2004 MINI COOPER Complaints

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE HIGH WAY FROM MY FRIENDS HOUSE , WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY STEERING GOT HARD AND I WAS GOING ABOUT 65MPH, I PULLED OVER AND SHUT MY CAR OFF WONDERING WHAT HAD HAPPENED, TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT WORKED FINE BUT IT FELT LIKE IT WAS GETTING HARD, AGAIN LIKE IT WOULD GET HARD AND LET GO REAL QUICK , STARTED DRIVING REALLY SLOW UNTIL MY NEAREST EXIT AND IT GOT REALLY HARD BEFORE I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY, AND IT STAYED THAT WAY UNTIL I GOT HOME AND ITS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AT SPEED. WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AND PRESENTED A HAZARD TO ME AND THE VEHICLES AROUND ME. THIS IS A COMMON AND KNOWN ISSUE ON MANY MINIS OF SIMILAR YEAR, SHOULD NOT OCCUR TO DUE THE SAFETY HAZARDS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOR A BRIEF MOMENT AND THE STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL FUNCTION. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE BECAME PERMANENT OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED. THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,416 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,570.

POWER STEERING HAS FAILED ON 2004 MINI COPPER TWICE. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN 1.75 YEARS. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN ESPECIALLY AS A CITY DRIVER WHERE THE NEED EXISTS TO PARALLEL PARK, PARK IN PARKING DECKS, AND DRIVING AND TURNING ON NARROW STREETS WITH TRAFFIC. THERE IS NOT ALWAYS THE OPTION TO MAKE A WIDE TURN. MODEL YEARS 04 AND 05 HAVE THIS ISSUE AND MINI HAS NOT ADDRESSED. IN ADDITION THEY HAVE NOT MADE IT AN AFFORDABLE REPAIR. *TR

BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE AND UPON SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND STARTING FORWARD POWER STEERING WENT OUT. VERY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE CAR DUE TO DIFFICULTY STEERING. *TR

MY 2004 MINI COOPER HAS HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WHERE THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILS. IT HAS FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES, SOME EVEN WHILE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM STARTS IF THE STEERING WHEEL IS CRANKED ALL THE WAY FOR A TIGHT TURN, GRADUAL TURN OR DOES NOT TURN ON WHEN THE CAR STARTS. SOMETIME THE PUMP WILL RESET IF THE CAR IF SHUT OFF THEN ON AGAIN OR THE PUMP REGAINS PRESSURE. I HAVE CHECKED THE PUMP ITSELF, THERE ARE NO LEAKS, FLUID IS FILLED TO THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL AND NO OTHER ISSUES HAVE COME UP. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS THING TO HAVE HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED. IT IS A COSTLY REPAIR THAT I FIND BMW SHOULD ASSIST WITH BEING THAT THE PUMP APPEARS TO BE FAULTY. *TR

POWER STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY FAILED AND BECAME STIFF WHILE GETTING OFF FREEWAY. TOOK GREAT FORCE TO TURN STEERING WHEEL TO STEER CAR. LUCKILY ABLE TO STOP CAR SAFELY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING HOME AS I TURNED INTO MY STREET THE STEERING POWER SUDDENLY WENT OUT CAUSING ME TO DRIVE INTO THE INCOMING TRAFFIC LANE, LUCKILY THERE WERE NO VEHICLES BUT IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN ANY VEHICLES I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A FRONT COLLISION. THE FACT THAT THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING MAKES THIS ISSUE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

LEFT HOME WITH NO POWER STEERING ISSUES. HALF WAY TO WORK, DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND BEGAN TO TAKE A RIGHT HAND CURVE IN THE ROAD AND OUT OF NO WHERE THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. NO WARNING OR INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG PRIOR TO THIS. LUCKILY I REACTED QUICKLY AND THE CURVE WAS NOT TOO SHARP BECAUSE I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE WITH CARS TO THE LEFT OF ME AND BEHIND ME. WOULD HAVE BEEN BAD NEWS HAD THE CURVE BEEN A LITTLE SHARPER. I CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS FULL. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. DROVE THE CAR AGAIN LATER IN THE DAY, WHEN I STARTED THE CAR EVERYTHING WAS WORKING PERFECTLY AND THEN PART WAY TO MY DESTINATION THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT AGAIN. *TR

THE POWER STEERING CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING AROUND TOWN. AFTER DRIVING FURTHER ABOUT 20 MINUTES, POWER STEERING RETURNED. POWER STEERING NOW ACTS ERRATICALLY, OPERATING SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHERS. POWER STEERING PERIODICALLY DOES NOT OPERATE. *TR