2005 MINI COOPER S Steering Problems

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND AT RANDOM TIMES, THE POWER STEERING ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S WILL STOP WORKING. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT PLAGUES ALMOST EVERY MINI SOLD SINCE 2002. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REFERENCE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER :EA11005, AS IT APPLIES TO MY PARTICULAR ISSUE. *TR

NOTICED LEVEL OF POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LOW. NO APPARENT LEAK ON GROUND. NOTICED THE BOOTS ON RACK AND PINION ARE PRESSURIZED AND REALIZED THAT IS WHERE THE FLUID IS LEAKING INTO. *TT

THE POWER ASSIST FOR THE STEERING FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. OFTEN THIS OCCURS MIDWAY THROUGH A TURN. SOMETIMES TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RE-STARTING WILL RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT. REPORTED THE ISSUE TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND BEFORE I COULD FINISH THE SENTENCE THE TWO SERVICE WRITERS SAID THERE WAS NOT ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP! WITHOUT THE POWER ASSIST THE STEERING IS VERY HEAVY. AS A STRONG, EXPERIENCED DRIVER I KNEW WHAT TO DO WHEN THE POWER ASSIST FAILED, BUT THIS WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR AN OLDER OR LESS PHYSICAL DRIVER SINCE THE ASSIST FAILURE IS SUDDEN AND WITHOUT WARNING. AS A DRIVER YOU GO FROM BEING ABLE TO CASUALLY STEER WITH MINIMAL INPUT TO INSTANTLY NEEDING TO FORCEFULLY TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR!!!! THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS 40,011 MILES AND CONTINUES TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

I STARTED TO HEAR THIS WINDING OR LOUD HUMMING SOUND, DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM..IT WAS EXAMINED BY A MECHANIC,,AND IT WAS THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILING, AND THE ELECTRIC COOLING FAN FAILING. READ ABOUT MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS STEERING PUMP ON 2005 MINI'S. THE COST WAS $1226.00 TO REPLACE. EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT LOST POWER STEERING, IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AT ANYTIME. *TR

MY POWER STEERING PUMP ON MY 2005 MINI COOPER S FAILED AT 45 MPH IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN FOR A DIAGNOSES IN WHICH THEY INFORMED ME THE REPAIR WOULD BE OVER $1K. I DECLINED THE REPAIR AS I HAVE LOCATED A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, AND AM NOW TAKING IT UP WITH MINI HQ. *TT

POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING NEAR THE END OF A 15 MILE DRIVE TO WORK. POWER STEERING FUNCTIONED NORMALLY ON THE DRIVE HOME 9 HOURS LATER. *KB

BOUGHT MY DREAM CAR, AN '05 MINI COOPER S MONDAY, LABOR DAY, AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING RANDOMLY CUTTING IN AND OUT. NOT AWESOME! EACH TIME, TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON HAS RESOLVED THE ISSUE, HOWEVER IT WOULD SEEM THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING, LIKE, AT ALL, LET ALONG HAVING TO 'CYCLE' THE ENGINE EACH TIME. *TR

PARKED THE VEHICLE AFTER A SHORT TRIP OF APPROX. 10 MILES. LEFT CAR FOR APPROX 5 TO 7 MINUTES. RETURNED TO FIND SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO UNHOOK THE BATTERY CABLE. GOT THE BATTERY UNHOOKED AND SMOKE DIMINISHED. TRIED RESTARTING CAR, RESTARTED FINE, BUT NO POWER STEERING. ASSUMING THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT UP IN SMOKE. FORTUNATELY, DAMAGE SEEMS TO BE LIMITED TO PS PUMP... NOT SURE YET IF SMOLDERING/SMOKE INDICATES ANY OTHER DAMAGE UNDER THE HOOD OR NOT. *TR

POWER STEARING WENT OUT ON 2005 MINI COOPER WHILE DRIVING ON LOTS OF CURVES ALONG COLUMBIA RIVER, SEEMS TO BE A THING WITH THESE CARS AFTER LOOKING ON LINE. JUST GLAD I'M NOT SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES DUE TO HAVING TO MUSCLE THE CAR ON THE ROAD. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

2005 MINI COOPER S - ENGINE FIRE A FEW DAYS AGO (7/27/2011) MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CAUGHT FIRE IN THE LOWER REAR ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE PARKED IN A BUSINESS PARKING LOT. IT HAD BEEN DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE (ABOUT 6 MILES) THREE HOURS PRIOR WITH NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. THE CAR IGNITION WAS OFF AND THERE WAS NO KEY PRESENT IN OR NEAR THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY, A CO-WORKER SPOTTED THE CAR BILLOWING SMOKE FROM BENEATH THE HOOD AND WE WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BEFORE ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE OR SURROUNDING PROPERTY. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND SUBSEQUENT ELECTRICAL FIRE - THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERHEATING AND EVENTUAL IGNITION OF AN ELECTRICAL HARNESS CAUSED BY A SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT PRIOR TO THE FIRE, THERE WAS NO INDICATION IN...

