Power Steering Pump problems of the 2003 Mini Cooper - part 1

Bought this car for 16 yr old daughter. Steering was cutting out while driving took car to Mini of dallas recall was done on harness, pump, cooling fan. Next week no steering again while driving took car back. Mini stated drive belt broke and was repaired for 260. 00. 3 days later was called at a 11:30 at night my daughter stating the steering had cut out again. I don't want my daughter in this car or anyone else for that matter what should I do with this car.

Driving normally on city paved road started to make turn on side street and lost total steering control and went up on curb just missing a pedestrian on sidewalk. This vehicle has 79300 miles. The electric hydraulic pump completely failed. Mini USA said this VIN is not part of the recall yet just about every Mini inported to USA has complete steering lose 2002-2003-2004-2005 and I believe they are hiding this from you and the public who are still buying these used cars and not knowing the dangerous problem the Mini has and flawed power steering pump design. Thank you.

Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the power steering pump made an abnormal noise and veering while being operated approximately 65mph. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was taken to Mini of san diego located 5202 kearny mesa rd, san diego where it was diagnosed that the NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000(steering) was already performed and the vehicle operated as intended. The vehicle was not repaired however the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was inspected and the technician informed the contact that the power steering pump was the original manufactured part and no parts were replaced as the dealer originally informed them. The manufacturer was notified of the failure where they also informed the contact that they had no records of the vehicle being serviced under the recall. Mini of san diego was contacted again where they informed the contact again that the recall was performed in March 2017. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000. Kh.

The electro-hydraulic power steering system experiences temporary loss of assistance when vehicle is starting up and it is nearly impossible to maneuver the car to pull out of a parking space. However, the power steering returns to normal as soon as you begin street or highway driving. I took my car to a Mini dealership and they stated that my particular steering pump isn't covered in the warranty although I did receive a letter indicating that it should be. I have the exact same issues happening with my vehicle that the recall is talking about.

We were charged $1300. 00 to replace the power steering pump and fan.

Our 2003 Mini Cooper has about 120k miles on it. It was completely fine until recently when the power steering pump started whining. Sometimes it completely stopped working and we had no power steering, thankfully this was while the car was parked and not while driving. Turning the wheel is a little harder than usual, and if you turn it too much, the car bogs down and the revs go way down. We've tried flushing and replacing the power steering fluid, but it didn't seem to help. We've even put in some expensive additives that promise to repair the problem and stop the noise, but it doesn't work. We don't feel safe knowing that our power steering may go out at any moment. And we certainly don't appreciate the looks we get when we drive past people.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper. While driving approximately 55 mph, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the power steering pump failed. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

Ehps extended warranty coverage 4/11, I purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper with 88327 miles. 7/2011 the power steering pump began malfunctioning, working intermittently. I filed a complaint with the NHTSA. 5/24/13 I received a letter from Mini USA offering to reimburse the cost of steering pump repairs. They also stated that it would take 4 ¿ 6 weeks for reimbursement. The only other item in the envelope was a change of address card. I called the toll free number and followed the instructions. 5/25/13 I mailed copies of the letter and the receipt for the power steering pump. I called their customer service department on 7/16/13, was put on hold several times, then told they didn't have my receipt. But they had the email address I had hand written on the receipt (corrected, as the email on the receipt had changed. ) when I pointed that out, he put me on hold again, then claimed they didn't have my VIN #. How, since they located me from the VIN #? he insisted I send in the information again, this time with the VIN# noted. I asked why I hadn't received any kind of letter saying my documentation was not complete. He told me the letter was sent the day before my call. 6 weeks after that call, I still have not received any letter from them. 7/16/13 I re- sent all the documentation. On 7/26/13 I again spoke with customer relations. I was told they had received my complete paperwork and all of it was in their system as of 7/24/2013. On 8/23/13 I again called customer relations. After verifying my name, address, email, and VIN # he put me on hold. When he returned, at first tried to say my information was not all in yet. I told him I had spoken with [xxx] who had confirmed the information was all in their system as of July 24th. He gave me further run-around, would not give any indication of when I might expect payment and in general stone walled me. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Luckily, I was pulling out of a parking space (low speed, high manageability) and my power steering completely went out. It is very difficult to make turns. I stopped at a mechanic shop - fluids and belts were fine. It's the fan/pump that has suddenly quit working.

The power steering pump, fan, hydraulic fluid pump chf 1 core charge) and hose clamp were replaced by the dealer 5 days earlier. Mini Cooper/BMW sent me a letter for voluntary replacement because my Mini copper 2003 had too many complaints with this issue. The car was running ok except for the power steering after the replacement I only drove about 70 miles because I was off from my school. The incident happened on July 15, 2013 approximately at 3:45 pm. I drove about 30 miles back from work. Parked the car in front of rite aid in rancho palos verdes. When I returned to the car it wouldn't start. Used jump cables for several minutes without success. Went to my mechanic close by. My mechanic came to look at the car, he was able to start the car. I drove back home about 6 miles. When I parked the car the car was very hot and most of the lights in the panel were lighten. I must mention that my car has a new battery and new starter (both were replaced 9 months ago). It seems that the problem is directly related to the electrical system and to the replacement of the part on 7/17/2013.

