We found the following complaints for MINI COOPER (2004)
Read complaints for MINI COOPER (2004)
Driving off-ramp at 35 mph power steering stopped functioning and steering became really hard, lights went off, ac stopped working, and lots of engine lights came up, almost crashed when turning a corner and engine started failing.....got home and shut off car, when tried to turn on again, it failed to start.......
The power steering failed, common problem in 2004 mini cooper. Canada has issued a recall in january 2012.
Very disappointed with mini cooper and the corporation of bmw on how they handled my issues with my 2004 mini.i came to the dealership several times in ramsey, new jersey with the repairs that were recalled.i had printed the recalls as evidence that there were identical issues as the repairs needed to my car!the dealership ignored and refused to even look at the recalls on paper and to my dismay i was forced to pay out-of-my-own pocket!i had no choice because of my concern to drive a 'safe' vehicle.to my disappointment i had to return back to the dealership with the same and additional issues that were no repaired!the next day the manager assured me that all was taken care of and the car was finally safe! wrong again!with additional calls to both the dealership and bmw i still did not have a solution nor a safe car!. The issues were:1.brake light being replaced multiple times and then caused a fire.2.steering 3.stability controlultimately, i have contacted nhtsa several times to assist and the response was to contact the dealer.i'm at the point i need to now take this to a new level to resolve this situation.
Lost power steering at highway speed due to power steering pump failure. Short circuit or fire melted power steering pump wiring harness. Damage was caused to other portions of electrical wiring harness by fire, resulting in blown fuses. Upon removing key from ignition at roadside, engine kept running until battery was disconnected.
Powers steering pump failure, power steering pump cooling fan failure
The vehicle had been acting strange for the last couple of months, the steering would become heavy at times, and on the other occasions would work just fine. A trip to the dealership revealed that the power steering pump had failed. This seems like a known issue with most of the 2004 mini coopers, a defective part was put into the car while manufacting. Mini is not taking any responsibility of it, and the dealership is asking for $1200 to replace it. Due to the power pump failure, the temparature rises and may have caused damage to a few hoses around that area.
I had driven 2004 mini for about 30 minute, then parked it in driveway. Within 15 minutes i looked over to see smoke coming from the engine. I opened the compartment and got help. We pushed it into a nearby field and called the fire dept. If it had stayed in the drive,it would have also ignited 2 cars, the house and a boat. Who know about people and animals. I almost got run over trying to stop the mini as it was pushed. After the car was out, we had it towed to inskip auto in warwick ri.jeof said at first it was a power steering hose that burst and got on the hot exhaust...igniting. After looking at it further and with metlife insurance agent, they thought it was the power steering fan and pump failure. This overheated the electrical harness, to start the electrical fire. Neither the insurance norinskip felt it was covered by them.i am to pay $2,600. Today when it pick it up. This covers labor, a power steering pump, fan and harness. I googled the problem on the internet to upsetting to me and find at least 250 posted mini's with the same problem. I don't understand how mini does not have to recall it. Are they waiting for just as many deaths?
2004 mini cooper with motor mount, electrical, flat tiresensors issues. Cvt transmission replacement recommended.*tgwone day while driving on the highway, the vehicle just stopped; dead no power. The consumer stated the vehicle is sitting in the garage un-drivable because she doesn't have the $8,000 to replace the cvt transmission.
I drove my sister's 2004 mini cooper sometime in spring of 2012 to check on work done from the dealership. As i yielded into a roundabout and entered it, the power steering cut off which steering effort became very heavy and very nearly had a collision with another vehicle. I sister informed me afterwards that the issue just happen recently occurred to her too, as she exited a highway exit ramp at nearly 55mph, and power steering had failed. Luckily, she was able to react quickly with the power steering loss. Pulled to the side, shut the vehicle, and turned on the vehicle again, and power steering came back on. It has intermittently going off/on w power since then which the dealer recognizes, but warranty has been expired since it's 9 years and over 100,000 mi. And we are left with a bill at around $1,400 average. $800 in parts alone.there are many mini customers known to have this issue of power steering loss in their early models too, same as my sister's year model. So far fortunately, there are no injuries nor fatalities directly from this power steering loss from what i know of. But many are faced with this large repair with we're facing, and some may forego/ delay repairing it. Transport canada, recognizes this as a safety issue, and recalled about 9,000 mini's last year. And the power steering pump part is no different than theirs.when are we going to act like our neighbors? until we get someone horribly injured or killed?! or have mini customers such my sister facing this large repair order on this defective part that's known to fail prematurely? this is a serious gamble with lives.
Driving down honda parkway i heard pop sound. Tpms light started flashing and smoke started coming out from under hood. I pulled off of road into a gas station. At that time i didn't have any power brakes.the car was fully engulfed in flames in about 10 mins. The fire dept put out fire.
12-4-10: the power steering pump kept running after the car was off and drained the battery in 2 hours. Sept., 2012: two incidents of power steering loss while driving. First time i had no power steering when i started the car. I drove a short distance, stopped and restarted the car and the power steering worked. Second time i lost power steering briefly while driving at low speed. My mechanic found that the power steering fan had seized and replaced it. When he took it for a test drive, the power steering pump was making a loud noise. He replaced the pump as well and the problems were corrected.
While driving in a 35mph zone, smoke started coming out from under the hood (bonnet). Driver noticed odd steering response shortly before smoke appeared. Repair shop noted power steering pump failure causing wiring loom fire. Research has found numerous power steering pump failures on mini coopers. When power steering fails, driving is next to impossible given size of steering wheel and power assist design.
2004 mini cooper- 50k miles- power steering fan / motor failure leading to electrical system malfunction, heat/fire damage resulting in inability to turn off engine.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that the vehicle's battery was located in front of the firewall above the gear box. The battery acid leaked onto two shifter cable linkages, which caused them to melt unexpectedly. The vehicle would not shift gears. The contact also stated that the same failure occurred one other time. The vehicle was repaired six months ago because of the same failure. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired again. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
At first my battery died after i came out of work. I couldn't understand why since i didn't leave anything on. So i got the battery replaced for $200. Recently the steering has been cutting out while driving. If you pull off into a parking lot and turn off the car you can still hear the cooling fan going. After approx 30 min the power steering will return to normal until it overheats again. So my battery was being drained by the power steering cooling fan.
Very disappointed with mini cooper and the corporation of bmw on how they handled my issues with my 2004 mini.i came to the dealership several times in ramsey, new jersey with the repairs that were recalled.i had printed the recalls as evidence that there were identical issues as the repairs needed to my car!the dealership ignored and refused to even look at the recalls on paper and to my dismay i was forced to pay out-of-my-own pocket!i had no choice because of my concern to drive a 'safe' vehicle.to my disappointment i had to return back to the dealership with the same and additional issues that were no repaired!the next day the manager assured me that all was taken care of and the car was finally safe! wrong again!with additional calls to both the dealership and bmw i still did not have a solution nor a safe car!. The issues were:1.brake light being replaced multiple times and then caused a fire.2.steering 3.stability controlultimately, i have contacted nhtsa several times to assist and the response was to contact the dealer.i'm at the point i need to now take this to a new level to resolve this situation.
I own a 2004 mini cooper. I was driving and lost all power steering almost causing a accident. There is a open recall on this issue. I contacted mini and they informed me that my vehicle was not included with the recall. I explained that my car was experiencing all the issues addressed in the recall, but they still would not help me out.
1) automatic transmission busted. Car stalled dangerously on the highway.2) power steering pump busted. Steering locked dangerously on the road and could not be moved.
The engine starting cutting out and rabbiting and finally died and coasted into parking lot and could not get it started. Took to baron bmw and they said the engine was toasted because of low oil pressure from a habitual problem with their oil filter housing that they never recalled because they didn't think it was a safety issue when the car cuts out and rabbits on acceleration onto the highway and everytime you take off from a start.
I have a 2004 mini cooper it has recently reached 87000 miles and the cvt transmission is failing. Normally you change your transmission fuel every 25,000 to 50,000 miles. My model mini cooper hatchback does not come with a reservoir to change such a fuel it was a guarantee by the manufacturer that these models would not need such a service and that the transmission would be fine throughout the lifetime of the car. What worries me is that i have not been able to drive my mini over 50mph due to the increase of rpm's. Without the speed increase it is not safe for me to drive on the highways as i normally would. A cvt transmission replacement could cost thousands. But more importantly i'm worried about my safety its possible that my transmission could fail while mobile. Thats my main concern. I recently read that there has been a lawsuit addressing these issues. It is bmw's due diligence to address this matter seeing how thousands of citizens are operating this machinery on a daily basis.
I was driving down i80 and my car started to kick and sputter then the engine light went on and i dropped speeds and almost got rear ended by the car behind me he swerved honked his horn and gave me the finger. I took it to a shop and they told me the transmission needs to be replaced and the number three cylinder blew out and i would need to replace the headgasket and refurbish the engine. When i first bought the car it would periodically kick and stall out on me i took it back to the dealer ship they told me it was just the engine breaking in. A couple weeks later i saw the oil was a little low and again it kicked and stalled. I took it back in they said they had to reprogram the tranny.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while traveling 35 mph, the power steering completely failed and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer for assistance. The dealer replaced the entire power steering system because the electronic power assist pump could not be replaced by itself. The failure mileage was 46,995 and the current mileage was 48,000.updated 03/14/12*ljalso, the auxiliary cooling fan was replaced. Updated 04/18/12
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.the vehicle would not accelerate over 25 mph and would not shift into first gear.the contact was able to drive the vehicle home and the warning light illuminated after it was parked.the contact discovered that all of the transmission fluid leaked over the engine.the vehicle will be towed to the dealer.the current and failure mileages were 78,402.
2004 mini cooper. Consumer requests assistance for hazardous vehicle transmission and steering wheel.the consumer stated the vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway.
Vent fan in motor compartment spontaneously caught fire causing damage to various electrical components and smoke damage.
2004 mini cooper with motor mount, electrical, flat tiresensors issues. Cvt transmission replacement recommended.*tgwone day while driving on the highway, the vehicle just stopped; dead no power. The consumer stated the vehicle is sitting in the garage un-drivable because she doesn't have the $8,000 to replace the cvt transmission.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.while the driver was placing items in the rear of the vehicle, his calf was burned by the extended tail pipe.the driver has incurred multiple burns to his calf due to the extended tail pipe.the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that they could not assist because there were no recalls for this failure.the manufacturer would not provide compensation because the vehicle was not included in a recall.the vin was unavailable.the failure mileage was 6,000 and current mileage was 9,000.
Driving off-ramp at 35 mph power steering stopped functioning and steering became really hard, lights went off, ac stopped working, and lots of engine lights came up, almost crashed when turning a corner and engine started failing.....got home and shut off car, when tried to turn on again, it failed to start.......
My 2004 mini cooper had a bad fuel leak from the fuel rail that sits on top of the engine connected to the fuel injectors.my wife was driving it to work when she was all most overcome by gas fumes.when she got to work she noticed that she had lost a half a tank of gas. I had the car towed to vista motors in pompano bch. Fl. On sample road and the mini service manager told me that he had never seen this problem before.when i asked him if the part was going to be investigated by mini why the part started leaking and could of easily caused a fire and became a safety hazard i was told no.
2004 mini cooper purchased new aprox 62 miles on it and the cvt transmission is gone & there was a class action lawsuit for the replacement of this, i was never notified and want this fixed at no cost to me. At aprox. 50 to 60 mph the car engines goes way beyond the proper rpm.
I was driving down i80 and my car started to kick and sputter then the engine light went on and i dropped speeds and almost got rear ended by the car behind me he swerved honked his horn and gave me the finger. I took it to a shop and they told me the transmission needs to be replaced and the number three cylinder blew out and i would need to replace the headgasket and refurbish the engine. When i first bought the car it would periodically kick and stall out on me i took it back to the dealer ship they told me it was just the engine breaking in. A couple weeks later i saw the oil was a little low and again it kicked and stalled. I took it back in they said they had to reprogram the tranny.
I was driving around 40 miles per hour and the car abruptly slowed down then sped up without any warning, if another car was behind me, it would have caused some serious damage. Now my car wouldn't shift shift out of first gear. I was told by my mechanic that the cvt transmission is gone. After reaching out to mini usa, they told me they haven't had any problem with this transmission and it's pass the warranty date. If the folks at mini usa had been honest with me i could have made the deadline for a settlement pertaining to the same problem they claimed they had no idea about. This product need to be recalled! after doing extensive research the cvt transmission have had problems all along and the company have been settling claims for quite some time. Why are they allowed to run hard working folks into death because they know most of us can't and wouldn't pursue this matter. It will cost me 6500.00 for the part and another $2200 for labor, the car is now valued at $5500.00. It there something wrong with this?
