Power Steering Pump problems of the 2005 Mini Cooper - part 1

The power steering pump stops functioning intermittently when starting a stop.

Power steering pump went out while driving and it stays on when the engine is off. I was on a city street when it happened. I have to disconnect battery cable so it doesn't drain the battery.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. While driving 60 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. When the vehicle was turned off, the contact noticed that the electric fan kept running. The following day, the vehicle failed to start. The battery was dead. When roadside assistance arrived, the battery was jumpstarted and the fan remained active. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering pump and the power steering fan needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

After an hours drive, I was standing outside of the vehicle talking w/ the car off. All of sudden smoke starts pouring out from under the hood. I quickly opened the hood to hear some type of electrical fan/pump sound & smoke coming from the bottom/rear side of the motor. I was able to pull the battery terminal & the noise/smoke stopped. I then searched online & found the known issues of the electrical assisted power steering. I found the fuse for the circuit, a 100 amp fuse hidden on the bottom side of the fuse box that had not popped even though the pump was burning itself up. I had enough tools w/ me to pull the fuse, get the car started & make my way home w/o the power steering assist.

Loud whine from power steering pump.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. When the vehicle made a right turn at 50 mph, the steering wheel seized. The contact had to use excessive force to get the steering wheel to straighten. The dealer stated that the steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.

Sudden failure of power steering resulting in very high steering effort, traced by dealer to a well-known failure mode in electrohydraulic power steering pump. Pump and associated fan were replaced by dealer under special ("secret") warranty coverage, due to common incidence of this failure. Existence of this special warranty was found only after search and location of many identical failures on the internet. The vehicle battery was found to be completely discharged upon arrival at dealership. Once a shop battery was connected, the pump was found to be running continuously even though the vehicle ignition was in the full off position. Also, the alternator was found to have failed, presumably because of excessive stress imposed by the defective pump on the vehicle electrical system. Cost of alternator replacement was not covered by the manufacturer. This known failure mode is believed to be a significant safety defect. Formal recall of affected vehicles by NHTSA is warranted, since sudden loss of power steering at speed can result in loss of vehicle directional control.

Was driving on nys thruway when I thought I'd gotten a flat tire due to sluggish steering now hours later and a little internet investigation I think it to be the power steering pump. This should be recalled ASAP before someone is killed.

Intermittently on cold start the power steering is inoperative. Turning the car off and then back on again will usually result in the power steering becoming operative again. Dealership says pump needs to be replaced.

Tl- the contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the steering became extremely difficult to maneuver. The failure recurred as the contact was driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The technician stated that the power steering pump would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 64,000. Kmj.

While driving the power steering pump stopped working .

The power steering has been going in and out for the last three weeks. When it first happened I was driving on the highway at 50 mph and the steering became very difficult. Turning took a large amount of effort. After arriving at home and taking it out the next day it worked fine and then went out again while going 35 mph and trying to make a curve in the road. We took the car in for repairs and was told the power steering pump and fan worked fine but the power steering was intermittent when driven. A power connector for the pump was repaired and the next day the car starting losing the power steering again. If this happened at highway speed it could easily cause an accident and/or injuries. I've read too many stories online for this to be a fault with the design.

In September 2012 I noticed a loud fan noise that wouldn't turn off. The car was also overheating. I noticed that it was very hard to steer the car, but I thought that was due to the overheating. Mechanic determined failed cylinder head gasket in 11/2012. The radiator was replaced and the thermostat was replaced. In 11/2012 the water pump was also replaced. In 12/2012 the battery had to be replaced. In 06/2013 the heater core was replaced. I believe that these issues are directly related to the loss of power steering and the associated fan failing, which caused the car to overheat and the battery to fail. Please see nhsta complaints 10453158, 10444328, 10379750, 10442431,10379459 for similar cases of these same issues related to the failure of power steering and the associated pump.

The power steering pump stops operating while the vehicle is in motion. It has happened three times to date: the first incident was at low speed in a parking structure; the second incident happened at freeway speed; the most recent incident occurred on a surface street while decelerating to a stop. In each case, control of the car was maintained but was very difficult. The pump function was restored by stopping and cycling the vehicle ignition to off and then restarting the engine.

