out of a parking spot. steering becomes very heavy, almost unmanageable. i haven't used the car in the last three months as i have been out of the country, i need to look into replacing the steering pump, fan and a cover.
11/14/201169000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that when he started the vehicle the power steering failed and the steering wheel became abnormally stiff. the dealer was notified of the failure who stated that there were no recalls for the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 69,000. kmj
11/14/201169000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated when he start his vehicle the power steering fail. he tried to move the vehicle but the steering was very difficult. the dealer was notified who stated there are no recalls or warranty and the repairs will be at the owners expense. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 69,000. mw
11/28/201168439
 Power steering intermitantly working causing severe oversteer while entering highway traffic. had no indication of problem while on interstate . upon exiting interstate on a 30 mph loop steering failed . presently power steering is intermitant so the wife no longer gets to drive the cooper. good fortune was with me and i have driven cars without powersteering. even so i was caught off guard and i am hopeful this report will prvent others which may be less fortunate or experienced. the mini dealership didn't seem to care.
11/22/201174000
 Power steering failed. re-engaged when car cooled.
10/15/200873000
 Power steering dropped out unexpectedly while i was making a left hand turn, traveling approximately 10-15 mph. i was able to regain steering control before a collision, but power steering never came back on. i found out the power steering pump had failed, perhaps brought on by a power steering fan failure. both the fan and pump were replaced.
10/20/2011158000
 Driving at approximately 45mph, when power steering failed. power steering failure accompanied by other electrical issues. gauge cluster reset, all failure lights went on. power steering restored shortly after failure. occured approximately two more times after first incident. after power steering failure noticed, issue with charging system also. charging system voltage consistently low, sometimes even going down to 10v accompanied by loss of power and other malfunction lights.
06/15/2011100105
 The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s has failed several times without warning. the car is very difficult to steer when the pump strops working without warning and my wife nearly had an accident because of this intermittent failure. i checked online and there are many complaints about the very same problem.. stopping the car and shutting the engine off and then restarting it, clears the problem.
10/15/200873000
 Power steering dropped out unexpectedly while i was making a left hand turn, traveling approximately 10-15 mph. i was able to regain steering control before a collision, but power steering never came back on. i found out the power steering pump had failed, perhaps brought on by a power steering fan failure. both the fan and pump were replaced.
10/20/2011158000
 Driving at approximately 45mph, when power steering failed. power steering failure accompanied by other electrical issues. gauge cluster reset, all failure lights went on. power steering restored shortly after failure. occured approximately two more times after first incident. after power steering failure noticed, issue with charging system also. charging system voltage consistently low, sometimes even going down to 10v accompanied by loss of power and other malfunction lights.
06/15/2011100105
 The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s has failed several times without warning. the car is very difficult to steer when the pump strops working without warning and my wife nearly had an accident because of this intermittent failure. i checked online and there are many complaints about the very same problem.. stopping the car and shutting the engine off and then restarting it, clears the problem.
10/20/2011158000
 Driving at approximately 45mph, when power steering failed. power steering failure accompanied by other electrical issues. gauge cluster reset, all failure lights went on. power steering restored shortly after failure. occured approximately two more times after first incident. after power steering failure noticed, issue with charging system also. charging system voltage consistently low, sometimes even going down to 10v accompanied by loss of power and other malfunction lights.
06/15/2011100105
 The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s has failed several times without warning. the car is very difficult to steer when the pump strops working without warning and my wife nearly had an accident because of this intermittent failure. i checked online and there are many complaints about the very same problem.. stopping the car and shutting the engine off and then restarting it, clears the problem.
10/29/2011101286
 Lost power steering on freeway at 70 mile an hour.next day it work for 40 miles then failed again on freeway at 70 miles an hour, there is no warning or fluid loss,just complete steering loss . then it is very hard to control.
10/20/2011158000
 Driving at approximately 45mph, when power steering failed. power steering failure accompanied by other electrical issues. gauge cluster reset, all failure lights went on. power steering restored shortly after failure. occured approximately two more times after first incident. after power steering failure noticed, issue with charging system also. charging system voltage consistently low, sometimes even going down to 10v accompanied by loss of power and other malfunction lights.
06/15/2011100105
 The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s has failed several times without warning. the car is very difficult to steer when the pump strops working without warning and my wife nearly had an accident because of this intermittent failure. i checked online and there are many complaints about the very same problem.. stopping the car and shutting the engine off and then restarting it, clears the problem.
10/29/2011101286
 Lost power steering on freeway at 70 mile an hour.next day it work for 40 miles then failed again on freeway at 70 miles an hour, there is no warning or fluid loss,just complete steering loss . then it is very hard to control.
10/28/201181100
 The steering wheel went almost completely rigid and the wheel required a great deal of effort to turn. turning the wheel was far more difficult than in any vehicle i have driven without power steering, and there was a pulse of differing pressure against the turns at times. after shutting off the car and starting again, the steering was back to normal.
10/29/2011101286
 Lost power steering on freeway at 70 mile an hour.next day it work for 40 miles then failed again on freeway at 70 miles an hour, there is no warning or fluid loss,just complete steering loss . then it is very hard to control.
10/28/201181100
 The steering wheel went almost completely rigid and the wheel required a great deal of effort to turn. turning the wheel was far more difficult than in any vehicle i have driven without power steering, and there was a pulse of differing pressure against the turns at times. after shutting off the car and starting again, the steering was back to normal.
10/26/201137999
 After stopping at a red light, when i accelerated to make a left turn, lost power steering. drove to work next day with no power steering, but on the way home, it came back on. however, when i turn off the engine, the electric motor kept on running. had to disconnect battery to keep it from draining and/or cause a fire.
10/29/2011101286
 Lost power steering on freeway at 70 mile an hour.next day it work for 40 miles then failed again on freeway at 70 miles an hour, there is no warning or fluid loss,just complete steering loss . then it is very hard to control.
10/28/201181100
 The steering wheel went almost completely rigid and the wheel required a great deal of effort to turn. turning the wheel was far more difficult than in any vehicle i have driven without power steering, and there was a pulse of differing pressure against the turns at times. after shutting off the car and starting again, the steering was back to normal.
10/26/201137999
 After stopping at a red light, when i accelerated to make a left turn, lost power steering. drove to work next day with no power steering, but on the way home, it came back on. however, when i turn off the engine, the electric motor kept on running. had to disconnect battery to keep it from draining and/or cause a fire.
10/29/2011101286
 Lost power steering on freeway at 70 mile an hour.next day it work for 40 miles then failed again on freeway at 70 miles an hour, there is no warning or fluid loss,just complete steering loss . then it is very hard to control.
10/28/201181100
 The steering wheel went almost completely rigid and the wheel required a great deal of effort to turn. turning the wheel was far more difficult than in any vehicle i have driven without power steering, and there was a pulse of differing pressure against the turns at times. after shutting off the car and starting again, the steering was back to normal.
10/26/201137999
 After stopping at a red light, when i accelerated to make a left turn, lost power steering. drove to work next day with no power steering, but on the way home, it came back on. however, when i turn off the engine, the electric motor kept on running. had to disconnect battery to keep it from draining and/or cause a fire.
10/01/201146901
 The electric power steering pump failed... saw smoke coming from engine area, even when power to engine was shut off and key removed. after several attempts to restart vehicle after talking with service mechanic, he advised to restart car until the power steering unit possibly turned back on. after 6 attempts (appox 3 mins apart), the system started to work again, but with a stiff & grinding noise coming from the pump being transmitted thru the steering wheel. cause of failure is power steering pump/fan unit. very dangerous, as this happened at speed on freeway, and lost almost all control of steering.
10/07/2011169975
 The vehicle's power steering failed without warning while driving down the road. this caused the vehicle to be very difficult to steer. the car is almost impossible to drive.
09/27/2010140000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact was driving 45 mph when the steering wheel became hard to maneuver. the vehicle was merged onto the shoulder and then towed to a local mechanic who inspected the failure and informed the contact that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the power steering pump was replaced. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 140,000. kmj
09/27/2010140000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated while driving 45mph the power steering was hard to maneuver the vehicle . the vehicle was merged onto the shoulder and then towed to a mechanic shop who inspected the failure and informed him the power steering pump needed to be replaced. the power steering pump was replaced for $2000. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 140,000. mw
09/22/201190000
 Power steering failed abruptly causing dangerous driving condition.
04/01/2011
 Power steering just cuts off while driving for no reason. you have to stop the vehicle and turn off engine and then turn it back on to (i guess) reset the power steering. this is impossible if you are driving on a road that you cannot pull over and especially on a curvy road.
09/01/2011104000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering would seize. this failure recurred on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was not inspected nor repaired for the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 104,000. the vin was unavailable.
04/01/2011
 Power steering just cuts off while driving for no reason. you have to stop the vehicle and turn off engine and then turn it back on to (i guess) reset the power steering. this is impossible if you are driving on a road that you cannot pull over and especially on a curvy road.
09/01/2011104000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering would seize. this failure recurred on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was not inspected nor repaired for the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 104,000. the vin was unavailable.
09/01/2011104000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering would seize. this failure recurred on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was not inspected nor repaired for the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 104,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj
09/01/2011104000
 Tl-the contcat owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering would seize. this failure recurred on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was not inspected nor repaired for the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 104,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj
08/30/201160000
 Failed steering pump assembly on 2004 cooper s with 60k miles. failure of steering pump assembly created loss of steering and induces unsafe driving scenario. from the showroom, this vehicle (and others of this era) has provided a unique whine from the power steering assembly. the dealer would later inform me that this was normal to the bmw mini line. years later this feature has become a known problem and is confirmed and being investigated by the nhtsa. bmw (the manufacturer) has yet to acknowledge or developed a repairable solution towards this flawed characteristic. another toyota in the making?.. i hope not.
08/27/2011106400
 1)while driving my car in normal warm day temperatures in denver, co my power steering abruptly failed making it difficult to control my car. 2)has stayed failed 3)will have to get a rebuilt or new pump
08/30/201160000
 Failed steering pump assembly on 2004 cooper s with 60k miles. failure of steering pump assembly created loss of steering and induces unsafe driving scenario. from the showroom, this vehicle (and others of this era) has provided a unique whine from the power steering assembly. the dealer would later inform me that this was normal to the bmw mini line. years later this feature has become a known problem and is confirmed and being investigated by the nhtsa. bmw (the manufacturer) has yet to acknowledge or developed a repairable solution towards this flawed characteristic. another toyota in the making?.. i hope not.
08/27/2011106400
 1)while driving my car in normal warm day temperatures in denver, co my power steering abruptly failed making it difficult to control my car. 2)has stayed failed 3)will have to get a rebuilt or new pump
08/30/201160000
 Failed steering pump assembly on 2004 cooper s with 60k miles. failure of steering pump assembly created loss of steering and induces unsafe driving scenario. from the showroom, this vehicle (and others of this era) has provided a unique whine from the power steering assembly. the dealer would later inform me that this was normal to the bmw mini line. years later this feature has become a known problem and is confirmed and being investigated by the nhtsa. bmw (the manufacturer) has yet to acknowledge or developed a repairable solution towards this flawed characteristic. another toyota in the making?.. i hope not.
08/27/2011106400
 1)while driving my car in normal warm day temperatures in denver, co my power steering abruptly failed making it difficult to control my car. 2)has stayed failed 3)will have to get a rebuilt or new pump
08/30/201160000
 Failed steering pump assembly on 2004 cooper s with 60k miles. failure of steering pump assembly created loss of steering and induces unsafe driving scenario. from the showroom, this vehicle (and others of this era) has provided a unique whine from the power steering assembly. the dealer would later inform me that this was normal to the bmw mini line. years later this feature has become a known problem and is confirmed and being investigated by the nhtsa. bmw (the manufacturer) has yet to acknowledge or developed a repairable solution towards this flawed characteristic. another toyota in the making?.. i hope not.
08/27/2011106400
 1)while driving my car in normal warm day temperatures in denver, co my power steering abruptly failed making it difficult to control my car. 2)has stayed failed 3)will have to get a rebuilt or new pump
08/03/201167000
 I was driving to work, on a windy road when my car lost it's power steering. the garage has to replace the power steering pump, fan and steering rack for a total cost of about $3,000! i was very lucky to have not run off the road.
07/27/200942500
 The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed, leading to extremely difficult operation of the vehicle. car was under extended warranty but failure not covered.
08/03/201167000
 I was driving to work, on a windy road when my car lost it's power steering. the garage has to replace the power steering pump, fan and steering rack for a total cost of about $3,000! i was very lucky to have not run off the road.
07/27/200942500
 The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed, leading to extremely difficult operation of the vehicle. car was under extended warranty but failure not covered.
07/30/201193000
 2004 mini cooper s first had an issue that drained the battery. once power was restored and the car was driven and then shut off, there was a whirring noise, similar to a fan running, that continued after the key had been removed from the ignition. this noise and the apparent power drain continues until the battery is drained once more. following these issues, the mini began to become more and more difficult to steer. it is diagnosed as a power steering failure that is apparently common among this generation of mini cooper. no accidents, injuries, or fires have occurred due to this failure, however the car is not safe to drive until parts are replaced.
07/17/201149527
 The steering pump cooling fan started to fail and had to be replaced. the dealership also stated the steering rack was leaking fluid and was going to need replacement at a cost of over $1,000.00.
07/30/201193000
 2004 mini cooper s first had an issue that drained the battery. once power was restored and the car was driven and then shut off, there was a whirring noise, similar to a fan running, that continued after the key had been removed from the ignition. this noise and the apparent power drain continues until the battery is drained once more. following these issues, the mini began to become more and more difficult to steer. it is diagnosed as a power steering failure that is apparently common among this generation of mini cooper. no accidents, injuries, or fires have occurred due to this failure, however the car is not safe to drive until parts are replaced.
07/17/201149527
 The steering pump cooling fan started to fail and had to be replaced. the dealership also stated the steering rack was leaking fluid and was going to need replacement at a cost of over $1,000.00.
07/30/201193000
 2004 mini cooper s first had an issue that drained the battery. once power was restored and the car was driven and then shut off, there was a whirring noise, similar to a fan running, that continued after the key had been removed from the ignition. this noise and the apparent power drain continues until the battery is drained once more. following these issues, the mini began to become more and more difficult to steer. it is diagnosed as a power steering failure that is apparently common among this generation of mini cooper. no accidents, injuries, or fires have occurred due to this failure, however the car is not safe to drive until parts are replaced.
07/17/201149527
 The steering pump cooling fan started to fail and had to be replaced. the dealership also stated the steering rack was leaking fluid and was going to need replacement at a cost of over $1,000.00.
07/30/201193000
 2004 mini cooper s first had an issue that drained the battery. once power was restored and the car was driven and then shut off, there was a whirring noise, similar to a fan running, that continued after the key had been removed from the ignition. this noise and the apparent power drain continues until the battery is drained once more. following these issues, the mini began to become more and more difficult to steer. it is diagnosed as a power steering failure that is apparently common among this generation of mini cooper. no accidents, injuries, or fires have occurred due to this failure, however the car is not safe to drive until parts are replaced.
07/17/201149527
 The steering pump cooling fan started to fail and had to be replaced. the dealership also stated the steering rack was leaking fluid and was going to need replacement at a cost of over $1,000.00.