I HAVE A JANUARY 2005 BUILT MINI COOPER S (R53) WITH APPROXIMATELY 21,000 MILES ON IT. ON FEBRUARY 12, 2011 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A WINDING ROAD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH SPEED TURN. THE UNEXPECTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE MADE THE STEERING COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE CAUSING THE CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND NEARLY HIT A TREE (I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I WASN'T KILLED!). AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT UNWARRANTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURES ARE QUITE COMMON WITH THE EARLIER MINI COOPER MODELS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURE VIA A MANDATORY SAFETY RECALL. AFTER THE INITIAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE PUMP WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY IN THAT IT WOULD RUN FINE FOR A WHILE AND THEN...

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE ON 2005 MINI COOPER LEADS TO DANGEROUS DRIVING *KB

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND SOMETIMES WHILE MOVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL MAKING THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT THE RELAY IN THE AUXILIARY ENGINE FAN HAD FAILED LIKELY AS A RESULT OF THE POWER STEERING FAN FAILING. BOTH THE AUXILIARY ENGINE FAN AND THE POWER STEERING FAN HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS AND LABOR WAS $1060.14.

POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENT MAKING CAR DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I'M THE SECOND OWNER OF CAR. FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES.

POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. *KB

AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROX 2 HOURS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, POWER STEERING FAILED. NOTICED UPON EXITING HIGHWAY - NO ACCIDENT, BUT STEERING REQUIRED UNEXPECTEDLY SIGNIFICANT FORCE. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER POWER STEERING FAILURE. *TR

2005 MINI COOPER S POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE TURNING OFF HIGHWAY ALMOST CAUSING ME TO CRASH INTO AN ADJACENT CAR BECAUSE I HAD TO MUSCLE THE CAR INTO A CORNER. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM WHICH HAPPENED ONE MORE TIME LATER IN THE WEEK WHILE I WAS TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY. A WOMAN MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO MUSCLE THE CAR CORRECTLY THUS CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *TR

I OWN A 05 MINI COOPER S THAT HAS POWER STEERING PROBLEMS..THE STEERING WENT OUT WHEN DRIVING 75MPH..SINCE THEN THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WILL NOT SHUT OFF ON ITS OWN AND THE BATTERY MUST BE DISCONNECTED WHICH IS ANOTHER ISSUE ALTOGETHER...I AM NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AS IT IS NOT SAFE...IT STARTED AS AN INTEMITTENT PROBLEM AND NOW IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM...I ONLY OWN THIS VEHICLE AS WAS HOPING MINI WOULD STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THIS... *TT

2005 MINI COOPER S. POWER STEERING FAILURE: I WAS DRIVING MY CAR FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. I REACHED MY DESTINATION (WITHOUT POWER STEERING), THE CAR SAT FOR APPROX 3 HOURS, WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING WORKED. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS ON TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2011. ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, THIS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. AGAIN, AFTER THE CAR SAT FOR A FEW HOURS, THE POWER STEERING RESUMED WORKING. MY CAR HAS APPROX 56K MILES ON IT, AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 07/26/11 *BF *TR UPDATED 3/16/12 *CN

WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 MINI COOPER S THROUGH A CROWDED PARKING LOT, MY POWER STEERING JUST SUDDENLY WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THE SUDDEN FAILURE AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET MY MINI INTO A PARKING SPOT AWAY FROM PEDESTRIANS. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON ME AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE BAY BRIDGE. ALMOST KILLED ME AND GOD ONLY KNOWS WHO ELSE WAS ON THE BRIDGE! HOW CAN THE PEOPLE AT BMW SLEEP AT NIGHT KNOWING THERE ARE MINIS OUT THERE WITH THIS PROBLEM! DO THE RESEARCH AND YOU WILL SEE HOW MANY TERRIFIED MINI OWNERS ARE OUT THERE! THANK GOD I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE SO I COULD PULL THE CAR OVER AND COAST THE REST OF THE WAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MINISF, WHO TOLD ME THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. I REPLACED THE PUMP, BUT FOR SOME REASON THE PROBLEM CONTINUES INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAN RUNS ALL THE TIME, EVEN WHEN DRIVEN FOR A SHORT TIME. THE ENTIRE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AND, WHAT'S WORSE IS THE THOUGHT OF SELLING THIS CAR TO SOMEONE WHO...

POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING AND CONTINUES TO RUN WHILE THE CAR HAS TURNED OFF. HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH SEVERAL TIMES WHEN IT HAS GONE OUT ON THE EXPRESS WAY. *TR

POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING AND DOES NOT RETURN UNTIL CAR IS CYCLED OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. *TR

MY POWER STEERING BEGAN TO STOP WORKING AS I RODE. I WOULD PARK THE CAR, SWITCH THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART AND THE POWER STEERING WOULD COME BACK. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BOTH IN BACK ROADS AND HIGHWAYS. FINALLY LAST MONTH IT STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY AND NOW IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AND REALLY A DANGER TO BE ON THE ROAD WITH. *TR

MY 2005 MINI COOPER S HAS POWER STEERING WHEEL FAILURE. IT STARTED HAPPENING AFTER THE CAR HIT 50,000 MILES WHICH I THINK IT'S STILL TOO LOW FOR ANY CARS. I FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE PROBLEM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHEN I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ON A MAIN RD. THE STEERING WAS SO DIFFICULT TO TURN EVEN WITH BOTH HANDS THAT I HAD TO COME TO HALT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD HAVE HIT THE BUILDING IF I KEPT ON GOING AT FULL SPEED WHICH IS 30 MILES. SO GLAD THERE WAS NO CAR BEHIND ME. ENCOUNTERED A FEW MORE TIMES AFTER THIS. MY CAR IS NOW PARKED AT MY CONDO LOT AS IT COST OVER $1300 TO GET IT FIXED. IT WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS IS THIS HAPPENS ON THE FREEWAY. A FEW OF MY FRIENDS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. SOMETHING NEEDS TO...

POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAILING TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IT OCCURS MAINLY AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND DRIVING AWAY FROM A STOP. STOPPING AND RESTARTING CLEARS THE PROBLEM. IT DID HAPPEN ONCE AT FREEWAY SPEED ON A LEFT HAND OFF RAMP. IT MADE THE STEERING VERY HEAVY AND HARD TO TURN AND COULD HAVE LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL HAD THE PAVEMENT BEEN SLIPPERY. THE POWER STEERING DID RETURN AFTER SLOWING AND COMPLETING THE TURN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING. THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND HAPPENS EVERY FEW DAYS. SIMPLY CYCLING THE IGNITION GETS IT WORKING AGAIN BUT IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN IN MY BOOK. *TR

EXPERIENCED ABRUPT AND COMPLETE LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM SIMULTANEOUS WITH AN IMMEDIATE AND SHARP DECREASE IN POWER. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 75 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, CAR IN MIDDLE LANE. VERY NARROWLY AVOIDED COLLISION WITH A TRUCK WHEN MOVING VEHICLE TO FULL STOP IN EMERGENCY LANE. VEHICLE CURRENTLY NOT IN USE AS WE FEEL IT IS A ROAD HAZARD AND UNSAFE TO OPERATE IN CURRENT CONDITION. ALSO AWAITING FOR RESPONSE FROM MINI DEALER.

THE POWER STEERING HAS BEEN FAILING ON AND OFF FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. I FIRST NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS TRYING TO GET OUT OF A PARALLEL PARKING SPOT. UPON TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING IT, THE POWER STEERING WAS RESTORED. IT MOST OFTEN HAPPENED WHEN MANEUVERING OUT OF PARALLEL PARKED SPOTS. SOMETIMES IT WOULD HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES IN ONE DAY AND THEN NOT AGAIN FOR A FEW MONTHS. SEVERAL TIMES WHEN I WAS DRIVING I FELT THE POWER STEERING LOCK UP AND HAVE HAD TO DRIVE THE CAR TO SAFELY AND RESTART THE STEERING. I TOOK IT IN TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP AND DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD IT SOUNDED LIKE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND GIVEN A QUOTE OF $895 TO GET IT REPLACED. *TR

ON TUESDAY, 5 APRIL 2011, I DROVE MY 2005 MINI COOPER S ABOUT 20 - 25 MILES HEADING FOR WORK - I MADE A BRIEF STOP FOR COFFEE. THE CAR OPERATED PROPERLY DURING THIS DRIVE, HOWEVER, WHEN I LEFT THE COFFEE SHOP I NOTICE A VERY ACRID SMELL IN THE AREA. WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR AND STARTED IT THE "BATTERY" INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON. I CHECK THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND IT SAID THIS INDICATED THE BATTERY WAS NOT BEING CHARGED. AS THE CAR WAS RUNNING I DECIDED I COULD DRIVE IT TO WORK AND THEN ADDRESS THE CHARGING ISSUE. WHEN I BACK OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT I REALIZED I HAD ALSO LOST MY POWER STEERING. I WAS CONCERNED THAT MY CAR MIGHT NOT BE COOLING AS WELL, SO MOVED THE CAR TO A SPOT FURTHER OUT IN THE PARKING LOT TO ALLOW FOR A TOW TRUCK TO...

MY 2005 MINI COOPER S HAD A SUDDEN POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE APPROACHING A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP. I WENT TO TURN INTO IT AND THE CAR HAD BECOME A TANK. AFTER SOME PANIC BRAKING AND ALL THE UPPER BODY STRENGTH I COULD MUSTER ON THE STEERING WHEEL... I DID NOT FLY INTO THE DITCH, BUT HAD THE ROAD BEEN WET OR ICY I HAVE NO DOUBT THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS ESTIMATED $1200 FOR THE REPAIR OF A KNOWN FACTORY DEFECT. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. FAILURE HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE PARKING AND TWICE UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN. MAKES CAR HARD TO MANEUVER AND UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE UNPREDICTABLE NATURE OF THE FAILURE. *TR

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP & FAN FAILURE DURING LEFT TURN. SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF MINI COPPERS IN THE UK HAVE HAD SIMILAR RECALLS. IN FACT I DID FIND A RECALL FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAN FOR FAULTY WIRES. I COULD FALL UNDER THE SAME RECALL, BUT BMW MINI DEALERS ARE STATING THAT IT WILL COST ME JUST FOR DIAGNOSTICS (ROUGHLY $90), THEY ALSO STATES THEY KNEW ABOUT A FILED COMPLAINT BUT SAID THEY COULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE FAN WITHOUT CHARGING ME. I DID FIND AFTER DAYS AND DAYS OF INTERNET SEARCHES THAT THEIR WAS A RECALL # ISSUED FOR THE FAN BUT COULD NOT LOCATE IT AGAIN. WEBSITE CITING BBC ARTICLE. WWW.NEWMINI.WORDPRESS.COM/?S=MINI+COOPER+POWER+STEERING+FAILURE. EVERYDAY I FEEL LESS AND LESS SAFE DRIVING MY MINI. THANKS. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR 2005 MINI COOPER LESS THAN A WEEK AGO. IT HAS 51,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. I TRIED TO TAKE AN OFF RAMP TO THE RIGHT TRAVELING ABOUT 60 MPH AND REALIZED THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. I APPLIED THE BRAKE AND BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP. I SLOWLY DROVE THE CAR TO A GAS STATION WHERE I TURNED THE CAR OFF. THE FAN CONTINUED TO RUN. I WAITED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE CAR. THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. 2 DAYS LATER I WAS DRIVING IN TOWN ONLY 10 MINUTES AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN. I WAS DRIVING IN FREEZING RAIN...THANK GOODNESS I WAS IN TOWN. IF THE STEERING HAD FAILED ON THE INTERSTATE WITH THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I AM TAKING MY MINI INTO THE DEALERSHIP...

POWER STEERING HAS FAILED TWICE. ONCE WAS IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND THE OTHER WAS IN MID-DAY TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE BECAME EXTREMELY HARD TO HANDLE. THE FIRST TIME, I ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. MY CAR ONLY HAS 53,000 MILES AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. *TR

LOST POWER STEERING AND ABILITY TO MAKE TURN EASILY

POWER STEERING PUMP WAS MAKING A LOUD WHINING NOISE AS SOON AS THE CAR WAS STARTED, AND WOULD "WIND DOWN" A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. THE PUMP AND FAN WERE BOTH REPLACED THANKFULLY BEFORE THE SYSTEM FAILED. *TR