After driving the car under normal circumstances a short distance and parking the car, a fire ignited in the engine bay. The fire extinguished itself prior to the fire truck arriving. Vehicle was towed to local dealer who, upon inspection, indicated the power steering pump and/or associated hardware had failed and caused the fire.

The power steering pump fan then pump failed resulting in a complete loss of power assisted steering. While the vehicle was steerable, the loss was surprise at slow speeds when turning off a road. It took a very significant force to control the vehicle and I almost hit a concrete abutment. I doubt that a young teen or any person who was not that strong, would have been able to control the vehicle. The dealer when presented with the repair knew of the issue and of many reports of a near accident like mine.

I parked my car in a parking garage after driving approximately 20 miles. I walked to a dentist down the street for an appointment. While at the dentist I get a call that went to my voicemail that my car (while parked with the engine off) was on fire and was filling the parking garage with smoke. Upon receiving the message I rushed home to find that the fire was already out, but the smell of smoke was still very strong. I noticed that the inside indicating lights of the car were on as if the key was in the ignition of the car. I immediately disconnected the battery and inspected the car to find the source of the fire. Upon inspection I found that the flames had come from behind and slightly below the motor. There was a metal shield that was blackened by the flames that I could not see around so I jacked up the car and removed the driver side wheel to further inspect the source of the fire. After doing so I could then clearly see that the source of the fire was the power steering pump due to the surrounding burn marks. The total amount of damage has yet to be assessed by my insurance company. They towed the car and are inspecting the car on Dec 13, 2012.

As I was pulling into my driveway I noticed that smoke was coming from my hood. I immediately stopped the car and popped the hood to find smoke and fire coming from my engine compartment. I was able to disconnect the battery and extinguish the fire before it did extensive damage. Cause of fire was failed power steering pump.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper. While driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed a chattering noise and suddenly the vehicle would not accelerate. The contact also stated that he was a mechanic. After inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the transmission would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Prior to the transmission failure, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the power steering pump and cooling fan would have to also be replaced. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

While I was driving Mini 2003 (odo: 74k) on I-90 highway at 70mph, suddenly the power steering wheel stopped working on June 28, 2012. I barely made to exit from the highway, and got home. Next day, the car was sent to the BMW-Mini dealership, and assessed the failure of power steering pump. They know this happens frequently with Mini, but it was not covered by manufacturers. The only option was to replace the part. The part was replaced and the cost was $1,200.

At approximately 35mph the power steering of my 2003 Mini Cooper erratically engaged and disengaged several times. I responded by slowing down and trying to maintain control of the vehicle. Once stopped, I turned the car off completely. Once out of the vehicle I heard an electric motor running. I opened the hood to investigate and noted a small amount of smoke rising from the aft portion of the engine compartment. I went back to the ignition switch to confirm it was off and removed the keys. The electric motor continued to run and as I went back to the open hood the smoke volume had increased dramatically. The smoke had a very clear electrical smell and color. I immediately began trying to disconnect the battery. While obtaining tools from the hatch of the car, the electric power steering pump assembly erupted in flames. I obtained my fire extinguisher and directed it at the aft portion of the engine compartment. This produced no results and the flames returned quickly. I then got the tools from the hatch of the car and cut the battery cables. This caused the fire to subside immediately. At the repair facility the power steering pump assembly (electric) was removed and determined to be the cause of the fire. The fact that I had tools and 25 years mechanical experience prevented this car from burning to the ground. In my opinion this is a major safety issue on two levels. First: loss of directional control. Second: fire hazard, electrical component that cannot be turned off with the ignition switch. This must be investigated and the manufacture directed to apply a fix to all affected vehicles.

On the morning of Sunday may 13th 2012 (mothers day), I drove the vehicle approx 11 miles to my mother-in-law's home. During this 11 mile ride all seemed normal with the vehicle. After visiting for a few hours I drove it approx 5 more miles to a stop & shop, again all seemed fine with the vehicle. Within the 10-15minutes I was inside purchasing mothers day flowers, stop and shop employees had noticed a fire in the parking lot. I walked into the parking lot to find the police and fire fighters approaching my car. When I got to it there was no more fire but still plenty of smoke coming from under the hood and driver side wheel well. I took a look under the car to see that there was no more fire, so the fire department left. I was not able to start the car so I jacked up the front of the vehicle to see what had caught fire. The fire had originated from the electric/hydraulic power steering pump. The socket on the pump was still smoking a lot and very melted. The plug connector on the 12v/grounding cables feeding the pump was also very melted. Since this fire occurred on a 12v line it also shorted out the battery completely. I was able to jump the car started in order to drive it about 15-16 miles home. Since then the pump has been disassembled to find that the entire circuit board was compromised (burned/ashes). I decided to file this complaint after I had researched this issue extensively. Apparently this is a common problem. Most simply fail, either causing accidents or merely making it extremely hard do drive. Few other unlucky owners have there pumps burst into flames. Mini is aware of the issue but offers Minimal to no compensation. In canada a recall has already been issued for these defective pumps. I can only hope and pray that NHTSA along with Mini USA choose to issue a recall before this causes a very serious accident (if it hasn't already).