07/18/2011140000
 I purchased my 2004 mini cooper s 5 months ago. i was told by the dealer everything worked fine on the car. there was a whining noise in the car, which he told me was normal on min coopers. i was driving from boise, id to olympia, wa in my 2004 mini cooper s. then suddenly, about 200 miles into my trip, while i was over taking a semi truck on a right hand curve. my power steering tightened and i had to hold on really tight. i almost ran into the side wall. after further investigation i found that my power steering had died. it seems that there should be some kind of safe way for the power steering to die. loosing power steering the way it did, and how hard it is to turn the steering without the pump sounds very scary. i drove down steep hill with sharp curves during the trip and i'm so glad the pump didn't die then. i then drove the rest of the way carefully as possible without the power steering. now i know that the whining niose was from the power steering since the whining noise went away once the power steering died. it seems that this is a common issue with others as well. now my car is parked and i'm not sure if i should replace the part or not. i feel bmw should take some initiatives to fix this issue.
03/15/201160000
 Loss of power steering. at first intermittant, now complete.
04/15/201050000
 Loss of power steering assist while driving making it difficult to steer the car. at times, there would be no power steering assist; restarting the car would solve the issue. ultimately, the issue appeared to be a built-in electrical relay in the electric power steering pump that sticks. only replacement option was to replace the entire pump
05/15/201193500
 The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed, leading to extremely difficult operation of the vehicle. at speed the car is ok, if a bit cumbersome. at low speeds or in a parking lot, a tremendous amount of effort is required to be able to control the car. at first, the problem was intermittent - restarting the car sometimes restored control. however, for the past few weeks the power steering is completely dead.
04/15/201050000
 Loss of power steering assist while driving making it difficult to steer the car. at times, there would be no power steering assist; restarting the car would solve the issue. ultimately, the issue appeared to be a built-in electrical relay in the electric power steering pump that sticks. only replacement option was to replace the entire pump
05/15/201193500
 The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed, leading to extremely difficult operation of the vehicle. at speed the car is ok, if a bit cumbersome. at low speeds or in a parking lot, a tremendous amount of effort is required to be able to control the car. at first, the problem was intermittent - restarting the car sometimes restored control. however, for the past few weeks the power steering is completely dead.
04/15/201050000
 Loss of power steering assist while driving making it difficult to steer the car. at times, there would be no power steering assist; restarting the car would solve the issue. ultimately, the issue appeared to be a built-in electrical relay in the electric power steering pump that sticks. only replacement option was to replace the entire pump
05/15/201193500
 The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed, leading to extremely difficult operation of the vehicle. at speed the car is ok, if a bit cumbersome. at low speeds or in a parking lot, a tremendous amount of effort is required to be able to control the car. at first, the problem was intermittent - restarting the car sometimes restored control. however, for the past few weeks the power steering is completely dead.
07/07/2011121000
 I am writing to complain about my 2004 mini cooper s power steering pump failure. i have done hours of research on the internet and have contacted half a dozen mini dealerships to find out, this is a reoccurring problem (on 2001-2005 models) and can be very dangerous. there is no warning (check engine light) when this part goes defective, so basically while driving the power steering just shuts off leaving about 30lbs of pressure to turn the steering wheel. good thing i am a strong male, becauce i was able to stop the car on the side of the road for assistance. by no means am i sexist, but believe me this car is really hard to manoeuvre without power steering assistance. the cost of repairs ranges from $1000-$1500 ($800 just for the pump), plus $200 for having the car towed to the nearest garage. i believe something should be done about this issue before there are some serious injuries or even deaths.
04/15/201050000
 Loss of power steering assist while driving making it difficult to steer the car. at times, there would be no power steering assist; restarting the car would solve the issue. ultimately, the issue appeared to be a built-in electrical relay in the electric power steering pump that sticks. only replacement option was to replace the entire pump
05/15/201193500
 The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed, leading to extremely difficult operation of the vehicle. at speed the car is ok, if a bit cumbersome. at low speeds or in a parking lot, a tremendous amount of effort is required to be able to control the car. at first, the problem was intermittent - restarting the car sometimes restored control. however, for the past few weeks the power steering is completely dead.
07/07/2011121000
 I am writing to complain about my 2004 mini cooper s power steering pump failure. i have done hours of research on the internet and have contacted half a dozen mini dealerships to find out, this is a reoccurring problem (on 2001-2005 models) and can be very dangerous. there is no warning (check engine light) when this part goes defective, so basically while driving the power steering just shuts off leaving about 30lbs of pressure to turn the steering wheel. good thing i am a strong male, becauce i was able to stop the car on the side of the road for assistance. by no means am i sexist, but believe me this car is really hard to manoeuvre without power steering assistance. the cost of repairs ranges from $1000-$1500 ($800 just for the pump), plus $200 for having the car towed to the nearest garage. i believe something should be done about this issue before there are some serious injuries or even deaths.
07/08/201172342
 While leaving a shopping center my power steering failed. i was about 15 miles from home and i very cautiously proceeded home. what concerns me is there is extensive evidence that this is a reoccurring problem with the 2003-2006 mini cooper. some have narrowly escaped injury.
07/07/201195800
 I was driving on i-65 at 62 mph. right as i approached the on ramp to i-265, the power steering failed. i almost did not get the wheel turned in time to make the curve. i had no warning.
07/08/201172342
 While leaving a shopping center my power steering failed. i was about 15 miles from home and i very cautiously proceeded home. what concerns me is there is extensive evidence that this is a reoccurring problem with the 2003-2006 mini cooper. some have narrowly escaped injury.
07/07/201195800
 I was driving on i-65 at 62 mph. right as i approached the on ramp to i-265, the power steering failed. i almost did not get the wheel turned in time to make the curve. i had no warning.
07/08/201172342
 While leaving a shopping center my power steering failed. i was about 15 miles from home and i very cautiously proceeded home. what concerns me is there is extensive evidence that this is a reoccurring problem with the 2003-2006 mini cooper. some have narrowly escaped injury.
07/07/201195800
 I was driving on i-65 at 62 mph. right as i approached the on ramp to i-265, the power steering failed. i almost did not get the wheel turned in time to make the curve. i had no warning.
09/25/201064321
 The power steering fails on the car. it has happened multiple times. it can happen when you first start the car, or it can happen afteryou have been driving for some time. all of the sudden you lose your power steering and it is very difficult to steer without the power steering. i am a female and i have to use both arms to get the car to turn without the power steering. i am afraid that the power steering is going to go out at a bad time and i won't be able to get the car to turn quick enough and i could cause an accident.
07/08/201172342
 While leaving a shopping center my power steering failed. i was about 15 miles from home and i very cautiously proceeded home. what concerns me is there is extensive evidence that this is a reoccurring problem with the 2003-2006 mini cooper. some have narrowly escaped injury.
07/07/201195800
 I was driving on i-65 at 62 mph. right as i approached the on ramp to i-265, the power steering failed. i almost did not get the wheel turned in time to make the curve. i had no warning.
09/25/201064321
 The power steering fails on the car. it has happened multiple times. it can happen when you first start the car, or it can happen afteryou have been driving for some time. all of the sudden you lose your power steering and it is very difficult to steer without the power steering. i am a female and i have to use both arms to get the car to turn without the power steering. i am afraid that the power steering is going to go out at a bad time and i won't be able to get the car to turn quick enough and i could cause an accident.
06/30/201187000
 I have lost the power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s at least ten times within the last month. on each occasion the power steering was absent when the car was started. after shutting down the car and restarting, the power steering came back. i took the car to the dealership to get this fixed, and they said that the power steering was not getting enough electrical power and replaced my battery. however, after leaving the dealership and while parking, the power steering failed, again. after restarting the car two times, the power steering came back on. i will be returning to the dealership this evening.
06/27/2011178655
 Power steering failed while driving car, causing vehice to become much harder to steer, nearly causing accident.
06/30/201187000
 I have lost the power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s at least ten times within the last month. on each occasion the power steering was absent when the car was started. after shutting down the car and restarting, the power steering came back. i took the car to the dealership to get this fixed, and they said that the power steering was not getting enough electrical power and replaced my battery. however, after leaving the dealership and while parking, the power steering failed, again. after restarting the car two times, the power steering came back on. i will be returning to the dealership this evening.
06/27/2011178655
 Power steering failed while driving car, causing vehice to become much harder to steer, nearly causing accident.
06/07/201180000
 Failure of power steering system in 2004 mini cooper s. vehicle performed fine the night before, then the power steering wasn't working the next morning. this is the third instance of the problem i have encountered. the dealer said it was an electrical problem, and the best thing to do was restart the car and maybe the computer would reset itself. that worked the previous 2 times, but not this time. now i'm out of the warranty period...
06/05/201137854
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the power steering failed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. the vehicle was pulled over and shut off. upon restart the vehicle momentarily operated as normal before the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken home and parked. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the failure and current mileages were 37,854. sm.
06/07/201180000
 Failure of power steering system in 2004 mini cooper s. vehicle performed fine the night before, then the power steering wasn't working the next morning. this is the third instance of the problem i have encountered. the dealer said it was an electrical problem, and the best thing to do was restart the car and maybe the computer would reset itself. that worked the previous 2 times, but not this time. now i'm out of the warranty period...
06/05/201137854
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the power steering failed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. the vehicle was pulled over and shut off. upon restart the vehicle momentarily operated as normal before the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken home and parked. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the failure and current mileages were 37,854. sm.
06/07/201180000
 Failure of power steering system in 2004 mini cooper s. vehicle performed fine the night before, then the power steering wasn't working the next morning. this is the third instance of the problem i have encountered. the dealer said it was an electrical problem, and the best thing to do was restart the car and maybe the computer would reset itself. that worked the previous 2 times, but not this time. now i'm out of the warranty period...
06/05/201137854
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the power steering failed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. the vehicle was pulled over and shut off. upon restart the vehicle momentarily operated as normal before the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken home and parked. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the failure and current mileages were 37,854. sm.
06/07/201180000
 Failure of power steering system in 2004 mini cooper s. vehicle performed fine the night before, then the power steering wasn't working the next morning. this is the third instance of the problem i have encountered. the dealer said it was an electrical problem, and the best thing to do was restart the car and maybe the computer would reset itself. that worked the previous 2 times, but not this time. now i'm out of the warranty period...
06/05/201137854
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph the power steering failed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. the vehicle was pulled over and shut off. upon restart the vehicle momentarily operated as normal before the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken home and parked. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the failure and current mileages were 37,854. sm.
03/08/2011112000
 Power steering fails. on multiple occasions the power steering has failed, both while driving as well as after just starting the car. the problem is intermittent and i see no pattern to it's occurrence. typically it is remedied by turning off the car and re-starting. there has been a few occasions where it will sputter in and out before it goes out completely but the most common occurrence is when i start the car, there's is no power steering.
06/02/200720000
 Power steering failure while driving vehicle. failure occurs without warning, requiring an extreme effort to turn steering wheel or maintain wheel position if failure occurs while manuevering on a curved section of highway. failures began as warranty expired, and is now permanent. bmw service representatives were familiar with problem, stating that the cause was failure of the electro-hydraulic power steering pump, a non-repairable part. bmw had the part in stock, and with installation, gave an estimate exceeding $600.00 to replace pump. due to the cost, i have not had the repair done.
03/08/2011112000
 Power steering fails. on multiple occasions the power steering has failed, both while driving as well as after just starting the car. the problem is intermittent and i see no pattern to it's occurrence. typically it is remedied by turning off the car and re-starting. there has been a few occasions where it will sputter in and out before it goes out completely but the most common occurrence is when i start the car, there's is no power steering.
06/02/200720000
 Power steering failure while driving vehicle. failure occurs without warning, requiring an extreme effort to turn steering wheel or maintain wheel position if failure occurs while manuevering on a curved section of highway. failures began as warranty expired, and is now permanent. bmw service representatives were familiar with problem, stating that the cause was failure of the electro-hydraulic power steering pump, a non-repairable part. bmw had the part in stock, and with installation, gave an estimate exceeding $600.00 to replace pump. due to the cost, i have not had the repair done.
09/01/201085000
 The vehicle intermittently looses power steering, making it difficult to steer. the power assist cuts out intermittently, and will occasionally come back while the vehicle is in motion, though more often it begins working the next time the car is started. the frequency is variable - it goes months without a problem and then may have the problem for several consecutive days.
06/02/200720000
 Power steering failure while driving vehicle. failure occurs without warning, requiring an extreme effort to turn steering wheel or maintain wheel position if failure occurs while manuevering on a curved section of highway. failures began as warranty expired, and is now permanent. bmw service representatives were familiar with problem, stating that the cause was failure of the electro-hydraulic power steering pump, a non-repairable part. bmw had the part in stock, and with installation, gave an estimate exceeding $600.00 to replace pump. due to the cost, i have not had the repair done.
09/01/201085000
 The vehicle intermittently looses power steering, making it difficult to steer. the power assist cuts out intermittently, and will occasionally come back while the vehicle is in motion, though more often it begins working the next time the car is started. the frequency is variable - it goes months without a problem and then may have the problem for several consecutive days.
05/17/201184000
 May 17th while turning left at an intersection was taken by suprise at the effort suddenly needed to turn my vehicle, causing me to go wider than needed. nearly hit another motorist turning left in other direction. stopped to check for low fluid level and found no deficiencies. was able to make it home where i will park the car indefinately.
05/17/201165000
 Mini cooper s 2004- power steering failure, going in and out, extremely difficult to navigate the vehicle around corners and disturbing to say the least. have not taken it to the dealership yet, apparently this is a 'common' problem on mini coopers of this manufacturing period, according to the service department representative at the local dealership. i'm afraid that if this happens when i'm driving at a crucial moment that it will lead to an accident. also concerned that the cost of repair (the car is not under warranty any more) will be more than i can bear as far as cost. this does not seem like a cost that should be burdened by the owner, it is an issue of safety and should be a major concern of the auto manufacturer.
09/01/201085000
 The vehicle intermittently looses power steering, making it difficult to steer. the power assist cuts out intermittently, and will occasionally come back while the vehicle is in motion, though more often it begins working the next time the car is started. the frequency is variable - it goes months without a problem and then may have the problem for several consecutive days.
05/17/201184000
 May 17th while turning left at an intersection was taken by suprise at the effort suddenly needed to turn my vehicle, causing me to go wider than needed. nearly hit another motorist turning left in other direction. stopped to check for low fluid level and found no deficiencies. was able to make it home where i will park the car indefinately.
05/17/201165000
 Mini cooper s 2004- power steering failure, going in and out, extremely difficult to navigate the vehicle around corners and disturbing to say the least. have not taken it to the dealership yet, apparently this is a 'common' problem on mini coopers of this manufacturing period, according to the service department representative at the local dealership. i'm afraid that if this happens when i'm driving at a crucial moment that it will lead to an accident. also concerned that the cost of repair (the car is not under warranty any more) will be more than i can bear as far as cost. this does not seem like a cost that should be burdened by the owner, it is an issue of safety and should be a major concern of the auto manufacturer.
05/17/201184000
 May 17th while turning left at an intersection was taken by suprise at the effort suddenly needed to turn my vehicle, causing me to go wider than needed. nearly hit another motorist turning left in other direction. stopped to check for low fluid level and found no deficiencies. was able to make it home where i will park the car indefinately.
