Power Steering Failed Problems of Mini Cooper S - part 1

Tl the contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. While driving various speeds, the contact experienced intermittent power steering failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000 (steering); however, Mini of marin (5880 paradise dr, corte madera, CA 94925, (415) 887-2194) and the manufacturer were contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

See all problems of the 2005 Mini Cooper S 🔎.

I have been driving Mini s 2007 for more than a year with no serious issues other than one check engine light issue, which was resolved simply by a mechanic check at BMW service center. On Sunday evening may 26, 2019, as I was planning to go out, I observed the steering alert sign on. I tried restarting and shutting off engine multiple times thinking it may be an electronic aberration which may be kicked away by brute force of restarting the ignition. After 30-45 minutes of this fruitless exercise, I turned my attention online where I found numerous auto blogs of starting the car with jumpers battery to replacing power steering fluid. Since Mini service was closed, I had to seek help from my insurance company. They sent a person after two hours to use jumpers, but that did not help either. We were able to check the power steering fluid , and that was also full to the mark. On further research online, I discovered to my utter disappointment that Mini coopers have been plagued with power steering issues due to inherent flaw of placement and design of power steering pump. It is very well documented across reputed car journals/magazines that the power steering pump failure will definitely happen in Mini coopers, and the only variable is the time. I was thoroughly crestfallen given I had placed so much trust in the brand and the quality of Mini cooper. The purpose of this complaint is two pronged- one is obviously to highlight the problem once again and making sure Mini engineers solve this problem in their engineering design processes. Second- is to request to have the power steering issue fixed in my car by Mini. Given that the issue has basis in the inherent flaw of the design, I believe Mini cooper will waive off the cost of services and parts to get this issue fixed. This is not usual wear and tear whose costs should be borne by the customer.

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Occasionally the steering over my Mini Cooper S is becoming very hard. It seems like the power steering is failing. The car then can only be steered with a lot of difficulty. I can no longer risk to have my daughter or wife drive this car. I checked the steering fluid and it is at optimal levels. It usually happens at lower speed, but I have not driven it on the freeway since this issue started to appear.

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Power steering pump failed while driving.

Power steering pump failing, creating a loud whine when running (moving, and stationary).

See all problems of the 2006 Mini Cooper S 🔎.

My electric power steering pump is failing. It whines when you turn the wheel and sometimes it does not work at all. Very scary to lose control of the car. There was an open recall thru 2005, but BMW says they wont help us 2006 owners.

Power steering failure while driving both slowly pulling out of carport and at normal 35 miles per hour street speed. Steering became very difficult. Persisted until car was turned off for several minutes. Happened sporadically afterward. Issue returned and now affects the car most of the time while driving. Will happen upon starting the car, or while driving. Car only has 50,063 miles on it! looks like power steering pump failure is causing the loss of steering. Extreamly dangerous!.

We know of twice that our car's power steering pump failed while in motion. After BMW was finally forced into a recall for the power steering pump failure and we received a notification, we took our car to century BMW in greenville, SC. The service department checked our work regarding replacement pump, fan, etc. And deemed it 100% satisfactory. We submitted the paperwork and invoice for the repair and waited (requested . After 16 weeks and no reimbursement or notification, we called and was informed by the service department manager that BMW wouldn't pay us anything because we didn't use oem parts. Why would we keep replacing the pump (this was the 3rd pump that we know of) with a defective one (by zf) that kept quitting? we replaced it with dorman (well-known manufacturer of quality parts) which had a life-time warranty (life-time!) and was much cheaper. The sd manager even said that since he'd seen so many repairs using that brand of power steering pump he had researched them and found nothing wrong with them. But BMW decided they wouldn't pay for this. There was nothing in the recall letter that said oem had to be used or they wouldn't reimburse for repairs. I believe BMW saw so many dorman pumps used they knew they could save a lot of money by refusing to pay. We filed a complaint with the SC dept. Of consumer affairs but BMW wouldn't answer them so they just dropped it, letting BMW get by with this. We were only requesting $721. 04 which is less than half of what a repair shop would have charged. Can you do anything about this? we filed the complaint with SC consumer affairs in December of 2017, took the car to BMW in may of 2017 so this has been going on for a while. Have other owners had this problem? has a lawsuit been started against BMW?.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. While driving 15 mph, the power steering failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Mag Mini dublin in columbus (5825 venture dr, dublin, OH 43017, (614) 389-6854) was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

Power steering pump failed, they did not recall this year but the pumps still fail.

