We found the following complaints for MINI COOPER S (2004)
Read complaints for MINI COOPER S (2004)
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact noticed that the vehicle's air bag warning indicator was constantly illuminated and both front windows hesitated to roll up and down. Also, the air bag indicator would illuminate when the front seat belts were buckled or unbuckled. The dealer stated that there was a positive cable in the fuse box that malfunctioned. The contact was informed that the failure could destroy the electrical system, cause a fire, and keep the air bag from deploying in a crash. The seat belt buckles were repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer also discovered that the cable was being stretched and the center switch pack case was separated, which could cause the windows to detach from the vehicle while driving high speeds. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 124,500.
On march 5, 2005, a 2 inch x 2 inch l shaped crack was first developed at the mid bottom section of the windshield of my 2004 mini cooper s. The short arm of the l originated from the bottom of the windshield. On the next day, after parking inside my garage overnight, the long arm of the l propagated another 2 inches. Today, while driving, the crack further extended another 1/4 inch. The problem is that the crack started with no obvious reasons. The only sensible explanation is due to design of the body struture or defect from mini coopers, and subsequently causes stress to the windshield. It does not take long to learn from the internet message board that many similar complaints or recurring incidents were also reported. One of the message board participant who installs windshield for car suggested us to file a complaint at this site because windshield problem can be fatal because of the followings:1. Act as a support for the roof.2. Act as a barrier to prevent passenger from ejecting of the car.. Cause airbag malfunctioned.i strongly urge the nhtsa to investigate this problem immediately.
Air bag light came on.shutting off and restarting car, the light will go out but comes back on within seconds.this occurred after adjusting passenger seat.
My 2004 mini cooper s has a passenger seat belt/air bag light that is illuminated at all times.originally, it was sporadic, and connecting the seat belt would cause the light to go off. Now it is lit all the time, whether there is a passenger in the seat or not. I was told today that the sensor is bad and will cost $1600 to fix, which includes completely replacing the entire passenger seat. My mechanic says that the air bag will not deploy in the event of an accident.this is most concerning.obviously, the default should be for the airbag to deploy.what if i am in an accident and my passenger is gravely injured (or killed!)??unacceptable! i have read that bmw has issued a recall for bmw models with a similar problem.mini cooper should be included in the recall, as they are made by bmw, often using the same parts!where is the oversight?!?
2004 mini cooper s air bag light came on for no reason. Dealer wants $1000 to fix.
All models from 2005 onward have been recalled, yet earlier models have the same problems with non functioning airbags. The airbag warning light is on continually, and there are known problems with wiring, pressure mats and connectors in these vehicles. Bmw is intentionally ignoring these issue. My own personal vehicle has this problem and as a government mandated safety device i believe that earlier models of mini coopers should be included in the recall!
The airbag light is on for the passenger side pressure mat but the dealership indicates there is no open recall on this particular car even though many cars with similar problem were recalled. Scan tool indicates passenger side pressure mat. The dealership indicated this model was outside of the recalled vins. We don't know whether the airbag would work or not if it were needed.
Airbag light comes on and stays illuminated. We are unsure if the system is working properly. We have not run diagnostic codes on the system.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact noticed that the vehicle's air bag warning indicator was constantly illuminated and both front windows hesitated to roll up and down. Also, the air bag indicator would illuminate when the front seat belts were buckled or unbuckled. The dealer stated that there was a positive cable in the fuse box that malfunctioned. The contact was informed that the failure could destroy the electrical system, cause a fire, and keep the air bag from deploying in a crash. The seat belt buckles were repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer also discovered that the cable was being stretched and the center switch pack case was separated, which could cause the windows to detach from the vehicle while driving high speeds. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 124,500.
A year after purchasing the car, the front driver's window's automatic motor worked intermittently, then would not work at all. The dealer fixed it since it happened to be under full warranty. Two years later, the passenger's automatic window motor ceased working at all. At the same time, the driver's side window was making a scratching sound as it was automatically rolled up /or down.i only had a few months left on the warranty, and the dealer was required again to replace the window motor.i have read several other mini owners that had to replace at least one window motor as well, but at their own cost since the warranty had run out. If this is a incessant and obvious defect by mini cooper, it should be recalled or addressed in a fair consumer manner.
The electric power steering pump failed... Saw smoke coming from engine area, even when power to engine was shut off and key removed. After several attempts to restart vehicle after talking with service mechanic, he advised to "restart" car until the power steering unit possibly turned back on. After 6 attempts (appox 3 mins apart), the system started to work again, but with a "stiff & grinding" noise coming from the pump being transmitted thru the steering wheel. Cause of failure is "power steering pump/fan unit". Very dangerous, as this happened at speed on freeway, and lost almost all control of steering.
The power steering is very stiff to drive and cannot drive my cooper because i can no longer steer the vehicle.
Merging onto interstate i accelerated and suddenly lost power. Engine was running but i could not get any speed. Eml message lit up on dash. This was very dangerous situation, losing power as i merged with traffic that was going at highway speed. I managed to limp to side of the road. Shutting off car and restarting reset something and eml message disappeared and engine operated normally. Googling problem showed my experience was not unique and that could expect it to occur again. And it seems dealer can only diagnose source of problem if error message is on.
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.
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.
While driving around town the power steering quit working making the car very hard to turn. It was not noticeable driving straight, but when taking a left or right turn you almost cannot make the turn unless you really crank on the steering wheel. This problem has been happening intermittently without no warning. In order to get the power steering back, the ignition has to be completely shut off, and then restarted.
Cooling fan stopped working already installed 3 fans from time of purchase of vehicle this will be my fourth one its has issue with low speed. It burns only low speed on it tried to install aftermarket fan did not last more than a month had to purchase from a dealer now another one this can has nothing but a problem with this issue.
I was unable to get my vehicle smogged.the obd was not communicating with smog machine.took it to dealer and found the power steering electrical was causing a short circuit in the system.
While exiting the freeway the steering suddenly and without warning became extremely heavy taking significantly more effort then normal to just move the wheel slightly.the next day the power steering worked normally but the fan on the power steering pump continued to run after the engine was turned off.after 5 minutes in a parking lot it had drained the battery to the point where it struggled to start the engine.when i returned home i was forced to disconnect the battery until i can get it serviced.
Parking assist alarm stopped working completely then the next time as soon as the vehicle was in reverse the alarm sounded as though impact were imminent though nothing was behind the vehicle. Alarm continues to sound whenever the mini is in reverse.
When the weatheris cold, the center console controls (heat, rear defogger), the headlights, front/rear wipers will not function. When car starts to warm up, those items will start working when the steering wheel is turned to either side. When car is fully warmed up, will work most of the time unless you hit a bump. Mini shop said it was a bad computer - $800 to fix.engine had an oil plan leak 2 years ago resulting in major loss of oil. Fixed under warranty. When getting electrical problem fixed, mini shop found 3 oil leaks. Total cost to fix was $3200. Not necessary to get the fix but need to watch the oil levels.
On my way up driveway i noticed a sharp stinging sensation in the lumbar of my back. Felt sort of like an "continuous electric shock". I immediately arched my back as a reaction to the sting and had to straighten my back in order to control the vehicle. When straightening my back i felt something hot, very hot this time like something that was on fire. I could not longer control the vehicle grabbed for the handle opened the door and rolled out onto the driveway while the vehicle was moving.the vehicle bucked and stalled out. I immediately looked at the vehicle interior and noticed that the seat was smoldering and there was a hole the size of a quarter burned through the seat in the lumbar. It was a 100 degree day so i wasn't using the seat heater, nonetheless it was on, malfunctioned, caused a fire which resulted in me jumping out of the moving vehicle. I also read online about this happening to another 2004 mini cooper s "passenger seat" as well.
Traveling east on 376 approx. One mile from the squirel hill tunnels, a women in another vehicle alerted me, trying to tell me my car was on fire. I pulled off the highway to the side of the road, pulled up the hood and saw fire.i called 911 and the fire company came and put out the fire.googled the interenet and found there was approx 200,000 cases of fire without the manufacture recalling all vehicles.
I experienced a sudden loss of power steering on my vehicle. Fortunately this did not result in a crash but it sure scared me. I am concerned about my safety driving this vehicle and may consider getting rid of it. I am disappointed in mini's unresponsiveness to this issue.
I was driving my daughter to school when it first happened, the wheel got so tight and i hit the curb. Thank god i was in a school zone and therefore i was driving slow. After that, i noticed that same day that my battery was drained when i was leaving from work. I got a jump but then it happened again when i stopped for groceries. I figured something must be wrong with the battery (which is fairly new) or the alternator. I took my car to a shop and they diagnosed the battery and the alternator was fine. But they also said there was a strange noise coming from my power steering pump. I bought power steering fluid thinking that was the reason, but after i poured some its still the same. I started researching and i found out a lot of people are having this same issue and its a defective issue for this mini generation.
Iown a 2004 mini cooper s model, with 39,000 miles.the car is well cared for.my warranty expired at 30,000 and i began receiving annoying calls and letters from mini to purchase an additional extended warranty.i did not, believing that simply maintaining my car properly would take care of any future issues.i trusted bmw/mini that they would stand behind their product if some unusual failure or breakdown occurred.approximately one month ago my power steering would intermittently go out.at first, only after starting the car and then it started occurring while driving the car. We checked the power steering fluid and all was well.took it in to my mechanic and he informed me that the power steering pump needed to be replaced.he explained that mini had told him "they" had been experiencing a high instances of steering power pump failures.he asked if the power steering pump was on the recall list."they" told himno and explained that the pump was electrical and not manually therefore it was considered wear and tear. Crevier mini, where i purchased the car told me it would cost $1100.00 to replace the pump!my mechanic told me he would replace it for $880.00.my mechanic informed me that in order for him to get a power steering pump, he needed to turn my old pump into them.crevier told him that "they" were rebuidling these!.they could not keep enough of them on the shelves. This is a scandalous outrage, particularly after reading various blogs and complaints about the exact same problem that i am experiencing with my mini.i should consider myself lucky in that my car did not catch fire, since it is always garaged, or that i did not kill myself or hurt some innocent people by the problem occurring on a steep curvey grade while driving.additional problems approximately six months ago, my driver side window stopped working!! took it in crevier wanted $900 to fix the problem, again stated wear and tear!! my mechanic charged me $400.00.
I was parked one after noon looking under the hood and i heard a crackling sound coming form the abs pump. There was a small puff of smoke and then the sound stopped. At this point i went about my business and returned to my 2004 mini cooper s and the abs/traction control light were out. A few days later i took the vehicle to the bmw dealer and after a few tests they determined it was just bad fuses. A week has past and i have had no other problems.
Was driving car on 18 july 2020 and power steering quit working and made steering difficult, also coolant fan,low speed and high speed stopped working same time as power steering quit. The asc light came on and it will not turn off. No blown fuses in engine compartment or by drivers kick panel. I was driving the car on a state road when this occurred.
The vehicle was hard to steer and smoke was coming from the engine. Took the car home, did not see flames, parked car in the driveway switched cars and left. Received a call from the fire department that my mini was on fire and i needed to return to my house.
The vehicle was hard to steer and smoke was coming from the engine. Took the car home, did not see flames, parked car in the driveway switched cars and left. Received a call from the fire department that my mini was on fire and i needed to return to my house.
Was driving car on 18 july 2020 and power steering quit working and made steering difficult, also coolant fan,low speed and high speed stopped working same time as power steering quit. The asc light came on and it will not turn off. No blown fuses in engine compartment or by drivers kick panel. I was driving the car on a state road when this occurred.
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.
Cooling fan stopped working already installed 3 fans from time of purchase of vehicle this will be my fourth one its has issue with low speed. It burns only low speed on it tried to install aftermarket fan did not last more than a month had to purchase from a dealer now another one this can has nothing but a problem with this issue.
Supercharger failed at 60,950 miles, resulting in complete rebuild of unit.faulty gear and lubrication design.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that the power steering failed suddenly. The power steering pump was replaced but the failure occurred again. The power steering rack was then replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000 and the current mileage was approximately 110,000.
Merging onto interstate i accelerated and suddenly lost power. Engine was running but i could not get any speed. Eml message lit up on dash. This was very dangerous situation, losing power as i merged with traffic that was going at highway speed. I managed to limp to side of the road. Shutting off car and restarting reset something and eml message disappeared and engine operated normally. Googling problem showed my experience was not unique and that could expect it to occur again. And it seems dealer can only diagnose source of problem if error message is on.
Door lock mechanism freezes and traps drive and occupants inside of the vehicle.anytime the temperature is below freezing door locks freeze.upon contacting mini their response was that they get this complaint frequently but they do not have a method to correct the problem.
Unable to open the driver's door from the inside; immediate failure.at about 36,000 miles and again at 60,000 miles, the driver's door could only be opened by pulling on the inside door handle multiple times or opening the window & using the outside handle.the issue appears to be a cable that comes off a pulley in the opening mechanism.the dealer replaced the cable in its proper position; the fix lasted about 2 years before re-occurring causing the car to fail state safety inspection.this is a problem known to mini/bmw and is reported in many online mini cooper forums.
Supercharger failed at 60,950 miles, resulting in complete rebuild of unit.faulty gear and lubrication design.
My 2004 mini cooper s has 48,000 miles.the transmission has gotten so bad that i cannot change gears without great difficulty.i have read numerous reports online about power steering pump failure, brake failure and a host of safety issues with the cooper.i think this car needs to be evaluated for safety issues.thanks, karen
The driver side seatbelt buckle does not release when the button is pressed.this started when i first bought the vehicle in february 2009.this happens everytime i try to remove the seatbelt.i have to jiggle the buckle to get it to release.nothing has been done to fix this problem yet; the dealer will not warranty the buckle.
My 2004 mini cooper s has a passenger seat belt/air bag light that is illuminated at all times.originally, it was sporadic, and connecting the seat belt would cause the light to go off. Now it is lit all the time, whether there is a passenger in the seat or not. I was told today that the sensor is bad and will cost $1600 to fix, which includes completely replacing the entire passenger seat. My mechanic says that the air bag will not deploy in the event of an accident.this is most concerning.obviously, the default should be for the airbag to deploy.what if i am in an accident and my passenger is gravely injured (or killed!)??unacceptable! i have read that bmw has issued a recall for bmw models with a similar problem.mini cooper should be included in the recall, as they are made by bmw, often using the same parts!where is the oversight?!?
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact noticed that the vehicle's air bag warning indicator was constantly illuminated and both front windows hesitated to roll up and down. Also, the air bag indicator would illuminate when the front seat belts were buckled or unbuckled. The dealer stated that there was a positive cable in the fuse box that malfunctioned. The contact was informed that the failure could destroy the electrical system, cause a fire, and keep the air bag from deploying in a crash. The seat belt buckles were repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer also discovered that the cable was being stretched and the center switch pack case was separated, which could cause the windows to detach from the vehicle while driving high speeds. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 124,500.
On my way up driveway i noticed a sharp stinging sensation in the lumbar of my back. Felt sort of like an "continuous electric shock". I immediately arched my back as a reaction to the sting and had to straighten my back in order to control the vehicle. When straightening my back i felt something hot, very hot this time like something that was on fire. I could not longer control the vehicle grabbed for the handle opened the door and rolled out onto the driveway while the vehicle was moving.the vehicle bucked and stalled out. I immediately looked at the vehicle interior and noticed that the seat was smoldering and there was a hole the size of a quarter burned through the seat in the lumbar. It was a 100 degree day so i wasn't using the seat heater, nonetheless it was on, malfunctioned, caused a fire which resulted in me jumping out of the moving vehicle. I also read online about this happening to another 2004 mini cooper s "passenger seat" as well.
My 2004 mini cooper s has a passenger seat belt/air bag light that is illuminated at all times.originally, it was sporadic, and connecting the seat belt would cause the light to go off. Now it is lit all the time, whether there is a passenger in the seat or not. I was told today that the sensor is bad and will cost $1600 to fix, which includes completely replacing the entire passenger seat. My mechanic says that the air bag will not deploy in the event of an accident.this is most concerning.obviously, the default should be for the airbag to deploy.what if i am in an accident and my passenger is gravely injured (or killed!)??unacceptable! i have read that bmw has issued a recall for bmw models with a similar problem.mini cooper should be included in the recall, as they are made by bmw, often using the same parts!where is the oversight?!?
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 4,509updated 02/03/11*ljalso, the driver sideseat 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
I was parked one after noon looking under the hood and i heard a crackling sound coming form the abs pump. There was a small puff of smoke and then the sound stopped. At this point i went about my business and returned to my 2004 mini cooper s and the abs/traction control light were out. A few days later i took the vehicle to the bmw dealer and after a few tests they determined it was just bad fuses. A week has past and i have had no other problems.
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.
While driving onto a freeway on ramp, my steering became excessively difficult and i almost ran into a median.i pulled over and the steering resumed normal activity and then became very difficult again to the point where i could barely steer the car enough to take it to a repair shop three blocks from my house where they informed me that my power steering pump had failed.
The power steering stopped operating as we were making a 90 degree turn at an intersection.we were able to pull over and turn off the engine.we checked the power steering fluid level, and found it was in the proper range.after a short wait we restarted the can and the power steering seemed to be operating.
Intermittent and unexpected power steering failure on my 2004 mini cooper s (r53).we purchased the car with 69,000 miles and within a week had our first power steering problem.we got the vehicle to the side of the road, turned the car off and when we turned it back on the steering was fine.this occurred randomly for the next few weeks.power steering would quit without warning at slow and highway speeds. Finally took the car to the shop and the mechanic said the power steering unit needed to be replaced.repair was done the first week of september and we have not had any power steering problems since.
The car loses power steering intermittently and it makes it extremely difficult to turn. It is very dangerous when it happens on the intersection and i can't turn the car. I drive with my child and this freaks me out. It happened several times and in may 2013 i received mini recall/extension of warranty letter and called mini dealer in sacramento ca and they put me to the recording machine, where i left a message regarding extension of warranty by mini and to schedule replacement of power steering - no reply. Called them twice, they seem to ignore my calls. Very upset with dealer's ignorance.
Power steering pump failed to work, it worked off and on for a short period.i am in the process of replacing it.
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.
First incident: vehicle mileage 37004 (12/31/2009):2004 mini cooper s was being driven on surface streets and power steering was lost without warning making the vehicle exquisitely difficult to turn.upon arrival at a mechanic, the power steering pump was determined to be faulty and both the pump and fan were replaced.there were no accidents or injuries associated with this injury.second incident: vehicle mileage ~55,000 (1/19/2013): same vehicle as above was being driven onto a sharp right banking on ramp to the i-10e freeway when the power steering suddenly failed without warning.the car was occupied by a driver and a passenger.despite the driver's quick reactions, the car hit the curves outer concrete retaining wall nearly head on.the wall could not be avoided because of the lack of warning of the power steering failure, as well as the minimal space on the shoulder of the outside of the curve, estimated by the driver as less than a car width wide.the driver was estimated by a police officer to be driving below the speed limit.the driver received chemical burns to his upper extremity from the airbag, the passenger was hospitalized for three days with a pneumothorax and required a chest tube to be placed.an extended warranty will not prevent people from being injured, but a recall will.updated 06/12/13*ljupdated 07/10/13*lj
Loss of power steering assist while driving.
I own a 2004 mini cooper s and the power steering pump has failed after only 4 years and 65,000 miles.this seems to be a very common occurrence with this vehicle and the manufacture is acutely aware of the issue, but will not issue a recall or warranty the item.
I was unable to get my vehicle smogged.the obd was not communicating with smog machine.took it to dealer and found the power steering electrical was causing a short circuit in the system.
I purchased my 2004 mini cooper s 5 months ago. I was told by the dealer everything worked fine on the car. There was a whining noise in the car, which he told me was normal on min coopers. I was driving from boise, id to olympia, wa in my 2004 mini cooper s. Then suddenly, about 200 miles into my trip, while i was over taking a semi truck on a right hand curve. My power steering tightened and i had to hold on really tight. I almost ran into the side wall. After further investigation i found that my power steering had died. It seems that there should be some kind of safe way for the power steering to die. Loosing power steering the way it did, and how hard it is to turn the steering without the pump sounds very scary. I drove down steep hill with sharp curves during the trip and i'm so glad the pump didn't die then. I then drove the rest of the way carefully as possible without the power steering. Now i know that the whining noise was from the power steering since the whining noise went away once the power steering died. It seems that this is a common issue with others as well. Now my car is parked and i'm not sure if i should replace the part or not. I feel bmw should take some initiatives to fix this issue.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s.while driving 35 mph, the contact stated the vehicle lost all power steering.the dealer informed the contact that the power steering pump failed and to replace the pump as well as the battery to correct the failure.the manufacturer was not notified of the failure.no repairs were performed.the current mileage was 116,000 and the failure mileage was 115,900.
Power steering is not reliable; sometimes works, and sometime does not. Consequently it causes dangerous situations particularly in slippery conditions. Initially the problem was barely noticeable. When consulted, mini service stated that this is not a fault but a characteristic of the mini. With time the steering got progressively less predictable. And, the problem was rectified about two years ago with replacement of the power steering pomp. One year later, the unpredictable loss of power steering returned again (sporadically), and now come (permanent) future of driving.
Was driving my son home from a soccer tournament, traveling about 70 mph, when the steering failed-i could only turn the steering wheel about 1" in each direction.terrifying. The problem persists, and the car is unsafe to drive-i'll probably need to tow it to the mechanic.
Hydraulic power steering assist system failed while on the road 3 times causing a crash hazard. The power steering would return intermittently until it completely stopped working.
I own a 2004 mini cooper s and when driving the power steering failed.i was in the middle of an off ramp and the steering became extremely hard.i was unable to navigate the turn and went off the road.luckily i did not hit anything.when the car was turned off and then back on the power steering came back on.from time to time now i loose the powersteering.i feel this is a major safety issue and do not let my wife or child ride in the car.
Unexpected and intermittent power steering failure.intermittent failures first started around 2008, the failures would last for minutes to hours long, days, weeks, and months would go by between failures.the dealership stated the cause was the power steering pump and since the car was out of warranty the repair would cost ~$700 to replace.when the pump fails the car is *very* difficult to steer at slow and moderate speeds.on a number of occasions a surprise failure occurred on narrow, windy road and it was a struggle to maintain the lane, avoid hitting oncoming traffic and staying on the road.the pump was replaced and as of this writing is new one is now intermittently failing.i just experienced an intermittent failure when turning from a stop and narrowly missed hitting a curb as i struggled to complete a turn.the pump failure lasted about 10 minutes.
Driving at approximately 45mph, when power steering failed. Power steering failure accompanied by other electrical issues. Gauge cluster reset, all failure lights went on. Power steering restored shortly after failure. Occurred approximately two more times after first incident. After power steering failure noticed, issue with charging system also. Charging system voltage consistently low, sometimes even going down to 10v accompanied by loss of power and other malfunction lights.
Sudden totalloss of power steering on a 2004 mini cooper s in a parking at low speed. Car was extremely hard to drive back to dealer due to high grip the car has. Dealer replaced power steering pump for power assisted gear. Could have been dangerous in a corner. Mileage 20,257.
04 mini cooper s with under 40,000 miles. Intermittent power steering pump failure. Car is extremely hard to turn when the power steering is not working. Restarting the car sometimes causes the power steering to start working but it went out while driving at 25 miles per hour on jan 02, 2011. This is an indication of a power steering pump failure.
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.
I had driven the vehicle to work without incident.started vehicle after work and immediately noticed that the power steering was not working.drove the vehicle 34 miles and parked it for 30 minutes.when i restarted the vehicle the power steering was again working.
While driving around town the power steering quit working making the car very hard to turn. It was not noticeable driving straight, but when taking a left or right turn you almost cannot make the turn unless you really crank on the steering wheel. This problem has been happening intermittently without no warning. In order to get the power steering back, the ignition has to be completely shut off, and then restarted.
After stopping at a red light, when i accelerated to make a left turn, lost power steering. Drove to work next day with no power steering, but on the way home, it came back on.however, when i turn off the engine, the electric motor kept on running.had to disconnect battery to keep it from draining and/or cause a fire.
Mini cooper s 2004- power steering failure, going in and out, extremely difficult to navigate the vehicle around corners and disturbing to say the least. Have not taken it to the dealership yet, apparently this is a 'common' problem on mini coopers of this manufacturing period, according to the service department representative at the local dealership. I'm afraid that if this happens when i'm driving at a crucial moment that it will lead to an accident. Also concerned that the cost of repair (the car is not under warranty any more) will be more than i can bear as far as cost. This does not seem like a cost that should be burdened by the owner, it is an issue of safety and should be a major concern of the auto manufacturer.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the steering wheel locked up and it was difficult to steer. The contact turned the vehicle off and restarted it; the power steering seemed to reset it. The failure occurred two additional times. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000 and the current mileage was approximately 67,000.updated 01/20/11 updated 01/31/11
I drove my mini cooper 2004 swith 95k miles on the freeway and noticed my steering very difficultto move. I arrivedto 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.
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.
Was driving car on 18 july 2020 and power steering quit working and made steering difficult, also coolant fan,low speed and high speed stopped working same time as power steering quit. The asc light came on and it will not turn off. No blown fuses in engine compartment or by drivers kick panel. I was driving the car on a state road when this occurred.
Power steering is loss is random, once steering is lost after turning off and car cools it works again.leading me to believe that the cause of the problem is in the unit's design.hesitant to spend upwards of $800 (in parts) to replace when it may not solve the problem.manufacturer should investigate and issue recall due to tremendous complaints on similar failures and not solution is available.
Steering failure whilst on highway, headed to the grass curb, smoke in cabin (smelt of burning wire insulation). Did manage to release the hood and open to see if i could extinguish, fire was focused directly behind the engine under exhaust manifold. Nothing to due but wait for the fire truck, car completely burned front to back, nothing left to salvage.
Took my car into the mechanic to have it look at for a new clutch. They noticed thepower steering pump was leaking. They replaced the fluid and cautioned me about getting it replaced soon.
Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)why has the nhtsa administration taken no action against mini and bmw for the known defect in power steering systems.i am wondering, amid all the toyota controversy and recalls, especially now about the broken steering rods,why there has not been a recall, or at least a public warning of some kind about steering issues on the mini. The power steering pump inmini's of all ages and mileages are prone to fail while driving. Thishappened to me while driving my 2004 mini cooper s across a snowy and icy mountain pass here in washington state. It was quite a surprising, frightening, and unsafe experience to say the least. Others have filed complaints with you folks, as well as the company, but so far as i know nothing has been done.if injuries and fatalities are the criteria, how would anyone know the steering was an issue unless they had experienced the terror of losing steering at speed? this issue prompteda recall in great britain. Why not here. Even a cursory search of the internet reveals the depth of the problem, yet neither bmw nor mini have taken any steps to address the issue here in the us. Can you tell me why?? [xxx]
The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s has failed several times without warning.the car is very difficult to steer when the pump strops working without warning and my wife nearly had an accident because of this intermittent failure.i checked online and there are many complaints about the very same problem..stopping the car and shutting the engine off and then restarting it, clears the problem.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. While driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. The contact also stated that the steering wheel was stuck in a partially turned position but the vehicle continued to drive straight forward. The vehicle was towed to the contacts place of residence and was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. The failure and current mileages were 105,683.
2004 mini cooper s power steering failed on i93 south on my way to work in boston without any warning , speed about 80 at 4:00am on the morning of 4/25/2011.made it to work had car taken in for service at mini of peabody ma the same day and was charged $1180.00 dollarsto replace steering pump. Two weeks prior on 4/8/2011 at the same dealer at their recommendation replaced steering fan and return hose as a precaution during routine maintenance charged 500.00 dollars.friday 4/22/2011 car was at same dealer to have the catalytic converter replaced followed by their usual test drive ,there was no mention of any steering problem at that time nor did i experience any problem with the steering on my way back home after repair.my concern is if this had happened with out warning on an off ramp or when my wife or daughter were driving the out come could have been much different.i paid an extra 60.00 dollars to keep the old pump.
My 2004 mini cooper s power steering pump just failed and has to be replaced after only 45k miles. Updated 08-29/11
Loss of power steering assist while driving making it difficult to steer the car.at times, there would be no power steering assist; restarting the car would solve the issue.ultimately, the issue appeared to be a built-in electrical relay in the electric power steering pump that sticks.only replacement option was to replace the entire pump.
Sudden power steering failure while driving.
Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult.later went back to normal.a month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead.
Power steering randomly goes out on car. Low-speed fan has seized, damaging power steering pump. Car has no power steering at all.
My power steering is failing.it causes myself or when my wife drives (with both my young children in the car) to come and go intermittently.at times in parking lots or even at highway speeds it will go from normal usage and ease of use to heavy manual steering.this needs to be addressed more then just "being looked into."this is very dangerous and could/will cause loss of life if not resolved per bmw/mini cooper and it's ownership.i listed it as "crash" in the yes form.so far it has only been into the curb a few times at typical parking speeds.so far is the statement here.this will become an issue if not resolved and i hope that it is just a curb and not another car/family that are affected due to this "known" issue.
The power steering is very stiff to drive and cannot drive my cooper because i can no longer steer the vehicle.
The steering pump cooling fan started to fail and had to be replaced.the dealership also stated the steering rack was leaking fluid and was going to need replacement at a cost of over $1,000.00.
Acute loss of power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s.i was driving normally and was pulling onto the interstate when the steering became very difficult. I was able to continue to steer the vehicle but it required a great deal of effort. I've been told by my mechanic that it doesn't involve the failure of the power steering pump fan...the fan has been tested and is working ok. The cost for the repair is going to be approximately $1160. My mechanic has told me that failure of the p. S. Pump in this year and model mini cooper is common.
Power steering failure during driving. Became sluggish/very hard to turn on the highway at speed.
Power steering pump wont shut off after vehicle is disabled, causing the battery to die. The power steering pump will disable while driving.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. While driving approximately 35 mph the power steering failed. The contact was not driving so he did not know the full details of the failure. The person driving was able to drive thevehicle to their residence.the failure was not diagnosed by a dealer. The failure and current mileages were 60,000.
As an owner of a 2004 cooper si was greatly disappointed to learn that i now need to replace my electric steering pump at only 55k miles. I have been told by the dealer that the part "goes regularly" and that "we keep a bunch in stock" and that it will cost me $600 for a new one not including labor. With this bit of information, i began to search mini cooper fansites and blogs to see how often this problem occurs. I wasn't surprised to find that many of the members and "fans" of the car have had multiple pump failures, and that there is a growing number of those who are discussing the failure issue. I believe this is both a costly fix as well as a safety problem. The sudden loss of a steering pump is quite dangerous and may cause some drivers to lose control. I am fortunate that i noticed the problem and understood what the failure was, so i personally did not have an accident, but for those who are less car savvy, they may not notice the noise of the failure that is about to occur.
During 2010 i experienced the power steering going on and off while driving throughout the year. Also, sometimes the power steering would not work right at the start up. I then had to turn the car off, and re-start it. My mechanic could not find a direct problem. 3 days ago, jan 2011, the power steering failed completely, and my car was not drivable, it would not start. My mechanic examined my car and found that the power steering unit was completely broken.
Failed steering pump assembly on 2004 cooper s with 60k miles. Failure of steering pump assembly created loss of steering and induces unsafe driving scenario.from the showroom, this vehicle (and others of this era) has provided a unique whine from the power steering assembly. The dealer would later inform me that this was normal to the bmw mini line. Years later this feature has become a known problem and is confirmed and being investigated by the nhtsa. Bmw (the manufacturer) has yet to acknowledge or developed a repairable solution towards this flawed characteristic. Another toyota in the making?.. I hope not.
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.
Steering suddenly became very difficult and stayed that way. It was fine the next day, but as the car was being driven a while the problem came back.
I want to report problem with steering components in my 2004 mini cooper s (based on article in usa today).in july of this year, 2010, my steering suddenly became almost impossible to turn.i stopped, called my dealership, had the car towed in.they replaced the power steering motor.this week, sept. 2010, i heard a strange sound.took it back in, they replaced the power steering fan.
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.
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.
Sudden failure of power steering. Control of car was not lost. It will require a new power steering pump.
Power steering failed.re-engaged when car cooled.
Our 2004 minicooper s is loosing power steering randomly making it very unsafe to drive . Its very random , i thought it was some kind of sport mode but you cant even control the vehicle when the car kicks into "paralysis", totally weird ...i've owned all foreign cars mostly japanese ,and german ...this is the first time i've seen anything like this and i grew up in the car business driving everything you can think of.....it would be a shame if mini looses its reputation over something like a power steering problem just fix the problem its obviously a major defect on the engineering .....sounds like a recall to me ....please don't join toyotas crash parade.
Driving normally when suddenly power steering fails completely causing instant control issues. Power steering returns intermittently.
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.
Electric/hydraulic power steering pump failed after only 43,000 miles on the car. It stuck in the "on" position even when key removed from the car, draining my battery and causing a heat buildup under the bonnet. 2004 mini cooper s.
The vehicle was hard to steer and smoke was coming from the engine. Took the car home, did not see flames, parked car in the driveway switched cars and left. Received a call from the fire department that my mini was on fire and i needed to return to my house.
The electric power steering pump failed... Saw smoke coming from engine area, even when power to engine was shut off and key removed. After several attempts to restart vehicle after talking with service mechanic, he advised to "restart" car until the power steering unit possibly turned back on. After 6 attempts (appox 3 mins apart), the system started to work again, but with a "stiff & grinding" noise coming from the pump being transmitted thru the steering wheel. Cause of failure is "power steering pump/fan unit". Very dangerous, as this happened at speed on freeway, and lost almost all control of steering.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper type s. The contact stated that while traveling at any speed, the power steering would suddenly stop functioning without warning; the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The failure was 8,000 and the current mileage is approximately 143,000.updated 01/04/11*ljupdated 01/10/11
I had power steering one day and the next day when i was driving i began to make a turn and realized my power steering went out. To this day it has never came back. I was told it is something like an electric hydraulic pump but the price is so outrageous i cannot afford to get it fixed so i just try to drive it as little as possible and be as careful as i can.
While exiting the freeway the steering suddenly and without warning became extremely heavy taking significantly more effort then normal to just move the wheel slightly.the next day the power steering worked normally but the fan on the power steering pump continued to run after the engine was turned off.after 5 minutes in a parking lot it had drained the battery to the point where it struggled to start the engine.when i returned home i was forced to disconnect the battery until i can get it serviced.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while driving at attempting to make a turn, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the steering column. The contact also stated that there was a power steering fluid leak present. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to mini of stevens creek located at (4201 stevens creek blvd, santa clara, ca 95051), and diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,000.
Power steering pump failed while driving on highway without notice. Never got a warning light before during or after failure. Narrowly avoided an accident since i was not prepared for steering to be so difficult to turn the wheel. I was able to pull over into a parking lot where i turned the car off, let it sit for a while and then turned it back on and the steering was ok again. Since the steering is back and no warning lights, i assume everything is going to work ok from now on.
2004 mini cooper: power steering just went out on my way home from work. Made a right hand turn and than it was just gone. On sunday 9-26-10 started the carand the power steering worked fine, until i was driving down the road at 70mph and it went out again for good.. Done nothing yet to fix it.
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.
(1) on thursday, july 3rd, i attempted to manipulate a 90 degree righthand turn in my 2004 mini cooper s during my very short commute to work and did so only with great difficultly.from that point forward my car turns neither left nor right properly and only with great difficulty.there was no warning or noises of any kind to alert me to the problem.my significant other, who is a trained mechanic, inspected the vehicle and identified the power steering pump as the problem.i also spoke with several individuals herb chambers bmw mini of boston who acknowledged that the power steering pump was either a known and/or common problem.the parts department explained that the pump manufacturer who made the pump in my mini is no longer making pumps for mini.(2)the power steering pump has failed therefore my mini is relying on the rack and pinion to turn.the mini turns only with great difficulty and requires two hands on the wheel at all times; this is exceedingly difficult to do while navigating corners as i have a standard transmission.the mini is unsafe to drive, so iam forced to borrow another vehicle.(3)my car has approximately 57,000 miles on it and mini's warranty only covers problems up through 50,000 miles despite the fact that the pump is a known problem and safety hazard.nothing has been done by the dealership to correct the problem.my mini remains parked while i await the new power steering pump that i ordered and paid for.the new pump is manufactured by a different company than the defective pump that has failed.
Power steering intermittently working causing severe oversteer while entering highway traffic. Had no indication of problem while on interstate. Upon exiting interstate on a 30 mph loop steering failed .presently power steering is intermittent so the wife no longer gets to drive the cooper. Good fortune was with me and i have driven cars without powersteering. Even so i was caught off guard and i am hopeful this report will prevent others which may be less fortunate or experienced. The mini dealership didn't seem to care.
On september 8, 2010 2004 mini cooper spower steering went out while driving on san francisco/oakland bay bridge.able to safely exit bridge and had car towed to auto shop in berkeley, ca where they "performed a diagnostic time check for no power steering. Found pump coming on, no pressure to system". They removed and replaced power steering pump including bleeding the system.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while driving and making a turn the power steering suddenly failed making the steering wheel difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that the power steering pump failed. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The vin was unavailable.
Power steering is of great concern as it has periods where it seems that the power steering quits working.also when adjusting the direction as i am backing up into my driveway steering is sort of lazy and it make a high pitch whining noise when i turn the steering wheel.
While taking a corning my power steer abruptly vanished almost causing me to crash. Very dangerous. Have heard of this happening with many other minis around the same age.
The vehicle intermittently looses power steering, making it difficult to steer.the power assist cuts out intermittently, and will occasionally come back while the vehicle is in motion, though more often it begins working the next time the car is started.the frequency is variable - it goes months without a problem and then may have the problem for several consecutive days.
The power steering pump suddenly failed.this is an electric-hydraulic steering system and the car is not controllable when the pump fails.the car has been properly maintained and has less than 50,000 mile.
Power steering pump failed while driving. Luckily incident happened at low speed.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. While drivingapproximately 65 mph the steering wheel locked and became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
2004 mini cooper s power steering failure after <50,000 milesvery hard to steer. Had to replace the pump.
My mini cooper intermittently, without warning becomes very difficult to steer.power steering failed rounding a corner on the freeway, nearly resulting in a high speed crash.
The power steering system failed. It appears to be an electrical issue because once i restarted the vehicle the power steering system returned to normal. I almost ran into a parked car because i could not turn without a lot of effort.
The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed last month, prompting me to research ways to fix the vehicle online. I found that mini usa had issued a recall on my car, but was informed by the dealership and then mini that my vin number did not fall among those vehicles recalled. I'm wondering whether mini appropriately limited their recall considering my vehicle has the same problem that prompted the recall, and falls within the same model and year range. I think the department should investigate whether to expanding the recall.
Power steering failed, car would not turn. Second occasion 1/19/12 same thing at 40mph. After car rests problem disappears. Almost impossible to turn car at all.
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
Experienced total loss of power steering on several occasions with no warning lights.occurred mostly after starting the car on hot days.the car is very difficult to steer at low speed with no power steering.power steering sporadically came and went.eventually, the power steering pump would remain on after turning off the car, causing the battery to go dead.replaced power steering pump and fan in may 2012 at about 130,000 miles and haven't had any issues since.
Power steering pump failed on mini cooper s with approximately 71,000 miles last week.
When you turn wheel left or right it makes a noise and it's very hard to turn. So i think it's the steering: electric power assist system. Recall id # 240625.
The contact owns a 2004 bmw mini cooper s. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle the steering wheel jammed and she was unable to turn it or control the vehicle. She turned the vehicle off and back on, she was able to turn the wheel after it reset but it was very hard to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 39,000.
I stopped my car in a parking lot to run some errands. When i returned to my car and got it started, i realized that the power steering of my car became really stiff. It was really hard for me to steer my car left and right. The power steering of my car no longer function as before and it was really difficult for me to drive on the road, especially when i have to turn left or right at a road junction.
Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).i have a 2004 mini cooper s (bmw) that i have owned for about a year and a half but recently, past 3 months., i have had the power steering quit suddenly on 3 separate occasions. Thankfully i was not on a high speed road at any of those times because when the power steering went out it i could barely turn the wheel and i'm a 36 yr. Old male with quite a bit more strength than my fiance who also drives the car. I believe this is a very serious flaw with the car as i have checked with other mini cooper owners across the country who each and everyone of them has experienced the same exact problem with the power steering failing suddenly. I can only imagine what would happen if this occurs at high speeds or during inclement weather, this is a safety hazard that should be recalled by bmw since i am not the only mini cooper owner with this problem.[xxx]
On a 2004 mini cooper s, intermittent failure of the power steering pump causing extreme difficulty steering.car has 43,000 miles.many similar cases reported in online forums.
Experienced power steering loss driving along a suburban road. After stopping and restarting the car the power steering returned.
The steering wheel went almost completely rigid and the wheel required a great deal of effort to turn.turning the wheel was far more difficult than in any vehicle i have driven without power steering, and there was a pulse of differing pressure against the turns at times.after shutting off the car and starting again, the steering was back to normal.
Power steering wheel suddenly failed and became stiff while getting off freeway.took great force to turn steering wheel to steer car.luckily able to stop car safely.
Power steering pump failure.
I was driving very slowly into the drive thru burger king and i lost power steering and it became very difficult to control the car i could not get it to go the direction i wanted it to go so i ended up crashing into the curb. Another time this happened was when i hit a patch of ice my car lost power steering a few seconds later and i had to restart my car, but it did come back on.
Exiting on an off-ramp from the freeway the power steering pump failed and steering became rock hard and it took considerable strength to keep the car from going straight and running into the guard rail around the turn. Very scary experience and if i had decreased muscle strength the car would have veered straight for the guard rail and at high freeway exit speeds.
Driving at around 40 mph and the power steering pump failed. The steering was extremely difficult.
I bought my used mini cooper s (64,686 miles) from honda dealership - serramonte (daly city, ca) on march 13, 2012. I'm the second owner of this vehicle. The steering problem first occurred on june 2012, but it was temporary. While driving the steering wheel became hard to maneuver from left to right. I had to pull over and stopped the car to see what's wrong. It came back to normal after i turned on the engine. The steering problem would happen occasionally, i would do the same procedures and the steering would go back to normal again. Today (3/27/13), while i was driving at 35 mph in the residential area, i noticed my steering wheel stiffen like last time. I stopped and turned off the engine and fired it back up. This time, it stayed stiff permanently. I had to drive the car back home during rush hours. Luckily i managed to get home without getting involved in an accident. I checked the steering fluid level under the hood and found out that it was full. I googled the steering problem on the 2004 mini cooper s, i came to find out the same problems were experienced by many mini owners. I need your advice as soon as possible on how i can get my car repaired before it cause a major accident on the road. This is the only vehicle i have to make a living. Because of these common steering problems, i hope mini would take full responsibility for this.
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.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that the power steering failed while driving approximately 45 mph causing limited steering capability. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and column would need to be replaced. The repairs were performed at that time. The failure did not recur. The manufacturer offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000 and the current mileage was approximately 70,000.
2004 mini cooper s - power steering pump and fan failure.power steering quits working causing incredibly difficult steering.solution is to replace pump and fan and the expense of the owner, me.i believe this pump and fan should not have failed and also that there should be a nationwide recall since there are hundreds of thousands of mini cooper drivers with this same issues.
Power steering pump failed as i was exiting i-80 @ exit 56 returning home from work. As i started onto the exit ramp and began to curve to the right, the steering was very hard in the car which resulted in my having to force the wheel to the right. I also was braking at this point given the surprise of the tight wheel. I ended up on the shoulder of the ramp before gaining control of the car and reducing the speed. When i got to the top of the ramp and stopped, the pump began to work again. On 12/27 the pump failed again as i backed out of my garage. I pulled the car back into the garage and parked it until i can resolve this issue. I purchased the car used several months ago with 67k miles. I searched the forums to see if anyone else has had this issue and found many reports of pump/fan failures. This is a safety risk to anyone who owns one of these cars. I cannot imagine what would've happened had my wife been driving my car when the pump failed, it was all i could do to keep from wrecking into the median area.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. While driving approximately 30 mph and making a turn, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing where the technician advised that the power steering pump failed and would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
I had multiple incidents where my power steering wasn't available. Several times the power steering failed driving around the corner which was very freighting.i contacted bmw about the issue but they said it was normal wear and tear. I don't agree with that since my car only had 35k miles. I owned other cars wherei never had a failed power steering pump.mini uk seem to handle the problem much better for their customer (see link below). I cannot believe that there has no recall being made yet. Paid almost 1k for replacing thedefective pump and it seems that the new pump they put in my mini starts acting up again.http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2009/02/mini_steering_system_failures.html.
My 04 mini s just hit 90k and runs great until i was on the freeway overpass the other day. The power steering pump went out suddenly on a 55 mph turn and almost ran me right into the shoulder barrier which happens to be 50 feet above the lower freeway. Thank god i was able to maintain control. Mini cooper is a great car, but this power steering issue is a well know issue amongst the community of owners and mini needs to acknowledge this issue and help owners who are out of warranty. Once you turn the car off and restart it the steering comes back to normal. When its hot out the steering seems to fail and is almost impossible to control the car once this happens which was the result in my above experience. This power steering failure is well know and has many many accounts of failures on popular mini forums. The part to replace this issue a single power steering unit which can be bought for about $450 and the average mechanic can replace it within and hour or so.
I was on an exit ramp from the highway and around the curve i felt the steering stiffen. When i had to turn right i had to swing very wide into the other lane because i had no power steering. Thank god no one was there! it returned after i shut my car off after pulling into a parking lot. Then the next day it did it again. Today it went out and hasn't returned yet. My husband checked to make sure the fan worked and it does.this is a known to bmw problem and no recall in the usa. Canada has a recall. Tell me please, why we do not?
Drove 70 mi from milltown, nj to valhalla, ny on april 26.power steering stopped functioning upon arrival.turning off and restarting engine remedied the problem.on return trip, failure occurred just past essex tolls on garden state - about half way to return destination.checked and topped fluid.the steering fails regularly according to this pattern.it appears that power steering pump cooling fan has stopped working.i will replace fan.if this does not remedy the situation, i will replace the power steering pump.i will retain the old parts.
I was driving my daughter to school when it first happened, the wheel got so tight and i hit the curb. Thank god i was in a school zone and therefore i was driving slow. After that, i noticed that same day that my battery was drained when i was leaving from work. I got a jump but then it happened again when i stopped for groceries. I figured something must be wrong with the battery (which is fairly new) or the alternator. I took my car to a shop and they diagnosed the battery and the alternator was fine. But they also said there was a strange noise coming from my power steering pump. I bought power steering fluid thinking that was the reason, but after i poured some its still the same. I started researching and i found out a lot of people are having this same issue and its a defective issue for this mini generation.
For the past year, my mini cooper s has had several sudden power losses in the power steering, resulting in the car becoming difficult to control.it has been looked at by a mini service department, who knew about the problem, but did not inform me.my warranty was called in, and they did not authorize its repair either.i live in a remote area, with a driving need for 3-4 hours for medical care.this drive is through canyons and over mountains, so the loss of steering control is in no way an option, and may also result in an accident causing injury or worse, death.i have documentation that the complaint was made to mini by me, and yesterday, received confirmation that they did, in fact, know about the problem.
Complete loss of power steering immediately after starting vehicle.this is much harder to steer than a car which never had power steering to begin with.almost impossible to turn the wheel.
Lost power steering intermittently last month while driving and now the fan stays on and runs the engine till the battery is dead. I need to have it jumped everytime i want to drive it. Mini stated they will not replace it for free "they don't care if there is an investigation, unit were ordered to fix it the cost is on the customer"
I was driving my mini cooper s on the freeway going into a turn, the wheel became extremely hard to turn with no notice. I could not make the turn all the way and the drivers side tires and fender hit the curb on the freeway. I fought the car off the freeway and let it sit for 15 mins while i called mini. The dealer said that my power steering had failed. After a wait of 15 mins the car started and drove just fine. I drove the car to the dealership and they tested the power steering pump and said that it was good at that time. They told me that it would continue to be a problem with just giving out at random times unless i spent $4000 and had all the components replaced even though it tested good at the time. They replaced all the bushings and struts in the front at that time for $2000. They told me not to replace the power steering unless it totally stopped working. The second incident was 5000 miles later on a round about at 35 mph. The steering had just failed again. This is a dangerous situation when the dealer tests the system after a failure and claims that it is good, and then it fails again with no warning. I think that the manufacture should take responsibility and have all the systems upgraded to not fail at such low mileage and if they do fail to be able to track such a failure.
Power steering failed after 3 hour trip- while parking.steering has returned and quit multiple times since - and now has quit working it seems for good.car is hard to steer, especially at low speed, but i am still able to drive it.
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
I was driving along a street about to negotiate a turn when the power steering failed. Had it happened a few seconds later, i probably would not havebeen able to negotiate the turn and may have crashed.
I was driving to work, on a windy road when my car lost it's power steering.the garage has to replace the power steering pump, fan and steering rack for a total cost of about $3,000!i was very lucky to have not run off the road.
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...
3 months ago i became aware of a fault in my mini cooper 2004 regarding the power steering cooling fan. Steering had become overly difficult, and after taking the vehicle to my usual mechanic and then bmw, this was found to be defective. I then discovered the issue had been the subject of an unofficial recall by mini usa (bmw), and took the car to the nearest dealership, in beverly, ma, a round trip of 200 miles, to have the item fixed.after this, the car became hard to control on curves. It appears the failure of the power steering cooling fan put undue strain on the steering knuckle, and at 80,000 this has become prematurely worn. Consequently, the vehicle is veryhard to handle properly on turns, and is becoming a safety issue. For three months my mechanic has been trying to secure this part from mini usa to no avail. Meanwhile my car is becoming more undrivable by the day.this part is an essential component of the safety of the vehicle. I have petitioned bmw for an answer, and after two weeks of people avoiding the issue, it seems the part remains unavailable.mini usa(bmw)'s best response was to ask me to drive back to ma to have the car looked at,which point they may offer me a loaner. But this is beside the point: aside from not providing an essential component that affects the safety of the vehicle, they want me to waste a day driving to ma, then pay the dealer's over-inflated service charges, because they made it clear on the phone they will not sell this part to non-mini repair facilities when it finally does arrive (there is still no date for this, by the way). Essentially they are covering up an issue by keeping the matter in-house, failing to provide a component, and forcing customers to drive hundreds of miles and use only their facilities. Clearly this is outrageous and illegal. Any assistance from your office would be appreciated.
Loss of power steering.at first intermittent, now complete.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. While driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic advised that the power steering pump would have to be replaced. There was an open investigation of the failure under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump steering:electric power assist system steering:hydraulic power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact was driving 45 mph when the steering wheel became hard to maneuver.the vehicle was merged onto the shoulder and then towed to a local mechanic who inspected the failure and informed the contact that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The power steering pump was replaced. The manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Intermittent power steering failure.
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.
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.
Was about to park my car and all of sudden the steering began feeling tight. It seems that all assistance with the power steering was lost. Upon investigation over the internet it seems that the power steering pump is blown. Fortunately, i was not driving fast,but this can cause a potential fatal injury.
Bmw installed plastic power steering pump that should have been recalled because the part is faulty and leaks power steering fluid. I had to replace pump with metal power steering pump.
Power steering failure. When driving power steering will unexpectedly stop working. Usually after driving for an hour or so. When power steering stops working the car is very hard to control.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that when pulling out of his driveway and attempting to make a turn, the vehicle was difficult to steer. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed him that he needed to replace the steering pump. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,400. Updated 09/07/11
While driving my 2004 mini cooper s the power assisted steering seems to quit working.this has happened in the past and then the power assist begins working on its own and may work for quite a while then unexpectedly will stop working again.when this happens the steering becomes very difficult and requires a great deal of extra effort to turn.many times it only stops working for one or two turns then the power assist pump begins working again. In the fall of 2010 i had to install a power steering pump "cooling fan" because it failed but the pump continues to intermittently stop working.
I was merging onto highway i-25, taking a sharp turn at 50 mph when the power steering suddenly failed.i nearly missed the turn and almost crash down the on-ramp, which would've placed me heading perpendicular straight into highway traffic.
Power steering just cuts off while driving for no reason. You have to stop the vehicle and turn off engine and then turn it back on to (i guess) reset the power steering. This is impossible if you are driving on a road that you cannot pull over and especially on a curvy road.
I have a 2004 mini cooper s with approx 80k miles. The power steering randomly and intermittently fails to work.this problem has occurred approximately six times during the last two months.i intend to replace the power steering pump, but am told that this may happen again, even with replaced pump.
May 17th while turning left at an intersection was taken by surprise at the effort suddenly needed to turn my vehicle, causing me to go wider than needed.nearly hit another motorist turning left in other direction.stopped to check for low fluid level and found no deficiencies.was able to make it home where i will park the car indefinitely.
I returned home after driving for 15 minutes.i turned the car off and a motor kept running.i restarted the car to see if a electrical fan had kept running.i turned the car off again, but the noise of a fan or pump was still heard.i looked for a fuse to remove, but could not find the one that stopped the noise.i disconnected the battery, so the wiring would not overheat.i reconnected the battery the following morning and the noise still persisted.i called the dealer fermin mini of tampa bay to ask what the noise could be.i drove the car to the dealer for a replacement steering pump and fan.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that the electrical power steering pump caught on fire, melting all of the wires. The fire department was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 110,000.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering would seize. This failure recurred on an intermittent basis. The vehicle was not inspected nor repaired for the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000. The vin was unavailable.
Power steering dropped out unexpectedly while i was making a left hand turn, traveling approximately 10-15 mph.i was able to regain steering control before a collision, but power steering never came back on.i found out the power steering pump had failed, perhaps brought on by a power steering fan failure.both the fan and pump were replaced.
I have a 2004 mini cooper s built in late september or early october 2003.at approximately 54,000 miles in spring of 2010, i left to go on atrip across town. After about 2 miles of the up to then normal drive, the power steering suddenly and without warning stopped working in the middle of a curve. Fortunately i was able to retain control of the car and make it to my destination a couple more miles away. After sitting about 15 minutes, upon restart, the car performed normally as far as i can tell.checking the internet, it seems that this is a somewhat common problem with this vehicle and that it will continue on and off until the power steering does not function at all. This can also lead to a fire at the power steering pump that may lead to complete loss of vehicle and or additional property damage. Some with fires have not had any prior hints of an issue and some have had the intermittent pump going out.in speaking to the mini service center, they of course said they had never heard of the problem and refused to give me any help under goodwill warranty. I had them replace the pump at my expense to avoid the risk of fire.
Power steering stopped working, 1st time whilst at a traffic light, 2nd time whilst pulling out of a parking spot.steering becomes very heavy, almost unmanageable.i haven't used the car in the last three months as i have been out of the country,i need to look into replacing the steering pump, fan and a cover.
I was driving through atlantic city, and when i tried to make a left turn, the power steering assist on my minicooper failed. The steering wheel was rigid and needed to be forcibly turned using a great deal of strength. I almost ran into a fence surrounding a parking lot, but was able to apply the brakes, wrestle with the wheel , and edge into the parking lot.
The steering knuckle on my car has become prematurely worn following a steering pump failure, and consequently, the steering has become imprecise and the car hard to control around curves. I was not made aware of the design defect (documented by dot) of the steering pump until i researched the steering issue and discovered there was an 'unofficial' recall to fix the pump. My complaint is that for two months, bmw usa still has the steering knuckle on back order. Meanwhile my vehicle is becoming harder to drive and will soon be a safety concern.it is imperative that dot force bmw usa to make this part available immediately because it is a crucial component in the safety of the vehicle.
Lost power steeringon freeway at 70 mile an hour. Next day it work for 40 miles then failed again on freeway at 70 miles an hour, there is no warning or fluid loss,just complete steering loss . Then it is very hard to control.
Power steering got tighter and tighter making it really hard to turn in small corners (which are everywhere in big cities). It turns out the be a well-known issue which is power steering fluid leak. It almost got me into accidents/property damage due to tight steering.
Hello,i had been experience problems with the power steering (loosing power) of my mini cooper s 2004 model. In jan 2013, i brought my 2004 mini cooper s for the replacement of the power-assist steering function, which include power steering hose ($56.25), power steering pump ($710.00) and labor ($315.00).in may 2013, i received a notice for the repair expense reimbursement from mini. Apparently this problem is known (but unknown to me) for minimodel year 2002-2205. I submitted the reimbursement request and received the return receipt on june 10, 2013.since then i have attempted to reach to mini customer relation by phone (1-866-275-6464) 4 times and still have not received the reimbursement.i am writing this letter to ask for your assistance.mini should live up to standard and reimburse my expense.please let me know if you need any additional information from me.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated the power steering failed without warning. The failure only occurred once. The vehicle was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 110,000. Updated 9/10/12
Driving down the road and the steering got hard.after almost wrecking and making it home , turned car off and 10 minutes later it worked again.
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.
Power steering intermittently goes out and steering becomes very difficult (i.e. Hard to control the car). This problem has occurred several times without warning and after restart goes away. In february of 2012 there was a recall for this specific problem in canada. This is a safety issue, please rectify it.
Failure of power steering pump made vehicle very difficult to maneuver in traffic and when parking.
Beginning early 2012 (approx), there was intermittent power steering failure; the frequency increased through 2012.total power steering failure as of january 19, 2013.mechanic advises this is a failure of the power steering pump - a well known issue with 2004 mini coopers.
The power steering pump just all of a suddenly without warning failed on my mini cooper. I was going down the highway at 70 mph when i went to get off on a off ramp and the car took alot of force for me to steer it in the right direction. I was lucky to not have snow at the time because if i did i could have possibly lost control of my car. I know alot of people have had this happen to them and for the price that these pumps they should last alot longer than have.
2004 mini cooper s first had an issue that drained the battery.once power was restored and the car was driven and then shut off, there was a whirring noise, similar to a fan running, that continued after the key had been removed from the ignition.this noise and the apparent power drain continues until the battery is drained once more.following these issues, the mini began to become more and more difficult to steer.it is diagnosed as a power steering failure that is apparently common among this generation of mini cooper.no accidents, injuries, or fires have occurred due to this failure, however the car is not safe to drive until parts are replaced.
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 updated 07/11/11
Power steering stopped working---while driving on curve---impacted car control. Regained power steering. This happened two more times. Very dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact was driving 40 mph when the power steering malfunctioned and the vehicle became extremely difficult to steer. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic where he was advised that the power steering pump and the rack of the rack and pinion would need replacing. The mechanic replaced both the rack and power steering pump. The failure mileage was 70,000.
I own a 2004 mini cooper s.on september 23, 2010, i was driving on the highway and my power steering went out.this was out of the blue, and i had not experienced any previous problems with the power steering.i was able to take it to my mechanic the same day and was informed that my power steering fan went out, therefore causing my power steering pump to fail.after i had everything replaced for around $900, i saw an article in usa today that this is happening to other 2004 and 2005 mini's.i think mini should issue a recall so this doesn't happen to anyone else.it was very scary to drive my mini with no power steering, and i feel fortunate that i was able to keep the car under control when the steering went out.
The power steering went out while going up hill on a curvy two lane road. The loss of power steering forced me to go into the other lane, where fortunately no cars were present. If i was going down hill on the same road i would have definitely gone against the side of the hill or off the side of the cliff if not hitting an on coming car first. The dealership charged me over $1000 to change the electro/hydraulic steering pump. The sudden loss of power steering seems to be an issue with many minis according to forum posts.
Powersteering pump failed while driving.
Occasional power steering failure. At first it occurred mostly at start up for less than a minute. After calling the dealer for info, i added fluid, turned the wheel to lock in both directions and that seemed to help for a couple weeks. The issue has since returned, about 1 occurrence per week. Most recently i had no power steering for the entirety of a ~30 minute drive. I'm concerned that the steering will fail mid-turn, particularly while driving dangerous mountain roads. Does the pump need to be replaced or is this an electrical issue as described in existing complaints?
The vehicle's power steering failed without warning while driving down the road. This caused the vehicle to be very difficult to steer. The car is almost impossible to drive.
Power steering pump is failing. So far no major problems but i have had other mini owners report this same problem and worse. I am having my pump replaced this weekend with the hope of avoiding any further issues. Hopefully this one will last a long time.
Power steering failure while driving vehicle.failure occurs without warning, requiring an extreme effort to turn steering wheel or maintain wheel position if failure occurs while maneuvering on a curved section of highway.failures began as warranty expired, and is now permanent.bmw service representatives were familiar with problem, stating that the cause was failure of the electro-hydraulic power steering pump, a non-repairable part.bmw had the part in stock, and with installation, gave an estimate exceeding $600.00 to replace pump.due to the cost, i have not had the repair done.
Electric power steering pump failed while driving. I noticed it when i went to change lanes and the car resisted. I slowed for a corner and when attempting to turn, it became very apparent that there was no steering assist. This is a common failure on the first generation mini coopers that is unacceptable and depending on the circumstances, potentially dangerous.
Power steering stopped working, repair cost app. $ 2.000.-, no help from mini usa.
The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper s fails intermittently. The car is extremely hard to steer when the power steering fails.
Power steering assist intermittently failed multiple times today at various speeds.turning the car off and back on again seems to temporarily fix the problem but after some time, the power assist will fail again.car is very difficult to steer without power assist.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that there was a progressing condition in which the steering wheel made an abnormal noise and was difficult to turn left or right. The vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Had just made minor engine repairs - hoses - belt - thermostat - water pump - oil change - oil filter - air filter - less then one week - 30mp making left turn - gripping very hard on the wheel to finish the turn - no power steering - tested fan - fan ok - pulled steering pump off -what do i do now - buy pump - call dealer - wait to here from you
Near the end of a 500 mile trip from northern to southern california, the power steering failed.i completed the trip without the power steering.the next day i took the vehicle into an authorized dealer for repair.the power steering pump was replaced.the old part is not available.
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.
@ approximately 85k miles power steering failure intermittently became an issue on 2004 mini cooper s.@ 95k miles power steering became complete failure.
The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper s failed, leading to extremely difficult operation of the vehicle.car was under extended warranty but failure not covered.
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.
As i was driving on local road i noticed a car double parked i tried to pass the vehicle when i noticed my steering wheel was stiff it was very hard to turn it at all i almost slammed into double parked car that i could not pass and had no control of my vehicle. Its very uncomfortable to drive a vehicle that way so its parked for now if i knew that it would be that dangerous to drive this vehicle i would never bought it.
Lost power steering unexpectedly in my car. Power steering pump and fan were replaced 6/3/2010. On 6/29/2011, i again lost power steering unexpectedly mileage- 96250 . Power steering pump and fan were replaced again. On 6/26/2012 i yet again lost power steering - mileage -111834, pump and fan were replaced for the 3rd time. Each time the fan had failed and the pump overheated.
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.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the power steering was absent. There were no prior warnings before the failure.the current and failure mileages were approximately 102,000. Updated 01/03/11
Sudden loss of power steering, couldn't turn wheel ,hit curb.
Intermittent loss of power steering.occurs whether vehicle is hot or cold.can occur after vehicle has sat overnight.will start working again after shutting down and restarting the vehicle.
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.
Power steering failed while driving car, causing vehicle to become much harder to steer, nearly causing accident.
Power steering failed while driving normally on the freeway and it became very difficult to control the car. Power steering returned after letting the car sit in a parking lot, but failed again while driving home. We have not driven the car since. The car is out of warranty and we have talked to mini, but they have not offered to help repair the car. We were told that it will cost around $1500 to replace the malfunctioning parts.
Power steering failed abruptly causing dangerous driving condition.
My 2004 mini cooper s, of which i am the second owner has developed progressively worsening steering characteristics. Most times the steering is hard and typically its hardest at low speed. The steering under acceleration is notably of great concern as i have experienced erratic and unpredictable sudden pulls to the left and right without any driver input. The service history for this vehicle is consistent with the suggested service intervals. This is a major safety concern for me.
Left home with no power steering issues.half way to work, driving on the highway and began to take a right hand curve in the road and out of no where there is no power steering. No warning or indication that anything was wrong prior to this. Luckily i reacted quickly and the curve was not too sharp because i was in the right hand lane with cars to the left of me and behind me.would have been bad news had the curve been a little sharper. I checked the power steering fluid level and it was full.when i turned the car off and back on again, the power steering was working again.drove the car again later in the day, when i started the car everything was working perfectly and then part way to my destination the power steering went out again.
1)while driving my car in normal warm day temperatures in denver, co my power steering abruptly failed making it difficult to control my car.2)has stayed failed3)will have to get a rebuilt or new pump.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated on numerous occasions while driving 40 mph, the power steering would malfunction which almost led to a crash. The contact took the vehicle to an authorized dealer to have the power steering motor and the cooling fan replaced. Since the repairs, the contact had not noticed any power steering issues. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle the power steering failed and the steering wheel became abnormally stiff.the dealer was notified of the failure who stated that there were no recalls for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 69,000...updated 01/04/12the consumer stated the power steering pump was replaced at a cost of $866.67 . The consumer has since traded the vehicle. Updated 01/09/12
Power steering pump failure on 2004 mini cooper s.
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 4,509updated 02/03/11*ljalso, the driver sideseat 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
While driving on an interstate highway, the power steering completely failed, resulting in a near-loss of control and crash due to the sudden dramatic increase in physical effort required to control the car.the failure was determined to be related to the power steering pump no longer functioning.there was no loss of fluid or breach in the hydraulic system.this is apparently a very common problem among this model of car.
