2005 MINI COOPER S Complaints

DEAR SIR/MADAM, TODAY (9/29/2010) I SAW A NEWS ITEM, "(CNNMONEY.COM) -- THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS OPENED AN INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLE POWER STEERING FAILURES IN MINI COOPER CARS" AND FELT COMPELLED TO ADD TO THE EXISTING COMPLAINS REGARDING THE DANGEROUSLY DEFECTIVE POWER STEERING ELECTROHYDRAULIC PUMP IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY, AVERAGE SPEED OF 25 TO 35 MPH, THE POWER ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE POWER STEERING WENT DOWN TO ZERO, TOTALLY UNASSISTED, WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS WARNING WHATSOEVER, MAKING THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, WHILE GOING AROUND A ROUNDABOUT (TRAFFIC CIRCLE) AT NO MORE THAN 25 MPH. CONSEQUENTIALLY I WAS UNABLE TO STEER FIRST RIGHT AND THE LEFT AROUND THE CIRCLE, MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL STRIKING THE RIGHT SIDE CURB AT THE POINT THAT I NEEDED TO TURN LEFT, DAMAGING BOTH THE WHEEL AND THE TIRE, AND POSSIBLY THE SUSPENSION (MACPHERSON STRUT). AND I ASK YOU, WHAT IF I HAD TO STEER TO AVOID A MOTHER PUSHING A BABY STROLLER, OR EVEN AN ERRANT DOG OR CAT AT THE MOMENT THE POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE DECIDED TO QUIT? WHAT IF THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT A HIGHER SPEED WHILE MERGING ON A FREEWAY? I CONSIDER BMW/MINI TO BE TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DEATHS OR INJURIES AND PROPERTY DAMAGES RELATED TO THEIR NEGLIGENT FAILURE TO ENGINEER A PROPERLY WORKING POWER STEERING PUMP (AN KNOWN PROBLEM AS THE NEWER MODELS HAVE DONE AWAY WITH THE ELECTROHYDRAULIC PUMP IN FAVOR OF A TOTALLY ELECTRICAL ASSISTED STEERING). I ALSO URGE YOU TO LOOK INTO THE FAILURE RATE OF THE POWER STEERING FAN DUE TO ITS ABSURD LOCATION (UNDER THE CAR UNPROTECTED FROM THE DIRT, WATER, STONES,ETC. 5-6 INCHES FROM THE ROAD) AN AFTERTHOUGHT OF A SOLUTION THAT BMW/MINI USED TO RESOLVE THE PREVIOUSLY KNOWN TO THEM POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. MY CAR HAS 27,000 MILES, AND IS DEALER MAINTAINED SINCE NEW. I URGE YOU TO TAKE ACTION REGARDING THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMETHING MORE TRAGIC HAPPENS. THANK YOU. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE SUDDENLY DISAPPEARING FROM TIME TO TIME, AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. SO FAR I AVOIDED ACCIDENT BUT THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS. I HEARD IT HAPPENS TO A LOT OF MINIS, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED. *TR

ON SEPT. 19, 2010, MY 2005 MINI COOPER S HAD BEEN PARKED IN A GARAGE FOR ABOUT 10 HOURS. WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE, I FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL AND I HAD TO REALLY MUSCLE IT TO DRIVE IT. I'D NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT BEFORE. BECAUSE I HAD TO GET TO WHERE I WAS GOING, I DROVE IT VERY CAREFULLY. AFTER ABOUT FORTY MINUTES, I STOPPED AT A SERVICE AREA TO USE THE RESTROOM. WHEN I CAME BACK OUT AND STARTED MY CAR UP, THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. SINCE THEN, I'VE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT. I HAD PLANNED ON MENTIONING THIS TO MY MECHANIC WHEN I GO IN TO HAVE MY BRAKES DONE IN THE NEXT WEEK. BUT THEN MY HUSBAND FORWARDED ME A NEWS STORY ABOUT THE POWER STEERING ISSUE AND I FIGURED THAT I SHOULD REPORT MINE. *TR

MY POWER STEERING IS GOING OUT. UPON MY OWN INVESTIGATION I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. SHOULD SUCH A VITAL PIECE TO HAVING CONTROL OF THE CAR BE A PROBLEM? NO. COST OF REPAIR IS $1,070 AS QUOTED FROM MY DEALER. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY OVER SNOQUALMIE PASS. SINCE IT IS A WINDY ROAD, STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED SUDDENLY WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 51,000.

2005 MINI COOPER S (BMW) POWER STEERING UNIT FAILURE - VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES. *TR

I WAS TRAVEL AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH, WHEN MY VEHICLE LOST POWER IMMEDIATELY DOWN TO 15 MPH. THE ENGINE DID NOT SHUT OFF, BUT I COULD NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 15 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC FLOW WAS SPACED SO I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THIS MALFUNCTION WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS SAID TO GONE INTO "LIMP MODE". THE ELECTRONIC BELT WAS REPLACED THAT APPARENTLY CONTROLS THE VEHICLE FUNCTION AT A COST OF $3400.00. *TR

I NOTICED A STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AREA. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED. *TR

I STARTED MY CAR AFTER IT HAD BEEN SITTING PARKED FOR A FEW DAYS, TO FIND THAT MY POWER STEERING HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. THE CAR WAS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE - BUT I HAD TO MOVE IT TO AVOID IT BEING TOWED. WHILE ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, THIS UNPREDICTABLE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC HAD I BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, OR IN A DENSELY POPULATED AREA REQUIRING QUICK STEERING REACTIONS. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ENDEMIC PROBLEM. SEE THIS THREAD ON THE MINI NORTH AMERICAN MOTORING DISCUSSION PAGES: HTTP://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/STOCK-PROBLEMS-ISSUES/74213-THE-GREAT-POWER-STEERING-PUMP-FAILURE-PROBLEMS-THREAD-22.HTML. *TR