05/17/201165000
 Mini cooper s 2004- power steering failure, going in and out, extremely difficult to navigate the vehicle around corners and disturbing to say the least. have not taken it to the dealership yet, apparently this is a 'common' problem on mini coopers of this manufacturing period, according to the service department representative at the local dealership. i'm afraid that if this happens when i'm driving at a crucial moment that it will lead to an accident. also concerned that the cost of repair (the car is not under warranty any more) will be more than i can bear as far as cost. this does not seem like a cost that should be burdened by the owner, it is an issue of safety and should be a major concern of the auto manufacturer.
05/17/201184000
 May 17th while turning left at an intersection was taken by suprise at the effort suddenly needed to turn my vehicle, causing me to go wider than needed. nearly hit another motorist turning left in other direction. stopped to check for low fluid level and found no deficiencies. was able to make it home where i will park the car indefinately.
05/17/201165000
 Mini cooper s 2004- power steering failure, going in and out, extremely difficult to navigate the vehicle around corners and disturbing to say the least. have not taken it to the dealership yet, apparently this is a 'common' problem on mini coopers of this manufacturing period, according to the service department representative at the local dealership. i'm afraid that if this happens when i'm driving at a crucial moment that it will lead to an accident. also concerned that the cost of repair (the car is not under warranty any more) will be more than i can bear as far as cost. this does not seem like a cost that should be burdened by the owner, it is an issue of safety and should be a major concern of the auto manufacturer.
04/20/201029000
 Power steering pump failure
08/01/200860000
 Power steering is not reliable; sometimes works, and sometime does not. consequently it causes dangerous situations particularly in slippery conditions. initially the problem was barely noticeable.when consulted, mini service stated that this is not a fault but a characteristic of the mini. with time the steering got progressively less predictable. and, the problem was rectified about two years ago with replacement of the power steering pomp. one year later, the unpredictable loss of power steering returned again (sporadically), and now come (permanent) future of driving.
04/20/201029000
 Power steering pump failure
08/01/200860000
 Power steering is not reliable; sometimes works, and sometime does not. consequently it causes dangerous situations particularly in slippery conditions. initially the problem was barely noticeable.when consulted, mini service stated that this is not a fault but a characteristic of the mini. with time the steering got progressively less predictable. and, the problem was rectified about two years ago with replacement of the power steering pomp. one year later, the unpredictable loss of power steering returned again (sporadically), and now come (permanent) future of driving.
04/26/2011100000
 Drove 70 mi from milltown, nj to valhalla, ny on april 26. power steering stopped functioning upon arrival. turning off and restarting engine remedied the problem. on return trip, failure occurred just past essex tolls on garden state - about half way to return destination. checked and topped fluid. the steering fails regularly according to this pattern. it appears that power steering pump cooling fan has stopped working. i will replace fan. if this does not remedy the situation, i will replace the power steering pump. i will retain the old parts.
05/08/2011108000
 Complete loss of power steering immediately after starting vehicle. this is much harder to steer than a car which never had power steering to begin with. almost impossible to turn the wheel.
04/20/201029000
 Power steering pump failure
08/01/200860000
 Power steering is not reliable; sometimes works, and sometime does not. consequently it causes dangerous situations particularly in slippery conditions. initially the problem was barely noticeable.when consulted, mini service stated that this is not a fault but a characteristic of the mini. with time the steering got progressively less predictable. and, the problem was rectified about two years ago with replacement of the power steering pomp. one year later, the unpredictable loss of power steering returned again (sporadically), and now come (permanent) future of driving.
04/26/2011100000
 Drove 70 mi from milltown, nj to valhalla, ny on april 26. power steering stopped functioning upon arrival. turning off and restarting engine remedied the problem. on return trip, failure occurred just past essex tolls on garden state - about half way to return destination. checked and topped fluid. the steering fails regularly according to this pattern. it appears that power steering pump cooling fan has stopped working. i will replace fan. if this does not remedy the situation, i will replace the power steering pump. i will retain the old parts.
05/08/2011108000
 Complete loss of power steering immediately after starting vehicle. this is much harder to steer than a car which never had power steering to begin with. almost impossible to turn the wheel.
05/07/201184000
 Was driving my son home from a soccer tournament, traveling about 70 mph, when the steering failed-i could only turn the steering wheel about 1 in each direction. terrifying. the problem persists, and the car is unsafe to drive-i'll probably need to tow it to the mechanic.
08/01/200860000
 Power steering is not reliable; sometimes works, and sometime does not. consequently it causes dangerous situations particularly in slippery conditions. initially the problem was barely noticeable.when consulted, mini service stated that this is not a fault but a characteristic of the mini. with time the steering got progressively less predictable. and, the problem was rectified about two years ago with replacement of the power steering pomp. one year later, the unpredictable loss of power steering returned again (sporadically), and now come (permanent) future of driving.
04/26/2011100000
 Drove 70 mi from milltown, nj to valhalla, ny on april 26. power steering stopped functioning upon arrival. turning off and restarting engine remedied the problem. on return trip, failure occurred just past essex tolls on garden state - about half way to return destination. checked and topped fluid. the steering fails regularly according to this pattern. it appears that power steering pump cooling fan has stopped working. i will replace fan. if this does not remedy the situation, i will replace the power steering pump. i will retain the old parts.
05/08/2011108000
 Complete loss of power steering immediately after starting vehicle. this is much harder to steer than a car which never had power steering to begin with. almost impossible to turn the wheel.
05/07/201184000
 Was driving my son home from a soccer tournament, traveling about 70 mph, when the steering failed-i could only turn the steering wheel about 1 in each direction. terrifying. the problem persists, and the car is unsafe to drive-i'll probably need to tow it to the mechanic.
04/26/2011100000
 Drove 70 mi from milltown, nj to valhalla, ny on april 26. power steering stopped functioning upon arrival. turning off and restarting engine remedied the problem. on return trip, failure occurred just past essex tolls on garden state - about half way to return destination. checked and topped fluid. the steering fails regularly according to this pattern. it appears that power steering pump cooling fan has stopped working. i will replace fan. if this does not remedy the situation, i will replace the power steering pump. i will retain the old parts.
05/08/2011108000
 Complete loss of power steering immediately after starting vehicle. this is much harder to steer than a car which never had power steering to begin with. almost impossible to turn the wheel.
05/07/201184000
 Was driving my son home from a soccer tournament, traveling about 70 mph, when the steering failed-i could only turn the steering wheel about 1 in each direction. terrifying. the problem persists, and the car is unsafe to drive-i'll probably need to tow it to the mechanic.
05/08/2011108000
 Complete loss of power steering immediately after starting vehicle. this is much harder to steer than a car which never had power steering to begin with. almost impossible to turn the wheel.
05/07/201184000
 Was driving my son home from a soccer tournament, traveling about 70 mph, when the steering failed-i could only turn the steering wheel about 1 in each direction. terrifying. the problem persists, and the car is unsafe to drive-i'll probably need to tow it to the mechanic.
05/08/2011108000
 Complete loss of power steering immediately after starting vehicle. this is much harder to steer than a car which never had power steering to begin with. almost impossible to turn the wheel.
05/07/201184000
 Was driving my son home from a soccer tournament, traveling about 70 mph, when the steering failed-i could only turn the steering wheel about 1 in each direction. terrifying. the problem persists, and the car is unsafe to drive-i'll probably need to tow it to the mechanic.
04/21/2011150000
 Lost power streering intermitantly last month while driving and now the fan stays on and runs the enigine till the battery is dead. i need to have it jumped everytime i want to drive it. mini stated they will not replace it for free they don't care if there is an investigation, unti were ordered to fix it the cost is on the customer
03/25/201174000
 2004 mini cooper s power steering failed on i93 south on my way to work in boston without any warning , speed about 80 at 4:00am on the morning of 4/25/2011. made it to work had car taken in for service at mini of peabody ma the same day and was charged $1180.00 dollars to replace steering pump. two weeks prior on 4/8/2011 at the same dealer at their recommendation replaced steering fan and return hose as a precaution during routine maintenance charged 500.00 dollars. friday 4/22/2011 car was at same dealer to have the catalytic converter replaced followed by their usual test drive , there was no mention of any steering problem at that time nor did i experience any problem with the steering on my way back home after repair. my concern is if this had happened with out warning on an off ramp or when my wife or daughter were driving the out come could have been much different. i paid an extra 60.00 dollars to keep the old pump.
04/21/2011150000
 Lost power streering intermitantly last month while driving and now the fan stays on and runs the enigine till the battery is dead. i need to have it jumped everytime i want to drive it. mini stated they will not replace it for free they don't care if there is an investigation, unti were ordered to fix it the cost is on the customer
03/25/201174000
 2004 mini cooper s power steering failed on i93 south on my way to work in boston without any warning , speed about 80 at 4:00am on the morning of 4/25/2011. made it to work had car taken in for service at mini of peabody ma the same day and was charged $1180.00 dollars to replace steering pump. two weeks prior on 4/8/2011 at the same dealer at their recommendation replaced steering fan and return hose as a precaution during routine maintenance charged 500.00 dollars. friday 4/22/2011 car was at same dealer to have the catalytic converter replaced followed by their usual test drive , there was no mention of any steering problem at that time nor did i experience any problem with the steering on my way back home after repair. my concern is if this had happened with out warning on an off ramp or when my wife or daughter were driving the out come could have been much different. i paid an extra 60.00 dollars to keep the old pump.
04/21/2011150000
 Lost power streering intermitantly last month while driving and now the fan stays on and runs the enigine till the battery is dead. i need to have it jumped everytime i want to drive it. mini stated they will not replace it for free they don't care if there is an investigation, unti were ordered to fix it the cost is on the customer
03/25/201174000
 2004 mini cooper s power steering failed on i93 south on my way to work in boston without any warning , speed about 80 at 4:00am on the morning of 4/25/2011. made it to work had car taken in for service at mini of peabody ma the same day and was charged $1180.00 dollars to replace steering pump. two weeks prior on 4/8/2011 at the same dealer at their recommendation replaced steering fan and return hose as a precaution during routine maintenance charged 500.00 dollars. friday 4/22/2011 car was at same dealer to have the catalytic converter replaced followed by their usual test drive , there was no mention of any steering problem at that time nor did i experience any problem with the steering on my way back home after repair. my concern is if this had happened with out warning on an off ramp or when my wife or daughter were driving the out come could have been much different. i paid an extra 60.00 dollars to keep the old pump.
04/21/2011150000
 Lost power streering intermitantly last month while driving and now the fan stays on and runs the enigine till the battery is dead. i need to have it jumped everytime i want to drive it. mini stated they will not replace it for free they don't care if there is an investigation, unti were ordered to fix it the cost is on the customer
03/25/201174000
 2004 mini cooper s power steering failed on i93 south on my way to work in boston without any warning , speed about 80 at 4:00am on the morning of 4/25/2011. made it to work had car taken in for service at mini of peabody ma the same day and was charged $1180.00 dollars to replace steering pump. two weeks prior on 4/8/2011 at the same dealer at their recommendation replaced steering fan and return hose as a precaution during routine maintenance charged 500.00 dollars. friday 4/22/2011 car was at same dealer to have the catalytic converter replaced followed by their usual test drive , there was no mention of any steering problem at that time nor did i experience any problem with the steering on my way back home after repair. my concern is if this had happened with out warning on an off ramp or when my wife or daughter were driving the out come could have been much different. i paid an extra 60.00 dollars to keep the old pump.
04/18/201179000
 I have a 2004 mini cooper s with approx 80k miles. the power steering randomly and intermittently fails to work. this problem has occurred approximately six times during the last two months. i intend to replace the power steering pump, but am told that this may happen again, even with replaced pump.
04/05/201170000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact was driving 40 mph when the power steering malfunctioned and the vehicle became extremely difficult to steer. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic where he was advised that the power steering pump and the rack of the rack and pinion would need replacing. the mechanic replaced both the rack and power steering pump. the failure mileage was 70,000.
04/02/2011104200
 Acute loss of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s. i was driving normally and was pulling onto the interstate when the steering became very difficult. i was able to continue to steer the vehicle but it required a great deal of effort. i've been told by my mechanic that it doesn't involve the failure of the power steering pump fan...the fan has been tested and is working ok. the cost for the repair is going to be approximately $1160. my mechanic has told me that failure of the p. s. pump in this year and model mini cooper is common.
04/05/201170000
 Tl. the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated while driving 40 mph the power steering malfunction making the vehicle very difficult to steer. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic. the local mechanic stated the power steering pump and the rack from the rack and pinion needs to be replaced. the mechanic replaced both the rack and power steering pump. the contact notice via the internet numerous complaint regarding the power steering system and stated the manufacturer should issue a recall. the failure mileage was 70,000. jo
04/02/2011104200
 Acute loss of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s. i was driving normally and was pulling onto the interstate when the steering became very difficult. i was able to continue to steer the vehicle but it required a great deal of effort. i've been told by my mechanic that it doesn't involve the failure of the power steering pump fan...the fan has been tested and is working ok. the cost for the repair is going to be approximately $1160. my mechanic has told me that failure of the p. s. pump in this year and model mini cooper is common.
04/05/201170000
 Tl. the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated while driving 40 mph the power steering malfunction making the vehicle very difficult to steer. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic. the local mechanic stated the power steering pump and the rack from the rack and pinion needs to be replaced. the mechanic replaced both the rack and power steering pump. the contact notice via the internet numerous complaint regarding the power steering system and stated the manufacturer should issue a recall. the failure mileage was 70,000. jo
04/02/2011104200
 Acute loss of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s. i was driving normally and was pulling onto the interstate when the steering became very difficult. i was able to continue to steer the vehicle but it required a great deal of effort. i've been told by my mechanic that it doesn't involve the failure of the power steering pump fan...the fan has been tested and is working ok. the cost for the repair is going to be approximately $1160. my mechanic has told me that failure of the p. s. pump in this year and model mini cooper is common.
04/04/201157000
 2004 mini cooper s
04/06/201190982
 For the past year, my mini cooper s has had several sudden power losses in the power steering, resulting in the car becoming difficult to control. it has been looked at by a mini service department, who kew about the problem, but did not inform me. my warranty was called in, and they did not authorize its repair either. i live in a remote area, with a driving need for 3-4 hours for medical care. this drive is through canyons and over mountains, so the loss of steering control is in no way an option, and may also result in an accident causing injury or worse, death. i have documentation that the complaint was made to mini by me, and yesterday, received confirmation that they did, in fact, know about the problem.
04/02/2011104200
 Acute loss of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s. i was driving normally and was pulling onto the interstate when the steering became very difficult. i was able to continue to steer the vehicle but it required a great deal of effort. i've been told by my mechanic that it doesn't involve the failure of the power steering pump fan...the fan has been tested and is working ok. the cost for the repair is going to be approximately $1160. my mechanic has told me that failure of the p. s. pump in this year and model mini cooper is common.
04/04/201157000
 2004 mini cooper s
04/06/201190982
 For the past year, my mini cooper s has had several sudden power losses in the power steering, resulting in the car becoming difficult to control. it has been looked at by a mini service department, who kew about the problem, but did not inform me. my warranty was called in, and they did not authorize its repair either. i live in a remote area, with a driving need for 3-4 hours for medical care. this drive is through canyons and over mountains, so the loss of steering control is in no way an option, and may also result in an accident causing injury or worse, death. i have documentation that the complaint was made to mini by me, and yesterday, received confirmation that they did, in fact, know about the problem.