The power steering pump failed suddenly on the car. It has now happened multiple times including while driving. While driving it is extremely dangerous as you suddenly loose most of your ability to steer! this has happened both while the car was stationary, while it was in motion on a city street, and while it was in motion on the highway. One of the times was while I was turning. I believe this is a combination of problems relating to the power steering pump cooling fan, and the power steering pump itself. Now BMW/Mini has admitted that they have a major problem with this thought the model year 2005. However from what I've read a lot of 2006 Mini's have experienced this problem as well. They should expand the recall/replacement procedure to at least the 2006 models as well.

The contact owns a 2008 Mini Cooper S. While driving various speeds, specifically when attempting to turn the vehicle, the power steering suddenly failed and caused steering control to become difficult. The contact stated that the power steering pump would overheat, which caused the contact to park the vehicle until it cooled in order for the power steering to function correctly. The contact called Mini of kennesaw (2275 barrett lakes blvd, kennesaw, GA 30144; 678-496-9565) who advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the extended warranty or a recall. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

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The contact owns a 2002 Mini Cooper S. After placing the vehicle in reverse, the contact switched gears into drive. When attempting to accelerate forward, the power steering failed. The contact added power steering fluid and made another attempt to steer the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the power steering was no longer covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

See all problems of the 2002 Mini Cooper S 🔎.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that the power steering failed intermittently and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic diagnosis. It was unknown if the vehicle was repaired. The contact was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 178,000.

Complete power steering failure on my way to work this morning while turning a corner from the highway to city street. I found an open safety recall Dec 2015 for 2005 model Mini Cooper S but my 2005 VIN is not included. It seems a major safety concern like this would be taken care of by the oem.

Electro/hydraulic power steering unit failure @ 87,000 miles . Unit will not shut off unless the battery cable is disconnected. Mini USA refuses to cover the part under the current recall.

There is a power steering pump recall for this model (NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000) but the date cutoff is for cars produced by February of the 2005 model year. My car (2005 Mini Cooper S with 86,000 miles) has a production date of June 2005 and is not eligible for the recall. The power steering pump has failed making steering difficult and more erratic. Steering now requires substantially more force, so my wife is currently unable to drive the car without concerns for her own safety. If the manufacturer feels that the part they used after February 2005 was not subject to this "glitch", then why is the part malfunctioning in the same manner as the admittedly faulty part?.

The power steering has failed in this vehicle. Mini cooper has a recall on this make, model and year but says my VIN is not included. Mechanic stated power steering unit needs to be replaced.

The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while in park, the vehicle failed to start. In addition, the contact stated that while reversing at a low speed, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact had to apply force to the steering wheel in order to steer the vehicle. Once in park, the vehicle failed to turn off with the key in the off position. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering motor had failed and melted. The power steering motor, wires, battery, pump, fan, pressure hose and alternator were replaced. After repairs, the mechanic was unable to diagnose the vehicle using the diagnostic tool. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer who stated that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. While driving approximately 15 mph, the power steering failed and caused the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper S. While driving at various speeds, the steering became very difficult to maneuver. After turning off and restarting the vehicle 30 minutes later, the power steering returned to normal, but then failed again. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electro-hydraulic power steering failed and needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000 (steering); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the dealer wanted to charge for the repair because of the mileage on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 181,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I was approaching a corner on a back road and half way through the power steering failed which caused the car to go off the road rolling two and a half times landing on the roof.

The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper S. While driving 30 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power steering line and pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15v660000. (steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

The car's electric power steering module failed (apparently shorted out), and upon attempting to evaluate the issue the unit will spark and even catch fire. It has melted several of the wiring components in my car, and has adversely affected at least my abs system and my tire pressure sensor. Mini cooper of escondido inspected the damage and deemed that I needed to replace the eps unit and the steering rack, but they are not willing to cover the costs of replacement.

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Power steering pump failed at 69,000 miles. Pump and fan were replaced under warranty, but dealer required additional work to be performed to keep extended warranty in force. The work included replacement of all power steering hoses at a cost of over $600. 00.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper S. While driving 40 mph and attempting to make a turn, the power steering failed. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact sustained contusions to the face and lost a tooth. The occupants of the other vehicle sustained unknown injuries. Medical attention was not required. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 213,000.

