Power Steering Pump Problems of Mini Cooper S - part 2

Was stopped in parking lot, fire started in engine bay. Power steering has been intermittent for awhile. Shop indicated that the fan failed and caused the pump/wiring to completely melt. This issue is widely known and found on Mini cooper forums.

See all problems of the 2003 Mini Cooper S 🔎.

I returned home after driving for 15 minutes. I turned the car off and a motor kept running. I restarted the car to see if a electrical fan had kept running. I turned the car off again, but the noise of a fan or pump was still heard. I looked for a fuse to remove, but could not find the one that stopped the noise. I disconnected the battery, so the wiring would not overheat. I reconnected the battery the following morning and the noise still persisted. I called the dealer fermin Mini of tampa bay to ask what the noise could be. I drove the car to the dealer for a replacement steering pump and fan.

See all problems of the 2004 Mini Cooper S 🔎.

Power steering pump is whining and according to dealer is going to fail at anytime. Unfortunately this unit does not fail in the driveway it fails while driving the vehicle. Hopefully I will be driving when this happens as my wife will not have the strength to get the car under control. There has been a recall in canada for this same problem and all of us Mini drivers in the us are wondering why we don't have a recall here.

Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult. Later went back to normal. A month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead.

Power assist pump failure.

See all problems of the 2002 Mini Cooper S 🔎.

Driving highway speeds, steering got really heavy hard to turn, then the battery light came on, starting smelling something electrical burning, pulled over off the road shut car off, smoke coming from the hood, open it, smoke was coming from the back of engine. Smoke subsided in a few minutes, called tow truck, tow back to work, over the next couple of days found that the power steering pump locked up and fried it, it also draw a lot of amperage that it blow 100 amp main fuse under fuse block, burnt main power wire to power steering pump. Replaced pump, wiring and fuse.

I drove my 2003 Mini Cooper S to my local department of transportation to renew my driver's license. Nothing abnormal occurred on the trip to the dmv. When I got in and began to drive home, there was no power steering. Later that evening, I started the car when it was cool and the power steering was back until the car warmed up. The radiator fan and the power steering fan do not function upon doing research on the internet, I have found that this problem occurs extremely often in 2002-2007 Minis. I also found, posted on a Mini forum by someone claiming to be an engineer, a diagnosis of the problem. Carbon dust from the electric motor that operates the power steering pump gets into the control unit attached to it. Since the chip was not properly sealed with a lacquer, it causees a short circuit in the chip. This causes the pump to fail. Another possible cause is the failure of the cooling fan for the power steering pump. The fan can seize, stop cooling the pump, and eventually it will overheat. This also trips a fuse that stops the radiator fan. As a result, the engine can also overheat. I have determined that the fan has stopped working. Since I have only had this car since the middle of winter and the has been the only warm day I have driven it, this was the first time I noticed it. I plan to avoid the $1000 charge to have it replaced at the dealer by repairing it myself but many people are not this fortunate. I believe this design flaw can and will cause serious accidents to occur. If my mother, sister, or girlfriend had been driving my car on the highway when it failed, they would not have been able to steer resulting in a serious crash. While perusing various Mini forums, I have read stories of several serious crashes. I would like to see a recall on all 2002-2007 Mini coopers so that this problem can not harm someone.

Vehicle fire 5/2/2012. Car parked for 4 hrs. Returned to car & drove it <50 yards for ~2 minutes (moved it from street to parking lot). Turned it off and went in store. Returned ~4 minutes later, noticed smoke/exhaust smell; presumed it was adjacent car. Unlocked car. Car would't start (no lights/electrical at all). I then noticed white smoke coming from hood. Opened hood then noticed flame/fire inside engine compartment. Went in store, got fire extinguisher and put fire out. Invoice was >$3500 from Mini dealer. The dealer's assessment: "verified power steering pump has overheated to the point where it has burned up internally as well as externally (melting all three connectors and the wiring leading to them). Inspected power steering cooling fan and verified cooling fan is seizing up which very likely led to the overheating and eventual failure of the power steering pump. Removed engine compartment fuse box to examine megafuse powering the power steering pump, fuse is intact and did not burn up. Inspected power steering pressure hose and it appears the rubber section of the power steering pressure line was subjected to the heat/melting of the main power connector (it's in very close proximity to the connector) and it appears the hose has taken a level of damage from the heat. Recommend replacement of power steering pump, the wiring section/connector pigtail from the fuse box (this is the main power connector), the engine wiring harness (contains two other electrical connectors to the pump which received extensive damage), the power steering fan (likely cause of failure), power steering pressure line (high pressure hydraulic line which has been exposed to the main connector melting and subsequent heat), and other miscellaneous items associated with those components (o-rings, crush rings, hose clamps ect. . . )".

