Three problems related to steering is tight have been reported for the 2004 Mini Cooper. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Mini Cooper based on all problems reported for the 2004 Cooper.
The steering became very tight and the steering wheel was very hard to turn. The sudden loss of power steering was very scary at normal street speeds. Shutting off the car and restarting it will return the steering to normal only for a little bit. . . After a few minutes the power steering is gone again.
My daughter had been driving my car with no problems, when she parked to pick me up I put the car in reverse and was barely able to get out of the parking stall the steering was so hard. I then had to drive home using every ounce of strength I had, while making sure not to hit anything. I too have researched this and am truly disappointed with BMW.
The steering is so hard and it is difficult to move while driving, I had this problem for last few month but every time when I turn off/on, the problem goes away for a day or two. Since last week, it become permanent. I surf on internet and call Mini customer services, they told me that this issue is under investigation and if I fixed the problem and if there will be a recall, they will cover only parts not labor. This is very serious and unsafe while driving.