Very disappointed with mini cooper and the corporation of bmw on how they handled my issues with my 2004 mini.i came to the dealership several times in ramsey, new jersey with the repairs that were recalled.i had printed the recalls as evidence that there were identical issues as the repairs needed to my car!the dealership ignored and refused to even look at the recalls on paper and to my dismay i was forced to pay out-of-my-own pocket!i had no choice because of my concern to drive a 'safe' vehicle.to my disappointment i had to return back to the dealership with the same and additional issues that were no repaired!the next day the manager assured me that all was taken care of and the car was finally safe! wrong again!with additional calls to both the dealership and bmw i still did not have a solution nor a safe car!. The issues were:1.brake light being replaced multiple times and then caused a fire.2.steering 3.stability controlultimately, i have contacted nhtsa several times to assist and the response was to contact the dealer.i'm at the point i need to now take this to a new level to resolve this situation.
We purchased a new 2004 mini-cooper r50 and paid extra for installation of a cvt transmission. The cvt ' (sport mode)' failed in 2010, just 2 years after its warranty expired and with only 35,147 miles driven. We were told that it could cost between $2,000 and $9,000 to repair/replace the sport mode' function, and since the automatic transmission is still operating, we decided to avoid the uncertainty of costly repairs and make sure no one else drives this vehicle. Since then, we have learned of other premature cvt failures and three class-action lawsuits regarding this transmission: aarons v. Bmw of north america, llc [xxx],bonomo v. Bmw[xxx], and bourne-miller v. Bmw[xxx]. Premature 'sport-mode' failure can cause permanent damage to a $9,000 transmission with deadly consequences on u.s. Highways at high speeds. Class action lawsuits do not address this problem, and we have 'opted-out' of participation in them.please investigate the extent of premature cvt failures in the mini-cooper and issue a recall appropriate to remedy this potentially deadly defect. Please let us know if more information or documentation is required. Under penalties of perjury in the state of california i swear that the forgoing details are accurate and truthful to the best of my ability.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
On my 2004 mini cooper, base, with cvt, it the rpms jump to ~3800 between 50-65 mph.when i accelerate to above 65, the rpms return to the normal range.upon slowing down, the rpms then jump again between 50-65.
2004 mini cooper with motor mount, electrical, flat tiresensors issues. Cvt transmission replacement recommended.*tgwone day while driving on the highway, the vehicle just stopped; dead no power. The consumer stated the vehicle is sitting in the garage un-drivable because she doesn't have the $8,000 to replace the cvt transmission.
1) automatic transmission busted. Car stalled dangerously on the highway.2) power steering pump busted. Steering locked dangerously on the road and could not be moved.
I had only had my mini for about two months and was driving from huntsville, al to tuscaloosa, al for an event for my daughter.the cvt went out and i had to rent a vehicle to go.then when i got it fixed they told me it would be about 2,000.00 dollars but when i went to pick it up it was 6,000.00.then about a month ago 1/2012 my power steering started messing up and took to my mechanic.he thought it was hopefully just a loose hose and got it working again.however two weeks ago it went out again and he checked it out and the power steering pump was toast. Does not even have 100,000 miles on it.i am very disappointed with it.
2004 mini cooper. Consumer requests assistance for hazardous vehicle transmission and steering wheel.the consumer stated the vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway.
I was yielding to make a left turn on green.the car was in neutral.it was a relatively hot day.when i went to go i shifted into gear and immediately found it difficult to turn.as i furthered down the road to my event and was ushered into the parking lot by traffic control, the power steering diminished more and more as i drove on.by time i got to a parking space, i could just barely turn into my spot.a few hours after the event i turned on my car and it drove as normal again.after this powersteering failure i had a power steering fluid flush done.it has been a bit over a year since the first time it happened, but in the past two weeks i've lost my power steering about ten times.it's always when i'm at a slow speed or stopped.usually shutting the engine on and off again will solve the problem but once it did not.i left the car alone for a few hours and when i went to drive it again it was like normal.it has not always been hot when my power steering fails.i keep my car in a garage so it is seldom baking in the sun.when the power steering goes, it feels as if the car is gripping back and gets progressively worse as i continue to drive. I am not an aggressive driver and i live in a flat area where driving is a simple task.
2004 mini cooper purchased new aprox 62 miles on it and the cvt transmission is gone & there was a class action lawsuit for the replacement of this, i was never notified and want this fixed at no cost to me. At aprox. 50 to 60 mph the car engines goes way beyond the proper rpm.
I have a 2004 mini cooper it has recently reached 87000 miles and the cvt transmission is failing. Normally you change your transmission fuel every 25,000 to 50,000 miles. My model mini cooper hatchback does not come with a reservoir to change such a fuel it was a guarantee by the manufacturer that these models would not need such a service and that the transmission would be fine throughout the lifetime of the car. What worries me is that i have not been able to drive my mini over 50mph due to the increase of rpm's. Without the speed increase it is not safe for me to drive on the highways as i normally would. A cvt transmission replacement could cost thousands. But more importantly i'm worried about my safety its possible that my transmission could fail while mobile. Thats my main concern. I recently read that there has been a lawsuit addressing these issues. It is bmw's due diligence to address this matter seeing how thousands of citizens are operating this machinery on a daily basis.
Transmission failure made car stop in traffic.
Transmission gave way.
Automatic transmission in 2004 mini cooper failure at 98k miles. Cost to rebuild quoted at $5k-$8k.
The contact owns a 2004 mini copper. The contact was driving 55 mph in order to pass another vehicle when the transmission failed and made it difficult to increase speed.the contact took the vehicle to the dealer several times prior to the transmission failing and was told to only use premium gasoline. The contact made the change and within a few months, the transmission failed. The failure and current mileages were 58,000.
Purchased a 2004 mini cooper a year ago, with a mileage of 17,000 miles. After driving about 4,000 miles, the car broke down and was sent to local mini dealer to get it fixed. Continuous variable transmission was diagnosed wrecked, and dealer offered a replacement (only solution) with a re-furbished cvt transmission for $9800. After negotiation, i had mini cover the parts and i paid labor. But i have seen on so many forums that all cvt transmissions are failing so i wonder why there have been no recalls. My cvt failed when the car had 21,000 miles!
I was driving normal. I was making a left turn on my 2004 mini cooper (automatictransmission) the car move a little and all of a sudden the car stalled. The car behind me was honking and i quickly shift to n and tried starting and the car started. My car has only 1650 miles. I called mini the next day and customer service rep told me that there is no recalls or issues known to mini at this time.
My 2004 mini coopers transmission failed at 80k miles with no warning. Luckily i was in a parking lot and not on the highway, where i could have been killed.the cost of replacing the tranny was $7,000. Mini usa was useless when i pleaded with them to help me. After reading about all of the other complaints with the cvt trans, i can't believe there was no recall. I will never buy a mini again. I still owe $11,000 on the car and cannot afford another.
Have a 2004 mini cooper with 65,000 miles total and only 6200 miles in last 20 months and car serviced regularly.automatic transmission has now started to not shift properly and mini service reprogrammed transmission but problems have recurred and again mini wants to reprogram transmission.if this does not work, transmission will have to be replaced at cost of $6500.00.there is no repair or rebuilding of this transmission.there are hundreds of reported problems with this transmission but bmw has not acknowledged any problem.
I have a 2004 mini cooper with 87,000 miles on it.there were no events leading up to the total cvt transmission failure that took place last friday 07/29/11.i was entering into a large intersection when the car started bucking and rattling.i just made it into a hess station parking lot (thank goodness there was one there) when it wouldn't go any further.i had it towed to a local transmission shop and they said that the trans was dead and i was going to need a new one.they informed me that there aren't any rebuilt options and the new trans is going to cost me $5000 + $1200 for labor.i have done a bunch of research on these cvt transmissions and apparently they have been a huge problem and bmw/mini haven't done anything about it.i think it is a disgrace that this continues to happen and cost people thousands of dollars.something needs to be done asap!!!!
Our 2004 mini cooper (cvt) automatic transmission needs to be replaced. The car has only 74,000 mile on it.
Total transmission failure at 57,000 miles.warranty just ran out, quoted price to replace transmission, clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing $7,000 minimum.dealer refuses to accept any responsibility.
Total transmission failure at 57,000 miles.warranty just ran out, quoted price to replace transmission, clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing $7,000 minimum.dealer refuses to accept any responsibility.
2004 mini cooper with 60k miles.transmission failed and was advised by mini cooper dealer needs replacement,makes whining noise at higher speeds.have not driven car since april 2011. Can not afford $5k replacement cost.
For absolutely no reason the manual transmission failed and locked up causing me to loose control of the vehicle at 40mph. No injuries or damage to the vehicle as i was able to control the slide. However i have spoken to both dealer and manufacture and they both admit the transmissions in these vehicles both automatic and manual are weak and can cause failure at any speed which will result in lockup of the front tires. Numerous reports from other mini cooper owners show the same. The transmission was replaced in this vehicle 3 years ago for the same problem. Now it needs replaced again. The only repair is to put a rebuilt unit in place with the same weak gears. Mini no longer warranties the repairs as of 2008 because of the problems. I got lucky but i carry my 3yr old son with me most of the time and this does not feel like a safe vehicle considering out of nowhere with no warning this failure could occur again. Both mini usa, bmw have been very unhelpful in the matter unless i'm willing to pay over $1000 to have it towed to a mini cooper dealer just to have it looked at.
2004 mini cooper non s , transmission failure due to a midland transmission.
Driving down honda parkway i heard pop sound. Tpms light started flashing and smoke started coming out from under hood. I pulled off of road into a gas station. At that time i didn't have any power brakes.the car was fully engulfed in flames in about 10 mins. The fire dept put out fire.
Brake failure - while coasting in "brake and release traffic", the brake pedal did not catch.looking down at my foot, i watched my foot floor the brake pedal and felt no brake pedal catch.looking up, my car continued rolling forward and hit the car in front of me.my car sustained over $2000 damage.fortunately, no one was hurt and the other car was not damaged.a month prior, the mini dealership had done scheduled maintenance brake work on my mini. Because of this incident, i asked mini if it could have been an air bubble or something else related to the brake job.mini said no; any problem would have occurred a couple days after the job; not a month later. My car was towed to the mini dealership where they checked the brakes.mini said nothing was wrong.what could cause this?i'm concerned that my brakes could fail again , this time with more serious consequences, even death!please help!
While driving home as i turned into my street the steering power suddenly went out causing me to drive into the incoming traffic lane, luckily there were no vehicles but if there would have been any vehicles i could have been in a front collision. The fact that this happens while driving makes this issue extremely dangerous.
2004 mini cooper. Intermittent power steering failures. Happens on a hot day or in stop and go traffic.
I have a 2004 mini cooper with about 61000 miles, and have recently experienced problems with the power steering.it was a very scary situation as the steering locked as i was driving on a los angeles freeway at a high speed.there is no warning indication, and there is definitely a potential danger.
2004 mini cooper power steering randomly stops working making the vehicle extremely hard to steer. Emergency maneuvers would be impossible.must shut the vehicle off and restart to get steering back, which is not easy to do in many situations.will work most of the time but fail once per day or so. My mechanic has ordered a new power steering pump and fan from bmw which he says is the fix for this well documented problem.if a light person was driving the car when this happens i seriously doubt they could keep the car on the road due to the arm strength required to continue steering the car.problem could happen at any speed.
Intermittent power steering failure. Power steering has gone out twice, both times this was noticeable shortly after starting the vehicle (backing out of driveway). In the first incident, power steering returned after driving about half a block. In the second incident (a couple months later), power steering did not return while driving (1 mile), but returned when car was started the following day. Dealership service center is currently unable to pinpoint issue through car's computer, but power steering pump is suspected. Car is under 30k miles.
My power steering went out today while driving. It was one of the most scary experiences i have ever had. I adore my little car, but today it made me so scared i am not sure i am ok driving her any more. While driving on a local road, i noticed than my steering wheel was very stiff. I started to turn into the left-turn lane and could barely do it, then tried to turn left and almost hit the cars around me because i had to use all of my strength to make the turn. My power steering went without any warning, none. I have never experienced something like this before, i had no idea what was happening. I immediately looked online when i got home to learn more about what happened and how much this repair will cost and was amazed and very disappointed to see so many similar accounts by other 2004 cooper owners. I feel lucky after reading others stories that it happened to me on a local road close to home. I also just looked in my file and see that my power steering cooling fan was replaced 9 months ago when my car was at the dealership for other repairs. Mini / bmw, how can you ignore this incredible issue and danger?
1. Power steering failed and steering became excessively hard to turn the wheel especially in low speed turns sometimes couldn't make the turns in time.2. Several times. Parked the car3. Waiting for consumer affairs to help with replacing defective parts.
The power steering failed while driving car.happens at different times with no warning.
