2004 MINI COOPER Complaints

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE 2004 MINI COOPER S TO PICK UP OUR SON FROM SCHOOL. AFTER SHE RETRIEVED HIM, SHE WENT AROUND A CORNER AND THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING CAUSING HER TO CRASH INTO A CURB. SHE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO TURN THE WHEEL AND THERE WAS NO WARNING OF A POSSIBLE FAILURE. I AM FEARFUL TO REPLACE THE PART AND CONTINUE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON A VEHICLE I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE PUTTING MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN IN DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE NEW POWERING STEERING PUMP WILL FAIL IF REPLACED. *TR

2004 MINI COOPER S - POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN FAILURE. POWER STEERING QUITS WORKING CAUSING INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT STEERING. SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE PUMP AND FAN AND THE EXPENSE OF THE OWNER, ME. I BELIEVE THIS PUMP AND FAN SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED AND ALSO THAT THERE SHOULD BE A NATIONWIDE RECALL SINCE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MINI COOPER DRIVERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL SPORADICALLY AND MORE EFFORT HAD TO BE EXERTED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND ATTEMPTING A RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT HER EXPENSE. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD LIKELY NED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING PROBLEMS, THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY CAR FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE TRYING TO ENTER A REST STOP ON THE NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY. UPON BRINGING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN HAD BEEN JAMMED, CAUSING THE PUMP TO OVERHEAT. I THEN RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THAT SEVERAL MINI COOPER MODELS FROM 2002 TO 2006 HAD BEEN SUFFERING FROM THIS ISSUE, AND THAT THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING A SECOND TIME WAS TO INSTALL AN EXPENSIVE FAN GUARD ON THE NEW COOLING FAN. MORE RECENTLY, I FOUND OUT ABOUT NHTSA RESEARCH CONCERNING THE PROBLEM, AND WANTED TO SUBMIT THE EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH THE PROBLEM. *TR

UNEXPECTED AND INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. INTERMITTENT FAILURES FIRST STARTED AROUND 2008, THE FAILURES WOULD LAST FOR MINUTES TO HOURS LONG, DAYS, WEEKS, AND MONTHS WOULD GO BY BETWEEN FAILURES. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE CAUSE WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THE REPAIR WOULD COST ~$700 TO REPLACE. WHEN THE PUMP FAILS THE CAR IS *VERY* DIFFICULT TO STEER AT SLOW AND MODERATE SPEEDS. ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS A SURPRISE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NARROW, WINDY ROAD AND IT WAS A STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN THE LANE, AVOID HITTING ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND STAYING ON THE ROAD. THE PUMP WAS REPLACED AND AS OF THIS WRITING IS NEW ONE IS NOW INTERMITTENTLY FAILING. I JUST EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE WHEN TURNING FROM A STOP AND NARROWLY MISSED HITTING A CURB AS I STRUGGLED TO COMPLETE A TURN. THE PUMP FAILURE LASTED ABOUT 10 MINUTES. *TR

MINI COOPER (2004 WITH ~74K MILES) WITH INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. STEERING WHEEL WOULD RANDOMLY BECOME VERY STIFF WHEN TURNING AND THEN FREE UP UNEXPECTEDLY. WHEN THIS WOULD OCCUR, THE CAR WOULD UNDERSTEER (NOT TURNING AS FAR AS INTENDED) AND I WOULD FIND MYSELF REACTING BY TURNING HARDER, USUALLY RESULTING IN OVERSTEERING AND ERRATIC TURNS. IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS BINDING AND THEN LETTING GO BUT IT WASN'T PREDICTABLE OR REPEATABLE WITH CONSISTENCY. DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT 'POWER STEERING PUMP WAS CUTTING OUT. REPLACED THE FAULTY PS PUMP TO RESOLVE.' COST WAS $1009.94. ONE WEEK LATER, EXACTLY SAME CONDITION RETURNED. DEALERSHIP NOW DETERMINED 'FOUND STEERING SHAFT FROM STEERING WHEEL TO STEERING RACK TO BE SEIZED AND BINDING. REPLACED STEERING SHAFT AND ALIGNED STEERING WHEEL TO FRONT TIRES.' NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE; PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED. *TR

ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 2004 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING ON SAN FRANCISCO/OAKLAND BAY BRIDGE. ABLE TO SAFELY EXIT BRIDGE AND HAD CAR TOWED TO AUTO SHOP IN BERKELEY, CA WHERE THEY "PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TIME CHECK FOR NO POWER STEERING. FOUND PUMP COMING ON, NO PRESSURE TO SYSTEM". THEY REMOVED AND REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP INCLUDING BLEEDING THE SYSTEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. WHILE TRAVELING 15 MPH AND MAKING A TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75000. UPDATED 01/11/2011*LJ UPDATED 02/28/11

MY CAR STARTED TO MAKE A WHIRRING SOUND, I WASN'T SURE WHAT IT WAS SO MY DAD HAD A LOOK AND WASN'T SURE. THE NEXT DAY I WAS DRIVING ALONG A 60MPH ROAD AND AS I WENT TO TURN A SHARP CORNER MY POWER STEERING FAILED. I HAD TO MANUALLY PULL THE CAR ROUND THE CORNER WITH ALL MY STRENGTH SO AS NOT TO HIT THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. IT THEN KEPT FAILING INTERMITTENTLY FOR THE REST OF THE DRIVE HOME. I TYPED MINI POWER STEERING INTO GOOGLE WHEN I GOT HOME AND FOUND PAGE AFTER PAGE OF PEOPLE HAVING PROBLEMS JUST LIKE MINE. I RANG MINI AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN CHELTENHAM WHICH I DID. I LEFT THE CAR WITH THEM AND THE NEXT DAY THEY GOT BACK TO ME TO SAY IT DEFINITELY WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I ASKED IT THEY WOULD FIX THIS AS IT WAS A DANGEROUS FAULT WITH THE CAR. THEY SAID THEY WOULD SPEAK TO MINI ONE AND GET BACK TO ME. I EVENTUALLY HEARD BACK FROM THEM AND THE ANSWER WAS NO, THEY WOULDN'T FIX IT AS I DIDN'T BUY THE CAR FROM A MINI DEALERSHIP. I WAS UNHAPPY WITH THIS DECISION AS IT WAS CLEARLY A DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING FAULT SO WENT INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN CHELTENHAM TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE FACE TO FACE. I SPOKE TO THE MANAGER THERE AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THINGS, THAT I DIDN'T BUY IT FROM A MINI DEALERSHIP, IT WAS OVER 5 YEARS OLD AND OVER 30000 MILES ON THE CLOCK. IT WAS A PRISTINE 2004 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE WITH 35000 MILES ON THE CLOCK. HAD ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED WITH MINI AND I HAD ONLY OWNED THE CAR 3 MONTHS. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST ME 800 TO FIX IT. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS AND TOLD THEM HOW UNHAPPY I WAS AND THEY OFFERED ME HALF OFF THE LABOR TAKING THE PRICE TO 590 APPROX. I WAS STILL UNHAPPY SO THEY OFFERED TO RING MINI ONE AGAIN AND PUT MY CASE FORWARD. 2 DAYS LATER WE GOT A CALL AND THE ANSWER WAS AGAIN NO. I THEN FOUND A COMPANY ONLINE WHO RESTORE FAULTY POWER STEERING PUMPS WITH A 2 YEAR WARRANTY FOR A FRACTION OF THE PRICE SO WENT WITH THAT. IT WAS FIXED IN JUNE AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE. *TR