04/02/2011104200
 Acute loss of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s. i was driving normally and was pulling onto the interstate when the steering became very difficult. i was able to continue to steer the vehicle but it required a great deal of effort. i've been told by my mechanic that it doesn't involve the failure of the power steering pump fan...the fan has been tested and is working ok. the cost for the repair is going to be approximately $1160. my mechanic has told me that failure of the p. s. pump in this year and model mini cooper is common.
04/04/201157000
 2004 mini cooper s
04/06/201190982
 For the past year, my mini cooper s has had several sudden power losses in the power steering, resulting in the car becoming difficult to control. it has been looked at by a mini service department, who kew about the problem, but did not inform me. my warranty was called in, and they did not authorize its repair either. i live in a remote area, with a driving need for 3-4 hours for medical care. this drive is through canyons and over mountains, so the loss of steering control is in no way an option, and may also result in an accident causing injury or worse, death. i have documentation that the complaint was made to mini by me, and yesterday, received confirmation that they did, in fact, know about the problem.
04/04/201157000
 2004 mini cooper s
04/06/201190982
 For the past year, my mini cooper s has had several sudden power losses in the power steering, resulting in the car becoming difficult to control. it has been looked at by a mini service department, who kew about the problem, but did not inform me. my warranty was called in, and they did not authorize its repair either. i live in a remote area, with a driving need for 3-4 hours for medical care. this drive is through canyons and over mountains, so the loss of steering control is in no way an option, and may also result in an accident causing injury or worse, death. i have documentation that the complaint was made to mini by me, and yesterday, received confirmation that they did, in fact, know about the problem.
03/27/201165000
 While driving my 2004 mini cooper s the power assisted steering seems to quit working. this has happened in the past and then the power assist begins working on its own and may work for quite a while then unexpectedly will stop working again. when this happens the steering becomes very difficult and requires a great deal of extra effort to turn. many times it only stops working for one or two turns then the power assist pump begins working again. in the fall of 2010 i had to install a power steering pump cooling fan because it failed but the pump continues to intermittently stop working.
03/24/2011105683
 Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. the contact also stated that the steering wheel was stuck in a partially turned position but the vehicle continued to drive straight forward. the vehicle was towed to the contacts place of residence and was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. the failure and current mileages were 105,683.
03/27/201165000
 While driving my 2004 mini cooper s the power assisted steering seems to quit working. this has happened in the past and then the power assist begins working on its own and may work for quite a while then unexpectedly will stop working again. when this happens the steering becomes very difficult and requires a great deal of extra effort to turn. many times it only stops working for one or two turns then the power assist pump begins working again. in the fall of 2010 i had to install a power steering pump cooling fan because it failed but the pump continues to intermittently stop working.
03/24/2011105683
 Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. the contact also stated that the steering wheel was stuck in a partially turned position but the vehicle continued to drive straight forward. the vehicle was towed to the contacts place of residence and was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. the failure and current mileages were 105,683.
03/24/2011105683
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while driving approximately 40 mph the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. the contact also stated the steering wheel was stuck partially turned but the vehicle continued to drive straight. the vehicle was pulled over and towed home. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 105,683. sm.
05/15/200995000
 @ approximately 85k miles power steering failure intermittently became an issue on 2004 mini cooper s. @ 95k miles power steering became complete failure.
03/16/201178000
 Power steering got tighter and tighter making it really hard to turn in small corners (which are everywhere in big cities). it turns out the be a well-known issue which is power steering fluid leak. it almost got me into accidents/property damage due to tight steering
05/15/200995000
 @ approximately 85k miles power steering failure intermittently became an issue on 2004 mini cooper s. @ 95k miles power steering became complete failure.
03/16/201178000
 Power steering got tighter and tighter making it really hard to turn in small corners (which are everywhere in big cities). it turns out the be a well-known issue which is power steering fluid leak. it almost got me into accidents/property damage due to tight steering
05/15/200995000
 @ approximately 85k miles power steering failure intermittently became an issue on 2004 mini cooper s. @ 95k miles power steering became complete failure.
03/16/201178000
 Power steering got tighter and tighter making it really hard to turn in small corners (which are everywhere in big cities). it turns out the be a well-known issue which is power steering fluid leak. it almost got me into accidents/property damage due to tight steering
02/06/201179000
 Power steering pump failed to work, it worked off and on for a short period. i am in the process of replacing it.
11/10/201042000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s and lost the power steering while driving on the highway. there were no leaks detected but the ps canister was empty. the mini was purchased new from crown mini in richmond, va. we are the only owners of the mini. my wife is afraid to drive the mini now and we wanted to report the problem as soon as possible. i have received no help from mini after sending them an email and calling them.
02/06/201179000
 Power steering pump failed to work, it worked off and on for a short period. i am in the process of replacing it.
11/10/201042000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s and lost the power steering while driving on the highway. there were no leaks detected but the ps canister was empty. the mini was purchased new from crown mini in richmond, va. we are the only owners of the mini. my wife is afraid to drive the mini now and we wanted to report the problem as soon as possible. i have received no help from mini after sending them an email and calling them.
02/06/201179000
 Power steering pump failed to work, it worked off and on for a short period. i am in the process of replacing it.
11/10/201042000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s and lost the power steering while driving on the highway. there were no leaks detected but the ps canister was empty. the mini was purchased new from crown mini in richmond, va. we are the only owners of the mini. my wife is afraid to drive the mini now and we wanted to report the problem as soon as possible. i have received no help from mini after sending them an email and calling them.
02/21/2011104000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph he suddenly had a loss of power steering with out any warning. the steering became very difficult to manuever after the loss. he was able to continue driving after restarting the vehicle. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor has it been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised him that there was a tsb out, but no recalls as of yet. the failure and current mileages were approximately 109,000. the vin was unavailable.tb
06/01/200955000
 Failed component 1: lower control arm bushings diagnosed at dealership as bad and oil leak is due to faulty o ring. failed component 2: power steering total failure. dealer stated this was due to poor design of steering pump fan (poor placement of the fan). dealer stated there was a possible recall regarding power steering failure due to this poor design possibly pending. work to repair these failed components has not been completed pending a dealer recall. the car is not drivable.
02/21/2011104000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph he suddenly had a loss of power steering with out any warning. the steering became very difficult to manuever after the loss. he was able to continue driving after restarting the vehicle. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor has it been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised him that there was a tsb out, but no recalls as of yet. the failure and current mileages were approximately 109,000. the vin was unavailable.tb
06/01/200955000
 Failed component 1: lower control arm bushings diagnosed at dealership as bad and oil leak is due to faulty o ring. failed component 2: power steering total failure. dealer stated this was due to poor design of steering pump fan (poor placement of the fan). dealer stated there was a possible recall regarding power steering failure due to this poor design possibly pending. work to repair these failed components has not been completed pending a dealer recall. the car is not drivable.
02/21/2011104000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph he suddenly had a loss of power steering with out any warning. the steering became very difficult to manuever after the loss. he was able to continue driving after restarting the vehicle. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor has it been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised him that there was a tsb out, but no recalls as of yet. the failure and current mileages were approximately 109,000. the vin was unavailable.tb
06/01/200955000
 Failed component 1: lower control arm bushings diagnosed at dealership as bad and oil leak is due to faulty o ring. failed component 2: power steering total failure. dealer stated this was due to poor design of steering pump fan (poor placement of the fan). dealer stated there was a possible recall regarding power steering failure due to this poor design possibly pending. work to repair these failed components has not been completed pending a dealer recall. the car is not drivable.
02/05/2011116600
 While driving my 2004 mini cooper s, the power steering failed while making a turn at low speed. without the power steering, it is hard to steer during low speed. after turning off engine and restarting, the power steering came back. but the power steering pump seems to be on all the time with a humming noise even after the engine is turned off. which leading to the draining of the battery. the battery gave out after a couple jump starts. as of 2/15/2011, i have disconnected the power to the power steering pump and fan. because i cannot affort of the high cost of replacing the power steering pump and cooling fan. i have not replace them yet. i still have these parts.
02/21/2011104000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph he suddenly had a loss of power steering with out any warning. the steering became very difficult to manuever after the loss. he was able to continue driving after restarting the vehicle. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor has it been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and advised him that there was a tsb out, but no recalls as of yet. the failure and current mileages were approximately 109,000. the vin was unavailable.tb
06/01/200955000
 Failed component 1: lower control arm bushings diagnosed at dealership as bad and oil leak is due to faulty o ring. failed component 2: power steering total failure. dealer stated this was due to poor design of steering pump fan (poor placement of the fan). dealer stated there was a possible recall regarding power steering failure due to this poor design possibly pending. work to repair these failed components has not been completed pending a dealer recall. the car is not drivable.
02/05/2011116600
 While driving my 2004 mini cooper s, the power steering failed while making a turn at low speed. without the power steering, it is hard to steer during low speed. after turning off engine and restarting, the power steering came back. but the power steering pump seems to be on all the time with a humming noise even after the engine is turned off. which leading to the draining of the battery. the battery gave out after a couple jump starts. as of 2/15/2011, i have disconnected the power to the power steering pump and fan. because i cannot affort of the high cost of replacing the power steering pump and cooling fan. i have not replace them yet. i still have these parts.
11/11/201060458
 Complete failure of steering column, it locks up during driving, can barely turn the wheel. this happens randomly during driving, even on a straight road not making any turns. have to force car over onto shoulder and restart the car. nothing bad has happened yet, but very dangerous when driving with kids in the car. all fluid levels check out, no warning lights about steering failure.
06/01/200955000
 Failed component 1: lower control arm bushings diagnosed at dealership as bad and oil leak is due to faulty o ring. failed component 2: power steering total failure. dealer stated this was due to poor design of steering pump fan (poor placement of the fan). dealer stated there was a possible recall regarding power steering failure due to this poor design possibly pending. work to repair these failed components has not been completed pending a dealer recall. the car is not drivable.
02/05/2011116600
 While driving my 2004 mini cooper s, the power steering failed while making a turn at low speed. without the power steering, it is hard to steer during low speed. after turning off engine and restarting, the power steering came back. but the power steering pump seems to be on all the time with a humming noise even after the engine is turned off. which leading to the draining of the battery. the battery gave out after a couple jump starts. as of 2/15/2011, i have disconnected the power to the power steering pump and fan. because i cannot affort of the high cost of replacing the power steering pump and cooling fan. i have not replace them yet. i still have these parts.
11/11/201060458
 Complete failure of steering column, it locks up during driving, can barely turn the wheel. this happens randomly during driving, even on a straight road not making any turns. have to force car over onto shoulder and restart the car. nothing bad has happened yet, but very dangerous when driving with kids in the car. all fluid levels check out, no warning lights about steering failure.
02/05/2011116600
 While driving my 2004 mini cooper s, the power steering failed while making a turn at low speed. without the power steering, it is hard to steer during low speed. after turning off engine and restarting, the power steering came back. but the power steering pump seems to be on all the time with a humming noise even after the engine is turned off. which leading to the draining of the battery. the battery gave out after a couple jump starts. as of 2/15/2011, i have disconnected the power to the power steering pump and fan. because i cannot affort of the high cost of replacing the power steering pump and cooling fan. i have not replace them yet. i still have these parts.
11/11/201060458
 Complete failure of steering column, it locks up during driving, can barely turn the wheel. this happens randomly during driving, even on a straight road not making any turns. have to force car over onto shoulder and restart the car. nothing bad has happened yet, but very dangerous when driving with kids in the car. all fluid levels check out, no warning lights about steering failure.
12/28/201067700
 1. 04 mini cooper s power steering failure while driving. occasionally while driving the pump will loose power and steering will be very difficult. power steering fan stays on after vehicle is turned off which tends to drain the battery. 2. eventually the pump started leaking and fan stop working needing replacement. loss all power steering while driving. 3. replaced pump and fan with new units and problem is temporarily fixed but problem has come back. noticing the same symptoms from #.1 post happening again.
01/05/2011116000
 Sudden failure of power steering. control of car was not lost. it will require a new power steering pump.
12/28/201067700
 1. 04 mini cooper s power steering failure while driving. occasionally while driving the pump will loose power and steering will be very difficult. power steering fan stays on after vehicle is turned off which tends to drain the battery. 2. eventually the pump started leaking and fan stop working needing replacement. loss all power steering while driving. 3. replaced pump and fan with new units and problem is temporarily fixed but problem has come back. noticing the same symptoms from #.1 post happening again.
01/05/2011116000
 Sudden failure of power steering. control of car was not lost. it will require a new power steering pump.
12/28/201067700
 1. 04 mini cooper s power steering failure while driving. occasionally while driving the pump will loose power and steering will be very difficult. power steering fan stays on after vehicle is turned off which tends to drain the battery. 2. eventually the pump started leaking and fan stop working needing replacement. loss all power steering while driving. 3. replaced pump and fan with new units and problem is temporarily fixed but problem has come back. noticing the same symptoms from #.1 post happening again.
01/05/2011116000
 Sudden failure of power steering. control of car was not lost. it will require a new power steering pump.
01/28/201195000
 I drove my mini cooper 2004 s with 95k miles on the freeway and noticed my steering very difficult to move. i arrived to my destination safely and searching on the web for steering problems with 2004 mini cooper and found federal investigation in progress. i towed the vehicle to the mini dealership and explained the problem. they found the power steering pump defective as described on the website and repaired the vehicle for 1500 dollars. the dealer/bmw offered no compensation to defer the cost. i contacted bmw customer relations and received a non response on if and how bmw would respond
12/28/201067700
 1. 04 mini cooper s power steering failure while driving. occasionally while driving the pump will loose power and steering will be very difficult. power steering fan stays on after vehicle is turned off which tends to drain the battery. 2. eventually the pump started leaking and fan stop working needing replacement. loss all power steering while driving. 3. replaced pump and fan with new units and problem is temporarily fixed but problem has come back. noticing the same symptoms from #.1 post happening again.
01/05/2011116000
 Sudden failure of power steering. control of car was not lost. it will require a new power steering pump.
01/28/201195000
 I drove my mini cooper 2004 s with 95k miles on the freeway and noticed my steering very difficult to move. i arrived to my destination safely and searching on the web for steering problems with 2004 mini cooper and found federal investigation in progress. i towed the vehicle to the mini dealership and explained the problem. they found the power steering pump defective as described on the website and repaired the vehicle for 1500 dollars. the dealer/bmw offered no compensation to defer the cost. i contacted bmw customer relations and received a non response on if and how bmw would respond
01/02/201139000
 2004 mini cooper s, power steering failure. i have experienced intermittent failure of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s. this has occurred seemingly at random and causes great difficulty with steering the vehicle. this creates an unsafe driving condition in which it is difficult to control the vehicle. this has happened several times in a given day or somtimes only once in a week. the failure has occurred at various times of operation, including immediately after starting the car in the morning, mid-commute, and at the end of a long drive. the only consistency is that it seems to occur just after putting the car in reverse, then back in 1st gear (though not every time). power steering is almost always restored by turning ignition off and back on- not a safe action in most of my driving circumstances. on one occasion the power steering pump continued to run audibly after the vehicle was turned off, threatening to drain the battery. this lasted for about 20 minutes and was only resolved by driving the car again for about five minutes. when the car was turned off again, the pump finally shut off.
