56 problems related to steering have been reported for the 2004 Mini Cooper S. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Mini Cooper S based on all problems reported for the 2004 Cooper S.
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.
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 knew 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.
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.
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.
Loss of power steering. At first intermittent, now complete.
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 maneuver after the failure. He was able to continue driving after restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer and it was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised him that there was a TSB but no related recalls. The failure and current mileages were approximately 109,000. Updated 04/15/lj.
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 don't join toyotas crash parade.
The contact owns a 2004 Mini Cooper S. While the contact was driving approximately 50 mph, the power steering stopped functioning and it was difficult to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
The contact owns a 2004 BMW Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle the steering wheel jammed and she was unable to turn it or control the vehicle. She turned the vehicle off and back on, she was able to turn the wheel after it reset but it was very hard to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 39,000.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2004 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering was absent. There were no prior warnings before the failure. The current and failure mileages were approximately 102,000. Updated 01/03/11.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2004 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated on numerous occasions while driving 40 mph, the power steering would malfunction which almost led to a crash. The contact took the vehicle to an authorized dealer to have the power steering motor and the cooling fan replaced. Since the repairs, the contact had not noticed any power steering issues. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2004 Mini cooper type s. The contact stated that while traveling at any speed, the power steering would suddenly stop functioning without warning; the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The failure was 8,000 and the current mileage is approximately 143,000. Updated 01/04/lj updated 01/10/jb.
Loss of power steering assist while driving.
The contact owns a 2004 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the steering wheel locked up and it was difficult to steer. The contact turned the vehicle off and restarted it; the power steering seemed to reset it. The failure occurred two additional times. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000 and the current mileage was approximately 67,000. Updated 01/20/11 updated 01/31/11.
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.
Power steering stopped working, repair cost app. $ 2. 000. -, no help from Mini USA.
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.