Parked the car to go in a store, in the store for 10 minutes. Came out to start the car and the steering wheel was stiff and did not want to move. Cut the car off and was looking into ways to get the car towed. I tried to start the car back up maybe 15-20 minutes later and it was working just fine. Ever sense then, the car's power steering would stop functioning and then reset itself once the car was stopped and idle. You can never predict when this will happen or when it won't. The power steering issues have gotten progressively worse with longer intervals of wait time before the power steering starts functioning again. The wheel when the power steering stops functioning is virtually immovable it is almost impossible to make turns unless they are wide ones. This is a tremendous safety hazard and the power steering pump is clearly defective.

Tl-the contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. While driving approximately 20 mph, there was a complete loss of power steering without any warning. The contact was able to continue driving with extreme difficulty in turning the steering wheel. The steering malfunction occurred three times. The vehicle was taken to an independent auto shop where the power steering pump, fan and other related components were replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. An open investigation remains open under NHTSA action number ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump). The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. Js.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper s. While driving approximately 55 mph, the steering became difficult to maneuver. The contact stopped on the shoulder of the road and shut off the vehicle. Once restarted, the vehicle regained power steering function. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician advised the contact that the power steering pump would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 120,774.

While driving the vehicle the power steering intermittently goes out. It is very unpredictable, where I will be driving for several miles with the power steering intact, then all of a sudden it goes out making the vehicle difficult to turn and control. Later the power steering returns. I had the vehicle examined by the Mini dealer, the insurance company mechanic, and my personal mechanic. None of them were able to notice any damage to the power steering. The fluid level is intact as well as the pump. The Mini dealer stated that they've "seen a lot of this" issue, but there are no recalls or open campaigns. The dealer believes the issue is due to an internal electronics failure and will not agree to fix it in good faith. In calling Mini USA, there are no open campaigns or recalls for the issue either, despite over ~50,000 cars of the same model year reportedly having the same issue. This is a very dangerous and frustrating situation with the potential to cause accidents due to an unpredictable loss of control while driving.

Generally, I love the Mini Cooper having purchased it in the after market. However, not long after the warranty ran out, I had problems for several weeks with my steering wheel seizing up but an incident in February 2012 sticks out most in my mind since I was on I-95 in the rain and could not adequately steer the car to take an exit. My 11 yr old daughter was with me at the time. I pulled to the shoulder and shut the car off and was able to restart and resume driving. Financially, I could not afford to take the car into the dealer but the condition and work around continued intermittently for a few weeks when I could afford the repair. In early may 2012, I took the car to the dealer for repair and it cost over $1300 to replace the power steering pump. At the time of the repair, it was noted that the cooling fan also needed repair for another $720 -- I just didn't have it. Today, my 2-yr old battery failed apparently due to draining from the fan. For now, I replaced the battery for $249. I will be incrementally getting repairs done, however, in reading some people's experience with the steering pump, I understand that there may be some relevance between the pump going bad and an impact on the fan. I'd appreciate any insights you may have on that possibility. I am reporting this not only for myself but for others who also may be impacted by the pump defect that I am learning is somewhat common. I look forward to the outcome of your engineering analysis. Thank you.

Power steering went out making the car very hard to steer. The first time was January 2012, randomly off and on since. I have had the power steering return after simply turning the car off then on, other times after a week. It appears the power steering pump has decided to quit altogether at this point.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the power steering pump was emitting a noise. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 44,300 and the current mileage was 44,800. The VIN was unavailable.

Car was making a very loud noise. Took it to shop who identified it as a failing power steering pump cooling fan, and replaced it.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. While driving approximately 15 mph, the steering became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact believed that the power steering motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced a concurrent investigation under NHTSA action number: ea11005 (steering steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) that could possibly have been related to the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Steering wheel locks while driving. I have talked to the dealer and the dealer believes the problem is with the steering pump. I researched it on the net and found many people complaining about it.

Power steering fan burned out which caused the pump to fail. Seems to be a known problem with this model year. The placement of the fan is really bad because it's subject to constant road grime, salt, etc. Cost me over $1,200 to fix. :(.

Random loss of power to power steering system at varying speeds and conditions. Loss of power steering can vary in times from a few seconds to a several minutes. Steering vehicle becomes extremely difficult to turn and may result in an accident due to loss of power in steering pump/system. Condition seems to go away for a few hours to a few days.

