Power Steering Failed Problems of Mini Cooper - part 1

Hello, yesterday afternoon I started my 2009 Mini Cooper and noted that my gauges suddenly failed. The tach dropped to zero. Suddenly I received a tire pressure warning light. I decided I would move the car to a more favorable location to look under the hood. As I placed the car in reverse I noted that my power steering had failed. I stopped the car immediately and popped the hood. I immediately noticed the smell of burning electrical equipment. I ran down to the basement to grab a wrench to disconnect the battery. When I returned I could hear pops and cracks and noted char on the hood interior. Though the keys were out I continued to hear pops and cracks and felt heat accumulating . I finally got the battery disconnected and the popping stopped. After some investigation I found that the wiring near the power steering module was completely burnt out. The car drove fine the day prior. My wife is 38 weeks pregnant and I am shaken by the idea that this could have happened while she was driving the day before.

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Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper us. The contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle's power steering completely failed without warning. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle however, the steering was rough and stiff. The contact performed his owns inspection on the vehicle and noticed that the power steering pump was leaking; the contact spoke with his mechanic and informed him that they may be a recall on the vehicle. The manufactuer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that his vehicle was placed under NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000(steering). The contact took the vehicle to a dealer(Mini of the woodlands 16675 I-45, conroe, TX 77385 936- 344-1258) where he dropped off the vehicle to be serviced for the recall. The dealer then informed that contact that his vehicle would not be serviced under the recall because the steering pump was not the original Mini Cooper steering pump; the dealer offered no further assistance. The pump had not been replaced. The failure mileage was 83,000. Jo.

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Intermittent power steering failiure during driving, stiff steering wheel can cause a serious accident.

See all problems of the 2006 Mini Cooper 🔎.

Power steering failure - intermittent and during motion, Mini dealership provided records that the claim was cleared with # and mileage, but this is false information if still covered by NHTSA # 15v660000. Original recall # that was entered in the "repair history" from Mini that never occurred is m320215. Thank you.

Tl the contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. After turning the vehicle off, the power steering pump continued to operate. Also, while operating the vehicle, the power steering pump sometimes failed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. Also, the low battery warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to orlando Mini (350 lake destiny drive, orlando, FL) where it was diagnosed that the power steering pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 172,000.

See all problems of the 2005 Mini Cooper 🔎.

Good morning, I have a 2006 Mini Cooper and the power steering unit failed. I was driving and the steering wheel became very heavy (power steering fluid was ok) the unit just gave out. I read that the NHTSA issued a recall for the power steering unit for 2002 to 2005 Coopers recall 15v660000 (the 2002 thru 2006 are all first generation models). My question is why was the 2006 Cooper not included since it is also first generation model, and it is the same power steering unit used from 2002 thru 2006 atleast on the base models - not sure on the Cooper s model. Could you please let me know if this is something that can be added to the recall since it affects my car also,, it happened at 110k miles for me, I dont drive too much thus the low mileage. Thank you so much.

Power steering pump failed while car was being driven. Vehicle only has 90k and for some reason was not covered under the recall per Mini USA. Mini needs to review the recall and correct all 2005 Mini Cooper's with this defect.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. While driving 45 mph, the power steering failed without warning. The contact stated that it was difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance in having the vehicle repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Mini Cooper power steering pump failure. Vehicle was recently driven and was parked on the street. We started the vehicle and backed up to pull out of the parking spot. There was no power steering. We had to attempt to back up again to get off of the street and in to the parking spot. A burning smell and smoke started from under the hood. The power steering pump and cooling fan had failed. There are documented issues with this failure. When I contacted the dealership, I was told the extended warranty for this issue expired in April. This happened June 12th.

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The power steering in my Mini Cooper 2005 has been intermittent. The steering wheel becomes very hard to turn all of a sudden, particularly at low speeds when it is needed the most to make turns or to park. There are no fault indicators for this issue on the dashboard either. The very first time this happened in March 2011 when my car had less than 80,000 miles on it. The power steering became completely inoperable. At that time the dealer informed me that the power steering pump failure was a known problem in Mini Cooper and that the pump had to be replaced. The replacement cost was too high though, hence I chose to think about it before having it replaced. Luckily, the power steering started working again and even though steering became a little hard at times I got used to it. But since end of April 2017 the problem has been getting worse. Steering gets too hard at times and requires a lot of force to turn the steering wheel at low speeds. Getting in and out a compact parking spot is exceptionally hard. Making left, right and u turns are also very hard. Even though there is a recall on this issue, I have not received a recall notice in the mail. I don't understand why my car was not included in the recall. Or if the recall is ongoing, why should it take so long since this is a safety issue.

