2004 MINI COOPER Complaints

SUDDEN TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING ON A 2004 MINI COOPER S IN A PARKING AT LOW SPEED. CAR WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO DRIVE BACK TO DEALER DUE TO HIGH GRIP THE CAR HAS. DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP FOR POWER ASSISTED GEAR. COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS IN A CORNER. MILEAGE 20,257. *TR

1. POWER STEERING FAILED AND STEERING BECAME EXCESSIVELY HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL ESPECIALLY IN LOW SPEED TURNS SOMETIMES COULDN'T MAKE THE TURNS IN TIME. 2. SEVERAL TIMES. PARKED THE CAR 3. WAITING FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO HELP WITH REPLACING DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR

THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER BEGAN MALFUNCTIONING LAST YEAR. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO STEER AND CONTROL THE VEHICLE. IT MALFUNCTIONS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR, THE PUMP STOPS WORKING A FEW MINUTES OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER I START THE ENGINE. I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE MALFUNCTION, BUT ONE COULD BE POSSIBLE, IF I WERE TO HAVE TO MAKE A SHARP TURN AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE. SINCE THIS PART IS A DEALER ONLY PART, IT IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD IT SINCE I WAS LAID OFF LAST YEAR. HELP! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 MINI COOPER. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 25 TO 30 MPH, THERE WAS A SLIGHT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS A CONTINUOUS OCCURRENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,441 UPDATED 02/01/11*LJ THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. 03.22.11

2004 MINI COOPER, COUPE HAS INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING, WHICH BEGAN SUDDENLY ON A CIRCULAR FREEWAY ON RAMP AT ABOUT 40MPH, DURING WHICH I NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. THE FAILURE SEEMS TO BE TRIGGERED BY U TURNS (ROUND-ABOUT, SPIRAL RAMPS, MANEUVERING OUT OF A SMALL PARKING SPACE.) I HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING PUMP INVESTIGATED AS THE CAUSE AND IT IS WORKING NORMALLY. I BELIEVE IT IS A PROBLEM WITH EITHER THE COMPUTER OR STEERING ASSEMBLY. IT IS POSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH THE FAILED POWER STEERING, BUT QUITE DISCONCERTING WHEN IT FAILS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN. I AM STILL DRIVING THE CAR - BUT CAREFULLY. UPDATE - WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THIS MORNING, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED ON A CURVE AT 50 MPH. I MOMENTARILY LOST CONTROL, BUT REGAINED IT WITHOUT ACCIDENT. THE POWER STEERING BECAME FUNCTIONAL AGAIN WITHIN ABOUT 100 YARDS OF DRIVING. *TR

POWER STEERING WHEEL GOES ON AND OFF. WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL I CAN FEEL IT GO FROM HEAVY RESISTANCE TO REGULAR IN SECONDS, WHICH HAS BEEN MORE THAN ONCE IN A DAY. IF THERE IS A CAR COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, IT COULD EASILY CRASHED INTO MY SIDE. DUE TO THIS SUDDENLY WHEEL MALFUNCTION, I HAD TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE I WAS AT THE CORNER OF THE ROAD, TRYING TO TURN. THIS IS SO DANGEROUS, AND IT WILL ONLY TAKE SECONDS TO KILL PEOPLE IN THIS SITUATION. I DID RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND OUT THIS IS A PRETTY COMMON ISSUE FOR THE MINI COOPER. *TR

AFTER DRIVING 5 MILES AND STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN I BEGAN A LEFT TURN AND HAD NO POWER STEERING, I HAD TO PULL THE STEERING WHEEL WITH ALL MY STRENGTH TO KEEP FROM CAUSING A WRECK. I DROVE 5 MORE MILES TO WORK AND PARKED. 2 HOURS LATER I WENT OUTSIDE AND HEARD A MOTOR RUNNING IN MY CAR. THE RUNNING MOTOR HAD DRAINED MY BATTERY, I HAD TO JUMP START THE CAR TO GET HOME. THE MINI DEALER IN CHARLESTON SC SAID I HAD TO BRING THE CAR TO THEM TO REPLACE A RMFD POWER STEERING PART WHICH WAS A DEALER ONLY PART. I LIVE 100 MILES FROM THE DEALER, I HAD TO TAKE CAR TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC SO HE COULD UNHOOK THE MOTOR SO THE BATTERY WOULD NOT BE DRAINED WHILE I PARKED UNTIL I COULD GET A DAY OFF WORK TO DRIVE THE MINI TO CHARLESTON. PARTS NEEDED FOR THE FIX: INTAKE MANIFOLD; HOSE CLAMP; RMFD POWER STEERING; CORE RETURN. THE TOTAL REPAIR COSTS 969.00 AND A DAY OFF WORK. I HAVE A 2 YEAR GUARANTEE ON THIS FIX. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE GOT IN THE VEHICLE AND STARTED IT, THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. SHE PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT. HOWEVER, THE POWER STEERING WAS STILL NON-FUNCTIONAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

INTERMITTENT AND UNEXPECTED POWER STEERING FAILURE ON MY 2004 MINI COOPER S (R53). WE PURCHASED THE CAR WITH 69,000 MILES AND WITHIN A WEEK HAD OUR FIRST POWER STEERING PROBLEM. WE GOT THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WHEN WE TURNED IT BACK ON THE STEERING WAS FINE. THIS OCCURRED RANDOMLY FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. POWER STEERING WOULD QUIT WITHOUT WARNING AT SLOW AND HIGHWAY SPEEDS. FINALLY TOOK THE CAR TO THE SHOP AND THE MECHANIC SAID THE POWER STEERING UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. REPAIR WAS DONE THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER AND WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY POWER STEERING PROBLEMS SINCE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING WAS ABSENT. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 102,000. UPDATED 01/03/11