01/28/201195000
 I drove my mini cooper 2004 s with 95k miles on the freeway and noticed my steering very difficult to move. i arrived to my destination safely and searching on the web for steering problems with 2004 mini cooper and found federal investigation in progress. i towed the vehicle to the mini dealership and explained the problem. they found the power steering pump defective as described on the website and repaired the vehicle for 1500 dollars. the dealer/bmw offered no compensation to defer the cost. i contacted bmw customer relations and received a non response on if and how bmw would respond
01/02/201139000
 2004 mini cooper s, power steering failure. i have experienced intermittent failure of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s. this has occurred seemingly at random and causes great difficulty with steering the vehicle. this creates an unsafe driving condition in which it is difficult to control the vehicle. this has happened several times in a given day or somtimes only once in a week. the failure has occurred at various times of operation, including immediately after starting the car in the morning, mid-commute, and at the end of a long drive. the only consistency is that it seems to occur just after putting the car in reverse, then back in 1st gear (though not every time). power steering is almost always restored by turning ignition off and back on- not a safe action in most of my driving circumstances. on one occasion the power steering pump continued to run audibly after the vehicle was turned off, threatening to drain the battery. this lasted for about 20 minutes and was only resolved by driving the car again for about five minutes. when the car was turned off again, the pump finally shut off.
01/28/201195000
 I drove my mini cooper 2004 s with 95k miles on the freeway and noticed my steering very difficult to move. i arrived to my destination safely and searching on the web for steering problems with 2004 mini cooper and found federal investigation in progress. i towed the vehicle to the mini dealership and explained the problem. they found the power steering pump defective as described on the website and repaired the vehicle for 1500 dollars. the dealer/bmw offered no compensation to defer the cost. i contacted bmw customer relations and received a non response on if and how bmw would respond
01/02/201139000
 2004 mini cooper s, power steering failure. i have experienced intermittent failure of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s. this has occurred seemingly at random and causes great difficulty with steering the vehicle. this creates an unsafe driving condition in which it is difficult to control the vehicle. this has happened several times in a given day or somtimes only once in a week. the failure has occurred at various times of operation, including immediately after starting the car in the morning, mid-commute, and at the end of a long drive. the only consistency is that it seems to occur just after putting the car in reverse, then back in 1st gear (though not every time). power steering is almost always restored by turning ignition off and back on- not a safe action in most of my driving circumstances. on one occasion the power steering pump continued to run audibly after the vehicle was turned off, threatening to drain the battery. this lasted for about 20 minutes and was only resolved by driving the car again for about five minutes. when the car was turned off again, the pump finally shut off.
01/21/201197525
 Power steering pump failure on 2004 mini cooper s
01/15/2011170000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving and making a turn the power steering suddenly failed making the steering difficult to manuever. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that it a power steering pump failure. the vehicle was repaired for the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 170,000. the vin was unavailable. tb
01/21/201197525
 Power steering pump failure on 2004 mini cooper s
01/15/2011170000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving and making a turn the power steering suddenly failed making the steering difficult to manuever. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that it a power steering pump failure. the vehicle was repaired for the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 170,000. the vin was unavailable. tb
01/10/201136000
 I was driving very slowly into the drive thew burger king and i lost power steering and it became very difficult to control the car i could not get it to go the direction i wanted it to go so i ended up crashing into the curb. another time this happened was when i hit a patch of ice my car lost power steering a few seconds later and i had to restart my car, but it did come back on.
01/21/201197525
 Power steering pump failure on 2004 mini cooper s
01/15/2011170000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving and making a turn the power steering suddenly failed making the steering difficult to manuever. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that it a power steering pump failure. the vehicle was repaired for the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 170,000. the vin was unavailable. tb
01/10/201136000
 I was driving very slowly into the drive thew burger king and i lost power steering and it became very difficult to control the car i could not get it to go the direction i wanted it to go so i ended up crashing into the curb. another time this happened was when i hit a patch of ice my car lost power steering a few seconds later and i had to restart my car, but it did come back on.
01/21/201197525
 Power steering pump failure on 2004 mini cooper s
01/15/2011170000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving and making a turn the power steering suddenly failed making the steering difficult to manuever. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that it a power steering pump failure. the vehicle was repaired for the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 170,000. the vin was unavailable. tb
01/10/201136000
 I was driving very slowly into the drive thew burger king and i lost power steering and it became very difficult to control the car i could not get it to go the direction i wanted it to go so i ended up crashing into the curb. another time this happened was when i hit a patch of ice my car lost power steering a few seconds later and i had to restart my car, but it did come back on.
01/21/201197525
 Power steering pump failure on 2004 mini cooper s
01/15/2011170000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving and making a turn the power steering suddenly failed making the steering difficult to manuever. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that it a power steering pump failure. the vehicle was repaired for the power steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 170,000. the vin was unavailable. tb
01/10/201136000
 I was driving very slowly into the drive thew burger king and i lost power steering and it became very difficult to control the car i could not get it to go the direction i wanted it to go so i ended up crashing into the curb. another time this happened was when i hit a patch of ice my car lost power steering a few seconds later and i had to restart my car, but it did come back on.
01/01/201095000
 During 2010 i experienced the power steering going on and off while driving throughout the year. also, sometimes the power steering would not work right at the start up. i then had to turn the car off, and re-start it. my mechanic could not find a direct problem. 3 days ago, jan 2011, the power stering failed compleey, and my car was not drivable, it would not start. my mechanic examined my car and found that the power steering unit was completely broken.
01/10/201136000
 I was driving very slowly into the drive thew burger king and i lost power steering and it became very difficult to control the car i could not get it to go the direction i wanted it to go so i ended up crashing into the curb. another time this happened was when i hit a patch of ice my car lost power steering a few seconds later and i had to restart my car, but it did come back on.
01/01/201095000
 During 2010 i experienced the power steering going on and off while driving throughout the year. also, sometimes the power steering would not work right at the start up. i then had to turn the car off, and re-start it. my mechanic could not find a direct problem. 3 days ago, jan 2011, the power stering failed compleey, and my car was not drivable, it would not start. my mechanic examined my car and found that the power steering unit was completely broken.
01/10/201136000
 I was driving very slowly into the drive thew burger king and i lost power steering and it became very difficult to control the car i could not get it to go the direction i wanted it to go so i ended up crashing into the curb. another time this happened was when i hit a patch of ice my car lost power steering a few seconds later and i had to restart my car, but it did come back on.
01/01/201095000
 During 2010 i experienced the power steering going on and off while driving throughout the year. also, sometimes the power steering would not work right at the start up. i then had to turn the car off, and re-start it. my mechanic could not find a direct problem. 3 days ago, jan 2011, the power stering failed compleey, and my car was not drivable, it would not start. my mechanic examined my car and found that the power steering unit was completely broken.
01/07/201167000
 Our 2004 mini cooper s is loosing power steering randomly making it very unsafe to drive . its very random , i thought it was some kind of sport mode but you cant even control the vehicle when the car kicks into paralysis, totally weird ...i've owned all foreign cars mostly japanese ,and german ...this is the first time i've seen anything like this and i grew up in the car business driving everything you can think of.....it would be a shame if mini looses its reputation over something like a power steering problem just fix the problem its obviously a major defect on the engineering .....sounds like a recall to me ....please dont join toyotas crash parade.
01/01/201095000
 During 2010 i experienced the power steering going on and off while driving throughout the year. also, sometimes the power steering would not work right at the start up. i then had to turn the car off, and re-start it. my mechanic could not find a direct problem. 3 days ago, jan 2011, the power stering failed compleey, and my car was not drivable, it would not start. my mechanic examined my car and found that the power steering unit was completely broken.
01/07/201167000
 Our 2004 mini cooper s is loosing power steering randomly making it very unsafe to drive . its very random , i thought it was some kind of sport mode but you cant even control the vehicle when the car kicks into paralysis, totally weird ...i've owned all foreign cars mostly japanese ,and german ...this is the first time i've seen anything like this and i grew up in the car business driving everything you can think of.....it would be a shame if mini looses its reputation over something like a power steering problem just fix the problem its obviously a major defect on the engineering .....sounds like a recall to me ....please dont join toyotas crash parade.
01/01/201095000
 During 2010 i experienced the power steering going on and off while driving throughout the year. also, sometimes the power steering would not work right at the start up. i then had to turn the car off, and re-start it. my mechanic could not find a direct problem. 3 days ago, jan 2011, the power stering failed compleey, and my car was not drivable, it would not start. my mechanic examined my car and found that the power steering unit was completely broken.
01/07/201167000
 Our 2004 mini cooper s is loosing power steering randomly making it very unsafe to drive . its very random , i thought it was some kind of sport mode but you cant even control the vehicle when the car kicks into paralysis, totally weird ...i've owned all foreign cars mostly japanese ,and german ...this is the first time i've seen anything like this and i grew up in the car business driving everything you can think of.....it would be a shame if mini looses its reputation over something like a power steering problem just fix the problem its obviously a major defect on the engineering .....sounds like a recall to me ....please dont join toyotas crash parade.
11/24/201090506
 While driving onto a freeway on ramp, my steering became excessively difficult and i almost ran into a median. i pulled over and the steering resumed normal activity and then became very difficult again to the point where i could barely steer the car enough to take it to a repair shop three blocks from my house where they informed me that my power steering pump had failed.
01/03/201173281
 Power steering failure during driving. became sluggish/very hard to turn on the highway at speed.
01/02/201139011
 04 mini cooper s with under 40,000 miles. intermittent power steering pump failure. car is extremely hard to turn when the power steering is not working. restarting the car sometimes causes the power steering to start working but it went out while driving at 25 miles per hour on jan 02, 2011. this is an indication of a power steering pump failure.
01/03/201173281
 Power steering failure during driving. became sluggish/very hard to turn on the highway at speed.
01/02/201139011
 04 mini cooper s with under 40,000 miles. intermittent power steering pump failure. car is extremely hard to turn when the power steering is not working. restarting the car sometimes causes the power steering to start working but it went out while driving at 25 miles per hour on jan 02, 2011. this is an indication of a power steering pump failure.
01/03/201173281
 Power steering failure during driving. became sluggish/very hard to turn on the highway at speed.
01/02/201139011
 04 mini cooper s with under 40,000 miles. intermittent power steering pump failure. car is extremely hard to turn when the power steering is not working. restarting the car sometimes causes the power steering to start working but it went out while driving at 25 miles per hour on jan 02, 2011. this is an indication of a power steering pump failure.
01/03/201173281
 Power steering failure during driving. became sluggish/very hard to turn on the highway at speed.
01/02/201139011
 04 mini cooper s with under 40,000 miles. intermittent power steering pump failure. car is extremely hard to turn when the power steering is not working. restarting the car sometimes causes the power steering to start working but it went out while driving at 25 miles per hour on jan 02, 2011. this is an indication of a power steering pump failure.
12/30/201060000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the driver was driving approximately 35 mph when the power steering failed. the contact was not driving so he did not know the full details of the failure. the vehicle was driven home where it was parked. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. the failure and current mileages were 60,000. sm.
11/15/201035000
 Tl - the contact owns a 2004 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that while starting up the car the steering wheel jams and she was unable to steer it. she turned off the engine and turned it back on and she was able to turn the wheel. she also stated, that she was able to drive but is very hard to steer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage is 39,000. pm
01/02/201139011
 04 mini cooper s with under 40,000 miles. intermittent power steering pump failure. car is extremely hard to turn when the power steering is not working. restarting the car sometimes causes the power steering to start working but it went out while driving at 25 miles per hour on jan 02, 2011. this is an indication of a power steering pump failure.
12/30/201060000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the driver was driving approximately 35 mph when the power steering failed. the contact was not driving so he did not know the full details of the failure. the vehicle was driven home where it was parked. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. the failure and current mileages were 60,000. sm.
11/15/201035000
 Tl - the contact owns a 2004 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that while starting up the car the steering wheel jams and she was unable to steer it. she turned off the engine and turned it back on and she was able to turn the wheel. she also stated, that she was able to drive but is very hard to steer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage is 39,000. pm
12/21/201072400
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that when pulling out of his driveway and attempting to make a turn the vehicle would be difficult to steer. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed him that he needed to replace the steering pump. the vehicle was repaired for the steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 72,400. tb
12/30/201060000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the driver was driving approximately 35 mph when the power steering failed. the contact was not driving so he did not know the full details of the failure. the vehicle was driven home where it was parked. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. the failure and current mileages were 60,000. sm.
11/15/201035000
 Tl - the contact owns a 2004 bmw mini cooper. the contact stated that while starting up the car the steering wheel jams and she was unable to steer it. she turned off the engine and turned it back on and she was able to turn the wheel. she also stated, that she was able to drive but is very hard to steer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage is 39,000. pm
12/21/201072400
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that when pulling out of his driveway and attempting to make a turn the vehicle would be difficult to steer. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed him that he needed to replace the steering pump. the vehicle was repaired for the steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 72,400. tb
07/01/200865000
 2004 mini cooper s - power steering fan/pump failure vin# wmwre33404td75738 my power steering stop working completely. this power steering would go on and off: intermittently over the past year a half (4-7 times a week over the last 8-10months). i'd park the car when i went to leave, no power steering. this has gotten progressively worse and now the power steering has stopped working while driving on the road!!i have only has the car for 2 yers and it has 70k miles. i brought the intermittent failures to the dealerships attention numerous times but they need to see it happening to fix it. now that my power steering has completely failed, they now told me to its the power steering fan/pump that has failed. i can not afford the repairs and have been driving with no power steering for over 3 months. i see this issue has been discussed everywhere online & that this is a dangerously huge and common issue for my model & year mini cooper. i don't know if this process of filing a complaint will even do anything to make a difference, but if someone is reading this complaint, please help us. thank you ** the website would not accept my vin # as valid so i was unable to add it to the appropriate place during this complaint filing.
12/21/201072400
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that when pulling out of his driveway and attempting to make a turn the vehicle would be difficult to steer. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed him that he needed to replace the steering pump. the vehicle was repaired for the steering pump. the failure mileage was approximately 72,400. tb
07/01/200865000
 2004 mini cooper s - power steering fan/pump failure vin# wmwre33404td75738 my power steering stop working completely. this power steering would go on and off: intermittently over the past year a half (4-7 times a week over the last 8-10months). i'd park the car when i went to leave, no power steering. this has gotten progressively worse and now the power steering has stopped working while driving on the road!!i have only has the car for 2 yers and it has 70k miles. i brought the intermittent failures to the dealerships attention numerous times but they need to see it happening to fix it. now that my power steering has completely failed, they now told me to its the power steering fan/pump that has failed. i can not afford the repairs and have been driving with no power steering for over 3 months. i see this issue has been discussed everywhere online & that this is a dangerously huge and common issue for my model & year mini cooper. i don't know if this process of filing a complaint will even do anything to make a difference, but if someone is reading this complaint, please help us. thank you ** the website would not accept my vin # as valid so i was unable to add it to the appropriate place during this complaint filing.
12/13/2010100000
 My 2004 mini cooper s suddenly and without warning lost its power steering. i had to have it towed to the mecanic who said the whole steering was shot. that is when i found out that mini has had a lot of these failures. if i had been on a curve and at any faster speed i may have been seriously hurt, and now bmw won't even fix the car! this is not right especially when they have known there is problem, what is it going to take a few people getting killed like with the toyota brake problem? make them do something to fix this problem.
10/01/201066000
 My car has had intermittent power failure since 2008, usually lasting a few days. more recently my power steering has been out for the past 2 months. today it started working on my way home from work but the power steering fan remains on after i turn the car off. i had to disconnect the battery in order to keep the fan off. consequences have resulted in near accidents on the highway and road when failure occurs (failures happened when i have gone into turns). power steering pump and fan will need to be replaced.