While driving the power steering inexplicably went out without warning making steering and controlling the vehicle difficult. The problem was potentially quite dangerous due to its unexpected nature. If i was not traveling straight at the time of the failure which showed itself as i began my next turn and had begun a turn when the system failed it would have been almost impossible to control the car. Serious and dangerous issue.
Approximately one month ago i was on ortega highway in southern california with my child in the back seat. As i was maneuvering the mini along the curvy road the power steering went out. Fortunately i had gotten through the worst of the hair pins and was going slower than the speed limit etc. Suddenly the steering began to work again. My husband was informed by a mechanic that it was the power steering fan. We had it replaced and it seemed okay. On november 26th i had my children in the car going to my sisters i went to make a left hand turn and the car didn't want to turn. The power steering failed again. I was fortunate once again as there was no on coming traffic because if there was i would have had a head-on collision.there are no warning lights for this issue and i had never been informed of power steering issues being so sudden on this vehicle. I believe a massive recall for the 02-04 years would be an extremely good idea. I goggled the issue and have found many others with these years that are having the same problem. My vehicle is only 4 years old. I have a truck older than it that has never had to have the power steering replaced. I can not afford to replace it now due to financial issues. The pump alone is between 400-500 dollars.please, please, please get them to recall this before someone dies! or is that what everyone is waiting for?!?
Unexpected loss of power steering on 2004 mini cooper without any warning.purchased the 2004 mini cooper being unaware of the power steering failures, and while i was driving in heavy traffic the power steering failed and i almost collided with another vehicle and almost got rear-ended while struggling to get the car off the road in heavy traffic. I hope they issue a recall because when istarted researching how many people are having problems i find it extremely disturbing that mini hasn't been forced to issue one yet. The power steering failure happens daily so took vehicle to mechanic and was informed that the power steering pump needs to be replaced. I have never experienced anything like this before in all of the cars i have purchased through out my adult life. What a safety hazard! i am so thankful my grandchild wasn't with me that day.
Pulled into a parking lot.was making a right turn into a spot and lost all steering.i turned off the car and restarted and it worked again, but it was impossible to steer without the power assist.i see this morning that this problem is now common and i hesitate to go into mini to have it fixed right away since it will cost more than $1000 to fix!why isn't this a recall?
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The electric power steering warning indicator was not illuminated. An unknown dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under warranty, and was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) and nhtsa action numbers: ea11005 (steering) and pe10038 (steering). The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was not available.
Power steering/steering pump showing signs of failing, first noticed in a crowded parking lot.
Power steering pump failure at 127,000 miles.
At first my battery died after i came out of work. I couldn't understand why since i didn't leave anything on. So i got the battery replaced for $200. Recently the steering has been cutting out while driving. If you pull off into a parking lot and turn off the car you can still hear the cooling fan going. After approx 30 min the power steering will return to normal until it overheats again. So my battery was being drained by the power steering cooling fan.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper cv. The contact was driving 40 mph when the power steering failed, without warning, while making a turn. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 50,000.
Driving to work and tried to make a right hand turn. The power steering failed making the wheel very hard to turn. I pulled over to the side and shut the car off, and when i restarted it, the power steering worked again. It does this intermediately a few times a week since then... Mini says its an internal fault in the power steering pump.
Power window on passenger side comes down only sometimes and sometimes it doesn't work for weeks.steering is making noises.
Power steering assist in my 2004 min cooper failed while driving on highway.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper .the contact stated that while driving in reverse, the power steering seized momentarily before resuming normal operation independently. The contact had experienced the failure at least twice. The dealer was not contacted and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 84,000. The vin was not available.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning and was difficult to control. The contact inspected the vehicle and the failure was located at the power steering pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 98,000.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving approximately 40 mph, the power steering failed without warning. The contact was able to continue driving. On a separate occasion the contact noticed that the electric power steering pump remained in continuous operated although the engine was turned off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised that the power steering pump would need to be replaced, which posed a fire hazard. The power steering pump was disconnected. There was a concurrent investigation under nhtsa action number: ea11005 (steering:electric power assist system) that could have been related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Power steering failed making it difficult to drive/ turn vehicle.this has happened multiple times.typically the power steering comes back after a minute or two but during the latest incident it did not come back on.
My 2004 mini experienced intermittent steering problems in feb. Of 2011.steering became difficult at times and then nearly all the time.got new power steering pump.mostly fixed but felt odd at times.steering became permanently difficult in june 2011 and had pump replaced but didn't fix the problem.advised to replace rack and pinion.plan to do so.steering bills at about $2,000.
Power steering has been going in and out for 3 years, getting worse.
Lost power steering when driving on the freeway.feels like the steering locks up but can still steer when using a lot of strength.since first incident, this has happened again several times.usually after driving for about five minutes.
Power steering failure while driving; had new steering rack/pump installed at 90,000, worked fine for a year and now the power steering has failed for the second time; a new steering pump/rack needs to be installed...
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. He contact noticed an unknown fluid leak on the ground under the vehicle while parked. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that power steering fluid was leaking. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the mechanic replaced the power steering pump, steering hose, pressure hose, return hose, and the suction hose. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mileage was 61,400.
Backing out of parking place, car is difficult to steer.this the third time it has occurred.i have not replaced the power steering yet due to cost.
The steering is so hard and it is difficult to move while driving, i had this problem for last few month but every time when i turn off/on, the problem goes away for a day or two. Since last week, it become permanent. I surf on internet and call mini customer services, they told me that this issue is under investigation and if i fixed the problem and if there will be a recall, they will cover only parts not labor. This is very serious and unsafe while driving.
The contact owns a2004 bmw mini cooper.while driving approximately 20 mph, the contact noticed that the steering wheel became hard to move.the contact did not inform the dealer or manufacturer of the failure nor was the vehicle diagnosed or repaired.the current and failure mileage was 71,331.
Power steering went out in early 2008. Luckily the car was parked when that happened or else it would have been a disaster since mini steering wheel is already heavier than other cars. Had it fixed (replaced) at the dealership and had to pay around $1000 since the warranty expired. It's unacceptable that the steering power pump died this early only after 4 years. It's a ripoff for the consumers. Something must be done about this. A few months later, the steering column and the lower shaft started to have issues as well. They started to make creaking noises. Took the car to the dealership and they quoted at almost $1000 to replace the parts. The steering column and power pump should not have to be replaced after only four years!
While driving my 2004 mini cooper home from work one afternoon, i began having difficulty turning the steering wheel. After the initial failure, the problem continues to remain a constant when turning at any speed. The power steering reservoir has been checked and is low, but not empty. I understand that a power steering pump failure is common in this year, make, and model of mini cooper vehicles. The vehicle currently has just over 80k miles. No replacement parts have been ordered and no repairs have been made.
The contact owns a 2004 mini copper. The contact was traveling 35 mph when the power steering failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 105,000.
Power steering failed while in traffic jam. Vehicle extremely hard to steer.fourth incident of this happening.this is the second complaint filed with nhtsa.owner was contacted by bmw in august 2011 for complaint review, but owner has not heard back from them and cannot get through to telephone number given by bmw.
Power steering failed while on a highway.
As i was driving 40 mph on my local 2-lane road, my power steering suddenly failed with no warning whatsoever. I returned carefully home and left the car parked in my driveway until i could contact my local mini dealer (prestige mini in mahwah, nj). When i got into the car to take it to the dealer, the power steering was suddenly working again. Prestige mini claims that my strut towers ($645) and lower control arm bushings (also $645) were shot and needed replacing. The advisor told me verbally that it had nothing to do with the power steering pump and/or the power steering pump fan, but so far i cannot get prestige to reply via email (in writing) that this is true.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the power steering failed and it was very difficult to steer the vehicle. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
With out any advice, the steering turns rigid and hard to manipulate,i checked the fluid and it looks fine and clean.
Temporary loss of steering.
12-4-10: the power steering pump kept running after the car was off and drained the battery in 2 hours. Sept., 2012: two incidents of power steering loss while driving. First time i had no power steering when i started the car. I drove a short distance, stopped and restarted the car and the power steering worked. Second time i lost power steering briefly while driving at low speed. My mechanic found that the power steering fan had seized and replaced it. When he took it for a test drive, the power steering pump was making a loud noise. He replaced the pump as well and the problems were corrected.
I drove my sister's 2004 mini cooper sometime in spring of 2012 to check on work done from the dealership. As i yielded into a roundabout and entered it, the power steering cut off which steering effort became very heavy and very nearly had a collision with another vehicle. I sister informed me afterwards that the issue just happen recently occurred to her too, as she exited a highway exit ramp at nearly 55mph, and power steering had failed. Luckily, she was able to react quickly with the power steering loss. Pulled to the side, shut the vehicle, and turned on the vehicle again, and power steering came back on. It has intermittently going off/on w power since then which the dealer recognizes, but warranty has been expired since it's 9 years and over 100,000 mi. And we are left with a bill at around $1,400 average. $800 in parts alone.there are many mini customers known to have this issue of power steering loss in their early models too, same as my sister's year model. So far fortunately, there are no injuries nor fatalities directly from this power steering loss from what i know of. But many are faced with this large repair with we're facing, and some may forego/ delay repairing it. Transport canada, recognizes this as a safety issue, and recalled about 9,000 mini's last year. And the power steering pump part is no different than theirs.when are we going to act like our neighbors? until we get someone horribly injured or killed?! or have mini customers such my sister facing this large repair order on this defective part that's known to fail prematurely? this is a serious gamble with lives.
I am the original owner of a 2004 mini cooper s, now with a power steering problem. The power steering repeatedly fails for no detectable reason--this according to my mini/bmw mechanic. I drive the car for approximately 15 miles and the power steering fails. I shut the car off, let it cool and restart it.it returns to normal and then again fails after a few miles. The on-board computer records the failure, but does not explain it in a way that would suggest a solution.the car's computer reads:"fault stored:short circuit/open circuit at control unit."hence, my mechanic has no idea of how to fix it short of replacing the entire system which, as he says, is no guarantee that the problem will stop. As it is, the car is unsafe to drive, and i will no longer permit my wife to drive it. I do hope the nhtsa will look into this issue. I read online that allegedly is investigating the issue, and i would be happy to provide my mechanic's written evaluation if it would contribute to your research.the steering now fails each time i drive the automobile.thank you for your attention.
My 2004 mini cooper has had the power steering fail intermittently, always after 20-30 minutes of driving on the road. The car has 37,000 miles.
I was attempting to merge on to a major highway when my power steering failed, causing my vehicle to be temporarily out of my control. Due to the loss of steering, i was unable to safely maneuver the car into traffic and was forced to use both my parking brake and my regular foot brake to stop the vehicle before i collided with a traffic light. The vehicle stopped approximately 5-10 feet from a traffic light pole and placed me in the center of the intersection where other motorists were attempting to gain access to the on ramp.after several seconds, the powersteering reengaged and i was able to continue, without incident. I am lucky to be alive, and thankful that it was not my death the prompted some concrete action by both your agency and bmw. This is the third time my power steering unit has failed. The first two times were less than one second each and occurred when the car was stationary making it difficult to diagnose. Some how canada has forced bmw to issue at the very least an extended warranty on this specific part, how is it that the us is so far behind?
Driving on highway entering turn, and car was hard to steer, had to jerk wheel to avoid hitting another car.when will something be done with mine and others who have this issue. Does it take a death for car dealers to be held accountable.
I was driving 45-50 miles an hour on i95s over the q bridge near new haven. I turned gently to the right hand lane and could not steer the car to straighten up.i was unable to steer the car at all.i tried to brake but it did not help. Nothing like this happened before. My car was bounced from one side of the concrete barrier to the other. All airbags were deployed. The car was totaled. I was deemed to be at fault. I sustained severe spinal injury and required major surgery immediately. I was unable to work for over 3 months. I got reimbursement from my insurance for the car,s kbb value. I think the car was taken to hartford. I have not been able to file this complaint until now due to my physical disability. Please investigate this case for steering failure.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The vin was unknown. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper, base, sporadically quits working, especially in cold weather.i was told by mini dealership that it is a known defect but they will not replace it until it fails completely.very sub-par customer service, as they know it is a problem.unhappy.
The power steering assist on my 2004 mini cooper started failing very sporadically over one year ago becoming more and more frequent until finally i experienced complete failure of the power assist.sometimes this would occur when i was first starting the car but then as the frequency increase, it would also just stop working while i was driving, sometimes going as fast as 50-60 miles per hour, making the vehicle very difficult to steer.i had the power steering pump replaced with a brand new one, which seems to have corrected the problem.the car only had 83,000 miles on it at the time the power steering pump had to be replaced, which, i believe, is unacceptable.
Purchased a used 2004 mini cooper from a dealership. 7 weeks after purchase the steering became increasingly difficult at times in the last 24 hours. Taking it on monday but the "steering" isn't covered under their 9 month, 9000 mile warranty. Taking it in to the dealership on monday for their service dept to take a look at it. Hoping it's covered but i doubt it.