Power steering failed. Extremely difficult to steer without it. After the car as turned off and then cooled: 30 minutes later the power steering worked again. This has now happened on 3 occasions over the last 2 weeks: all on days with the temperature in the 90s. I called the Mini service but they said that they won't fix it under the extended warranty on the power steering pumps (150k miles, 13 years) unless its failed while they have it. Very dangerous to drive this way with unexpected failures: especially for my wife who would not be able to force it through turns without power steering. I don't understand why there has not been a recall on this power steering system.

The contact owns a 2002 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact mentioned that the steering wheel was on manual control and after the vehicle was warmed up, the steering wheel functioned as normal. The contact also stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, a clanking nose was coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle and the power steering failed. The vehicle was restarted but the failure recurred. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15v66000 (steering) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who informed that a remedy was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000. VIN tools confirms parts unavailable.

Power steering pump failed, and there is a recall for 2002-2005 coopers, but for some reason our VIN is not covered, why? obviously the recall came long after the cars were delivered, does our really have a different part number of pump? why isn't our covered by the recall?.

Power steering pump failed to turn off with vehicle. Resulted in battery being drained and ultimately loss of power steering. Power steering pump, fan, and fluid had to be replaced as a result of fan becoming seized, pump overheating and failing.

Power steering abruptly stopped working while cornering causing driver to use heavy manual force to corner the vehicle thru a tricky viaduct train bridge passageway. While midway into the turn, the power steering abruptly "kicked back on" causing the steering wheel to turn violently across lane and nearly into corner of cement wall holding up overhead train bridge. Other cars were missed, and driver stopped car with front bumper slightly touching viaduct cement wall. Wife and 7 year old child were on the impact side of vehicle. Vehicle was checked by an independent mechanic which noted the ehps power steering pump is failing. He cleaned the power steering pump and installed a new cooling fan on the power steering pump. The pump was overheated and packed with metal debris. Independent mechanic advised me to return to Mini as potential recall issue which has been widely reported but refuted by Mini. Power steering pump still has significant noise and is scheduled for review by a Mini dealer.

I was exiting an expressway and while on the ramp coming off, the steering became very unresponsive and heavy. In doing some research on the internet it sounds like my power steering pump has failed.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini copper s. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the power steering assist failed without warning. The vehicle was maneuvered into a parking space where the contact shut off and restarted the engine. The vehicle was able to be driven to the contact's place of residence but had not been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnosis of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

I was on my way back to work from lunch in my 2005 Mini Cooper S and my power steering suddenly and without warning failed in the middle of a curve! I fortunately managed to regain control of the vehicle and limp to the parking lot to pull over. Then, I turned the car off to get out, and discovered my power steering pump was still running even with the car completely off!? I was afraid that this would cause a meltdown or fire, so I quickly called a Mini dealer to ask how to shut the pump off. I was told that the battery had to be disconnected! the battery had to remain disconnected while the car was off or the pump would run continuously. I did not feel the car was safe to drive at this point. My power steering was now unpredictably intermittent when the car was running. The power steering would suddenly fail and then suddenly come back on, causing a jerk-and-swerve reaction in the steering wheel for me while driving. So I called Mini USA to report the problem, and I towed the vehicle to a Mini dealer. The Mini dealer diagnosed the problem to be the known power steering failure covered by the extended warranty on the power steering pump and associated pump cooling fan for model years 2002-2005 for up to 13 years/150,000 miles. But Mini USA denied coverage despite my car only having approx 70,000 miles, claiming that they stopped coverage after Feb 2005 because the newly designed replacement parts were installed after Feb 2005. My car was built in may 2005 and was proven by the Mini dealer to have the original faulty power steering parts, not the newly designed parts. I am reporting this as a known potentially dangerous safety issue that should instead be a safety recall, rather than this extended warranty that Mini USA does not properly advertise or honor, so that all Mini owners will get their steering checked before anything bad happens.

The power steering system failed. It appears to be an electrical issue because once I restarted the vehicle the power steering system returned to normal. I almost ran into a parked car because I could not turn without a lot of effort.

See all problems of the 2004 Mini Cooper S 🔎.