12/13/2010100000
 My 2004 mini cooper s suddenly and without warning lost its power steering. i had to have it towed to the mecanic who said the whole steering was shot. that is when i found out that mini has had a lot of these failures. if i had been on a curve and at any faster speed i may have been seriously hurt, and now bmw won't even fix the car! this is not right especially when they have known there is problem, what is it going to take a few people getting killed like with the toyota brake problem? make them do something to fix this problem.
10/01/201066000
 My car has had intermittent power failure since 2008, usually lasting a few days. more recently my power steering has been out for the past 2 months. today it started working on my way home from work but the power steering fan remains on after i turn the car off. i had to disconnect the battery in order to keep the fan off. consequences have resulted in near accidents on the highway and road when failure occurs (failures happened when i have gone into turns). power steering pump and fan will need to be replaced.
12/13/2010100000
 My 2004 mini cooper s suddenly and without warning lost its power steering. i had to have it towed to the mecanic who said the whole steering was shot. that is when i found out that mini has had a lot of these failures. if i had been on a curve and at any faster speed i may have been seriously hurt, and now bmw won't even fix the car! this is not right especially when they have known there is problem, what is it going to take a few people getting killed like with the toyota brake problem? make them do something to fix this problem.
10/01/201066000
 My car has had intermittent power failure since 2008, usually lasting a few days. more recently my power steering has been out for the past 2 months. today it started working on my way home from work but the power steering fan remains on after i turn the car off. i had to disconnect the battery in order to keep the fan off. consequences have resulted in near accidents on the highway and road when failure occurs (failures happened when i have gone into turns). power steering pump and fan will need to be replaced.
02/17/201079600
 The power steering assist failed during cornering. required me to apply extra force to the steering wheel at which point the power steering assist re-engaged causing the car to over steer. i needed to make a quick correction in order to avoid crossing over the centerline and hitting an on coming vehicle. the power steering assist has been on and off for the first couple of months since that time and has been completely non functional for the last month or so.
12/13/2010100000
 My 2004 mini cooper s suddenly and without warning lost its power steering. i had to have it towed to the mecanic who said the whole steering was shot. that is when i found out that mini has had a lot of these failures. if i had been on a curve and at any faster speed i may have been seriously hurt, and now bmw won't even fix the car! this is not right especially when they have known there is problem, what is it going to take a few people getting killed like with the toyota brake problem? make them do something to fix this problem.
10/01/201066000
 My car has had intermittent power failure since 2008, usually lasting a few days. more recently my power steering has been out for the past 2 months. today it started working on my way home from work but the power steering fan remains on after i turn the car off. i had to disconnect the battery in order to keep the fan off. consequences have resulted in near accidents on the highway and road when failure occurs (failures happened when i have gone into turns). power steering pump and fan will need to be replaced.
02/17/201079600
 The power steering assist failed during cornering. required me to apply extra force to the steering wheel at which point the power steering assist re-engaged causing the car to over steer. i needed to make a quick correction in order to avoid crossing over the centerline and hitting an on coming vehicle. the power steering assist has been on and off for the first couple of months since that time and has been completely non functional for the last month or so.
10/01/201066000
 My car has had intermittent power failure since 2008, usually lasting a few days. more recently my power steering has been out for the past 2 months. today it started working on my way home from work but the power steering fan remains on after i turn the car off. i had to disconnect the battery in order to keep the fan off. consequences have resulted in near accidents on the highway and road when failure occurs (failures happened when i have gone into turns). power steering pump and fan will need to be replaced.
02/17/201079600
 The power steering assist failed during cornering. required me to apply extra force to the steering wheel at which point the power steering assist re-engaged causing the car to over steer. i needed to make a quick correction in order to avoid crossing over the centerline and hitting an on coming vehicle. the power steering assist has been on and off for the first couple of months since that time and has been completely non functional for the last month or so.
11/22/201082000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact was traveling 35 mph and the steering became very tight. there was no warning to the failure. the contact stated that the failure occurred before, but this time the wheel was almost impossible to steer. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they replaced the power steering cooling fan and electronic power steering pump. the dealer stated the power steering going out is a known problem. the failure mileage was 82000 and the current mileage was 84000.rl
11/25/201050000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. while the contact was driving approximately 50 mph the power steering stopped working making it difficult to turn the steering wheel. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or mechanic for repair. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000. ds
08/01/201050000
 The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s fails intermittently. the car is extremely hard to steer when the power steering fails.
09/01/201090000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving at low speeds that the steering shaft started to make odd noises. the vehicle was inspected by the dealer and informed the contact that the steering column and pum had failed. the vehicle has been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000. tb
08/01/201050000
 The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s fails intermittently. the car is extremely hard to steer when the power steering fails.
09/01/201090000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving at low speeds that the steering shaft started to make odd noises. the vehicle was inspected by the dealer and informed the contact that the steering column and pum had failed. the vehicle has been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000. tb
10/30/201076215
 I own a 2004 mini cooper hard top and i was on my way home from state college when the power steering went out. this made the car extremely difficult to drive. since this happened, i am all but terrified to drive the vehicle. i have done some investigation into this, and i see i am not the only mini owner with this problem. i hope something will be done about this
11/10/201045000
 My 2004 mini cooper s power steering pump just failed and has to be replaced after only 45k miles.
10/30/201076215
 I own a 2004 mini cooper hard top and i was on my way home from state college when the power steering went out. this made the car extremely difficult to drive. since this happened, i am all but terrified to drive the vehicle. i have done some investigation into this, and i see i am not the only mini owner with this problem. i hope something will be done about this
11/10/201045000
 My 2004 mini cooper s power steering pump just failed and has to be replaced after only 45k miles.
02/17/200851000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering failed while he was driving at approximately 45 mph; it was very difficult for him to turn the vehicle when the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and column needed to be replaced; the repairs were performed at that time. the contact noticed no more failures since the repairs. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the current mileage was approximately 70,000. the failure mileage was approximately 51,000-bk
06/24/201060668
 Near the end of a 500 mile trip from nothern to southern california, the power steering failed. i completed the trip without the power steering. the next day i took the vehicle into an authorized dealer for repair. the power steering pump was replaced. the old part is not available.
02/17/200851000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering failed while he was driving at approximately 45 mph; it was very difficult for him to turn the vehicle when the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and column needed to be replaced; the repairs were performed at that time. the contact noticed no more failures since the repairs. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the current mileage was approximately 70,000. the failure mileage was approximately 51,000-bk
06/24/201060668
 Near the end of a 500 mile trip from nothern to southern california, the power steering failed. i completed the trip without the power steering. the next day i took the vehicle into an authorized dealer for repair. the power steering pump was replaced. the old part is not available.
02/17/200851000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering failed while he was driving at approximately 45 mph; it was very difficult for him to turn the vehicle when the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and column needed to be replaced; the repairs were performed at that time. the contact noticed no more failures since the repairs. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the current mileage was approximately 70,000. the failure mileage was approximately 51,000-bk
06/24/201060668
 Near the end of a 500 mile trip from nothern to southern california, the power steering failed. i completed the trip without the power steering. the next day i took the vehicle into an authorized dealer for repair. the power steering pump was replaced. the old part is not available.
06/18/201054000
 I have a 2004 mini cooper s built in late september or early october 2003. at approximately 54,000 miles in spring of 2010, i left to go on a trip across town. after about 2 miles of the up to then normal drive, the power steering suddenly and without warning stopped working in the middle of a curve. fortunately i was able to retain control of the car and make it to my destination a couple more miles away. after sitting about 15 minutes, upon restart, the car performed normally as far as i can tell. checking the internet, it seems that this is a somewhat common problem with this vehicle and that it will continue on and off until the power steering does not funtion at all. this can also lead to a fire at the power steering pump that may lead to complete loss of vehicle and or additional property damage. some with fires have not had any prior hints of an issue and some have had the intermittent pump going out. in speaking to the mini service center, they of course said they had never heard of the problem and refused to give me any help under goodwill warranty. i had them replace the pump at my expense to avoid the risk of fire.
09/16/201088650
 Power steering pump failed while driving
10/07/201083444
 Power steering failed while driving normally on the freeway and it became very difficult to control the car. power steering returned after letting the car sit in a parking lot, but failed again while driving home. we have not driven the car since. the car is out of warranty and we have talked to mini, but they have not offered to help repair the car. we were told that it will cost around $1500 to replace the malfunctioning parts.
09/16/201088650
 Power steering pump failed while driving
10/07/201083444
 Power steering failed while driving normally on the freeway and it became very difficult to control the car. power steering returned after letting the car sit in a parking lot, but failed again while driving home. we have not driven the car since. the car is out of warranty and we have talked to mini, but they have not offered to help repair the car. we were told that it will cost around $1500 to replace the malfunctioning parts.
10/01/2010129000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s and when driving the power steering failed. i was in the middle of an off ramp and the steering became extremely hard. i was unable to navigate the turn and went off the road. luckily i did not hit anything. when the car was turned off and then back on the power steering came back on. from time to time now i loose the power steering. i feel this is a major safety issue and do not let my wife or child ride in the car.
09/23/201067000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s. on september 23, 2010, i was driving on the highway and my power steering went out. this was out of the blue, and i had not experienced any previous problems with the power steering. i was able to take it to my mechanic the same day and was informed that my power steering fan went out, therefore causing my power steering pump to fail. after i had everything replaced for around $900, i saw an article in usa today that this is happening to other 2004 and 2005 mini's. i think mini should issue a recall so this doesn't happen to anyone else. it was very scary to drive my mini with no power steering, and i feel fortunate that i was able to keep the car under control when the steering went out.
10/10/201056000
 Power steering failure. when driving power steering will unexpectedly stop working. usually after driving for an hour or so. when power steering stops working the car is very hard to control.
10/01/2010129000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s and when driving the power steering failed. i was in the middle of an off ramp and the steering became extremely hard. i was unable to navigate the turn and went off the road. luckily i did not hit anything. when the car was turned off and then back on the power steering came back on. from time to time now i loose the power steering. i feel this is a major safety issue and do not let my wife or child ride in the car.
09/23/201067000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s. on september 23, 2010, i was driving on the highway and my power steering went out. this was out of the blue, and i had not experienced any previous problems with the power steering. i was able to take it to my mechanic the same day and was informed that my power steering fan went out, therefore causing my power steering pump to fail. after i had everything replaced for around $900, i saw an article in usa today that this is happening to other 2004 and 2005 mini's. i think mini should issue a recall so this doesn't happen to anyone else. it was very scary to drive my mini with no power steering, and i feel fortunate that i was able to keep the car under control when the steering went out.
10/10/201056000
 Power steering failure. when driving power steering will unexpectedly stop working. usually after driving for an hour or so. when power steering stops working the car is very hard to control.
10/01/2010129000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s and when driving the power steering failed. i was in the middle of an off ramp and the steering became extremely hard. i was unable to navigate the turn and went off the road. luckily i did not hit anything. when the car was turned off and then back on the power steering came back on. from time to time now i loose the power steering. i feel this is a major safety issue and do not let my wife or child ride in the car.
09/23/201067000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s. on september 23, 2010, i was driving on the highway and my power steering went out. this was out of the blue, and i had not experienced any previous problems with the power steering. i was able to take it to my mechanic the same day and was informed that my power steering fan went out, therefore causing my power steering pump to fail. after i had everything replaced for around $900, i saw an article in usa today that this is happening to other 2004 and 2005 mini's. i think mini should issue a recall so this doesn't happen to anyone else. it was very scary to drive my mini with no power steering, and i feel fortunate that i was able to keep the car under control when the steering went out.
10/10/201056000
 Power steering failure. when driving power steering will unexpectedly stop working. usually after driving for an hour or so. when power steering stops working the car is very hard to control.
10/01/2010129000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s and when driving the power steering failed. i was in the middle of an off ramp and the steering became extremely hard. i was unable to navigate the turn and went off the road. luckily i did not hit anything. when the car was turned off and then back on the power steering came back on. from time to time now i loose the power steering. i feel this is a major safety issue and do not let my wife or child ride in the car.
09/23/201067000
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s. on september 23, 2010, i was driving on the highway and my power steering went out. this was out of the blue, and i had not experienced any previous problems with the power steering. i was able to take it to my mechanic the same day and was informed that my power steering fan went out, therefore causing my power steering pump to fail. after i had everything replaced for around $900, i saw an article in usa today that this is happening to other 2004 and 2005 mini's. i think mini should issue a recall so this doesn't happen to anyone else. it was very scary to drive my mini with no power steering, and i feel fortunate that i was able to keep the car under control when the steering went out.
10/10/201056000
 Power steering failure. when driving power steering will unexpectedly stop working. usually after driving for an hour or so. when power steering stops working the car is very hard to control.
08/04/200955000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s . the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, when the steering wheel locked up making it very difficult for the contact to steer. the vehicle was turned off and then back on when it was completely fine.this has occurred 2 additional times. the dealer was not informed about the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 55000 and the current mileage was 67000.cv
06/15/201090000
 My wife was driving the 2004 mini cooper s to pick up our son from school. after she retrieved him, she went around a corner and the power steering stopped working causing her to crash into a curb. she does not have enough strength to turn the wheel and there was no warning of a possible failure. i am fearful to replace the part and continue to make payments on a vehichle i do not feel comfortable putting my children and grandchildren in due to the possibility that the new powering steering pump will fail if replaced.
03/08/200880000
 2004 mini cooper s - power steering pump and fan failure. power steering quits working causing incredibly difficult steering. solution is to replace pump and fan and the expense of the owner, me. i believe this pump and fan should not have failed and also that there should be a nationwide recall since there are hundreds of thousands of mini cooper drivers with this same issues.
10/15/200975000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering, most of the time, did not function properly. he stated that it would intermittently kick in but mostly did not work. he noticed that more effort had to be exerted when steering the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and fan needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 83,000. the failure mileage was approximately 75,000-bk
06/15/201090000
 My wife was driving the 2004 mini cooper s to pick up our son from school. after she retrieved him, she went around a corner and the power steering stopped working causing her to crash into a curb. she does not have enough strength to turn the wheel and there was no warning of a possible failure. i am fearful to replace the part and continue to make payments on a vehichle i do not feel comfortable putting my children and grandchildren in due to the possibility that the new powering steering pump will fail if replaced.
03/08/200880000
 2004 mini cooper s - power steering pump and fan failure. power steering quits working causing incredibly difficult steering. solution is to replace pump and fan and the expense of the owner, me. i believe this pump and fan should not have failed and also that there should be a nationwide recall since there are hundreds of thousands of mini cooper drivers with this same issues.
10/15/200975000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering, most of the time, did not function properly. he stated that it would intermittently kick in but mostly did not work. he noticed that more effort had to be exerted when steering the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and fan needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 83,000. the failure mileage was approximately 75,000-bk
10/02/201075000
 Unexpected and intermittent power steering failure. intermittent failures first started around 2008, the failures would last for minutes to hours long, days, weeks, and months would go by between failures. the dealership stated the cause was the power steering pump and since the car was out of warranty the repair would cost ~$700 to replace. when the pump fails the car is *very* difficult to steer at slow and moderate speeds. on a number of occasions a surprise failure occurred on narrow, windy road and it was a struggle to maintain the lane, avoid hitting oncoming traffic and staying on the road. the pump was replaced and as of this writing is new one is now intermittently failing. i just experienced an intermittent failure when turning from a stop and narrowly missed hitting a curb as i struggled to complete a turn. the pump failure lasted about 10 minutes.
