2004 MINI COOPER Complaints

ELECTRIC/HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AFTER ONLY 43,000 MILES ON THE CAR. IT STUCK IN THE "ON" POSITION EVEN WHEN KEY REMOVED FROM THE CAR, DRAINING MY BATTERY AND CAUSING A HEAT BUILDUP UNDER THE BONNET. 2004 MINI COOPER S. *TR

I OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER. I STARTED THE CAR LAST WEEK AND THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS MAKING A VERY HIGH PITCHED SQUEALING NOISE. I DECIDED TO DRIVE ANOTHER CAR THAT DAY BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO BRING IT TO A MECHANIC. THE NEXT DAY I STARTED THE CAR AND THE PUMP CAME UP TO SPEED VERY SLOWLY AND THEN STOPPED MAKING NOISE ALTOGETHER. THE POWER STEERING NO LONGER WORKS. I DON'T THINK I CAN SAFELY DRIVE IT TO THE MECHANIC AND THE CAR HAS SAT IN THE DRIVEWAY SINCE. THE CAR IS OUT OF ITS WARRANTY PERIOD SO I WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE EXPENSE OF TOWING AND PARTS AND LABOR BEFORE I CAN USE IT AGAIN. I JUST SAW THE REPORT ON CNBC AND WAS WONDERING IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM BEFORE I CONTACT A GARAGE. THANK YOU. *TR

MY 2004 MINI COOPER S, OF WHICH I AM THE SECOND OWNER HAS DEVELOPED PROGRESSIVELY WORSENING STEERING CHARACTERISTICS. MOST TIMES THE STEERING IS HARD AND TYPICALLY ITS HARDEST AT LOW SPEED. THE STEERING UNDER ACCELERATION IS NOTABLY OF GREAT CONCERN AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED ERRATIC AND UNPREDICTABLE SUDDEN PULLS TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WITHOUT ANY DRIVER INPUT. THE SERVICE HISTORY FOR THIS VEHICLE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE SUGGESTED SERVICE INTERVALS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WOULD MALFUNCTION WHICH ALMOST LED TO A CRASH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING MOTOR AND THE COOLING FAN REPLACED. SINCE THE REPAIRS, THE CONTACT HAD NOT NOTICED ANY POWER STEERING ISSUES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER TYPE S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING WOULD SUDDENLY STOP FUNCTIONING WITHOUT WARNING; THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE FAILURE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 143,000. UPDATED 01/04/11*LJ UPDATED 01/10/11*JB

DEAR NHTSA, OUR COMPLAINT MATCHES THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION BEING CONDUCTED REGARDING THE INTERMITTENT POWER-LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP OF THE 2004-5 MINI COOPER WE OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER. OUR POWER STEERING LOSS BEGAN FEB '10 AND DESCRIBED AS UNEXPECTED AND INTERMITTENTLY-OCCURRING TOTAL LOSS-OF-ASSIST TO STEERING. THIS WAS RECTIFIED BY A PURCHASE OF A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP FROM MINI COOPER (ELMSFORD, NY) AND PURCHASE OF LABOR (INSTALLATION) FROM STRAUB AUTO REPAIR (HASTINGS ON HUDSON, NY) DURING THAT MONTH. *TR

2004 MINI COOPER. POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AT HIGH SPEED WHILE DRIVING ON WINDY ROAD AT NIGHT. WAS ABLE TO OVER CORRECT AND SLOW VEHICLE SAFELY. HAD IT BEEN MY DAUGHTER DRIVING SHE MAY HAVE CRASHED. PUMP FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND NO ENGINE LIGHTS. AFTER LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF SIMILAR INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED WITH NEW MODEL CARS WITH LESS THAN 50K MILES. SHOULD BE A RECALL TO BMW FOR THIS!!!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING FUNCTION. THE CONTACT STATED IN ORDER FOR THE POWER STEERING TO FUNCTION PROPERLY THE VEHICLE HAD TO COOL DOWN AND THAT COULD TAKE HOURS. THE VEHICLE ALSO BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT NOTICED A LOT OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING HER YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL AND THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM AND WOULD LIKE FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. UPDATED 01/20/11 *BF UPDATED 03/28/11

2004 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING FAILURE AFTER <50,000 MILES VERY HARD TO STEER. HAD TO REPLACE THE PUMP. *TR

THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE GOING UP HILL ON A CURVY TWO LANE ROAD. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING FORCED ME TO GO INTO THE OTHER LANE, WHERE FORTUNATELY NO CARS WERE PRESENT. IF I WAS GOING DOWN HILL ON THE SAME ROAD I WOULD HAVE DEFINITELY GONE AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE HILL OR OFF THE SIDE OF THE CLIFF IF NOT HITTING AN ON COMING CAR FIRST. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME OVER $1000 TO CHANGE THE ELECTRO/HYDRAULIC STEERING PUMP. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH MANY MINIS ACCORDING TO FORUM POSTS. *TR