2004 MINI COOPER Complaints

TL* 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.

FAILURE OF POWER STEERING PUMP MADE VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER IN TRAFFIC AND WHEN PARKING. *JS

EXITING ON AN OFF-RAMP FROM THE FREEWAY THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND STEERING BECAME ROCK HARD AND IT TOOK CONSIDERABLE STRENGTH TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GOING STRAIGHT AND RUNNING INTO THE GUARD RAIL AROUND THE TURN. VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE AND IF I HAD DECREASED MUSCLE STRENGTH THE CAR WOULD HAVE VEERED STRAIGHT FOR THE GUARD RAIL AND AT HIGH FREEWAY EXIT SPEEDS. *JS

WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED, RESULTING IN A NEAR-LOSS OF CONTROL AND CRASH DUE TO THE SUDDEN DRAMATIC INCREASE IN PHYSICAL EFFORT REQUIRED TO CONTROL THE CAR. THE FAILURE WAS DETERMINED TO BE RELATED TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF FLUID OR BREACH IN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. THIS IS APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THIS MODEL OF CAR. *TR

EXPERIENCED POWER STEERING LOSS DRIVING ALONG A SUBURBAN ROAD. AFTER STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE CAR THE POWER STEERING RETURNED. *TR

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2004, AND HAVE HAD CONSISTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING, MOST RECENTLY ON FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2012. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE MINI COOPER DEALER AT LEAST FOUR TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED, SO HAS THE STEERING COLUMN, AS WELL AS THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT SPINDLE. STILL, THE POWER STEERING FUNCTION GOES OUT WITHOUT WARNING. IT IS EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS AND I HAVE TO DRIVE THIS CAR TO DO MY JOB, AND I'M SPOOKED BY IT. *TR

INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. POWER STEERING PUMP REMAINS ON AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND DRAINS THE BATTERY. *TR

I HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WHERE MY POWER STEERING WASN'T AVAILABLE. SEVERAL TIMES THE POWER STEERING FAILED DRIVING AROUND THE CORNER WHICH WAS VERY FREIGHTING. I CONTACTED BMW ABOUT THE ISSUE BUT THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT SINCE MY CAR ONLY HAD 35K MILES. I OWNED OTHER CARS WHERE I NEVER HAD A FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP. MINI UK SEEM TO HANDLE THE PROBLEM MUCH BETTER FOR THEIR CUSTOMER (SEE LINK BELOW). I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THERE HAS NO RECALL BEING MADE YET. PAID ALMOST 1K FOR REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE PUMP AND IT SEEMS THAT THE NEW PUMP THEY PUT IN MY MINI STARTS ACTING UP AGAIN. HTTP://WWW.BBC.CO.UK/BLOGS/WATCHDOG/2009/02/MINI_STEERING_SYSTEM_FAILURES.HTML. *TR

TECHNICALLY THERE WERE 3 INCIDENTS WITH MY 04 MINI COOPER. OUT OF NOWHERE, WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY STREET, THE POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, AND SLOWED ENOUGH TO VEER TO THE ROADSIDE AND CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WITH MINI'S. HOWEVER, I DID NOT ASK THEM TO REPLACE MY PUMP, I WANTED A SECOND OPINION. OUT OF NOWHERE MY CAR STARTED TO DRIVE WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WHATSOEVER. I GOT A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD IN ABOUT A YEAR, IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THEY TOO MENTIONED THIS ISSUE WITH MINI'S. I WAS SHOCKED. WEEKS LATER, I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I BARELY MISSED A BUS STOP ON THE CORNER, FULL OF PEOPLE. SHAKEN, I AGAIN CALLED MINI AND ASKED ABOUT A RECALL OR ANY PROCEDURES TOWARD HAVING ONE MADE. OBVIOUSLY, THEY WERE UNHELPFUL, BUT THEY TOO DIVULGED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MY CAR STARTED TO DRIVE NORMALLY ONCE MORE, BUT I DROVE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE WHILE I CONTINUED MY RESEARCH. A THIRD TIME, I COULDN'T EVEN GET MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND I DECIDED THAT WAS IT. I WAS JUST GOING TO TAKE IT TO A MINI DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THE PUMP REPLACED. WHEN I CALLED WITH MY SITUATION AND THEN TOLD THEM I BELIEVED MY POWER-STEERING PUMP WAS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED, THEY DIDN'T ARGUE OR SAY THEY'D LOOK INTO IT, THEY BASICALLY AGREED, AND GAVE AN ESTIMATE. I TOOK IT IN AND THEY AGAIN ASKED NO QUESTIONS, THEY DIDN'T LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. $1200 LATER, I LEFT WITH NO QUESTIONS ANSWERED, WITH A HOLE IN MY POCKET. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP. WHAT IF I HAD HIT THAT BUSTOP FULL OF PEOPLE, OR WORSE? I CAN STILL TELL THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY STEERING. MINI NEEDS TO DO A RECALL. YESTERDAY. *TR

WITH OUT ANY ADVICE, THE STEERING TURNS RIGID AND HARD TO MANIPULATE,I CHECKED THE FLUID AND IT LOOKS FINE AND CLEAN. *TR