06/15/201090000
 My wife was driving the 2004 mini cooper s to pick up our son from school. after she retrieved him, she went around a corner and the power steering stopped working causing her to crash into a curb. she does not have enough strength to turn the wheel and there was no warning of a possible failure. i am fearful to replace the part and continue to make payments on a vehichle i do not feel comfortable putting my children and grandchildren in due to the possibility that the new powering steering pump will fail if replaced.
03/08/200880000
 2004 mini cooper s - power steering pump and fan failure. power steering quits working causing incredibly difficult steering. solution is to replace pump and fan and the expense of the owner, me. i believe this pump and fan should not have failed and also that there should be a nationwide recall since there are hundreds of thousands of mini cooper drivers with this same issues.
10/15/200975000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering, most of the time, did not function properly. he stated that it would intermittently kick in but mostly did not work. he noticed that more effort had to be exerted when steering the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and fan needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 83,000. the failure mileage was approximately 75,000-bk
10/02/201075000
 Unexpected and intermittent power steering failure. intermittent failures first started around 2008, the failures would last for minutes to hours long, days, weeks, and months would go by between failures. the dealership stated the cause was the power steering pump and since the car was out of warranty the repair would cost ~$700 to replace. when the pump fails the car is *very* difficult to steer at slow and moderate speeds. on a number of occasions a surprise failure occurred on narrow, windy road and it was a struggle to maintain the lane, avoid hitting oncoming traffic and staying on the road. the pump was replaced and as of this writing is new one is now intermittently failing. i just experienced an intermittent failure when turning from a stop and narrowly missed hitting a curb as i struggled to complete a turn. the pump failure lasted about 10 minutes.
09/08/201099665
 On september 8, 2010 2004 mini cooper s power steering went out while driving on san francisco/oakland bay bridge. able to safely exit bridge and had car towed to auto shop in berkeley, ca where they performed a diagnostic time check for no power steering. found pump coming on, no pressure to system. they removed and replaced power steering pump including bleeding the system.
09/01/200520257
 Sudden total loss of power steering on a 2004 mini cooper s in a parking at low speed. car was extremely hard to drive back to dealer due to high grip the car has. dealer replaced power steering pump for power assisted gear.could have been dangerous in a corner. mileage 20257.
06/15/201090000
 My wife was driving the 2004 mini cooper s to pick up our son from school. after she retrieved him, she went around a corner and the power steering stopped working causing her to crash into a curb. she does not have enough strength to turn the wheel and there was no warning of a possible failure. i am fearful to replace the part and continue to make payments on a vehichle i do not feel comfortable putting my children and grandchildren in due to the possibility that the new powering steering pump will fail if replaced.
03/08/200880000
 2004 mini cooper s - power steering pump and fan failure. power steering quits working causing incredibly difficult steering. solution is to replace pump and fan and the expense of the owner, me. i believe this pump and fan should not have failed and also that there should be a nationwide recall since there are hundreds of thousands of mini cooper drivers with this same issues.
10/15/200975000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering, most of the time, did not function properly. he stated that it would intermittently kick in but mostly did not work. he noticed that more effort had to be exerted when steering the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and fan needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 83,000. the failure mileage was approximately 75,000-bk
10/02/201075000
 Unexpected and intermittent power steering failure. intermittent failures first started around 2008, the failures would last for minutes to hours long, days, weeks, and months would go by between failures. the dealership stated the cause was the power steering pump and since the car was out of warranty the repair would cost ~$700 to replace. when the pump fails the car is *very* difficult to steer at slow and moderate speeds. on a number of occasions a surprise failure occurred on narrow, windy road and it was a struggle to maintain the lane, avoid hitting oncoming traffic and staying on the road. the pump was replaced and as of this writing is new one is now intermittently failing. i just experienced an intermittent failure when turning from a stop and narrowly missed hitting a curb as i struggled to complete a turn. the pump failure lasted about 10 minutes.
09/08/201099665
 On september 8, 2010 2004 mini cooper s power steering went out while driving on san francisco/oakland bay bridge. able to safely exit bridge and had car towed to auto shop in berkeley, ca where they performed a diagnostic time check for no power steering. found pump coming on, no pressure to system. they removed and replaced power steering pump including bleeding the system.
09/01/200520257
 Sudden total loss of power steering on a 2004 mini cooper s in a parking at low speed. car was extremely hard to drive back to dealer due to high grip the car has. dealer replaced power steering pump for power assisted gear.could have been dangerous in a corner. mileage 20257.
08/02/201069000
 Intermittent and unexpected power steering failure on my 2004 mini cooper s (r53). we purchased the car with 69,000 miles and within a week had our first power steering problem. we got the vehicle to the side of the road, turned the car off and when we turned it back on the steering was fine. this occurred randomly for the next few weeks. power steering would quit without warning at slow and highway speeds. finally took the car to the shop and the mechanic said the power steering unit needed to be replaced. repair was done the first week of september and we have not had any power steering problems since.
09/24/2010102000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that power steering pump and cooling fan have failed. when the contact started the vehicle and tried to drive the power steering was gone. the contact took the vehicle in when it was making a knocking noise and had that fixed, but a few week later the power steering went out. there was no warning before the steering failed after the previous repair. the vin was not available at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage and current mileage was 102000.rl
07/20/201074271
 I want to report problem with steering components in my 2004 mini cooper s (based on article in usa today). in july of this year, 2010, my steering suddenly became almost impossible to turn. i stopped, called my dealership, had the car towed in. they replaced the power steering motor. this week, sept. 2010, i heard a strange sound. took it back in, they replaced the power steering fan.
10/15/200975000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the power steering, most of the time, did not function properly. he stated that it would intermittently kick in but mostly did not work. he noticed that more effort had to be exerted when steering the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and fan needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 83,000. the failure mileage was approximately 75,000-bk
10/02/201075000
 Unexpected and intermittent power steering failure. intermittent failures first started around 2008, the failures would last for minutes to hours long, days, weeks, and months would go by between failures. the dealership stated the cause was the power steering pump and since the car was out of warranty the repair would cost ~$700 to replace. when the pump fails the car is *very* difficult to steer at slow and moderate speeds. on a number of occasions a surprise failure occurred on narrow, windy road and it was a struggle to maintain the lane, avoid hitting oncoming traffic and staying on the road. the pump was replaced and as of this writing is new one is now intermittently failing. i just experienced an intermittent failure when turning from a stop and narrowly missed hitting a curb as i struggled to complete a turn. the pump failure lasted about 10 minutes.
09/08/201099665
 On september 8, 2010 2004 mini cooper s power steering went out while driving on san francisco/oakland bay bridge. able to safely exit bridge and had car towed to auto shop in berkeley, ca where they performed a diagnostic time check for no power steering. found pump coming on, no pressure to system. they removed and replaced power steering pump including bleeding the system.
09/01/200520257
 Sudden total loss of power steering on a 2004 mini cooper s in a parking at low speed. car was extremely hard to drive back to dealer due to high grip the car has. dealer replaced power steering pump for power assisted gear.could have been dangerous in a corner. mileage 20257.
08/02/201069000
 Intermittent and unexpected power steering failure on my 2004 mini cooper s (r53). we purchased the car with 69,000 miles and within a week had our first power steering problem. we got the vehicle to the side of the road, turned the car off and when we turned it back on the steering was fine. this occurred randomly for the next few weeks. power steering would quit without warning at slow and highway speeds. finally took the car to the shop and the mechanic said the power steering unit needed to be replaced. repair was done the first week of september and we have not had any power steering problems since.
09/24/2010102000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that power steering pump and cooling fan have failed. when the contact started the vehicle and tried to drive the power steering was gone. the contact took the vehicle in when it was making a knocking noise and had that fixed, but a few week later the power steering went out. there was no warning before the steering failed after the previous repair. the vin was not available at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage and current mileage was 102000.rl
07/20/201074271
 I want to report problem with steering components in my 2004 mini cooper s (based on article in usa today). in july of this year, 2010, my steering suddenly became almost impossible to turn. i stopped, called my dealership, had the car towed in. they replaced the power steering motor. this week, sept. 2010, i heard a strange sound. took it back in, they replaced the power steering fan.
09/23/201071000
 Power steering pump failed on mini cooper s with approximately 71000 miles last week.
08/30/2010108000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact had the power steering rack replaced on the vehicle. the vehicle did not give any warning before the power steering failed. the contact was told the steering rack would have to be replaced first and then the power steering pump. the contact wanted to inform others of the problem and filed a complaint. the failure mileage 108000 and the current mileage was 110000.rl
11/20/200811000
 Power steering stopt working, repaircot app. $ 2.000.-, nohelp frommini usa
02/01/201090000
 Loss of power steering assist while driving.
09/25/201071000
 2004 mini cooper: power steering just went out on my way home from work. made a right hand turn and than it was just gone. on sunday 9-26-10 started the car and the power steering worked fine, until i was driving down the road at 70mph and it went out again for good.. done nothing yet to fix it.
10/02/201075000
 Unexpected and intermittent power steering failure. intermittent failures first started around 2008, the failures would last for minutes to hours long, days, weeks, and months would go by between failures. the dealership stated the cause was the power steering pump and since the car was out of warranty the repair would cost ~$700 to replace. when the pump fails the car is *very* difficult to steer at slow and moderate speeds. on a number of occasions a surprise failure occurred on narrow, windy road and it was a struggle to maintain the lane, avoid hitting oncoming traffic and staying on the road. the pump was replaced and as of this writing is new one is now intermittently failing. i just experienced an intermittent failure when turning from a stop and narrowly missed hitting a curb as i struggled to complete a turn. the pump failure lasted about 10 minutes.
09/08/201099665
 On september 8, 2010 2004 mini cooper s power steering went out while driving on san francisco/oakland bay bridge. able to safely exit bridge and had car towed to auto shop in berkeley, ca where they performed a diagnostic time check for no power steering. found pump coming on, no pressure to system. they removed and replaced power steering pump including bleeding the system.
09/01/200520257
 Sudden total loss of power steering on a 2004 mini cooper s in a parking at low speed. car was extremely hard to drive back to dealer due to high grip the car has. dealer replaced power steering pump for power assisted gear.could have been dangerous in a corner. mileage 20257.
08/02/201069000
 Intermittent and unexpected power steering failure on my 2004 mini cooper s (r53). we purchased the car with 69,000 miles and within a week had our first power steering problem. we got the vehicle to the side of the road, turned the car off and when we turned it back on the steering was fine. this occurred randomly for the next few weeks. power steering would quit without warning at slow and highway speeds. finally took the car to the shop and the mechanic said the power steering unit needed to be replaced. repair was done the first week of september and we have not had any power steering problems since.
09/24/2010102000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that power steering pump and cooling fan have failed. when the contact started the vehicle and tried to drive the power steering was gone. the contact took the vehicle in when it was making a knocking noise and had that fixed, but a few week later the power steering went out. there was no warning before the steering failed after the previous repair. the vin was not available at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage and current mileage was 102000.rl
07/20/201074271
 I want to report problem with steering components in my 2004 mini cooper s (based on article in usa today). in july of this year, 2010, my steering suddenly became almost impossible to turn. i stopped, called my dealership, had the car towed in. they replaced the power steering motor. this week, sept. 2010, i heard a strange sound. took it back in, they replaced the power steering fan.
09/23/201071000
 Power steering pump failed on mini cooper s with approximately 71000 miles last week.
08/30/2010108000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact had the power steering rack replaced on the vehicle. the vehicle did not give any warning before the power steering failed. the contact was told the steering rack would have to be replaced first and then the power steering pump. the contact wanted to inform others of the problem and filed a complaint. the failure mileage 108000 and the current mileage was 110000.rl
11/20/200811000
 Power steering stopt working, repaircot app. $ 2.000.-, nohelp frommini usa
02/01/201090000
 Loss of power steering assist while driving.
09/25/201071000
 2004 mini cooper: power steering just went out on my way home from work. made a right hand turn and than it was just gone. on sunday 9-26-10 started the car and the power steering worked fine, until i was driving down the road at 70mph and it went out again for good.. done nothing yet to fix it.
09/18/201091000
 My 04 mini s just hit 90k and runs great until i was on the freeway overpass the other day. the power steering pump went out suddenly on a 55 mph turn and almost ran me right into the shoulder barrier which happens to be 50 feet above the lower freeway. thank god i was able to maintain control. mini cooper is a great car, but this power steering issue is a well know issue amongst the community of owners and mini needs to acknowledge this issue and help owners who are out of warranty. once you turn the car off and restart it the steering comes back to normal. when its hot out the steering seems to fail and is almost impossible to control the car once this happens which was the result in my above experience. this power steering failure is well know and has many many accounts of failures on popular mini forums. the part to replace this issue a single power steering unit which can be bought for about $450 and the average mechanic can replace it within and hour or so.
09/18/2010110000
 I was driving along a street about to negotiate a turn when the power steering failed. had it happened a few seconds later, i probably would not have been able to negotiate the turn and may have crashed.
09/20/201043000
 Electric/hydraulic power steering pump failed after only 43000miles on the car. it stuck in the on position even when key removed from the car, draining my battery and causing a heat buildup under the bonnet. 2004 mini cooper s.
08/02/201066876
 My 2004 mini cooper s, of which i am the second owner has developed progressively worsening steering characteristics. most times the steering is hard and typically its hardest at low speed. the steering under acceleration is notably of great concern as i have experienced erratic and unpredictable sudden pulls to the left and right without any driver input. the service history for this vehicle is consistent with the suggested service intervals. this is a major safety concern for me.
06/12/2010
 Tl. the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated on numerous accusations while driving 40 mph the power steering would malfunction causing a loss of power steering almost causing a crash. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the power steering motor and the cooling fan replaced. since the repairs the contact has not had a issue with the power steering. the contact stated this is safety issue that the manufacturer should look into. the failure mileage was unknown. jo
05/15/2010140000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper type s. intermittently while traveling at any speed the contact noticed that the power steering will suddenly stop functioning without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the failure could not be reproduced. the failure mileage was 140000 and the current mileage was 143000. bml
08/02/201069000
 Intermittent and unexpected power steering failure on my 2004 mini cooper s (r53). we purchased the car with 69,000 miles and within a week had our first power steering problem. we got the vehicle to the side of the road, turned the car off and when we turned it back on the steering was fine. this occurred randomly for the next few weeks. power steering would quit without warning at slow and highway speeds. finally took the car to the shop and the mechanic said the power steering unit needed to be replaced. repair was done the first week of september and we have not had any power steering problems since.
09/24/2010102000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated that power steering pump and cooling fan have failed. when the contact started the vehicle and tried to drive the power steering was gone. the contact took the vehicle in when it was making a knocking noise and had that fixed, but a few week later the power steering went out. there was no warning before the steering failed after the previous repair. the vin was not available at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage and current mileage was 102000.rl
07/20/201074271
 I want to report problem with steering components in my 2004 mini cooper s (based on article in usa today). in july of this year, 2010, my steering suddenly became almost impossible to turn. i stopped, called my dealership, had the car towed in. they replaced the power steering motor. this week, sept. 2010, i heard a strange sound. took it back in, they replaced the power steering fan.
09/23/201071000
 Power steering pump failed on mini cooper s with approximately 71000 miles last week.
