2004 MINI COOPER S Complaints

THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S FAILED, LEADING TO EXTREMELY DIFFICULT OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. AT SPEED THE CAR IS OK, IF A BIT CUMBERSOME. AT LOW SPEEDS OR IN A PARKING LOT, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR. AT FIRST, THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT - RESTARTING THE CAR SOMETIMES RESTORED CONTROL. HOWEVER, FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS THE POWER STEERING IS COMPLETELY DEAD.

I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MY 2004 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. I HAVE DONE HOURS OF RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND HAVE CONTACTED HALF A DOZEN MINI DEALERSHIPS TO FIND OUT, THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM (ON 2001-2005 MODELS) AND CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. THERE IS NO WARNING (CHECK ENGINE LIGHT) WHEN THIS PART GOES DEFECTIVE, SO BASICALLY WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING JUST SHUTS OFF LEAVING ABOUT 30LBS OF PRESSURE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. GOOD THING I AM A STRONG MALE, BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR ASSISTANCE. BY NO MEANS AM I SEXIST, BUT BELIEVE ME THIS CAR IS REALLY HARD TO MANEUVER WITHOUT POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE. THE COST OF REPAIRS RANGES FROM $1000-$1500 ($800 JUST FOR THE PUMP), PLUS $200 FOR HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST GARAGE. I BELIEVE SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE BEFORE THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS INJURIES OR EVEN DEATHS. *TR

WHILE LEAVING A SHOPPING CENTER MY POWER STEERING FAILED. I WAS ABOUT 15 MILES FROM HOME AND I VERY CAUTIOUSLY PROCEEDED HOME. WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THERE IS EXTENSIVE EVIDENCE THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE 2003-2006 MINI COOPER. SOME HAVE NARROWLY ESCAPED INJURY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON I-65 AT 62 MPH. RIGHT AS I APPROACHED THE ON RAMP TO I-265, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. I ALMOST DID NOT GET THE WHEEL TURNED IN TIME TO MAKE THE CURVE. I HAD NO WARNING. *TR

THE POWER STEERING FAILS ON THE CAR. IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. IT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU FIRST START THE CAR, OR IT CAN HAPPEN AFTERYOU HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR SOME TIME. ALL OF THE SUDDEN YOU LOSE YOUR POWER STEERING AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING. I AM A FEMALE AND I HAVE TO USE BOTH ARMS TO GET THE CAR TO TURN WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING. I AM AFRAID THAT THE POWER STEERING IS GOING TO GO OUT AT A BAD TIME AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO TURN QUICK ENOUGH AND I COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

I HAVE LOST THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S AT LEAST TEN TIMES WITHIN THE LAST MONTH. ON EACH OCCASION THE POWER STEERING WAS ABSENT WHEN THE CAR WAS STARTED. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE CAR AND RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THIS FIXED, AND THEY SAID THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT GETTING ENOUGH ELECTRICAL POWER AND REPLACED MY BATTERY. HOWEVER, AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP AND WHILE PARKING, THE POWER STEERING FAILED, AGAIN. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR TWO TIMES, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON. I WILL BE RETURNING TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS EVENING. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING CAR, CAUSING VEHICLE TO BECOME MUCH HARDER TO STEER, NEARLY CAUSING ACCIDENT. *TR

FAILURE OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM IN 2004 MINI COOPER S. VEHICLE PERFORMED FINE THE NIGHT BEFORE, THEN THE POWER STEERING WASN'T WORKING THE NEXT MORNING. THIS IS THE THIRD INSTANCE OF THE PROBLEM I HAVE ENCOUNTERED. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, AND THE BEST THING TO DO WAS RESTART THE CAR AND MAYBE THE COMPUTER WOULD RESET ITSELF. THAT WORKED THE PREVIOUS 2 TIMES, BUT NOT THIS TIME. NOW I'M OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD... *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE MOMENTARILY OPERATED AS NORMAL BEFORE THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN HOME AND PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 37,854.

POWER STEERING FAILS. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE POWER STEERING HAS FAILED, BOTH WHILE DRIVING AS WELL AS AFTER JUST STARTING THE CAR. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND I SEE NO PATTERN TO IT'S OCCURRENCE. TYPICALLY IT IS REMEDIED BY TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RE-STARTING. THERE HAS BEEN A FEW OCCASIONS WHERE IT WILL SPUTTER IN AND OUT BEFORE IT GOES OUT COMPLETELY BUT THE MOST COMMON OCCURRENCE IS WHEN I START THE CAR, THERE'S IS NO POWER STEERING.