I reported a few months ago that my power steering had failed. It is a 2005 Mini Cooper, and some 2002-2005 Mini Coopers were effected, but supposedly not my Mini with my VIN number. The recall had ended in February 2005 and my car was manufactured in April 2005. However I believe that BMW (makers of Mini Cooper) were using faulty power steering units after February 2005. My car has low miles, I am the original owner and I take pristine care of my Mini. As a result, I hit a curb and had to have the front left tire changed. The weather was clear, no rain and my tires are all just about brand new run flat tires. The range of Mini Coopers affected needs to increased. This is obviously a problem and BMW (makers of Mini Cooper) seem to not take it seriously. My power steering is a major safety issue and needs to be addressed ASAP.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. While driving approximately 55 mph, the power steering failed without warning. The contact stated that the power steering ability had not returned for one month. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that an electro hydraulic steering system would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000 (steering), but the VIN was excluded. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. While driving approximately 65 mph, the power steering failed. The fan for the power steering pump was not working properly. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) ; however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the power steering failed without warning at various speeds, especially when turning the steering wheel. The approximate failure mileage was 171,000. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Power steering failed at low speed while turning at a stop sign in a school zone. Steering effort increased dramatically then shortly after the battery light, then alternator light came on. Was able to just make it home. I looked online and discovered that this is a common problem and that Mini is offering an extended warranty. I called Mini and gave them my VIN. They told me my 2005 Cooper s is not included in the extended warranty and would not do anything for me. It seems that Mini is not capturing all the vehicles that have this problem. I never received a letter notifying me of the issue. Lot of forums about this issue. So glad this did not happen on the hwy.

Tl- the contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph the power steering suddenly malfunctioned causing the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the power steering motor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 75,000. Jft.

Power steering failed and difficult to steer. Power steering would then cut in and out. Warranty repair by Mini dealer on September 16, 2015 replaced steering pump but power steering hose leak was not covered by warranty and charged $607. 59 to do all necessary repairs for the power steering to work. The lack of consistency of having power assist steering or not could contribute to an accident since there is no way to predict the amount of effort to steer the car. The needed power steering repairs were not free but cost $607. 59.

Power steering pump failure at <64k miles. This is ridiculous. Such a failure may result in an accident, injury or death. Mini Cooper has known about such issues for years! fix the problem Mini before someone gets killed.

The power steering on my 2005 Mini Cooper failed suddenly as I was making a left hand turn through an intersection. It took all my effort to keep the car in the lane. The Mini dealer initially told me that the power steering motor was covered due to the extended warranty on 2002 ? 2005 Mini Coopers which extends the warranty on the power steering motor to 13 years or 150,000 miles. I was called back later to be informed that my car was not covered as it was manufactured after the Feb. 2005 cutoff date. My Mini Cooper was manufactored in June 2005. Global Mini in chamblee, GA charged me $899. 78 for replacing the power steering motor. My sudden power steering failure at 83,025 miles was consistent with the power steering extended warranty issued by Mini USA for the sudden failure of the power steering motor. The warranty, in effect, is saying that the power steering motor of these vehicles should last for 150,000 miles. While Mini USA has extended the coverage to some 2005 Minis, coverage to my Mini Cooper has been denied failing at only 83,000 miles even though it exhibited the same symptoms of failure. Update 9/15/cw.

Night driving in colorado mtns. Lights began to flicker and power steering failed. Found safe place to pull over and turned off lights and engine. Restarted and turned lights back on to resume driving within a few minuets lights flickered and power steering failed again. Had to continue for several miles until it was safe to pull over again. Attempted to turn off head lights and use fog lights on county dirt road, still lights flickered/dimmed and power steering failed. Currently vehicle is parked and we are attempting to research recall matters with this malfunction. Superior driving skill is required to operate this vehicle with nonfunctional power steering. Average operators will have great difficulty maintaining safe operation of the automobile. This issue will lead to loss of life if not addressed. Nearest dealer for Mini is 130 miles distant.

