2004 MINI COOPER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING CUT OUT CREATING AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. OVER THE NEXT 20,000 MILES THE POWER STEERING WOULD INTERMITTENTLY COME BACK AND GO OUT MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES UNTIL EVENTUALLY FAILING COMPLETELY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AS I WAS EXITING I-80 @ EXIT 56 RETURNING HOME FROM WORK. AS I STARTED ONTO THE EXIT RAMP AND BEGAN TO CURVE TO THE RIGHT, THE STEERING WAS VERY HARD IN THE CAR WHICH RESULTED IN MY HAVING TO FORCE THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. I ALSO WAS BRAKING AT THIS POINT GIVEN THE SURPRISE OF THE TIGHT WHEEL. I ENDED UP ON THE SHOULDER OF THE RAMP BEFORE GAINING CONTROL OF THE CAR AND REDUCING THE SPEED. WHEN I GOT TO THE TOP OF THE RAMP AND STOPPED, THE PUMP BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN. ON 12/27 THE PUMP FAILED AGAIN AS I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE. I PULLED THE CAR BACK INTO THE GARAGE AND PARKED IT UNTIL I CAN RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WITH 67K MILES. I SEARCHED THE FORUMS TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS ISSUE AND FOUND MANY REPORTS OF PUMP/FAN FAILURES. THIS IS A SAFETY RISK TO ANYONE WHO OWNS ONE OF THESE CARS. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR WHEN THE PUMP FAILED, IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO KEEP FROM WRECKING INTO THE MEDIAN AREA. *KB

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. *KB

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. *TR

THE CARS POWER STEERING STARTED FAILING FOR A FEW SECONDS WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 20 OR MORE TIMES OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS. THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE BECOMES EXTREMELY HARD. THERE IS NO WARNING THAT THIS WILL OCCUR, SO CLEARLY IT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, THE POWER STEERING HAS STARTED TO FAIL WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, BUT STARTED WORKING AGAIN IF THE CAR WAS RESTARTED OR AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS WEEK, AFTER 3 HOURS OF DRIVING, THE CAR WAS PARKED FOR 15 MINUTES, WHEN THE CAR WAS RESTARTED THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING AT ALL DURING ANOTHER 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING. THE CARE WAS STOPPED FOR ANOTHER 20 MINUTES AND WHEN RESTARTED POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS FAILURE COULD OCCUR DURING HIGH SPEED MANEUVERING AND COULD RESULT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN LUCKY TO DATE THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN IN A SITUATION THAT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, PRECISE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING. *TR

TL* 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 *BF 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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN STEERING CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

PARKING ASSIST ALARM STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY THEN THE NEXT TIME AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE THE ALARM SOUNDED AS THOUGH IMPACT WERE IMMINENT THOUGH NOTHING WAS BEHIND THE VEHICLE. ALARM CONTINUES TO SOUND WHENEVER THE MINI IS IN REVERSE. *TR

STEERING FLUID PUMP WAS JUST REPLACED A FEW WEEKS AGO, PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AND WILL NOT GO AWAY... STEERING WHEEL VERY RIGID HARD TO TURN. VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE TURNS, ALOT OF EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. TRYING TO MAKE A SHARP OR QUICK TURN IF NEEDED, WOULD BE DANGEROUS & ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. I RECENTLY RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF 04 MINI COOPERS HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR