2003 MINI COOPER S Complaints

THE POWER STEERING QUIT WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE (I85) ON MARCH 3, 2012. WE HAD JUST PURCHASED THE CAR SO WE TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER AND HE HAD THE PUMP AND RESERVOIR REPLACED (TOOK 2 WEEKS). POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT AGAIN (09/26/12) WITH SAME SYMPTOMS (SPORADIC OPERATION - MAINLY NOT WORKING) WHILE DRIVING TO WORK. *TR

I DROVE MY CAR TO MY SPORTS TEAM PRACTICE, PARKED AND PROMPTLY HAD TO RELOCATE MY CAR TO AN ADJACENT LOT. THE POWER STEERING DID NOT WORK UPON STARTING THE CAR TO MOVE IT AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OR WARNING OF IT'S FAILURE. NOT EVEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. *TR

AS I WAS PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP SIGN, I REALIZED THAT I COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND WENT BACK AND FORTH TRYING TO SEE IF SOMETHING WAS STUCK. I DID THIS A COUPLE TIMES, THEN REALIZED MY POWER STEERING WAS OUT. I CHECKED THE FLUIDS AND THEY WERE FINE. TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND THEY RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND DETERMINED THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS FAULTY. *TR

WATER PUMP/SUPER CHARGER FAIL CAUSE ENGINE OVERHEAT. HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP/SUPER CHARGE ASSEMBLY. *TR

COMPLETE POWER STEERING FAILURE. FAULTY/FAILED PUMP INTERNAL CONTROL CIRCUITRY. *TR

AFTER LEAVING THE HIGHWAY AND NEGOTIATING THE OFF RAMP, THE POWER STEERING SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING. THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT SO I PULLED OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND LIFTED HOOD TO INSPECT. THE WAS NO VISUAL INDICATION OF ISSUES AN FLUID LEVEL IS FINE. AFTER RESTARTING THE STEERING WORKED FINE AGAIN. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED IN THE MIDDLE OF A CORNER, IT WAS ALL I COULD TO MAINTAIN CONTROL THROUGH THE CORNER. I READ WHERE THERE WAS SOME "OPINIONS" THAT IF POWER STEERING COOLING FAN WAS BAD IT COULD CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN SO I REPLACED. STILL HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. I WILL LIKELY PULL THE STEERING UNIT TO INSPECT BUT THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS IT GIVES A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. WHEN YOU RESTART THE ENGINE EVERYTHING SEEMS OK SO YOU CONTINUE, SOMETIMES FOR WEEKS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FAILURE CAN OCCUR IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN AND CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THERE IS ALSO NO LIGHTED INDICATION OF THE FAILURE ON YOUR DASH, SO YOU DON,T EXPECT IT. THIS WILL END UP KILLING SOMEONE IF IT HASN'T ALREADY. *TR

WAS STOPPED IN PARKING LOT, FIRE STARTED IN ENGINE BAY. POWER STEERING HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT FOR AWHILE. SHOP INDICATED THAT THE FAN FAILED AND CAUSED THE PUMP/WIRING TO COMPLETELY MELT. THIS ISSUE IS WIDELY KNOWN AND FOUND ON MINI COOPER FORUMS. *TR

POWER STEERING PUMP IS WHINING AND ACCORDING TO DEALER IS GOING TO FAIL AT ANYTIME. UNFORTUNATELY THIS UNIT DOES NOT FAIL IN THE DRIVEWAY IT FAILS WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. HOPEFULLY I WILL BE DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENS AS MY WIFE WILL NOT HAVE THE STRENGTH TO GET THE CAR UNDER CONTROL. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL IN CANADA FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND ALL OF US MINI DRIVERS IN THE US ARE WONDERING WHY WE DON'T HAVE A RECALL HERE. *TR

I WAS GOING AROUND A 90 DEGREE CORNER AT ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN THE STEERING SEEMED TO LOCK UP. I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED, AND I WRESTLED THE STEERING WHEEL TO COMPLETE THE TURN. SINCE THEN, THE POWER STEERING HAS NOT WORKED 90% OF THE TIME. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN WHEEL WHILE STOPPED. MY WIFE CAN BARELY DRIVE THE CAR. FROM RESEARCHING THIS SITE AND OTHER SITES, MY SITUATION SEEMS TO BE THE SAME AS THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, AND I WOULD LIKE MY NAME TO BE ADDED TO THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION. *TT