While driving my 04 mini cooper at freeway speed, i suddenly lost power steering assist.i can still drive the vehicle, but it is very difficult to turn.i took the vehicle to a local repair shop and was told the new power steering pump alone will cost me over 600 dollars.this does not include the labor and other miscellaneous costs associated with replacing the unit.the repair will cost me in excess of 1000 dollars, which i can not afford at this moment.i understand that multiple complaints relating to the power steering system in the 04 mini cooper have been filed.however, i have not seen a recall regarding this issue.i would like to know if you foresee a recall for this issue, and would appreciate any help you can offer.thank you for your time and consideration.
Power steering pump failure.
Last night while driving on a busy street in one of the largest cities in the u.s., i experienced complete power steering failure - which became evident to me only when i attempted to make a right turn and found that the steering wheel was nearly impossible to turn. Before this happened, no warning lights became illuminated on the dash & nothing about the car's performance suggested a problem with the vehicle - there was simply no warning of any kind. At the time this occurred i had been driving for less than 15 minutes @ approx. 35 mph & i had made several turns (right & left) during the course of this trip without any problems - the last of which had been only 2 or 3 minutes prior to this event. Though i was ultimately able to complete the turn without leaving the road by using all of my strength to slowly turn the wheel, my car traveled for approx. 1/2 block in the opposing lane of traffic before i was able to steer the car back into my lane. If there had been oncoming traffic on the street i turned onto i would have been completely unable to avoid a collision. Despite being restarted several times since this event, the vehicle's power steering has not returned or improved. At this time it appears that the power steering pump is the cause of the problem. This experience was extremely terrifying & could have easily resulted in the serious injury or death of myself and/or others.
While driving on the freeway my power steering pump died i could hardly change lanes on the freeway, it felt like my steering wheel had locked, turning in any angle was very hard worst than driving a truck, i kept a firm grip with one hand while trying to control the gears, my arms, back, and hand is still hurting,had no warning signals, it wheel just locked up and was very hard to managedi wasnt able to handle the car did not feel safe, did not have full controlof handling the steering this is serious protential accident waiting to happen i called the dealer and was told that there were recalls but not for my vin 2004. My mini isnow in the repair shop to have the pump replace and the fan. This is a deadly issue and mini should recall and pay for this problem for those of us who had to pay out of pocket we should get refunds, so far out of pocket is over $1100.00, i hope this send a message to the manaufacture that lives are at stake here, great car but not safe to drive without full control. I'm so thankful i didnt have to move quickly out of the way or i would not be here to report this bad experience i lost a day of work trying to get this resolved and the cost of a rental car.
1.power steering started failing2.occurs randomly throughout my driving ~ daily3.repair/replace power steering pump.
Our 2004 mini cooper has begun to exhibit intermittent power steering failures usually after being at rest or at very low speeds.if the car is turned off and restarted, the power steering starts up again but the problem has begun occurring more and more frequently.
The contact owns 2004 mini cooper. While the contact was driving approximately between 25 to 30 mph, there was a slight loss of power steering without warning. The failure was a continuous occurrence. The vehicle was taken to an independentmechanic for diagnosis. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,441 updated 02/01/11*ljthe power steering pump had to be replaced. 03.22.11
While driving on i95 going around a curve, my steering column locked up. I was able to pull over to the shoulder. It has happened a few times but i was able to pull over and wasn't sure what to tell my mechanic since it was so random. This weekend as i drove through an intersection making a left turn, with my children in the car, it locked up after months of not recurring. I was able to stop in time before colliding with oncoming cars at the red light but it was very scary for all of us. I am appalled mini has not issued a recall considering the precious lives that are at stake. I suppose it will take a fatality for someone to recall this defective part.
Exiting the interstate,i almost went off the road when steering the car became very difficultand turning the car was almost impossible. I parked the car for about 6 hours, tried it again, steering seemed to have returned to normal.
Power steering pump fan got lower in tone, harder to turn but hasn't failed yet. Looking up the issue on several sites, this is a common issue with this part failing. I contacted the local dealer which i originally bought it from and no recalls were shown for it - for the us. Canada however got a recall and they are fixing the problem there free of charge.
My daughter had been driving my car with no problems, when she parked to pick me up i put the car in reverse and was barely able to get out of the parking stall the steering was so hard. I then had to drive home using every ounce of strength i had, while making sure not to hit anything. I too have researched this and am truly disappointed with bmw.
I was on my way home from making some errands, went to turn left and i thought the car had cut off or something. Because it didn't want to turn right, but to my surprise it was running. So i manage to turn it before i hit the curb. When i got home i was able to see what was wrong. The power steering quit working. I let the car cool a little and got back in it and the power steering was working again. Come to find out the power steering works for about 10 minutes and goes out, until it cools off. I started looking on the internet and found out i'm not the only one with this problem. This is very dangerous and i mean dangerous. I called my mini dealer to see if there were a recall on this problem and they said there wasn't. But i did see they had a mini dealer notice for them to look out for this problem, but not fix for free. So we need a recall before someone gets killed or hurt, if it hasn't already happened. Thank you, [xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Continuous relapsing/remitting problem.power steering has been going out nearly once a week for the last year and a half.90% of the time the power steering comes back on after restarting the car.
Mainly while cold andat low speed's the wheel suddenly becomes very hard to turn and i was told by a mechanic but it's a faulty hydraulic power steering problem
Power steering failure.
Power steering failure. Unknown cause.
Technically there were 3 incidents with my 04 mini cooper. Out of nowhere, while driving down a busy street, the power steering just stopped working. Luckily i was in the far right lane, and slowed enough to veer to the roadside and call for assistance. When the car was taken to a mechanic, i was told the power steering pump was bad and needed to be replaced. Also, i was told that it happens frequently with mini's. However, i did not ask them to replace my pump, i wanted a second opinion. Out of nowhere my car started to drive without any issue whatsoever. I got a second opinion and was told in about a year, it would need to be replaced, but they too mentioned this issue with mini's. I was shocked. Weeks later, i was making a left turn and the power steering went out. I barely missed a bus stop on the corner, full of people. Shaken, i again called mini and asked about a recall or any procedures toward having one made. Obviously, they were unhelpful, but they too divulged that this is a common problem. My car started to drive normally once more, but i drove as little as possible while i continued my research. A third time, i couldn't even get my car out of the driveway and i decided that was it. I was just going to take it to a mini dealership and have the pump replaced. When i called with my situation and then told them i believed my power-steering pump was needing to be replaced, they didn't argue or say they'd look into it, they basically agreed, and gave an estimate. I took it in and they again asked no questions, they didn't look into the problem. $1200 later, i left with no questions answered, with a hole in my pocket. If this is a common problem, it needs to be addressed asap. What if i had hit that bustop full of people, or worse?i can still tell there's something wrong with my steering. Mini needs to do a recall. Yesterday.
Driving off-ramp at 35 mph power steering stopped functioning and steering became really hard, lights went off, ac stopped working, and lots of engine lights came up, almost crashed when turning a corner and engine started failing.....got home and shut off car, when tried to turn on again, it failed to start.......
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the power steering failed. The vehicle was shutdown and restarted and after a few minutes, operated as designed. The vehicle had not been diagnosed by a mechanic but the contact was sure that the power steering pump was the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileage was 91,000.
Steering became difficult while driving requiring full arm strength to turn wheel. An accident could easily have occurred if other vehicles were in the area where i was turning. Vehicle now requires wide radius to turn. A very dangerous situation. I have a strong upper body but anyone driving 2004/05 minis with this steering problem should take care and have dealership fix and pay for the repair.
My car keeps having intermittent power steering failure. There have been no events leading up to the failure, it has been quite spontaneous, always while i am driving.i have had more than 10 instances, some extremely dangerous as i am in the middle of making a turn when the failure occurs.nothing has been done to correct the failure as of yet; i am planning to take my car to the dealership once i have the money to do so.
Sudden loss of all steering assist at speed, resulting in alarming loss of control of vehicle.
The power steering is not working. I am a 280 pound man and i can barely turn . Also while driving at times it feels harder to turn, once again like power steering not working.
Power steering pump went out completely without warning as i was diving at a low speed. Steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn, making the car very dangerous to maneuver out of traffic and park safely. Narrowly avoided hitting pedestrians due to my inability to turn steering wheel.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.the contact stated that the power steering only functioned intermittently.neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.the failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mileage was 55,000.the vin was unavailable.
My power steering failed as i was driving during rush hour on a major highway into washington, dc. The wheel was not locked, but it became extremely difficult to turn the wheel in any direction, which was very dangerous as traffic was going 70mph. I was able to pull the car off at an exit, and stop it on the shoulder. I turned off the engine and re-started the car, at which time the power steering appeared to work normally again. This was the most recent incident of this type, but there have been at least ten. In other instances, the power steering fails during parallel parking in the tight spaces on city streets. This is unpredictable, however -- months can pass with no problem, and then it starts again.
After several months of intermittent power steering problems, the power steering pump on my car failed completely while trying to enter a rest stop on the new york state thruway.upon bringing the car to a mechanic, it was determined that the power steering cooling fan had been jammed, causing the pump to overheat.i then researched the issue online and found that several mini cooper models from 2002 to 2006 had been suffering from this issue, and that the only way to prevent it from happening a second time was to install an expensive fan guard on the new cooling fan.more recently, i found out about nhtsa research concerning the problem, and wanted to submit the experience i had with the problem.
1. No events led up to this failure. It occurred spontaneously after turning off my car.2. Power steering pump stays on after car's engine is off, and the pump will not shut off. This occurs every time the car is turned off and persists until the car is restarted or the battery dies. The constantly on power steering pump is know to lead to fires or spontaneously killing power steering while driving around turns.3. The only way to fix this issue is to replace the power steering pump or leave the battery unplugged in the car. I currently have ordered a new power steering pump.
I was driving on the freeway and my power steering suddenly went out-hard to steer car. I own a 2004 mini cooper.
Intermittent power steering failure causing unexpected loss of power steering while car is in motion.
Intermittent problem with the power steering going out after the engine warms up.this has happened now 4 times with very difficult steering.no loss of fluid on the pavement or squealing noises.after engine cools down, power steering again works.
1) automatic transmission busted. Car stalled dangerously on the highway.2) power steering pump busted. Steering locked dangerously on the road and could not be moved.
Powers steering pump failure, power steering pump cooling fan failure
I was driving to a friend's house approx. 20 miles away.on a turn, the car steering was almost non responsive.i managed the turn and turned my car off.when i restarted it, the power steering was back but only for a short time.i had to stop and start my car a few more times to get to my destination.the problem occurred closer to my destination then my home so it was safer to go there.it easily could have been the cause of an accident, especially on that first turn off of a 65 mph road.i'm not that strong.it took everything i had not to go in the ditch. Luckily nothing was coming.i took my car in for service today.they replaced the power steering pump.there was no lead up to this incident.i had power steering and in a second, i didn't.
The first time the power steering failed was when i was exiting off a highway rest stop. When leaving the stop, the power steering worked again. For a couple of months, incidents of stiffness became more frequent especially at the end of my commute home from work. Three months later it lacks power steering full time. After all i've read about this online, my concern is that the cost of the repair may be around $1300.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving at approximately 35 mph, the contact noticed steering became extremely difficult. After the initial failure, the steering problems became intermittent. The vehicle identification number was unavailable at the time of the complaint. The current mileage was approximately 78,000. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
I bought this vehicle new in 2004, and have had consistent problems with the steering, most recently on friday, march 9, 2012.i have taken it to the mini cooper dealer at least four times for this problem. The power steering pump has been replaced, so has the steering column, as well as the lower steering shaft spindle. Still, the power steering function goes out without warning. It is exceedingly dangerous and i have to drive this car to do my job, and i'm spooked by it.
Started to have intermittent power steering failure in january 2010, then it finally stopped working in july 2010, haven't had power steering since.
I was driving home on the high way from my friends house , when all of the sudden my steering got hard and i was going about 65mph, i pulled over and shut my car off wondering what had happened, turned it back on and it worked fine but it felt like it was getting hard, again like it would get hard and let go real quick , started driving really slow until my nearest exit and it got really hard before i got off the highway, and it stayed that way until i got home and its been happening since.
I was yielding to make a left turn on green.the car was in neutral.it was a relatively hot day.when i went to go i shifted into gear and immediately found it difficult to turn.as i furthered down the road to my event and was ushered into the parking lot by traffic control, the power steering diminished more and more as i drove on.by time i got to a parking space, i could just barely turn into my spot.a few hours after the event i turned on my car and it drove as normal again.after this powersteering failure i had a power steering fluid flush done.it has been a bit over a year since the first time it happened, but in the past two weeks i've lost my power steering about ten times.it's always when i'm at a slow speed or stopped.usually shutting the engine on and off again will solve the problem but once it did not.i left the car alone for a few hours and when i went to drive it again it was like normal.it has not always been hot when my power steering fails.i keep my car in a garage so it is seldom baking in the sun.when the power steering goes, it feels as if the car is gripping back and gets progressively worse as i continue to drive. I am not an aggressive driver and i live in a flat area where driving is a simple task.
The contact owns a 2004 mini copper. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the power steering assist failed. The contact shut off the vehicle and upon restarting, the power steering assist had independently reset. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the dealer was unable to locate the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 111,000 and the current mileage was 112,005.
I bought a used 2004 mini cooper last year. Under certain conditions on a curvy road the power steering pump would get very hard to turn the wheel, especially in a sharp curve. With no dealerships within 150 miles i put up with it. Now it stays on all the time and cannot be disconnected without taking the battery cable off the battery. It ruined 2 batteries before i realized it was staying on 24 hours a day. I bought the repair book and wiring diagram cd's to find it is straight wired from battery to inside the pump which glows bright red after running a few hours. If i had any type of oil leak, it would catch on fire. I contacted a repair center in atlanta ga and they can change it out for about $1000+ for the power steering pump and the open faced fan that caused the failure in the pump. It failed the exact month my warranty was over and they said sorry charlie. Cannot currently pay to have it repaired so it has been sitting in my yard for almost a year.
Mini cooper power steering pump failure.vehicle was recently driven and was parked on the street.we started the vehicle and backed up to pull out of the parking spot.there was no power steering.we had to attempt to back up again to get off of the street and in to the parking spot.a burning smell and smoke started from under the hood.the power steering pump and cooling fan had failed.there are documented issues with this failure.when i contacted the dealership, i was told the extended warranty for this issue expired in april.this happened june 12th.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.while driving 15-20 mph, the power steering suddenly failed.the contact had to pull the vehicle over.a diagnostic has not been performed to determine the cause of the failure.the failure mileage was 37,640.
2004 mini cooper. Power steering pump failed at high speed while driving on windy road at night. Was able to over correct and slow vehicle safely. Had it been my daughter driving she may have crashed. Pump failed without warning and no engine lights. After looking into this issue it seems that a lot of similar incidents have occurred with new model cars with less than 50k miles. Should be a recall to bmw for this!!!!
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to perform the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
My wife's 2004 mini cooper (non-s) has been having power steering failures for the past month.i experienced it for the first time today driving down a busy dallas highway.while trying to steer to the side of the road i immediately thought as i was yanking on the wheel, "what if the power steering kicks back in all of the sudden, we would end up in an accident."thankfully, that did not happen and after turning the car off, checking the fluid reservoir, and starting the car again, the power steering was back.i immediately called the local mini dealership and set up an appointment, but after researching this i think we may just park it until an official recall is issued.this is a huge safety issue that needs to be addressed.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while exiting a residential driveway,the power steering failed without warning. The vehicle was not repaired and the problem persisted. The manufacturer was notified. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering electric pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving 5 mph, the contact stated that the steering failed when he tried to make a right turn. The contact was able to keep the vehicle under control and pulled over. The contact turned off and restarted it; the steering seemed to reset itself. The failure seemed to occur when the engine was hot. The dealer stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 63,140.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving approximately 35 mph, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned; the failure lasted anywhere from a few minutes to 45 minutes. The failure occurred six times intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where different steering parts were replaced (the contact was unsure of which parts). The failure continued. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000 and the current mileage was approximately 74,000.updated 2/17/11
Replacement of power steering pump per recall, but unable to steer without replacement of u joint also.
After starting the mini, which is parked in a parking garage, i noticed the steering wheel wasvery difficult to turn, as if the power steering wasn't working. This had happened once before, but that time the problem went away after a few minutes. It was approximately 70 outside, and the power steering fluid was full. I drove the car to do errands, approx 10 miles round trip, and the problem persisted even after turning off the car and letting it sit for a few minutes while i went to the store. The steering functioned when i used a lot of force to turn the wheel, but i was worried about safety if i had to swerve or turn the wheel quickly for any reason; i would be unable to do so.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that when she got in the vehicle and started it, there was no power steering. She pulled out of the parking spot and turned the vehicle off and restarted it. However, the power steering was still non-functional. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the power steering pump was defective. The current and failure mileages were approximately 100,000.
Power steering suddenly cut out during normal driving conditions in downtown san francisco, making it very difficult to steer. Driver was able to bring the car to a stop safely, but this failure could have caused an accident had it occurred on a curving road. The power steering pump was determined to have failed, and was replaced by the consumer, for a repair cost of close to $700. The power steering pump is not supposed to fail this early in the lifetime of a vehicle.
Power steering failed as i was returning from taking my child to the airport. The car power steering cooling fan stayed on after i turned off the car and drained the battery. The problem was diagnosed as a failed power steering pump. The car was towed to a mechanic and the power steering pump was replaced as was the dead battery. The total cost was over $1700.
Temporary loss of power steering. Happens probably once or twice a month.i have been told by the dealer that i have a power steering leak - but not bad enough to cause a problem.i have never lost a quantity of fluid that required refilling.car has approximately 70k miles - seems odd to have a power steering leak at that mileage.leak first showed up at about 50k miles.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that the power steering failed while driving approximately 45 mph. The steering wheel became extremely stiff and additional force had to be applied in order to turn the steering wheel. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who located the failure at the power steering pump and cooling fan. The local mechanic replaced the power steering pump and the cooling fan. The failure was not corrected and the steering continued to fail intermittently. The failure and current mileage was 55,000.
Occasional difficulty in steering my 2004 mini cooper. The steering becomes difficult and i have to turn the car off and restart it for it to work again. This happens about once a week.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the steering system seized while the contact was changing lanes.the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic however, no details regarding the steering system defect was provided by the mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Steering fluid pump was just replaced a few weeks ago, problem has returned and will not go away... Steering wheel very rigid hard to turn. Very difficult to make turns, alot of effort to turn the steering wheel.trying to make a sharp or quick turn if needed, would be dangerous & almost impossible.i recently researched and found that thousands of 04 mini coopers had this same problem.
I was driving to work my steering all of a sudden became hard to turn i hit the curb and blew two tires.
I had driven 2004 mini for about 30 minute, then parked it in driveway. Within 15 minutes i looked over to see smoke coming from the engine. I opened the compartment and got help. We pushed it into a nearby field and called the fire dept. If it had stayed in the drive,it would have also ignited 2 cars, the house and a boat. Who know about people and animals. I almost got run over trying to stop the mini as it was pushed. After the car was out, we had it towed to inskip auto in warwick ri.jeof said at first it was a power steering hose that burst and got on the hot exhaust...igniting. After looking at it further and with metlife insurance agent, they thought it was the power steering fan and pump failure. This overheated the electrical harness, to start the electrical fire. Neither the insurance norinskip felt it was covered by them.i am to pay $2,600. Today when it pick it up. This covers labor, a power steering pump, fan and harness. I googled the problem on the internet to upsetting to me and find at least 250 posted mini's with the same problem. I don't understand how mini does not have to recall it. Are they waiting for just as many deaths?
The vehicle had been acting strange for the last couple of months, the steering would become heavy at times, and on the other occasions would work just fine. A trip to the dealership revealed that the power steering pump had failed. This seems like a known issue with most of the 2004 mini coopers, a defective part was put into the car while manufacting. Mini is not taking any responsibility of it, and the dealership is asking for $1200 to replace it. Due to the power pump failure, the temparature rises and may have caused damage to a few hoses around that area.
I had parked my car at a donut shop and when i came out and started the car and go, it was very hard to turn. I had to call a friend to help me tow it to my house.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated while driving 10 mph the power of steering would stop working intermittently. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 51,377.
Loss of power steering on my 2004 mini cooper. This problem comes an goes and my local service station said the pump has a crack.
The power steering pump failed on my mini cooper at high speed, curvy road at night without warning. I had to replace the pump and the cooling fan to the tune of $900. This happened just outside of warranty at 60k miles. Mechanic said that he replaces about 10 a month...all mini's pumps fail under 80k miles.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. . the contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over and shut it down. The vehicle was restarted and functioned as normal. The dealer was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 145,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Intermittent power steering failure.power steering pump remains on after shutting off the car and drains the battery.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving approximately 65 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact shut off the engine and after restarting, the vehicle regained power steering capabilities. The power steering continued to fail intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.
While driving, i noticed it became markedly more difficult to turn the wheel. I was able, with effort, to drive safely to my destination. When it was time to return home, the power steering was working for the first 4 or so miles, then it gave out again.
Lent car to boyfriend to drive me to boston (100 mile one way).on the way home he stopped at a store approximately 10 miles from the house.when he came back out of the store ( was in store approximately 10 minutes) the power steering no longer worked.it was like trying to steer through concrete for him.a few days later he tried the car and it all worked fine again.based on prior complaints filed, i am concerned that the issue will reoccur when i am driving causing obvious safety concerns, or that it may catch fire (based on other complaints filed for similar issues) and that i will be facing the cost of replacing the power steering unit (which does not sound like it has been reengineered since this issue became known).
Intermittent power steering failure. Continues to occur almost daily. To date, i have not had trouble driving the car, but the power steering goes on and off with no apparent reason.
The power steering pump on my 2004 mini cooper has gone out now four times. It becomes very hard to steer and impossible to make a u-turn or parallel park. It happens intermittently and without warning and is very dangerous.i have contacted mini of san francisco and they refuse to make the repair because the car is not under warranty. This is despite acknowledgement from bmw/mini that the part is faulty.
Failure of power steering.
It was so scary to not be able to make turns on freeway! on my way back from work san francisco, i started experiencing very stiff power steering half way and the situation got worse and worse. To the end i almost couldn't make turns. I barely can finally park the car in front of my garage and i was horrified by the experience for the whole night. Brought the car to get checked and it turned out the power steering pump needed to be replaced. It was way more expensive than i can afford but can i not to get that repaired? i needed the car to go to work etc. Mini cooper should recall this power steering pump. It's a serious safety issue.
Power steering failed soon after starting. The car had been outside on a cold day, but not unusual (~20 degrees f). It functioned again when re-started.
The power steering unit in my 2004 mini cooper has been acting strange for several months. It would sporadically cut off making the car difficult to steer.this has happened several times while the car was in motion. Luckily, all of the incidents happened when the car was moving slow.now the car has no power steering at all.it completely failed today. Our mini cooper only has 43,000 miles on it.imagine if i was driving over 30 miles and hour and the power steering cut off!i feel like the car is very dangerous to drive.i am very nervous about parking the car since the power steering is intermittent, i hope that it doesn't cut out when i turn into a parking space, which would increase the chance of hitting a parked car. I have contacted the dealership and got a quote for $1200 in parts alone.adding the labor will bring the grand total to $1400.
After driving from san francisco to burlingame, california, i turned off the engine.when i returned 10 minutes later, i lost power steering when i started the car.on that same day, i drove from burlingame back to san francisco.i turned off the engine.5 minutes later, i lost power steering again when i started the engine.the car is extremely difficult to turn without power steering, especially at low speeds.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that when traveling at any speed, the steering wheel would intermittently become difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the power steering pump would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and there were no prior warnings of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,000 and the current mileage was 72,000.
Was driving home from work, went to turn a corner and the steering got very hard.
Vehicle intermittently becomes extremely difficult to steer.
I own a 2004 mini cooper. I've had a couple incidents with the power steering system. While driving the vehicle, the power steering will cease to operate. The result is a steering system that is extremely difficult to maneuver. This is a safety hazard that needs to be addressed by bmw. I've read a few online articles on this matter and now realize that my power steering pump is going bad. It needs to be replaced and i plan to do so. I was surprised however by the number of online articles i found on this topic. Operating a vehicle with a randomly faulty power steering system is extremely dangerous. I can only imagine the worst should the power steering fail on my mini cooper on a winding road with oncoming traffic. It is a completely random failure of the power steering system under all driving conditions. The problem first occurred a couple months ago and went away. Recently it happened multiple times on the same day. So far my solution has been to turn the car off and restart it. Based on internet research i know now that i need to replace the power steering pump.
Power steering pump stopped working.
2004 mini cooper. Consumer requests assistance for hazardous vehicle transmission and steering wheel.the consumer stated the vehicle stalled while driving on a busy highway.
Driving on the highway and the power steering failed for no apparent reason. Car had just been inspected and there were no other mechanical or road hazard issues but i almost collided with a vehicle because the steering wheel froze. In actuality, it required a great deal of strength--unexpectedly so it felt frozen.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering and the power steering warning indicator illuminated. The contact received notification ofnhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering); however, the dealer refused to perform the repair due to the updated part previously being installed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The power steering quit working while driving vehicle, contact was made with the mini dealer in nashville tn and i inquired about a recall on the power steering and was told no recall was placed on this vehicle.