08/30/2010108000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact had the power steering rack replaced on the vehicle. the vehicle did not give any warning before the power steering failed. the contact was told the steering rack would have to be replaced first and then the power steering pump. the contact wanted to inform others of the problem and filed a complaint. the failure mileage 108000 and the current mileage was 110000.rl
11/20/200811000
 Power steering stopt working, repaircot app. $ 2.000.-, nohelp frommini usa
02/01/201090000
 Loss of power steering assist while driving.
09/25/201071000
 2004 mini cooper: power steering just went out on my way home from work. made a right hand turn and than it was just gone. on sunday 9-26-10 started the car and the power steering worked fine, until i was driving down the road at 70mph and it went out again for good.. done nothing yet to fix it.
09/18/201091000
 My 04 mini s just hit 90k and runs great until i was on the freeway overpass the other day. the power steering pump went out suddenly on a 55 mph turn and almost ran me right into the shoulder barrier which happens to be 50 feet above the lower freeway. thank god i was able to maintain control. mini cooper is a great car, but this power steering issue is a well know issue amongst the community of owners and mini needs to acknowledge this issue and help owners who are out of warranty. once you turn the car off and restart it the steering comes back to normal. when its hot out the steering seems to fail and is almost impossible to control the car once this happens which was the result in my above experience. this power steering failure is well know and has many many accounts of failures on popular mini forums. the part to replace this issue a single power steering unit which can be bought for about $450 and the average mechanic can replace it within and hour or so.
09/18/2010110000
 I was driving along a street about to negotiate a turn when the power steering failed. had it happened a few seconds later, i probably would not have been able to negotiate the turn and may have crashed.
09/20/201043000
 Electric/hydraulic power steering pump failed after only 43000miles on the car. it stuck in the on position even when key removed from the car, draining my battery and causing a heat buildup under the bonnet. 2004 mini cooper s.
08/02/201066876
 My 2004 mini cooper s, of which i am the second owner has developed progressively worsening steering characteristics. most times the steering is hard and typically its hardest at low speed. the steering under acceleration is notably of great concern as i have experienced erratic and unpredictable sudden pulls to the left and right without any driver input. the service history for this vehicle is consistent with the suggested service intervals. this is a major safety concern for me.
06/12/2010
 Tl. the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated on numerous accusations while driving 40 mph the power steering would malfunction causing a loss of power steering almost causing a crash. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the power steering motor and the cooling fan replaced. since the repairs the contact has not had a issue with the power steering. the contact stated this is safety issue that the manufacturer should look into. the failure mileage was unknown. jo
05/15/2010140000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper type s. intermittently while traveling at any speed the contact noticed that the power steering will suddenly stop functioning without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the failure could not be reproduced. the failure mileage was 140000 and the current mileage was 143000. bml
09/23/201071000
 Power steering pump failed on mini cooper s with approximately 71000 miles last week.
08/30/2010108000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact had the power steering rack replaced on the vehicle. the vehicle did not give any warning before the power steering failed. the contact was told the steering rack would have to be replaced first and then the power steering pump. the contact wanted to inform others of the problem and filed a complaint. the failure mileage 108000 and the current mileage was 110000.rl
11/20/200811000
 Power steering stopt working, repaircot app. $ 2.000.-, nohelp frommini usa
02/01/201090000
 Loss of power steering assist while driving.
09/25/201071000
 2004 mini cooper: power steering just went out on my way home from work. made a right hand turn and than it was just gone. on sunday 9-26-10 started the car and the power steering worked fine, until i was driving down the road at 70mph and it went out again for good.. done nothing yet to fix it.
09/18/201091000
 My 04 mini s just hit 90k and runs great until i was on the freeway overpass the other day. the power steering pump went out suddenly on a 55 mph turn and almost ran me right into the shoulder barrier which happens to be 50 feet above the lower freeway. thank god i was able to maintain control. mini cooper is a great car, but this power steering issue is a well know issue amongst the community of owners and mini needs to acknowledge this issue and help owners who are out of warranty. once you turn the car off and restart it the steering comes back to normal. when its hot out the steering seems to fail and is almost impossible to control the car once this happens which was the result in my above experience. this power steering failure is well know and has many many accounts of failures on popular mini forums. the part to replace this issue a single power steering unit which can be bought for about $450 and the average mechanic can replace it within and hour or so.
09/18/2010110000
 I was driving along a street about to negotiate a turn when the power steering failed. had it happened a few seconds later, i probably would not have been able to negotiate the turn and may have crashed.
09/20/201043000
 Electric/hydraulic power steering pump failed after only 43000miles on the car. it stuck in the on position even when key removed from the car, draining my battery and causing a heat buildup under the bonnet. 2004 mini cooper s.
08/02/201066876
 My 2004 mini cooper s, of which i am the second owner has developed progressively worsening steering characteristics. most times the steering is hard and typically its hardest at low speed. the steering under acceleration is notably of great concern as i have experienced erratic and unpredictable sudden pulls to the left and right without any driver input. the service history for this vehicle is consistent with the suggested service intervals. this is a major safety concern for me.
06/12/2010
 Tl. the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated on numerous accusations while driving 40 mph the power steering would malfunction causing a loss of power steering almost causing a crash. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the power steering motor and the cooling fan replaced. since the repairs the contact has not had a issue with the power steering. the contact stated this is safety issue that the manufacturer should look into. the failure mileage was unknown. jo
05/15/2010140000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper type s. intermittently while traveling at any speed the contact noticed that the power steering will suddenly stop functioning without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the failure could not be reproduced. the failure mileage was 140000 and the current mileage was 143000. bml
09/18/201091000
 My 04 mini s just hit 90k and runs great until i was on the freeway overpass the other day. the power steering pump went out suddenly on a 55 mph turn and almost ran me right into the shoulder barrier which happens to be 50 feet above the lower freeway. thank god i was able to maintain control. mini cooper is a great car, but this power steering issue is a well know issue amongst the community of owners and mini needs to acknowledge this issue and help owners who are out of warranty. once you turn the car off and restart it the steering comes back to normal. when its hot out the steering seems to fail and is almost impossible to control the car once this happens which was the result in my above experience. this power steering failure is well know and has many many accounts of failures on popular mini forums. the part to replace this issue a single power steering unit which can be bought for about $450 and the average mechanic can replace it within and hour or so.
09/18/2010110000
 I was driving along a street about to negotiate a turn when the power steering failed. had it happened a few seconds later, i probably would not have been able to negotiate the turn and may have crashed.
09/20/201043000
 Electric/hydraulic power steering pump failed after only 43000miles on the car. it stuck in the on position even when key removed from the car, draining my battery and causing a heat buildup under the bonnet. 2004 mini cooper s.
08/02/201066876
 My 2004 mini cooper s, of which i am the second owner has developed progressively worsening steering characteristics. most times the steering is hard and typically its hardest at low speed. the steering under acceleration is notably of great concern as i have experienced erratic and unpredictable sudden pulls to the left and right without any driver input. the service history for this vehicle is consistent with the suggested service intervals. this is a major safety concern for me.
06/12/2010
 Tl. the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. the contact stated on numerous accusations while driving 40 mph the power steering would malfunction causing a loss of power steering almost causing a crash. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have the power steering motor and the cooling fan replaced. since the repairs the contact has not had a issue with the power steering. the contact stated this is safety issue that the manufacturer should look into. the failure mileage was unknown. jo
05/15/2010140000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper type s. intermittently while traveling at any speed the contact noticed that the power steering will suddenly stop functioning without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the failure could not be reproduced. the failure mileage was 140000 and the current mileage was 143000. bml
07/01/201048000
 2004 mini cooper s power steering failure after <50,000 miles very hard to steer. had to replace the pump.
08/12/201070100
 The power steering went out while going up hill on a curvy two lane road. the loss of power steering forced me to go into the other lane, where fortunately no cars were present. if i was going down hill on the same road i would have definitely gone against the side of the hill or off the side of the cliff if not hitting an on coming car first. the dealership charged me over $1000 to change the electro/hydraulic steering pump. the sudden loss of power steering seems to be an issue with many minis according to forum posts.
07/01/201048000
 2004 mini cooper s power steering failure after <50,000 miles very hard to steer. had to replace the pump.
08/12/201070100
 The power steering went out while going up hill on a curvy two lane road. the loss of power steering forced me to go into the other lane, where fortunately no cars were present. if i was going down hill on the same road i would have definitely gone against the side of the hill or off the side of the cliff if not hitting an on coming car first. the dealership charged me over $1000 to change the electro/hydraulic steering pump. the sudden loss of power steering seems to be an issue with many minis according to forum posts.
07/01/201048000
 2004 mini cooper s power steering failure after <50,000 miles very hard to steer. had to replace the pump.
08/12/201070100
 The power steering went out while going up hill on a curvy two lane road. the loss of power steering forced me to go into the other lane, where fortunately no cars were present. if i was going down hill on the same road i would have definitely gone against the side of the hill or off the side of the cliff if not hitting an on coming car first. the dealership charged me over $1000 to change the electro/hydraulic steering pump. the sudden loss of power steering seems to be an issue with many minis according to forum posts.
08/13/201095000
 Power steering pump is failing. so far no major problems but i have had other mini owners report this same problem and worse. i am having my pump replaced this weekend with the hope of avoiding any further issues. hopefully this one will last a long time.
06/21/201042000
 On a 2004 mini cooper s, intermittent failure of the power steering pump causing extreme difficulty steering. car has 43000 miles. many similar cases reported in online forums.
10/01/2009900001
 Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) why has the nhtsa administration taken no action against mini and bmw for the known defect in power steering systems. i am wondering, amid all the toyota controversy and recalls, especially now about the broken steering rods, why there has not been a recall, or at least a public warning of some kind about steering issues on the mini. the power steering pump in mini's of all ages and mileages are prone to fail while driving. this happened to me while driving my 2004 mini cooper s across a snowy and icy mountain pass here in washington state. it was quite a surprising, frightening, and unsafe experience to say the least. others have filed complaints with you folks, as well as the company, but so far as i know nothing has been done. if injuries and fatalities are the criteria, how would anyone know the steering was an issue unless they had experienced the terror of losing steering at speed? this issue prompted a recall in great britain. why not here. even a cursory search of the internet reveals the depth of the problem, yet neither bmw nor mini have taken any steps to address the issue here in the us. can you tell me why?? [xxx] *tr
04/01/201063454
 I was driving on i-95n when the steering became all tight like i couldn't turn the wheel. no indicatior lights came on. i reached my destination, shut the car off for several min, got in started it up and it was fine. got back on i-95s and 5 min later the steering wheel felt like it was locked up i couldn't turn it. again no warnings!!!!! are you people going to wait till some one is killed to make bmw fix this!!!!!! i have read it's beein going on since 2002 power steering pump failures
02/01/2010780003
 Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). i have a 2004 mini cooper s (bmw) that i have owned for about a year and a half but recently, past 3 months., i have had the power steering quit suddenly on 3 separate occasions. thankfully i was not on a high speed road at any of those times because when the power steering went out it i could barely turn the wheel and i'm a 36 yr. old male with quite a bit more strength than my fiance who also drives the car. i believe this is a very serious flaw with the car as i have checked with other mini cooper owners across the country who each and everyone of them has experienced the same exact problem with the power steering failing suddenly. i can only imagine what would happen if this occurs at high speeds or during inclement weather, this is a safety hazard that should be recalled by bmw since i am not the only mini cooper owner with this problem. [xxx] *tr
02/12/2010440001
 The power steering pump suddenly failed. this is an electric-hydraulic steering system and the car is not controllable when the pump fails. the car has been properly maintained and has less than 50,000 mile. *tr
02/17/2009380001
 Intermittent power steering failure. *tr
10/16/2008553001
 As an owner of a 2004 cooper s i was greatly disappointed to learn that i now need to replace my electric steering pump at only 55k miles. i have been told by the dealer that the part goes regularly and that we keep a bunch in stock and that it will cost me $600 for a new one not including labor. with this bit of information, i began to search mini cooper fansites and blogs to see how often this problem occurs. i wasn't surprised to find that many of the members and fans of the car have had multiple pump failures, and that there is a growing number of those who are discussing the failure issue. i believe this is both a costly fix as well as a safety problem. the sudden loss of a steering pump is quite dangerous and may cause some drivers to lose control. i am fortunate that i noticed the problem and understood what the failure was, so i personally did not have an accident, but for those who are less car savvy, they may not notice the noise of the failure that is about to occur. *tr
07/03/2008650001
 I own a 2004 mini cooper s and the power steering pump has failed after only 4 years and 65,000 miles. this seems to be a very common occurrence with this vehicle and the manufacture is acutely aware of the issue, but will not issue a recall or warranty the item. *tr
07/03/2004578001
 (1) on thursday, july 3rd, i attempted to manipulate a 90 degree righthand turn in my 2004 mini cooper s during my very short commute to work and did so only with great difficultly. from that point forward my car turns neither left nor right properly and only with great difficulty. there was no warning or noises of any kind to alert me to the problem. my significant other, who is a trained mechanic, inspected the vehicle and identified the power steering pump as the problem. i also spoke with several individuals herb chambers bmw mini of boston who acknowledged that the power steering pump was either a known and/or common problem. the parts department explained that the pump manufacturer who made the pump in my mini is no longer making pumps for mini. (2) the power steering pump has failed therefore my mini is relying on the rack and pinion to turn. the mini turns only with great difficulty and requires two hands on the wheel at all times; this is exceedingly difficult to do while navigating corners as i have a standard transmission. the mini is unsafe to drive, so i am forced to borrow another vehicle. (3) my car has approximately 57,000 miles on it and mini's warranty only covers problems up through 50,000 miles despite the fact that the pump is a known problem and safety hazard. nothing has been done by the dealership to correct the problem. my mini remains parked while i await the new power steering pump that i ordered and paid for. the new pump is manufactured by a different company than the defective pump that has failed. *tr
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP
12/23/200758781112/12/2006
 My 2004 mini cooper s lost steering control approaching a very dangerous corner on california sr 330. it took all my strength to turn the wheel and i nearly avoided a serious accident, but was able to get through the turn and then get the car off the road. searching on the web, i seen hundreds of reports of steering failure in 2002 through 2006 mini coopers. my dealer was knew about the issue and replaced the steering pump. my mini has 58,000 miles on it. *tr
11/06/2007499003
 2004 mini cooper s power steering pump failure three times while driving vehicle not yet replaced no consequences yet beyond frightening. *tr
10/16/200754412102/03/2004
 Driving down road started to make a left turn and the power steering assist fails. i barely managed to keep car on the road. unbelievable difficult to steer and crucial turn. have yet to replace part and upon research find mini knows of this problem and put out a duct work and improved pump. they however have not voluntarily recalled vehicles to retrofit. *tr
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
11/25/200733542103/31/2004
 Complete and instantaneous power steering failure. there is plenty of fluid in the reservoir and there are no blown fuses. *tr
08/24/2007580001
 1) no significant event leading up to failure 2) power steering pump failure, no steering ability in vehicle 3) no correction known for sudden loss of steering. parts to be repaired believed to be steering pump and potential steering rack. *tr
11/21/200683800111/20/2003
 The steering failed on my 2004 mini cooper s with 84k mile. the power steering fan failed causing the power steering pump to burn out. this problem occurred without warning. the vehicle was nto drivable as a result of the failure fortunately the failure occured after the vehicle reached it destination and was parked. *nm

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