See all problems of the 2005 Mini Cooper S 🔎.

The car had been performing normally and when I attempted to turn into a parking space it was suddenly extremely difficult to turn. After coming out of the store the car resumed steering correctly. Then a few days later the same thing happened-it was terribly difficult to turn the vehicle. I called my mechanic who suggested checking the power steering fluid level. I was unable to find in my owners manual where the power steering reservoir was located. The mechanic checked the fluid the following week and found the level to be normal. He investigated and found that there had been problems with power steering in other cars of my type. I ended up having to have everything replaced-pump, fan and reservoir at a cost for parts alone at $1033. I feel that if this problem was known to the manufacturing company that this should have been a recalled item for safety sake. The recall extended only to vehicles manufactured as of December 31, 2004. My vehicle was made in February 2005.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. While the contact was driving approximately 40 mph, there was a complete loss in the power steering without any prior warning. The contact was able to continue driving with caution at a reduced speed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the power steering pump would need to be replaced. The contact planned to have the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. There was currently there an open investigation associated with NHTSA action number ea11005 (steering: hydraulic power assist: pump). The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The power steering went out while my wife was driving home making driving extremely difficult. Having only 12 miles to travel she drove home fighting the steering all the way home when she arrived home I open the hood and could smell and see smoke from what I have discovered to be an electrical melt down on the power steering pump. The entire wiring connectors are melted and ash and un usable. We were lucky the car did not catch fire. However there is clear evidence the wires were on fire.

See all problems of the 2006 Mini Cooper S 🔎.

Power steering pump wont shut off after vehicle is disabled, causing the battery to die. The power steering pump will disable while driving.

My 2006 r53 only has 40,000 miles and out of nowhere the steering became periodically stiff. After persisting for 2 weeks, it has become incredibly hard to move the wheel and the pump seems to have cut out completely. It is much stiffer then any car with manual steering that I have ever tried, rendering my Mini totally undriveable. . Read more...

Failure of power steering pump made vehicle very difficult to maneuver in traffic and when parking.

The power steering quit while driving on interstate (i85) on March 3, 2012. We had just purchased the car so we took it back to dealer and he had the pump and reservoir replaced (took 2 weeks). Power steering just went out again (09/26/12) with same symptoms (sporadic operation - mainly not working) while driving to work.

While exiting the freeway the steering suddenly and without warning became extremely heavy taking significantly more effort then normal to just move the wheel slightly. The next day the power steering worked normally but the fan on the power steering pump continued to run after the engine was turned off. After 5 minutes in a parking lot it had drained the battery to the point where it struggled to start the engine. When I returned home I was forced to disconnect the battery until I can get it serviced.

Power steering went out while driving making it hazardous to maneuver turning left. I reported this in December 14 2011 and the dealership couldn't find problem. Replaced the power steering fan in December. Replaced the entire power steering pump January 30, because power steering would go out intermittently. I feel this is a dangerous problem and the power steering shouldn't fail. There should be a recall of this problem.

Power steering pump had to be replaced at 62,000 miles due to failure.

My power steering is going in and out. I might have it, and drive another minute its not working. The car only has 58740 miles on it I have had it checked out and the pump seems to be the problem. Mini says there is not problem with their steering pumps but when I go on line and check there seems to be a lot of others having the same problem at the same approximate mileage mark give or take a few. This is over a thousand dollar fix. Is Mini going to wait until there are enough accidents before they admit there in problem? I have checked the fluid and the fan all is working and fine. It's just the malfunctioning pump.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper S. While driving at approximately 25 mph the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to maneuver. The contact restarted the vehicle and regained power steering. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic. The mechanic stated the electric power steering pump would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

The contact owns a 2004 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle the power steering failed and the steering wheel became abnormally stiff. The dealer was notified of the failure who stated that there were no recalls for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 69,000. . . Updated 01/04/12 the consumer stated the power steering pump was replaced at a cost of $866. 67 . The consumer has since traded the vehicle. Updated 01/09/12.

I had power steering one day and the next day when I was driving I began to make a turn and realized my power steering went out. To this day it has never came back. I was told it is something like an electric hydraulic pump but the price is so outrageous I cannot afford to get it fixed so I just try to drive it as little as possible and be as careful as I can.

Electric power steering pump went out without any warning. I noticed it when I was going around a bend and the steering effort had greatly increased. If I had to make a emergency maneuver, I probably would not have been able to complete it successfully.