I experienced a sudden loss of power steering on my vehicle. Fortunately this did not result in a crash but it sure scared me. I am concerned about my safety driving this vehicle and may consider getting rid of it. I am disappointed in mini's unresponsiveness to this issue.
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
I was driving on i-95n when the steering became all tight like i couldn't turn the wheel. No indicatior lights came on. I reached my destination, shut the car off for several min, got in started it up and it was fine. Got back on i-95s and 5 min later the steering wheel felt like it was locked up i couldn't turn it. Again no warnings!!!!! are you people going to wait till some one is killed to make bmw fix this!!!!!!i have read it's beein going on since 2002 power steering pump failures
My mini was parked for about 2 hours. When i went to leave in it, i could not steer it. The power steering was completely unresponsive. I was able to drive it home (about 5 miles) but it was very difficult to steer and unsafe to drive.
2004 mini cooper s - power steering fan/pump failurevin# [xxx]my power steering stop working completely.this power steering would go "on" and "off: intermittently over the past yeara 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 hugeand 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.
My wife was driving the 2004 mini cooper s to pick up our son from school. After she retrieved him, she went around a corner and the power steering stopped working causing her to crash into a curb. She does not have enough strength to turn the wheel and there was no warning of a possible failure. I am fearful to replace the part and continue to make payments on a vehicle i do not feel comfortable putting my children and grandchildren in due to the possibility that the new powering steering pump will fail if replaced.
Power steering intermittently working causing severe oversteer while entering highway traffic. Had no indication of problem while on interstate. Upon exiting interstate on a 30 mph loop steering failed .presently power steering is intermittent so the wife no longer gets to drive the cooper. Good fortune was with me and i have driven cars without powersteering. Even so i was caught off guard and i am hopeful this report will prevent others which may be less fortunate or experienced. The mini dealership didn't seem to care.
Power steering just cuts off while driving for no reason. You have to stop the vehicle and turn off engine and then turn it back on to (i guess) reset the power steering. This is impossible if you are driving on a road that you cannot pull over and especially on a curvy road.
Loss of power steering.at first intermittent, now complete.
The vehicle's power steering failed without warning while driving down the road. This caused the vehicle to be very difficult to steer. The car is almost impossible to drive.
Complete and instantaneous power steering failure. There is plenty of fluid in the reservoir and there are no blown fuses.
The steering failed on my 2004 mini cooper s with 84k mile. The power steering fan failed causing the power steering pump to burn out. This problem occurred without warning. The vehicle was nto drivable as a result of the failure fortunately the failure occured after the vehicle reached it destination and was parked.
1) no significant event leading up to failure2) power steering pump failure, no steering ability in vehicle3) no correction known for sudden loss of steering.parts to be repaired believed to be steering pump and potential steering rack.
My 2004 mini cooper s lost steering control approaching a very dangerous corner on california sr 330. It took all my strength to turn the wheel and i nearly avoided a serious accident, but was able to get through the turn and then get the car off the road. Searching on the web, i seen hundreds of reports of steering failure in 2002 through 2006 mini coopers. My dealer was knew about the issue and replaced the steering pump. My mini has 58,000 miles on it.
Driving down road started to make a left turn and the power steering assist fails. I barely managed to keep car on the road. Unbelievable difficult to steer and crucial turn. Have yet to replace part and upon research find mini knows of this problem and put out a duct work and improved pump. They however have not voluntarily recalled vehicles to retrofit.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that the power steering would fail sporadically and more effort had to be exerted when attempting to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and fan would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000 and the current mileage was approximately 83,000.
2004 mini cooper s power steering pump failurethree times while driving vehiclenot yet replacedno consequences yet beyond frightening.
2004 mini cooper s. Consumer is seeking reimbursement for the replacement of the power steering pump.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle the power steering failed and the steering wheel became abnormally stiff.the dealer was notified of the failure who stated that there were no recalls for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 69,000...updated 01/04/12the consumer stated the power steering pump was replaced at a cost of $866.67 . The consumer has since traded the vehicle. Updated 01/09/12
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.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper s. The contact noticed that the vehicle's air bag warning indicator was constantly illuminated and both front windows hesitated to roll up and down. Also, the air bag indicator would illuminate when the front seat belts were buckled or unbuckled. The dealer stated that there was a positive cable in the fuse box that malfunctioned. The contact was informed that the failure could destroy the electrical system, cause a fire, and keep the air bag from deploying in a crash. The seat belt buckles were repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer also discovered that the cable was being stretched and the center switch pack case was separated, which could cause the windows to detach from the vehicle while driving high speeds. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 124,500.
The passenger side window motor has failed on my 04 mini cooper s.upon researching the problem on the internet, i've found that thousands of other mini cooper owners have the san=me recurrent issue.mini cooper needs to correct the problem with a recall.
Power window failure to properly lift and seal when driver and passenger doors are closed.
Driver's side window motor has failed for the third time.window is stuck closed.this is a concern in case of an emergency and causes problems when closing the door as the glass hits the lip of the roof since it does not drop as designed.
First occasion - windsheild cracked adjacent to vin # location.seperated from vehicle body.dealership replaced but took 5 to 6 weeks.excuse was supplier changed.second occasion - rock chip on intersate.result.surface chip and laminant crack (1/4" to 1/2" long).have not replaced windshield.watching for any progression in size.i've owned other vehicles that had rocks and such collide with the windshield, but none that cracked so easily.
My 2004 mini cooper s had been parked, untouched, in my driveway for 2 days.i got in it last night and first thing i noticed was a verticla crack in the windshield extending from the top chrome molding 14" down, parallel to and 5" from the driver's side edge of the windshield.the local dealer said that mini had a problem with windshield breakage in the past "but not now".at his suggestion, i ran the tip of a ball-point pen along the crack and found a "chip" at the top of the crack.this "chip" is smaller than the tip of the ball-point pen.i've had many new and used cars and this is the first case where such an insignificant "chip" has propagated to a total failure requiring replacement without even being visible first.
Our minicoopers, 2004, received a very small chip. The next morning half of our windshield cracked from this chip. My husband spoke with steve, a mini rep in houston, and was told the windshield had be recalled due to large amounts of stress on the windshield. He told steve that is exactly what has happened because the chip is so small located at the base of the windshield. We were told with the chip that the warrenty was voided. We would have to pay to replace the windshield. Steve went on to tell of 5 differrent stories of mini owners having to replace their windshield in the last two months. If you look at mini chat rooms, it is filled with many people having to replace their windshield, sometimes multiply times. It just does not seem right. So many windshield cracking due to rock chips. We would have had the chip treated, if it weren't so small, so a crack would not have happened, but there was no time, it cracked overnight.
My 2004 mini cooper s, delivered in june of '04, having @ 20,000 miles on the odometer, is now on its third windshield all due to stress cracks.the cracks seem to be related to thermalinstability.i.e. Cold outside/hot inside etc.i personally know of one 2003mini owner in ma who has now had 6 windshields replaced since purchase.the mini community has determined that aftermarket us made glass by ppg does not have the propensity for such failures.i am reluctant to continue going to my dealer as this problem appears to be related to the foreign manufactured oem glass.on the other hand i should not have to replace the windshield with a non oem product, out of pocket to resolve the issue. For much more information, you can refer to the mini cooper owners internet web forum "northamericanmotoring .com"the defect is wide spread from the mini's introduction in '02 continuing through to '05 production models.to find this information, go to "beneath the bonnet" and use the search function in the upper right corner for "cracked glass".your assistance would be greatly appreciated.feel free to call me if i can be of help.sincerely,mark williams cfp
04 mini cooper s had a crack in windshield of unknown origin (probably stress). Had fixed 2 weeks ago under warrantly. New crack has developed already. In the process of resolving current defect.these vehicles have a design flaw. You guys need to add mini to the list of your cars. I am going to select bmw because bwm owns mini.
On march 5, 2005, a 2 inch x 2 inch l shaped crack was first developed at the mid bottom section of the windshield of my 2004 mini cooper s. The short arm of the l originated from the bottom of the windshield. On the next day, after parking inside my garage overnight, the long arm of the l propagated another 2 inches. Today, while driving, the crack further extended another 1/4 inch. The problem is that the crack started with no obvious reasons. The only sensible explanation is due to design of the body struture or defect from mini coopers, and subsequently causes stress to the windshield. It does not take long to learn from the internet message board that many similar complaints or recurring incidents were also reported. One of the message board participant who installs windshield for car suggested us to file a complaint at this site because windshield problem can be fatal because of the followings:1. Act as a support for the roof.2. Act as a barrier to prevent passenger from ejecting of the car.. Cause airbag malfunctioned.i strongly urge the nhtsa to investigate this problem immediately.
Cracked windshield on a mini.crack extends from right edge and goes towards center and then turns up towards roof - crack about 12" long. No stone chip anywhere along crack.
Dt*: the contact stated the windshield has been replaced three times within1 year of purchase .on may 24, 2006, while driving a small object struck the windshield causing a crack which caused the fourth windshield replacement.the contact expressed that something must be wrong with the vehicle to make the windshield crack so easily.the dealership and manufacturer were alerted and determined the cracks were due to the impact of the object.
Dt*: the contact stated the lug bolts sheered while attempting to remove by hand on more than one wheel.the dealership replaced the hubs.
Wheel bolts broke.previously, i had three wheel bolts break during removal.dealer and manufacturer denied warranty claim as result of pot hole.recently, i had a wheel bolt break during installation.while using a torque wrench, the bolt broke before reaching the specified torque.the wheel bolts are fragile and failure in service could result in the loss of a wheel.
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