Power steering pump failure on 2004 mini cooper.hard to steer while driving at all speeds.ordered new part from dealership.
I own a 2004 mini cooper. I was driving and lost all power steering almost causing a accident. There is a open recall on this issue. I contacted mini and they informed me that my vehicle was not included with the recall. I explained that my car was experiencing all the issues addressed in the recall, but they still would not help me out.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that the power steering intermittently malfunctioned causing a loss of power steering assist capabilities. On one occasion, the contact stated that the power steering cooling fan remained on after the vehicle was shut off and drained the battery. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility where the contact was awaiting repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000 and the current mileage was approximately 58,325.
Steering would work fine some of the time but then become very hard to turn.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.the driver was driving at an unknown speed when the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn.the vehicle was parked and shut off.upon restart the steering wheel remained difficult to turn. The failure and current mileages were 60,000.the power steering pump failed internally. The power return line was leaking. Also, both struts were leaking. Updated evoq 02/02/11
Power steering has failed on 2004 mini copper twice.this is the second occurrence in 1.75 years.this is a safety concern especially as a city driver where the need exists to parallel park, park in parking decks, and driving and turning on narrow streets with traffic.there is not always the option to make a wide turn.model years 04 and 05 have this issue and mini has not addressed.in addition they have not made it an affordable repair.
The power steering in my 2004 mini cooper began malfunctioning last year. This makes it difficult to steer and control the vehicle. It malfunctions every time i drive the car, the pump stops working a few minutes or immediately after i start the engine. I have not had an accident due to the malfunction, but one could be possible, if i were to have to make a sharp turn at a moment's notice. Since this part is a dealer only part, it is extremely expensive and i have not been able to afford it since i was laid off last year. Help!
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact was driving 35 mph when the power steering failed. The vehicle was turned off and restarted yet the failure continued. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the power steering pump and power steering cooling fan were replaced. The manufacturer was not notified. The current and failure mileage was approximately 85,500.updated 09/07/11updated 10/31/11
Power steering went out as we were driving down the road. Almost caused an accident. Power steering still out. I just read up and it seems everyone's waiting for the recall. This is dangerous!!
I have a 2004 mini cooper and i too have had my power steering fail on curves while driving this happens a lot when i turn the wheel on sharp curves and park. It costs about 850 dollars to replace the power steering pump at the dealer and i am unemployed at the moment and cannot afford this cost.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.the contact was driving 70 mph when the power steering malfunctioned and the vehicle became difficult to control.the contact stated that the power steering pump was replaced several years ago by a local mechanic. The vehicle was taken back to the local mechanic for the most recent failure for a replacement to the power steering pump and the rack and pinion.the contact stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive and was concerned with the possibility of the failure causing a crash.the failure mileage was 96,000. Updated 06/24/11 updated 06/30/11.
Lost power steering at highway speed due to power steering pump failure. Short circuit or fire melted power steering pump wiring harness. Damage was caused to other portions of electrical wiring harness by fire, resulting in blown fuses. Upon removing key from ignition at roadside, engine kept running until battery was disconnected.
Power assisted steering will cease working while driving, making the car very, very difficult to steer/control. This problem is currently intermittent, but when it does happen it is very scary. Currently, i will not allow my wife or grandchildren in the car until i fix this problem.mini usa thru main line mini, bala cynwyd, pa stated no recall for this vehicle via email.research of nhtsa online data base shows 113 reported complaints for year 2004 mini's and 120 for year 2005 for steering problems and no fix by bmw. This is a serious safety problem and suggest readers file complaints and hope it does not take a death to get someone's attention.
I own a 2004 mini cooper, the power steering pump completely stopped working without prior warning. We were on our way to eureka springs arkansas when this happened, luckily my husband was the one driving, i don't even want to imagine what could have happened if it had been me. I don't think i would have been able to handle the car through those curves.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact had to apply force to the steering wheel in order to steer the vehicle. The failure recurred on numerous occasions.the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering) however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000. Vin tool confirms parts unavailable.
The power steering cut out while driving around town.after driving further about 20 minutes, power steering returned.power steering now acts erratically, operating sometimes and not others.power steering periodically does not operate.
I own a 2004 mini cooper.i started the car last week and the power steering pump was making a very high pitched squealing noise.i decided to drive another car that day because i did not have enough time to bring it to a mechanic.the next day i started the car and the pump came up to speed very slowly and then stopped making noise altogether.the power steering no longer works.i don't think i can safely drive it to the mechanic and the car has sat in the driveway since. The car is out of its warranty period so i would be looking at the expense of towing and parts and labor before i can use it again.i just saw the report on cnbc and was wondering if this is a common problem before i contact a garage.thank you.
Power steering froze up as we turned a corner and then died out completely. It has never returned. Very close to causing a collision because of the loss of power steering.
I was changing lanes in a heavy traffic situation and my power steering quit causing the car to continue in the "changing" direction.this nearly caused me to hit a car in another lane because i could not move into the intended lane.
After driving 5 miles and stopped at a traffic light, when the light turned green i began a left turn and had no power steering, i had to pull the steering wheel with all my strength to keep from causing a wreck.i drove 5 more miles to work and parked.2 hours later i went outside and heard a motor running in my car. The running motor had drained my battery, i had to jump start the car to get home.the mini dealer in charleston sc said i had to bring the car to them to replace a rmfd power steering part which was a dealer only part.i live 100 miles from the dealer, i had to take car to my local mechanic so he could unhook the motor so the battery would not be drained while i parked until i could get a day off work to drive the mini to charleston.parts needed for the fix: intake manifold; hose clamp; rmfd power steering; core return.the total repair costs 969.00 and a day off work.i have a 2 year guarantee on this fix.
I experienced a failure where the steering wheel became very difficult to turn and would not return to center after turning. Fortunately this occurred first at a very low speed. I drove straight to the dealer which had replaced the electric power steering pump 1,300 miles earlier. This failure was determined by the dealer to be binding of the lower steering shaft and it was replaced.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that the power steering assist failed intermittently and the steering wheel became hard to turn. The failure occurred for a brief moment and the steering returned to normal function. However, the failure became permanent over time. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and a diagnostic was performed. The failure was located at the power steering pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,416 and the current mileage was 88,570.
2004 mini cooper,coupe has intermittent power steering, which began suddenly on a circular freeway on ramp at about 40mph, during which i nearly lost control of the car.the failure seems to be triggered by u turns (round-about, spiral ramps, maneuvering out of a small parking space.)i have had the power steering pump investigated as the cause and it is working normally.i believe it is a problem with either the computer or steering assembly.it is possible to drive the car with the failed power steering, but quite disconcerting when it fails in the middle of a turn.i am still driving the car - but carefully.update - while driving the car this morning, the power steering suddenly failed on a curve at 50 mph. I momentarily lost control, but regained it without accident.the power steering became functional again within about 100 yards of driving.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that immediately after starting the vehicle, the power steering failed. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred on three occasions. During the most recent failure, the power steering pump continued to run after the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 89,000.
While driving the power steering cut out creating an unsafe driving condition. Over the next 20,000 miles the power steering would intermittently come back and go out more than a dozen times until eventually failing completely.
Power steering in 2004 mini cooper almost completely locks up with no warning whatsoever. No warning lights or other visual indicators depict the status of the power steering fluid or overall steering system. Ability to steer car changes instantaneously from full "normal" control to nearly impossible to parallel park (at extremely slow speed) or make a basic 90 degree turn (at any relevant speed).makes the car dangerous and stressful to drive.
About a year and half ago the car was leaking steering fluid, the mechanic stated that the cooling fan on the steering pump was a bad design, he adjusted it and it lasted until november of 2011 again the leaking started, grinding noise from the front left,steering was difficult on turns. I had all the steering components replaced at a cost of @ $1,100. Mechanic still believed it is a design flaw, should have a recall.
Took car into dealer and they said the power steering pump needs to replaced, which would cost $1050.00 for parts and labor.prior to taking it into dealer, the steering wheel locked up on several occasions, which caused me to use all my strength to get the car to steer.on february 5, 2012, the steering wheel locked up, i parked the car, and the power steering pump fan ran continuously until it drained the battery.i have read online that mini cooper owners are trying to get bmw to recall this defect, but they will not.i also read that nhtsa checked into this, but i do not know what the outcome was.
The contact owns a 2004 mini copper. While traveling 25 mph the power steering failed which made the steering wheel difficult to turn. The failure only lasted for a short time and began to function normally. The failure and current mileages were 44600.
The power steering failed on my 2004 mini cooper with no notice in city traffic. I was driving allof a sudden lost power steering which nearly caused an accident in heavy traffic. I had to have the power steering pump replaced for $1144.11 and found it was a very common problem.
The power steering pump on my 2004 mini cooper has failed. I believe that this failure made the car dangerous to drive. The car is a low-mileage vehicle (43,000 miles at 4 years) and i believe this component has failed prematurely. I am a member of several mini enthusiast communities and am aware that this is a common problem with the mini. Www.mini2.com has reports of around 1 in 4 vehicles having this pump fail prematurely. I believe an investigation is important due to member reports of fires starting under the hood. The part was replace at a mini dealership.
While driving my 2004 mini cooper, the power steering assistance suddenly disappeared. The loss of power steering made the vehicle difficult to steer/control at slow speeds. The problem was solved by replacing the power steering pump.
Yesterday i was driving home from work and as i was turning onto the access road to get on the highway my steering wheel locked up and forced me to hit a curb. I was able to take side roads to avoid the highway and make it home safely. The curb did do some damage to my car. Man date is oct 2004.
At 35 mph i noticed intermittent loss of power steering (ps). I was diving on 2 lane winding country road with no shoulders and ended up in the oncoming lane before i regained control. Luckily was no traffic at the time. The most terrifying thing is when ps it's dead for a while and then suddenly comes back on. If you are in a corner, because you've just been muscling the steering wheel, and ps comes back you will be suddenly over-steer and veer out of your lane.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that the power steering assist failed without warning, causing extreme difficulty in steering control.the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vin was not available. The failure and the current mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph, it was difficult to control the vehicle. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 125,000.
While driving on the interstate the power steering stopped working. The steering became very uncomfortable and the first exit we approached we stopped and checked fluid levels, everything was fine. Restarted the car and power steering was working again after a few miles power steering stopped working again. Car is much harder to steer when the pump goes out than if equipped with manual steering. Very dangerous when vehicle is at slower speeds because of the amount of effort it requires to turn.
I was exiting interstate and slowing to a stop when steering wheel no longer worked easily. The steering wheel became hard to turn, i was able to pull over and avoid an accident.
Heard click while turning wheel was advised steering hose needed replacement last july 12 2012had repair made.now with only 78k on car hearing click again - took to mechanic advising whole power steering pump needs replacement.
While driving approx 35 mph my mini suddenly felt as if i had several flat tires.i pulled over and checked all my tires.i had no power steering, it was extremely difficult to steer the mini.(i have driven cars in the past without power steering) it took all my strength to drive the mini to my destination.i turned off the mini and called my husband.when i restarted the mini i had power steering.it concerns me that the power steering when out while driving without any warning.
Driving under normal daylight conditions when the power steering failed on my 2004 mini cooper.
The steering became very tight and the steering wheel was very hard to turn. The sudden loss of power steering was very scary at normal street speeds.shutting off the car and restarting it will return the steering to normal only for a little bit...after a few minutes the power steering is gone again.
Mini cooper (2004 with ~74k miles) with intermittent power steering problems.steering wheel would randomly become very stiff when turning and then free up unexpectedly.when this would occur, the car would understeer (not turning as far as intended) and i would find myself reacting by turning harder, usually resulting in oversteering and erratic turns.it felt like something was binding and then letting go but it wasn't predictable or repeatable with consistency.dealership determined that 'power steering pump was cutting out.replaced the faulty ps pump to resolve.'cost was $1009.94.one week later, exactly same condition returned.dealership now determined 'found steering shaft from steering wheel to steering rack to be seized and binding.replaced steering shaft and aligned steering wheel to front tires.'no additional charge; problem has been fixed.
I was driving around 40 miles per hour and the car abruptly slowed down then sped up without any warning, if another car was behind me, it would have caused some serious damage. Now my car wouldn't shift shift out of first gear. I was told by my mechanic that the cvt transmission is gone. After reaching out to mini usa, they told me they haven't had any problem with this transmission and it's pass the warranty date. If the folks at mini usa had been honest with me i could have made the deadline for a settlement pertaining to the same problem they claimed they had no idea about. This product need to be recalled! after doing extensive research the cvt transmission have had problems all along and the company have been settling claims for quite some time. Why are they allowed to run hard working folks into death because they know most of us can't and wouldn't pursue this matter. It will cost me 6500.00 for the part and another $2200 for labor, the car is now valued at $5500.00. It there something wrong with this?