The power steering on my 2005 Mini Cooper failed while I was driving the car. Fortunately I was traveling at a slow rate of speed when this incident occurred. I have discovered that this is not an uncommon problem in a Mini and that Mini is well aware of the problem. This part is readily available in all dealerships and parts store inventories. It is my understanding through reading discussion on the internet that Mini has extended the warranty in 2002 to 2005 Minis up to 13 years and 100. 000 miles. Mine is not covered and I incurred a cost of almost $1,300 for replacement of the defective parts. I have never in my 50 years of driving had a power steering failure until this incident. If I had been traveling at a higher rate of speed this power steering failure may have resulted in death or serious injury to myself or others. Since this is a fairly low volume vehicle the problem may not be as quickly noticed by your department as if it were a Ford focus or Honda civic. . I have great concern about this problem. .

Power steering pump failure. This is a known design defect of this model and year, however, Mini states that my VIN is not covered (possibly because I purchased the vehicle while stationed with the army in germany). This is a dangerous situation and I am not happy with Miniusa's response to date.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the power steering failed without warning causing the contact to nearly loose control of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the power steering motor remained activated although the vehicle was shut off. As a result, the contact had to eject the battery out of the vehicle every time the vehicle was shut off because the vehicle overheated and could potentially cause a fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,000.

The car began to make a high pitched whine which increased over the next couple of weeks, it continued to get worse and I noticed when I would move the steering wheel back and forth the noise became much much worse, leading to the failure of my power steering pump. Mini issued a recall on the power steering pumps for their 2001-2005 models (13 year, 150,000 miles. ) mine is a 2006, I still don't think the problem has been resolved for this year of model as I am finding multiple accounts online of individuals with 2006 Mini power steering pump failure.

The contact owns a 2002 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the power steering assist failed and caused the vehicle to become difficult to operate. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The failure and current mileage was 107,000.

See all problems of the 2002 Mini Cooper 🔎.

I was driving along at about 35 mph steering through a curve when the power steering failed. It required major effort to keep the car turning through the curve to avoid oncoming traffic. This seems to be common occurrence on first generation Mini Coopers and could easily result in a serious accident. If my 16 year old daughter who typically drives the car had been at the wheel at the time this could have had catastrophic results because of the amount of effort required to maintain the steering of the car. A car shouldn't be at risk of having major component failures with only 50,000 miles.

Power steering failed while I was driving the vehicle and I almost crashed.

We bought 2 2003 Mini Coopers in 2003. Both vehicles had electric power steering pump failures, one in March 09 at 143060 and the other Mini in July 2010 at 133380. We received the eps extended warranty letter and sent in our claim, usps documented delivery to Mini USA on June 29, 2013. I have called Mini "customer service" on August 8, August 29, and today September 26. No one there can tell you anything and they do nothing except apologizing for not knowing anything. They say responses are taking 12 weeks which is where I am on the calendar. My repair costs were in excess of $2000. Today I am sending a hand written complaint letter with copies of all receipts to jim mcdowell vp Mini USA. Nhtsa needs to followup on this. The extended warranty was intended to head off a recall but they are not handling it in a proper manner. Turn up the heat!.

Power steering system failure. Dealorship mechanics stated fan and pump had seized.

The power steering pump failed in my 2002 Mini Cooper for the second time. First time it happened was in 2011 and I got a new pump and had it professionally installed. Today, 08/26/2013 my second power steering pump failed. This is a known issue with this vehicle and there has not been a recall. I do not have the time or the money to keep replacing a part that should have been recalled years ago.

My cooling fan burned out causing the power steering to fail. I found out that this was a known problem in my model year and that the warranty on that part had been extended. However, Mini claims that they started putting new pumps in Feb of 2005. My car was made in Mar of 2005 and thus they will not cover it. I went the extra step and had the dealer do a diagnostic which found that my car has the same part with the same problem as described in the warranty extension. Still Mini will not cover it. One of the reps tried to cover it up by telling me that there is confusion on the part number matching because they used the same part number when they changed the oem part. That does not compute because if that were true, there would be no way to accurately distinguish the good parts from the bad ones. There 222 other steering complaints at ntsb so I'm not only one. I'm calling a lawyer because this is ridiculous. How can Mini let cars that have a known safety risk continue to be on the roads?.

Power steering pump failed. Once it came back on it doesn't shut off running the battery dead.

Power steering failed while attempting to turn in an intersection. Almost caused an accident.

I was on the freeway when my power steering failed and I nearly crashed while trying to change lanes and exit the freeway.

Wife was driving her 2005 Mini Cooper (r50) when the power steering failed thus causing a very frightening and possibly very dangerous situation.