While driving at high way speed car lost steering assist, intermittently came bad then failed, I then slowed down steering did not came back, once stopped large amount of smoke coming from under hood the smell of electrical burning, even with key off I could hear electric power steering pump still trying to run, the fire was from the heavy battery feed wires into the power steering pump the composite end of pump melted, once I disconnected the battery the source of fire was removed, I have spent the last 4 years working in a gm dealer ship, master ase tech, I feel if I was a typical consumer and had not known to pull battery power the out come could had been worse.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini copper. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a residential garage, smoke emitted from under the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the mechanic confirmed that the power steering pump caught fire and melted the wiring harness. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 80,100 and the current mileage was 80,600.

2003 Mini Cooper, power steering pump just quit making the car unsafe too drive. Was told this is a common thing with the Mini Cooper and after checking on line I see there is a lot of people having the same problem! I think BMW needs to step up to the plate and take care of this!!! after all 800 dollars for a new one is a bit much!!!.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini copper. While driving approximately 50 mph, a slight loss of power steering occurred without warning. The contact continued in operation because there was no shoulder area on the road. The steering wheel was engaged forcefully in oder to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was taken an independent mechanic who detected a faulty power steering pump. The vehicle was repaired. There was a closed investigation under NHTSA action number ea07011 (steering: hydraulic power assist: pump) which the contact believed to be related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,450.

We purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper just weeks ago from a private party. Almost instantly the power steering went out while my daughter was driving. Luckily she wasn't in heavy traffic on the la freeway. We were told by the service center that we needed a new power steering pump. We purchased this and had it installed for approx. $1200. 00. However the electric power steering pump fan still would not shut off when the engine was turned off, so this issue was still not resolved. Immediately following this repair my daughter was driving on the freeway at 60 mph when the car suddenly jerked and slowed to a stop. Luckily my daughter was in the right hand lane and could pull over on to the side of the busy freeway. (still no power steering working)the car was towed to the Mini dealer. They diagnosed that the cvt transmission needs to be replaced, at a cost of $7150 approx. And this is before they can even diagnose the steering fan electrical problem. From all the complaints on this website about both of these problems, Mini needs to take responsibility! we don't know what to do, as the repairs are much more than the cars value and the Mini service manager states that the new cvt transmission only has a 2 year warranty. If this is a defective transmission, why should we pay for another one. As of today my daughter has to walk/bus to school and the Mini sits. We are interested in the class action suit.

I own a 2003 Mini Cooper automatic and I've already had to have the power steering pump and the cooling fan replaced twice, and now, only a year later after my 2nd replacement and a few thousand dollars later, it needs to be replaced for a third time. The care only has 80,000 miles on it. This is costly and a safety issue for drivers. I will never buy another car by Mini or BMW.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper. The contact was driving approximately 55 mph when the battery warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became stiff and failed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician stated that the power steering pump and harness was melted and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000. Updated 5/24/11 the power steering pump and wiring harness had to be replaced. Updated 06/10/11.

I was driving the Mini Cooper on a busy road when the power steering stopped working. The vehicle was impossible to steer. We were lucky not to have had an accident or hit a pedestrian. This is an unacceptable design. The vehicle should never be that hard to control even when the power steering malfunctions. This is a safety hazard and these parts should be recalled. I would not allow any of my family to operate the vehicle until there is a change in design to the part. Simply replacing the power steering pump with a new or refurbished part with a similar design will not make the vehicle safe.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini copper. While the vehicle was parked with the engine on the contact heard a loud whining noise. The noise was coming from the front end of the vehicle. The failure occurred continuously. The last time the contact experienced the failure the vehicle was parked with the engine shut off and the power steering pump continued to run and drained the battery. The contact had to jump start the vehicle in order to start it. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer. The technicians stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.

My 2003 Mini Cooper power steering pump went out while rounding a corner. Barely gained control in time to stop. I when to the Mini dealer and the mechanic said " this is a common flaw in Minis from 2002-2005. I see it all the time". Then I find out there is a class action suit on the defect. Some cars have even caught on fire. Car only has 63k in it.

My 2003 Mini Cooper has almost caught on fire several times, replaced transmission, electrical harness, power steering pump, a/c hoses and a/c service, wheel bearings, injection plugs etc. . . . . . . I still cannot find the real problem why is causing a short, it has almost caught on fire several times, this car has been the most dangerous car I have ever own, I have never spend so much money on trying to fix any vehicle, right now I'm about $11,500 in costs of repairs, this is a crime to the consumer, I have been reading about a class action lawsuit that is in progress, I hope and pray that we get justice from the maker of Mini.

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

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

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

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

The power steering on my 2003 Mini Cooper stops working while driving without warning. It happens when going straight ,as well as mid-turn. It has happened three times. I was told I must replace the power steering pump.

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