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact was driving 35 mph when the power steering failed. The contact steered the vehicle to a parking lot where he was able to turn the engine off. Once the vehicle was restarted, the steering resumed normal operation. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 72,000. Updated 01/13/11updated 01/24/11
Power steering has been an issue over a year or two.no total failures but it does not qualify as power steering.the cooling fan does not work.steering is not good....for powered steering that is.slow speed steering is horrendous and non existent.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that power steering failed intermittently. The failure occurred without any warning. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who stated that they could not find the cause of the problem. The vehicle was still being inspected. The current and failure mileages were 130,000.
Power steering failed while i was driving the vehicle and i almost crashed.
I had driven my car ~ 40 miles at speeds ranging from 45 mph to 70 mph.the last20 or so miles had been on an interstate.shortly after i exited the freeway, my steering became very tight and hard to manipulate.this continued until i parked the car, about 5 miles later.when i re-started the car, the power steering had returned to normal.this has happened no less than 15 times since then.it occurs without warning and usually will correct itself if i turn the car off and restart it.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving less than 20 mph, the contact lost power steering with no prior warning. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. The vehicle was driven to the side of the road. The engine was turned off; and after restarting the vehicle the power steering began to function normally. The similar failure recurred on a different occasion. The dealer was notified and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was 55,000.
The cars power steering started failing for a few seconds while driving at slow speed.this has happened at least 20 or more times over the last 2 years.the steering of the vehicle becomes extremely hard.there is no warning that this will occur, so clearly it could result in an accident.in the last 12 months, the power steering has started to fail when the car is started, but started working again if the car was restarted or after a short period of time.this week, after 3 hours of driving, the car was parked for 15 minutes, when the car was restarted there was no power steering at all during another 5 minutes of driving.the care was stopped for another 20 minutes and when restarted power steering was restored.i am very concerned that this failure could occur during high speed maneuvering and could result in a major accident.i feel that i have been lucky to date that i haven't been in a situation that resulted in an accident, precise control of the vehicle is impossible without the power steering.
Power steering in my 2004 mini cooper went out while going around a turn and caused me to swerve off the road.
Power steering pump fail. No check engine light or any warning light. Found out that its not working while driving!!! i couldn't turn my steering wheel it became very stiff. Its very dangerous and very expensive to replace. About $900 for the part only!
Lost all power steering.
On multiple incidents, there is no indication leading up to the sudden loss of power steering.intermittent loss of power steering to the point where the steering wheel is nearly impossible to turn or maneuver.problem would occur during initial startup of the car, or after 15 mins of driving, or after 2-3 hours of driving.so far, on all occurrences, once the car is shut off and turned back on then power steering resumes.took my car to mini of stevens creek on 8/8/11 and was quoted $180 for diagnostics, $848 for parts, $253 for labor.mini has declined to honor a no-cost replacement.i need to find more reasonable price for repair as i cannot afford the quoted $1300 at the moment.i have yet to have this power steering problem fixed.
Daily driving my 04 mini cooper loses power steering intermittently.sometimes it is just for a minute or two and other times it lasts hours. When i'm driving the car in town i have to pull over immediately as it becomes difficult to steer around sharp corners.if on the freeway it's alarming how difficult it is to steer.i took it to the mini cooper dealership and they diagnosed that it needed a new power steering pump.i had it replaced 10/14/2010.
The power steering failed, common problem in 2004 mini cooper. Canada has issued a recall in january 2012.
2004 mini cooper- 50k miles- power steering fan / motor failure leading to electrical system malfunction, heat/fire damage resulting in inability to turn off engine.
2004 mini cooper occasionally would lose power steering once every couple months after a few years of owning it. Turning off car and starting it back up would always resolve it. While driving down highway at 60mph, lost power steering. Could not pull over immediately. Took exit ramp with a sharp curve, could barely make it around the curve, ended up on the shoulder. Easily could have been an accident, or worse.
2004 mini cooper steering becomes hard to steer suddenly during driving and also at times after a restart from parking. After a couple of restarts it appears to be back to normal but quickly becomes hard to steer again while driving. During turns i feel kind of blocks in the steering during the turning that are required to be countered with a little more hard pressure on steering to complete the turn. Feel riskier to take it for downtown drives that need sharp and proper turns into lanes. Even more riskier for highway drives as not sure how it will react to a quick lane change or during exits. Power steering seems to no longer exist.
2004 mini cooper. Consumer states while driving power steering malfunctioned.*tgw
The contact owns a 2004 bmw mini cooper. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph when the power steering pump failed, making it extremely difficult to maneuver the steering wheel.the dealer was contacted who was unaware of the problem. The contact did not inform the manufacture nor was the vehicle repaired. The current and failure mileages was approximately 58,900. The vin was unavailable.
1. An hour into a highway drive, all the electrical failed. All lights, gauges, radio, etc. All but the power steering returned in a moment, less than a second.2. The power steering does not work.3. Power steering pump internal electronics area shows significant scorching and melting. Pump was replaced but power steering system still inoperable. The old pump is available.
Dear nhtsa,our complaint matches the nhtsa investigation being conducted regarding the intermittent power-loss of the power steering pump of the 2004-5 mini cooperwe own a 2004 mini cooper.our power steering loss began feb '10 and described as unexpected and intermittently-occurring total loss-of-assist to steering.this was rectified by a purchase of a new power steering pump from mini cooper (elmsford, ny) and purchase of labor (installation) from straub auto repair (hastings on hudson, ny) during that month.
While parking and while driving, steering function has been lost.the steering wheel gets heavy, seeming to be stuck and unable to turn.this happened twice, and i was able to stop the car or pull off to the side and stop without injury.the steering fluid was fine, an although the steering pump doesn't make noise or continue to run after the car is shut off, it is assumed the steering pump needs to be replaced (a common faulty part in mini coopers).there is concern for safety over when and where i might lose steering again and whether this will cause an incident alone or with another car.i have read that my car might start on fire in connection with the steering pump, even with a replacement of the pump.
Very hard to turn steering wheel at times especially when moving slowly; coming to a turn at a light, backing out of a parking spot, etc.
Power steering pump failed at speed. Was very difficult to control the vehicle and presented a hazard to me and the vehicles around me. This is a common and known issue on many minis of similar year, should not occur to due the safety hazards.
Power steering goes out suddenly and unexpectedly making the vehicle extremely hard to turn and steer.has happened 3x in two days.happened one time a year or more ago and i thought it was a fluke.this is now no fluke.when i restart the vehicle (so far) it has come back, but i cannot reliably drive this vehicle this way.canada ordered a recall on this same issue and mini is fixing and extending the warranty to 200,000km.seems only fair that us drivers get the same treatment.it is a dangerous situation and not one we can afford to let go unsolved.
Normal driving conditions.2004 mini cooper power steering failed.no leaking fluids, no warning lights or abnormal sounds to hint that this was an impending issue.car was very difficult to maneuver.we are concerned that this is a safety issue in parking lots, with pedestrians or at speed around other vehicles.
My car started to make a whirring sound, i wasn't sure what it was so my dad had a look and wasn't sure. The next day i was driving along a 60mph road and as i went to turn a sharp corner my power steering failed.i had to manually pull the car round the corner with all my strength so as not to hit the oncoming traffic. It then kept failing intermittently for the rest of the drive home.i typed mini power steering into google when i got home and found page after page of people having problems just like mine.i rang mini and they told me to take the car into the dealership in cheltenham which i did. I left the car with them and the next day they got back to me to say it definitely was the power steering pump. I asked it they would fix this as it was a dangerous fault with the car.they said they would speak to mini one and get back to me.i eventually heard back from them and the answer was no, they wouldn't fix it as i didn't buy the car from a mini dealership.i was unhappy with this decision as it was clearly a dangerous manufacturing fault so went into the dealership in cheltenham to speak to someone face to face.i spoke to the manager there and was told the same things, that i didn't buy it from a mini dealership, it was over 5 years old and over 30000 miles on the clock.it was a pristine 2004 mini cooper convertible with 35000 miles on the clock. Had always been serviced with mini and i had only owned the car 3 months.they told me it would cost me 800 to fix it. I complained about this and told them how unhappy i was and they offered me half off the labor taking the price to 590 approx. I was still unhappy so they offered to ring mini one again and put my case forward. 2 days later we got a call and the answer was again no.i then found a company online who restore faulty power steering pumps with a 2 year warranty for a fraction of the price so went with that.it was fixed in june and have had no problems since.
My power steering failed. Cause unconfirmed as yet, but this apparently is a known problem. Power steering started again when i restarted the car, but now the pump motor (or perhaps the fan) won't shut off and there is no fuse to disable. Must disconnect the battery to shut it off and avoid draining the battery. Steering did not lock up, but very difficult to overcome the rack-and-pinion steering linkage resistance.
My power steering failed in the middle left turn causing me to wreck right into a signal light. I have a 2004 mini cooper 5spd transmission non-s.
Power-assisted steering fails on 2004 cooper mini.vehicle not driven aggressively.shutting vehicle off, then restarting, will occasionally restore power steering but only for a brief period.power-assisted steering works when first started for the day, but quits entirely within 30 - 45 min. Later.driving without power-assisted steering is possible but extremely difficult to turn.
I was driving down a side streets when all of a sudden i couldn't steer the car after stopping at an intersection.i later found out that the power steering pump had suddenly gone back on my 2004 minicooper. Ii was at a 4-way intersection at the time and was nearly crushed by two other cars.after getting the car home i wrote to mini's corporate to see if it would be covered since there had been a lot of online complaints about the pump, but they wouldn't cover it.instead i was forced to shell out over $700 for it (exact price i will have to look up). I just read about an investigation that the nhtsa was doing and wanted to make sure you heard by story.i purchased the car new in 2004 from mini of peabody, ma. And will try to get my money back, but so far i haven't had any luck.[xxx]2004 minicooper (non "s" model)here is the email that i sent to minicooper-------------------------i am writing to see if mini will cover the cost of the power steering pump that died yesterday without any advance warning in my 2004 mini.the car was fine all day and then as i went to take a turn at a busy intersection i couldn't turn the wheel and almost got crushed by other cars heading toward me. From the research i have done this is a known failure and one that mini seems to avoid absorbing the cost to fix / replace.from what i read a recall was done in britain, but not here in the u.s.please let me know how mini will help me in this situation. I surely don't have the money for a new or refurbished power steering pump and with the huge risk of injury / and or death that this problem could cause i would hope that mini cares less about profits and more about their customers - and covers the cost to fix this problem.please respond back as soon as possible.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Driving car on highway rounding curve, power steering failed completely.
Power steering wheel goes on and off.when i turn the wheel i can feel it go from heavy resistance to regular in seconds, which has been more than once in a day.if there is a car coming from the opposite direction, it could easily crashed into my side. Due to this suddenly wheel malfunction, i had to slow down because i was at the corner of the road, trying to turn. This is so dangerous, and it will only take seconds to kill people in this situation.i did research online and found out this is a pretty common issue for the mini cooper.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be remedied; however, the contact believed that they did not inspect the vehicle. The contact was notified by a technician that it should have taken four hours to complete the inspection and perform any necessary repairs. The contact did not believe the repair was adequately performed. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure.updated 09/27/16*ljconsumer stated the dealership said car was fine, consumer wants to know it if it was recalled why the parts were not replaced updated 6/12/18
2004 mini cooper 110k miles lost power steering wheel control, very dangerous.
Backing out of parking space and upon shifting from reverse to drive and starting forward power steering went out. Very difficult to operate car due to difficulty steering.
I was just driving home from work and the power steering just went out, i did safely make it home and got the car in the garage. It has been parked since it seems the power steering comes and goes. I don't know what the problem may be for sure, but i have already had the fan assembly replaced due to it would not cut off, and killed my battery, so of course i had to replace the battery. I am taking the car in for a estimate for the steering, but it seems this is a common problem and it needs to be recalled. It cause someone to get hurt or even killed.
The power steering on my 2004 mini cooper intermittently fails. To date, 5 failures have happened lasting from 10 to 30 minutes in duration.last failure was december 3, 2010.
The power steering system failed as the vehicle approached and entered a "roundabout" circle. The system not only stopped providing steering assist, but the steering wheel stayed in the right turn position (did not return to center) which caused the vehicle to veer off the road surface. The power steering system has completed failed in the vehicle, which makes the car very difficult to drive (especially my for wife who was operating the vehicle when the initial failure occurred). Do to the non-functional power steering system, when making either left or right hand turns, the steering wheel stays in the turned position which requires the driver to quickly maneuver the car to prevent it from continuing to veer off of the road surface ~ this condition is present at all speeds with all degrees of steering input. In simple terms: if the steering wheel is fully turned "hard" to the left, it will stay in that position causing the vehicle to continue turning and will not start its return to the center "straight" position without input from the driver. Aside from the complete loss of steering assist (which makes normal steering very difficult at all speeds), the steering wheel positional issue (as noted above) introduces a very unsafe operating condition for the driver and vehicle.