The contact owns a 2004 Mini Cooper S. While driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic advised that the power steering pump would have to be replaced. There was an open investigation of the failure under NHTSA action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

My wife noticed an unusual electrical humming noise that rapidly became progressively louder coming from somewhere in the engine compartment when the car was running. Very quickly it became harder and harder to steer until it felt like there was no assisted steering at all. She has not been able to drive it since. Recently went to a Mini dealership to have it checked out with the result that they said the pump did indeed fail. No recall has been issued as of yet, even though this seems to be a widespread problem.

My power steering pump on my 2005 Mini Cooper S failed at 45 mph in downtown los angeles. I have taken my vehicle in for a diagnoses in which they informed me the repair would be over $1k. I declined the repair as I have located a number of complaints regarding this issue, and am now taking it up with Mini hq.

Power steering stopped working, 1st time whilst at a traffic light, 2nd time whilst pulling out of a parking spot. Steering becomes very heavy, almost unmanageable. I haven't used the car in the last three months as I have been out of the country, I need to look into replacing the steering pump, fan and a cover.

Parked the vehicle after a short trip of approx. 10 miles. Left car for approx 5 to 7 minutes. Returned to find smoke billowing from under the hood. Immediately started to unhook the battery cable. Got the battery unhooked and smoke diminished. Tried restarting car, restarted fine, but no power steering. Assuming that the power steering pump went up in smoke. Fortunately, damage seems to be limited to ps pump. . . Not sure yet if smoldering/smoke indicates any other damage under the hood or not.

The power steering pump just all of a suddenly without warning failed on my Mini cooper. I was going down the highway at 70 mph when I went to get off on a off ramp and the car took alot of force for me to steer it in the right direction. I was lucky to not have snow at the time because if I did I could have possibly lost control of my car. I know alot of people have had this happen to them and for the price that these pumps they should last alot longer than have.

Failed steering pump assembly on 2004 Cooper S with 60k miles. Failure of steering pump assembly created loss of steering and induces unsafe driving scenario. From the showroom, this vehicle (and others of this era) has provided a unique whine from the power steering assembly. The dealer would later inform me that this was normal to the BMW Mini line. Years later this feature has become a known problem and is confirmed and being investigated by the NHTSA. BMW (the manufacturer) has yet to acknowledge or developed a repairable solution towards this flawed characteristic. Another Toyota in the making?. . I hope not.

I was driving to work, on a windy road when my car lost it's power steering. The garage has to replace the power steering pump, fan and steering rack for a total cost of about $3,000! I was very lucky to have not run off the road.

The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that the power steering pump would continue to run even when the vehicle was turned off, causing the vehicle to loose power steering while driving. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 73,000 and the current mileage was 74,000.

2005 Mini Cooper S - engine fire a few days ago (7/27/2011) my 2005 Mini Cooper S caught fire in the lower rear engine compartment while parked in a business parking lot. It had been driven a short distance (about 6 miles) three hours prior with no indication of a problem. The car ignition was off and there was no key present in or near the vehicle. Fortunately, a CO-worker spotted the car billowing smoke from beneath the hood and we were able to quickly extinguish the fire before any significant damage was done to the vehicle or surrounding property. According to the mechanic who diagnosed the car and subsequent electrical fire - the incident was caused by an overheating and eventual ignition of an electrical harness caused by a sudden failure of the power steering pump. I must emphasize that prior to the fire, there was no indication in the vehicle (warning system) or by the vehicles performance that there was any problem with the pump or handling. It failed completely without warning! while parked and unattended! thankfully, the car was not parked in my garage at night where the fire would have certainly gotten a lot worse before being discovered and could have potentially been devastating to my property and family. As it stands the car is scheduled to be repaired at a cost of nearly 1000. 00, possibly more as we do not yet know if there was any damage caused to additional components within the vehicle by the pumps failure. I am the original owner and only driver of this vehicle. This car has been regularly maintained and was recently mechanically inspected last March. No issues were found with the vehicle at the time of it's last maintenance and inspection.

Power steering pump started to become louder around 83k miles. When I was driving around a turn, the steering wheel tightened up and it became almost impossible to turn the wheel. I almost wrecked because of this. After research, it is concluded that my power steering gave out. Nothing has been done yet to correct the failure.

The contact owns a 2003 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving 65 mph the power steering failed. The vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane because the steering wheel was very hard to maneuver. The dealer was contacted in regards to a recall and stated only a class action law suit was in progress. The contact was told to bring the vehicle into the dealer to be repaired at her own expense. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 58,000. Updated 08/31/ the power steering pump was replaced. Updated 09/12/11.