2004 MINI COOPER S Complaints

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED TO WORK, IT WORKED OFF AND ON FOR A SHORT PERIOD. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING IT. *TR

I OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER S AND LOST THE POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE NO LEAKS DETECTED BUT THE PS CANISTER WAS EMPTY. THE MINI WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM CROWN MINI IN RICHMOND, VA. WE ARE THE ONLY OWNERS OF THE MINI. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE MINI NOW AND WE WANTED TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE RECEIVED NO HELP FROM MINI AFTER SENDING THEM AN EMAIL AND CALLING THEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, HE SUDDENLY HAD A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITH OUT ANY WARNING. THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AFTER THE FAILURE. HE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND IT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WAS A TSB BUT NO RELATED RECALLS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 109,000. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ

FAILED COMPONENT 1: LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS DIAGNOSED AT DEALERSHIP AS BAD AND OIL LEAK IS DUE TO FAULTY O RING. FAILED COMPONENT 2: POWER STEERING TOTAL FAILURE. DEALER STATED THIS WAS DUE TO POOR DESIGN OF STEERING PUMP FAN (POOR PLACEMENT OF THE FAN). DEALER STATED THERE WAS A POSSIBLE RECALL REGARDING POWER STEERING FAILURE DUE TO THIS POOR DESIGN POSSIBLY PENDING. WORK TO REPAIR THESE FAILED COMPONENTS HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED PENDING A DEALER RECALL. THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 MINI COOPER S, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE MAKING A TURN AT LOW SPEED. WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING, IT IS HARD TO STEER DURING LOW SPEED. AFTER TURNING OFF ENGINE AND RESTARTING, THE POWER STEERING CAME BACK. BUT THE POWER STEERING PUMP SEEMS TO BE ON ALL THE TIME WITH A HUMMING NOISE EVEN AFTER THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF. WHICH LEADING TO THE DRAINING OF THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY GAVE OUT AFTER A COUPLE JUMP STARTS. AS OF 2/15/2011, I HAVE DISCONNECTED THE POWER TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN. BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD OF THE HIGH COST OF REPLACING THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND COOLING FAN. I HAVE NOT REPLACE THEM YET. I STILL HAVE THESE PARTS. *LN

COMPLETE FAILURE OF STEERING COLUMN, IT LOCKS UP DURING DRIVING, CAN BARELY TURN THE WHEEL. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY DURING DRIVING, EVEN ON A STRAIGHT ROAD NOT MAKING ANY TURNS. HAVE TO FORCE CAR OVER ONTO SHOULDER AND RESTART THE CAR. NOTHING BAD HAS HAPPENED YET, BUT VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING WITH KIDS IN THE CAR. ALL FLUID LEVELS CHECK OUT, NO WARNING LIGHTS ABOUT STEERING FAILURE. *TR

1. 04 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING THE PUMP WILL LOOSE POWER AND STEERING WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT. POWER STEERING FAN STAYS ON AFTER VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF WHICH TENDS TO DRAIN THE BATTERY. 2. EVENTUALLY THE PUMP STARTED LEAKING AND FAN STOP WORKING NEEDING REPLACEMENT. LOSS ALL POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. 3. REPLACED PUMP AND FAN WITH NEW UNITS AND PROBLEM IS TEMPORARILY FIXED BUT PROBLEM HAS COME BACK. NOTICING THE SAME SYMPTOMS FROM #.1 POST HAPPENING AGAIN.

SUDDEN FAILURE OF POWER STEERING. CONTROL OF CAR WAS NOT LOST. IT WILL REQUIRE A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP. *TR

I DROVE MY MINI COOPER 2004 S WITH 95K MILES ON THE FREEWAY AND NOTICED MY STEERING VERY DIFFICULT TO MOVE. I ARRIVED TO MY DESTINATION SAFELY AND SEARCHING ON THE WEB FOR STEERING PROBLEMS WITH 2004 MINI COOPER AND FOUND FEDERAL INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS. I TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. THEY FOUND THE POWER STEERING PUMP DEFECTIVE AS DESCRIBED ON THE WEBSITE AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE FOR 1500 DOLLARS. THE DEALER/BMW OFFERED NO COMPENSATION TO DEFER THE COST. I CONTACTED BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND RECEIVED A NON RESPONSE ON IF AND HOW BMW WOULD RESPOND. *TR

2004 MINI COOPER S, POWER STEERING FAILURE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF POWER STEERING IN MY 2004 MINI COOPER S. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEEMINGLY AT RANDOM AND CAUSES GREAT DIFFICULTY WITH STEERING THE VEHICLE. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION IN WHICH IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN A GIVEN DAY OR SOMETIMES ONLY ONCE IN A WEEK. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED AT VARIOUS TIMES OF OPERATION, INCLUDING IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING THE CAR IN THE MORNING, MID-COMMUTE, AND AT THE END OF A LONG DRIVE. THE ONLY CONSISTENCY IS THAT IT SEEMS TO OCCUR JUST AFTER PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE, THEN BACK IN 1ST GEAR (THOUGH NOT EVERY TIME). POWER STEERING IS ALMOST ALWAYS RESTORED BY TURNING IGNITION OFF AND BACK ON- NOT A SAFE ACTION IN MOST OF MY DRIVING CIRCUMSTANCES. ON ONE OCCASION THE POWER STEERING PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN AUDIBLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, THREATENING TO DRAIN THE BATTERY. THIS LASTED FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND WAS ONLY RESOLVED BY DRIVING THE CAR AGAIN FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AGAIN, THE PUMP FINALLY SHUT OFF. *LN