My 2004 mini cooper intermittently loses it's power steering and is extremely difficult to control.this usually happens when the engine is not yet warmed but sometimes happens randomly.it is very difficult to maintain control when turning and today i just missed a pedestrian turning a corner in a crowded downtown area.
Suddenly lost power steering while driving and had substantial difficulty turning to get out of traffic.it happened a few times, then took it for repairs.was told that the pump and fan were bad and that this was a known problem with 2004 minis.
My 2004 mini cooper has had multiple incidents where the power steering pump fails. It has failed numerous times, some even while driving. The problem starts if the steering wheel is cranked all the way for a tight turn, gradual turn or does not turn on when the car starts. Sometime the pump will reset if the car if shut off then on again or the pump regains pressure. I have checked the pump itself, there are no leaks, fluid is filled to the appropriate level and no other issues have come up. This is a very dangerous thing to have happen while driving and needs to be resolved. It is a costly repair that i find bmw should assist with being that the pump appears to be faulty.
Driving on highway entering turn, and car was hard to steer, had to jerk wheel to avoid hitting another car.when will something be done with mine and others who have this issue. Does it take a death for car dealers to be held accountable.
The contact owns 2004 mini cooper. While the contact was driving approximately between 25 to 30 mph, there was a slight loss of power steering without warning. The failure was a continuous occurrence. The vehicle was taken to an independentmechanic for diagnosis. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,441 updated 02/01/11*ljthe power steering pump had to be replaced. 03.22.11
I am the original owner of a 2004 mini cooper s, now with a power steering problem. The power steering repeatedly fails for no detectable reason--this according to my mini/bmw mechanic. I drive the car for approximately 15 miles and the power steering fails. I shut the car off, let it cool and restart it.it returns to normal and then again fails after a few miles. The on-board computer records the failure, but does not explain it in a way that would suggest a solution.the car's computer reads:"fault stored:short circuit/open circuit at control unit."hence, my mechanic has no idea of how to fix it short of replacing the entire system which, as he says, is no guarantee that the problem will stop. As it is, the car is unsafe to drive, and i will no longer permit my wife to drive it. I do hope the nhtsa will look into this issue. I read online that allegedly is investigating the issue, and i would be happy to provide my mechanic's written evaluation if it would contribute to your research.the steering now fails each time i drive the automobile.thank you for your attention.
Power steering failure while driving; had new steering rack/pump installed at 90,000, worked fine for a year and now the power steering has failed for the second time; a new steering pump/rack needs to be installed...
Driving to work and power steering system failed without warning. This failure created a dangerous situation. I was able to control the car, but it took a tremendous amount of effort. Had my wife been driving, it is likely that she would lost control.
I was just driving home from work and the power steering just went out, i did safely make it home and got the car in the garage. It has been parked since it seems the power steering comes and goes. I don't know what the problem may be for sure, but i have already had the fan assembly replaced due to it would not cut off, and killed my battery, so of course i had to replace the battery. I am taking the car in for a estimate for the steering, but it seems this is a common problem and it needs to be recalled. It cause someone to get hurt or even killed.
2004 mini cooper. Consumer states while driving power steering malfunctioned.*tgw
While driving in a 35mph zone, smoke started coming out from under the hood (bonnet). Driver noticed odd steering response shortly before smoke appeared. Repair shop noted power steering pump failure causing wiring loom fire. Research has found numerous power steering pump failures on mini coopers. When power steering fails, driving is next to impossible given size of steering wheel and power assist design.
2004 mini cooper. Consumer states problem with power steering *tgwthe consumer has spent over $4800 in repairs over the last two years.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while traveling 35 mph, the power steering completely failed and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer for assistance. The dealer replaced the entire power steering system because the electronic power assist pump could not be replaced by itself. The failure mileage was 46,995 and the current mileage was 48,000.updated 03/14/12*ljalso, the auxiliary cooling fan was replaced. Updated 04/18/12
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. He contact noticed an unknown fluid leak on the ground under the vehicle while parked. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that power steering fluid was leaking. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the mechanic replaced the power steering pump, steering hose, pressure hose, return hose, and the suction hose. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 54,000 and the current mileage was 61,400.
I own a 2004 mini cooper, the power steering pump completely stopped working without prior warning. We were on our way to eureka springs arkansas when this happened, luckily my husband was the one driving, i don't even want to imagine what could have happened if it had been me. I don't think i would have been able to handle the car through those curves.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving 25 mph and attempting a right turn, the steering wheel locked and the contact was unable to maneuver the steering wheel. The dealer was contacted and she was advised that the vehicle was not under recall and any repairs would be at her expense. The dealer also advised that the power steering pump would likely ned to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Power steering intermittently loses power making it difficult to control the car. The power steering pump was replaced due to an internal failure. Invoice received. Updated08/11/11.updated 08/15/11updated 08/24/11
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering would fail without prior warning. When this would occur, the contact could not control the steering wheel in either direction. The dealer stated that the failure was common in his year, make and model and recommended replacing the power steering pump. The contact confirmed that the failure occurred intermittently. The failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 67,000.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact was driving 35 mph when the power steering failed. The vehicle was turned off and restarted yet the failure continued. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the power steering pump and power steering cooling fan were replaced. The manufacturer was not notified. The current and failure mileage was approximately 85,500.updated 09/07/11updated 10/31/11
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While traveling 15 mph and making a turn in either direction the contact noticed that the steering wheel would intermittently be extremely difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. There were no prior warnings and the vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was 80000 and the failure mileage was 75000. Updated 01/11/2011*ljupdated 02/28/11
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle there was no power steering function. The contact stated in order for the power steering to function properly the vehicle had to cool down and that could take hours. The vehicle also became very difficult to drive. The contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact noticed a lot of complaints regarding her year, make, and model and the power steering system and would like for the manufacturer to do something about it. The failure mileage was 48,000.updated 01/20/11 updated 03/28/11
Driver side door of my 2004 mini cooper can only be opened from the outside (i.e. I need to lower the window in order to open the door)mini dealership would not guarantee a fix will last more than few weeks.
Complaint regarding the position of the horn buttons on the 2004 mini cooper s.*mrthe consumer would try to honk the horn by pressing the middle of the steering wheel and nothing would happen. *sc
Driving down honda parkway i heard pop sound. Tpms light started flashing and smoke started coming out from under hood. I pulled off of road into a gas station. At that time i didn't have any power brakes.the car was fully engulfed in flames in about 10 mins. The fire dept put out fire.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.the driver was driving at an unknown speed when the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn.the vehicle was parked and shut off.upon restart the steering wheel remained difficult to turn. The failure and current mileages were 60,000.the power steering pump failed internally. The power return line was leaking. Also, both struts were leaking. Updated evoq 02/02/11
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.the contact heard a loud noise while driving 10 mph out of the driveway.she examined the vehicle and noticed that the rear driver's side tire was bent.the vehicle was towed to the repair shop and the mechanic stated that the rear spring leaf cracked.the rear spring leaf was replaced at the cost of $860.because the vehicle was not taken to a dealer, the manufacturer would not assist.the current and failure mileages were unknown. Updated 07/08/09. *ljupdated 07/08/09.
The contact owns a 2004 mini cooper.while driving 50 mph, the contact noticed a bump on the rear driver's side of the vehicle.she examined the vehicle and noticed that the rear driver's side tire was detaching from the vehicle.in addition, the lower control arm snapped.the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the lower control arm needed to be replaced.the current and failure mileages were 71,000.
2004 mini cooper with motor mount, electrical, flat tiresensors issues. Cvt transmission replacement recommended.*tgwone day while driving on the highway, the vehicle just stopped; dead no power. The consumer stated the vehicle is sitting in the garage un-drivable because she doesn't have the $8,000 to replace the cvt transmission.
My power steering fails intermittently without notice.eventually a high pitched weeing sound was noticeable. The sound eventually stopped.we turned the car off for the evening.the next morning the battery (only 1 year old) was completely dead.after getting the battery charged and functional, i proceeded to do some research and phone calling to find out the cause of the noise.come to find out the problem is the power steering pump and is something that will need to be replaced.
My wife was driving our 2004 mini cooper home traveling uphill on a steep paved mountain roadway traveling a maximum of 15 mph when for some unknown reason the vehicle left the roadway; struck a tree with its left front and burst into an exploding fire killing my wife who was not able to escape the burning vehicle. The nc state police are investigating the cause of the fire and death. They do not know yet whether the vehicle caught fire prior to striking the tree but, feel the fire could not have been caused by the vehicle striking the tree at a low impact and speed. Nc mv accident report#[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
While driving on the freeway my power steering pump died i could hardly change lanes on the freeway, it felt like my steering wheel had locked, turning in any angle was very hard worst than driving a truck, i kept a firm grip with one hand while trying to control the gears, my arms, back, and hand is still hurting,had no warning signals, it wheel just locked up and was very hard to managedi wasnt able to handle the car did not feel safe, did not have full controlof handling the steering this is serious protential accident waiting to happen i called the dealer and was told that there were recalls but not for my vin 2004. My mini isnow in the repair shop to have the pump replace and the fan. This is a deadly issue and mini should recall and pay for this problem for those of us who had to pay out of pocket we should get refunds, so far out of pocket is over $1100.00, i hope this send a message to the manaufacture that lives are at stake here, great car but not safe to drive without full control. I'm so thankful i didnt have to move quickly out of the way or i would not be here to report this bad experience i lost a day of work trying to get this resolved and the cost of a rental car.
The power steering failed, common problem in 2004 mini cooper. Canada has issued a recall in january 2012.
I have a 2004 mini cooper it has recently reached 87000 miles and the cvt transmission is failing. Normally you change your transmission fuel every 25,000 to 50,000 miles. My model mini cooper hatchback does not come with a reservoir to change such a fuel it was a guarantee by the manufacturer that these models would not need such a service and that the transmission would be fine throughout the lifetime of the car. What worries me is that i have not been able to drive my mini over 50mph due to the increase of rpm's. Without the speed increase it is not safe for me to drive on the highways as i normally would. A cvt transmission replacement could cost thousands. But more importantly i'm worried about my safety its possible that my transmission could fail while mobile. Thats my main concern. I recently read that there has been a lawsuit addressing these issues. It is bmw's due diligence to address this matter seeing how thousands of citizens are operating this machinery on a daily basis.
Passenger side window on my 2004 mini cooper will not come down.
Passenger window does not roll down. This is the second occurrence. The first time, it corrected itself after a few days.
Power window on passenger side comes down only sometimes and sometimes it doesn't work for weeks.steering is making noises.
Passenger side electric window ceased operation in the 'up' position. Due to the vehicle design, the top of the window glass can now potentially contact the door frame when closing, presenting a breakage hazard. After several months, the window began to operate, then failed again several weeks later - currently inoperative. Widespread evidence on the internet of similar problem with other vehicles of this type - mini cooper.
My 2004 mini cooper s has incurred two cracked windshields over the past two years, requiring the entire windshield to be replaced.each crack occurred while driving after a small pebble nicked the windshield.after driving for nearly twenty years i find this rate of occurrence to be unacceptable.although the angle of the windshield may be at a steeper grade than most vehicles, mini has failed to recognize solutions such as a stronger thicker windshield.a resolution is needed to prevent fellow mini owners from purchasing replacement windshields on an annual basis.
While driving normally a very very small pebble size stone hits underneath the windshield wiper on the passenger's side. The windshield immideiatly spiders all over the window. I've been told all the problems with the bmw windshields were corrected, but i've heard from over 20 fellow mini owners of random cracking and failures within the first 2000 miles!!! this is totally unacceptable, and it isnt covered under warranty becuase it was the result of an impact.
The windshield in the consumer's 2004 mini cooper cracked about 4 inches to the left of the vin number.the crack started at the edge and moved up to the right. The dealer stated it was a stress crack.
Power steering failed while i was driving the vehicle and i almost crashed.
I was driving my 2004 mini cooper on the highway from la to san diego. All of a sudden the power steering in my car evaporated and i almost hit the side of rail. The car would run but i could hardly steer it. I took it into a auto service center and they told me that it was the power steering pump. Several mini coopers have had this same problem. I contacted customer care for mini cooper and they told me i had to take it to a bmw/mini dealership even though i have already got a diagnostic. The dealership is charging $145.00 just to look at the car even though we already know what is wrong. They told me they could not tell me how long this would take to get resolved. There should be a recall on these cars and this part replace free of charge. In addition, i shouldn't have to wait for an unlimited amount of time to get my car fixed when this is clearly manufacturing defect in the car. I would like the dot to recall this car and make the part and service available free of charge.
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