Power steering went out while driving on the freeway. Has been happening for several months, but usually when this happens I can turn the car off and when the car is turned on again it is fine for a while. I had power steering fluid topped up but apparently it didn't fix the problem. I was told it is a power steering pump that needs to be replaced and costs approximately $1,000. 00- 1,2000. 00. Today the power steering went out completely and would not return to normal after above said actions. I read that continuing to drive the car in this state can cause battery drainage/failure, fan problems, and/or electrical fires.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the power steering failed without warning. The contact mentioned that she was able to merge onto the shoulder but was not able to continue driving. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering pump was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 62,300 and the current mileage was 64,000. The power steering pump was replaced. Updated 10/18/11 updated evoq 11/01/11.

Driving around a corner, power steering dropped out. Restarting solved the problem. Has occurred occasionally since then. Also, occasionally the pump continues after the car stops. Seems related to ea11005.

As reported by hundreds of others to NHTSA and by thousands on the internet, the power steering pump in our 2005 Mini Cooper will simply stop working intermittently and unexpectedly. This is very dangerous as it becomes almost impossible to control the vehicle. There are thousands of other complaints about this on-line and will eventually lead to a death. It is my opinion that NHTSA must immediately move to escalate this from engineering analysis to require BMW of north America, llc issue a recall on all 2005 & 2006 model Mini Coopers, if not earlier models as there are complaints on-line going back to 2002 when the model was first introduced to the us market. The cost to replace this unit is the better part of $900, but what¿s the cost of a life? Mini should have long since recalled this unit and they have known about this issue since 2002 but they have clearly ignored complaint after complaint instead claiming they ¿work closely with NHTSA on all complaints� (they¿re required to do so by law so their statement doesn¿t hold much weight). As the failure is intermittent an unpredictable how can I allow my wife or daughter who is preparing to learn to drive to drive either of our Mini Coopers until it¿s replaced? Mini should be forced to do it. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The failure in my power steering pump occurred at 70,000 miles while driving on the interstate highway at 75 mph. The steering wheel locked as I was driving while changing lanes. I could not turn the wheel without excessive force. I have also found that a pump, in the process of failing, causes another problem; the pump might randomly start working again, and possibly in the process of a turn. This actually happened to me and caused an over compensation when turning a corner (on 2 occasions) and potentially endangered the other motorists on the road, as well as myself! I found that it will cost me $1000. 00+ to have this repaired. I am currently unemployed and cannot afford this expense. In the mean time, my beloved Mini sits in the garage until a recall or until I have enough money to pay for the repairs.

We have a 2005 Mini Cooper. On 16jun11, my wife was driving back from her shift at the hospital at around 9am when while taking a turn the steering wheel suddenly became very heavy. She had to make the car turn with a lot of force. The next day, 17jun11, when we tried to open the car, it didn't respond to the key remote, and we have to open it manually. The car didn't respond, and wouldn't start. Today, 18jun11, we called aaa va our insurance, and they came over jump started the car. I took the car to the Mini service center (new country BMW), and they said I would have to come back on Monday, 20june. They did take a quick look under the hood, and even when the car is switched off, a cylinder behind the battery makes a continuous hissing sound. They said the problem would most certainly be related to the power steering pump/assembly. So, when in its turned off state, the pump somehow drains the battery. I will take my car to them in a few days again when they are free, but meanwhile, when I park, I park with the battery connections removed, so atleast I don't have to ask aaa to jump start it everytime. I am not sure if this is a manufacturing defect, and Mini would be taking care of it. But I am worried about the costs!.

I own a 2005 Mini Cooper. Mileage is 43,070. My power steering pump recently malfunctioned. Steering became uncontrollable and the power steering pump eventually would not turn off and continued running after I turned off my car. Part had to be replaced. I understand that a class action was filed in October 2010 regarding this same problem. I am writing to let the NHTSA know that my power steering pump also malfunctioned.

The steering wheel on my Mini Cooper has become hard to steer on and off for the last couple of days. At the onset, I was going at about 15 to 20mph and turning right. The steering got hard to turn and I was having difficulty staying out of on coming traffic. I pulled off to the side of the road, turned off the car and hood under the hood to see if there was anything to explain what was going on. I was not able to identify anything to explain this occurrence, so I restarted the car and it was back to normal. Since then it has done this on and off several other times. I call the mechanic and was told these vehicles have lots of problems with the steering pump, cooling fan and rely switch.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated the power steering failed, without warning, while driving approximately 55 mph. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and shut off. He inspected the vehicle and was unable to detect a failure. The contact restarted the vehicle and resumed operation with the steering failure. The contact planned to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,000. Updated 06/03/11 the consumer was informed by the dealer that the power steering pump failed. Updated 06/13/11.