2004 MINI COOPER Complaints

MY WIFE'S 2004 MINI COOPER (NON-S) HAS BEEN HAVING POWER STEERING FAILURES FOR THE PAST MONTH. I EXPERIENCED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY DRIVING DOWN A BUSY DALLAS HIGHWAY. WHILE TRYING TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT AS I WAS YANKING ON THE WHEEL, "WHAT IF THE POWER STEERING KICKS BACK IN ALL OF THE SUDDEN, WE WOULD END UP IN AN ACCIDENT." THANKFULLY, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN AND AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF, CHECKING THE FLUID RESERVOIR, AND STARTING THE CAR AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING WAS BACK. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT, BUT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS I THINK WE MAY JUST PARK IT UNTIL AN OFFICIAL RECALL IS ISSUED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

MY 2004 MINI COOPER HAS HAD THE POWER STEERING FAIL INTERMITTENTLY, ALWAYS AFTER 20-30 MINUTES OF DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THE CAR HAS 37,000 MILES. *TR

2004 MINI COOPER. INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURES. HAPPENS ON A HOT DAY OR IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. *TR

I OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER S AND WHEN DRIVING THE POWER STEERING FAILED. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN OFF RAMP AND THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY HARD. I WAS UNABLE TO NAVIGATE THE TURN AND WENT OFF THE ROAD. LUCKILY I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. FROM TIME TO TIME NOW I LOOSE THE POWER STEERING. I FEEL THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND DO NOT LET MY WIFE OR CHILD RIDE IN THE CAR. *TR

DAILY DRIVING MY 04 MINI COOPER LOSES POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES IT IS JUST FOR A MINUTE OR TWO AND OTHER TIMES IT LASTS HOURS. WHEN I'M DRIVING THE CAR IN TOWN I HAVE TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY AS IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER AROUND SHARP CORNERS. IF ON THE FREEWAY IT'S ALARMING HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO STEER. I TOOK IT TO THE MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED THAT IT NEEDED A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP. I HAD IT REPLACED 10/14/2010. *TR

I OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER S. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2010, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THIS WAS OUT OF THE BLUE, AND I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE IT TO MY MECHANIC THE SAME DAY AND WAS INFORMED THAT MY POWER STEERING FAN WENT OUT, THEREFORE CAUSING MY POWER STEERING PUMP TO FAIL. AFTER I HAD EVERYTHING REPLACED FOR AROUND $900, I SAW AN ARTICLE IN USA TODAY THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER 2004 AND 2005 MINI'S. I THINK MINI SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL SO THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. IT WAS VERY SCARY TO DRIVE MY MINI WITH NO POWER STEERING, AND I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL WHEN THE STEERING WENT OUT. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILURE. WHEN DRIVING POWER STEERING WILL UNEXPECTEDLY STOP WORKING. USUALLY AFTER DRIVING FOR AN HOUR OR SO. WHEN POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING THE CAR IS VERY HARD TO CONTROL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT; THE POWER STEERING SEEMED TO RESET IT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 67,000. UPDATED 01/20/11 *BF UPDATED 01/31/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SIDE STREETS WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I COULDN'T STEER THE CAR AFTER STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD SUDDENLY GONE BACK ON MY 2004 MINICOOPER. II WAS AT A 4-WAY INTERSECTION AT THE TIME AND WAS NEARLY CRUSHED BY TWO OTHER CARS. AFTER GETTING THE CAR HOME I WROTE TO MINI'S CORPORATE TO SEE IF IT WOULD BE COVERED SINCE THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PUMP, BUT THEY WOULDN'T COVER IT. INSTEAD I WAS FORCED TO SHELL OUT OVER $700 FOR IT (EXACT PRICE I WILL HAVE TO LOOK UP). I JUST READ ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION THAT THE NHTSA WAS DOING AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HEARD BY STORY. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN 2004 FROM MINI OF PEABODY, MA. AND WILL TRY TO GET MY MONEY BACK, BUT SO FAR I HAVEN'T HAD ANY LUCK. [XXX]2004 MINICOOPER (NON "S" MODEL) HERE IS THE EMAIL THAT I SENT TO MINICOOPER ------------------------- I AM WRITING TO SEE IF MINI WILL COVER THE COST OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP THAT DIED YESTERDAY WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE WARNING IN MY 2004 MINI. THE CAR WAS FINE ALL DAY AND THEN AS I WENT TO TAKE A TURN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION I COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL AND ALMOST GOT CRUSHED BY OTHER CARS HEADING TOWARD ME. FROM THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE THIS IS A KNOWN FAILURE AND ONE THAT MINI SEEMS TO AVOID ABSORBING THE COST TO FIX / REPLACE. FROM WHAT I READ A RECALL WAS DONE IN BRITAIN, BUT NOT HERE IN THE U.S. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW MINI WILL HELP ME IN THIS SITUATION. I SURELY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR A NEW OR REFURBISHED POWER STEERING PUMP AND WITH THE HUGE RISK OF INJURY / AND OR DEATH THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE I WOULD HOPE THAT MINI CARES LESS ABOUT PROFITS AND MORE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS - AND COVERS THE COST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE RESPOND BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR