2004 MINI COOPER S Complaints

2004 MINI COOPER S - POWER STEERING FAN/PUMP FAILURE VIN# [XXX] MY POWER STEERING STOP WORKING COMPLETELY. THIS POWER STEERING WOULD GO "ON" AND "OFF: INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST YEAR A HALF (4-7 TIMES A WEEK OVER THE LAST 8-10MONTHS). I'D PARK THE CAR WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE, NO POWER STEERING. THIS HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND NOW THE POWER STEERING HAS STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD!!I HAVE ONLY HAS THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS AND IT HAS 70K MILES. I BROUGHT THE INTERMITTENT FAILURES TO THE DEALERSHIPS ATTENTION NUMEROUS TIMES BUT THEY NEED TO "SEE IT HAPPENING" TO FIX IT. NOW THAT MY POWER STEERING HAS COMPLETELY FAILED, THEY NOW TOLD ME TO ITS THE POWER STEERING FAN/PUMP THAT HAS FAILED. I CAN NOT AFFORD THE REPAIRS AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING WITH NO POWER STEERING FOR OVER 3 MONTHS. I SEE THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED EVERYWHERE ONLINE & THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUSLY HUGE AND COMMON ISSUE FOR MY MODEL & YEAR MINI COOPER. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS PROCESS OF FILING A COMPLAINT WILL EVEN DO ANYTHING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT IF SOMEONE IS READING THIS COMPLAINT, PLEASE HELP US. THANK YOU ** THE WEBSITE WOULD NOT ACCEPT MY VIN # AS VALID SO I WAS UNABLE TO ADD IT TO THE APPROPRIATE PLACE DURING THIS COMPLAINT FILING. *TR

MY 2004 MINI COOPER S SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING LOST ITS POWER STEERING. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE MECHANIC WHO SAID THE WHOLE STEERING WAS SHOT. THAT IS WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT MINI HAS HAD A LOT OF THESE FAILURES. IF I HAD BEEN ON A CURVE AND AT ANY FASTER SPEED I MAY HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT, AND NOW BMW WON'T EVEN FIX THE CAR! THIS IS NOT RIGHT ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE KNOWN THERE IS PROBLEM, WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE A FEW PEOPLE GETTING KILLED LIKE WITH THE TOYOTA BRAKE PROBLEM? MAKE THEM DO SOMETHING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY CAR HAS HAD INTERMITTENT POWER FAILURE SINCE 2008, USUALLY LASTING A FEW DAYS. MORE RECENTLY MY POWER STEERING HAS BEEN OUT FOR THE PAST 2 MONTHS. TODAY IT STARTED WORKING ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK BUT THE POWER STEERING FAN REMAINS ON AFTER I TURN THE CAR OFF. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FAN OFF. CONSEQUENCES HAVE RESULTED IN NEAR ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY AND ROAD WHEN FAILURE OCCURS (FAILURES HAPPENED WHEN I HAVE GONE INTO TURNS). POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED DURING CORNERING. REQUIRED ME TO APPLY EXTRA FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL AT WHICH POINT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST RE-ENGAGED CAUSING THE CAR TO OVER STEER. I NEEDED TO MAKE A QUICK CORRECTION IN ORDER TO AVOID CROSSING OVER THE CENTERLINE AND HITTING AN ON COMING VEHICLE. THE POWER STEERING ASSIST HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE THAT TIME AND HAS BEEN COMPLETELY NON FUNCTIONAL FOR THE LAST MONTH OR SO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH WHEN THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY TIGHT. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED BEFORE BUT NOT AS EXTREME AS THE MOST CURRENT FAILURE. THE CONTACT COULD BARELY MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN AND ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING PUMP WERE REPLACED. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILURE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,053 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 4,509 UPDATED 02/03/11*LJ ALSO, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER GRID BURNED THROUGH THE COVER AND THE DRIVERS JACKET. THE SECOND SEAT COVER BURNED THROUGH ALSO AND MADE A HOLE IN THE PASSENGERS COAT. UPDATED 03/18/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE POWER STEERING STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.

THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2004 MINI COOPER S FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. THE CAR IS EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE STEERING SHAFT STARTED TO MAKE ODD NOISES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN AND PUM WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000. UPDATED 4/11/2011 *CN UPDATED 07/11/11

I OWN A 2004 MINI COOPER HARD TOP AND I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM STATE COLLEGE WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. THIS MADE THE CAR EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. SINCE THIS HAPPENED, I AM ALL BUT TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE DONE SOME INVESTIGATION INTO THIS, AND I SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY MINI OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE SOMETHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR

MY 2004 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING PUMP JUST FAILED AND HAS TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 45K MILES. *TR UPDATED 08-29/11 *BF