POWER STEERING UNIT HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE BECAUSE OF PS MOTOR FAILING SUDDENLY AND WITH NO WARNING. FIRST OCCURRENCE NEARLY CAUSED CRASH BECAUSE PS FAILED WHILE NEGOTIATING INTERSECTION. *TR

THE VEHICLE HAS LOSS THE POWER STEERING ASSIST DUE TO POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. THUS REQUIRING INCREASED FORCE TO STEER AND CONTROL THE VEHICLE. STEERING HAS BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND HAS MADE MANOEUVRING THIS CAR FAR HARDER AND DANGEROUS. THE CAR HAS SPOTTY ELECTRICAL FAILURES; EXAMPLE THE WINDOW JUST DOESN'T WANT TO ROLL UP; NO, WAIT, IT DOES. NO, WAIT, IT DOESN'T. THE STEREO JUST GIVES UP; NO SOUND ANYMORE,THEN IT PLAYS AGAIN. THE SAME WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR YOU COULD HERE IT UNLOCK AND RE-LOCK, BUT THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN AND THEN IT WOULD. ALSO BOTH OF MY KEYS TO OPEN THE DOOR BOTH TURNED OFF AT THE SAME TIME AND I HAD TO HAVE THE KEYS RE-CALIBRATED AT A MINI DEALERSHIP TO REOPEN THE VEHICLE.

POWER STEERING FAILURE ON MY 05 MINI COOPER-S. POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON THE ROAD IN REGULAR TRAFFIC, WAS TURNING LEFT INTO A PARKING LOT FROM A 5 LANE ROAD WHEN IT QUIT WORKING, WAS BARELY ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL ENOUGH TO SAFELY MAKE IT INTO THE PARKING LOT AND AVOID A CRASH. APPARENTLY AS OF NOW IF I TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON THE POWER STEERING MIGHT COME BACK ON; TERRIBLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM TO HAVE ON A PART ON A CAR THAT SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. REPAIR ESTIMATES ARE AROUND $800-1300, AND IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM W/ THESE CARS. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 MINI COOPER S WITH MILEAGE OF ABOUT 72K. THE POWER STEERING FAILED ON AND OFF FOR A WEEK AND WAS COMPLETELY GONE ON MAR 5. UPDATED 07/26/11 *BF THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING PUMP. UPDATED 08/19/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL AND THE STEERING PUMP STAYED ON WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF CAUSING THE BATTERY TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

MY 2005 MINI COOPER S HAD THE POWER STEERING FAIL WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 56,000 MILES. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER TO HAVE MAINTENANCE DONE ON IT LAST WEEK AND WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS "SEEPING" BUT WAS NOT OF IMMEDIATE CONCERN AND I COULD WAIT ON FIXING/REPLACING IT. TODAY THERE IS ALMOST NO FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR AND I AM UNABLE TO PURCHASE AT ANY LOCAL AUTO PART STORE AS NO ONE CARRIES (CHS 11S) APPARENTLY A TYPE OF MINERAL SPIRIT. IN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I FOUND THIS TO BE A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT AND DISCOVERED THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY ADMINISTRATION IS INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE SO I WANTED TO ADD MY VOICE. I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED IN A SLIGHT CORNER AT THE TIME AND YET STILL HAD A VERY HARD TIME MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE...

OUR 2005 MINI COOPER S HAS INTERMITTENT STEERING ISSUES. THE POWER STEERING COMES AND GOES. WHEN RESEARCHING THE FIX, I FOUND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THERE IS EVEN A GUY ON EBAY SELLING REMANUFACTURED POWER STEERING PUMPS AT AN AVERAGE OF ONE EVERY THREE DAYS. (BASED ON EBAY FEED BACK). *TR

POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS PARKING THE CAR, MINI COOPER S 2005 MODEL YEAR. THERE WAS NO SERVICE LIGHT OR ANY OTHER WARNING BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED.

NOTICED A WHIRRING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THEN SUDDENLY THE STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT LIKELY DUE TO POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. LOOKED UP POSSIBLE ISSUES ON LINE AND NOTICED THAT OTHER FOLKS HAD VERY SIMILAR EXPERIENCES.

POWER STEERING APPEARS TO NOT BE WORKING. POWER IN THE VEHICLE IS INTERRUPTED AT LOW SPEEDS AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME. SYMPTOMS OF THIS BEGAN OCCURRING OVER THREE MONTHS AGO WITH THE BATTERY OF THE CAR BEING DRAINED AFTER SITTING FOR A PERIOD OF 4 DAYS OR MORE. ALL RELAYS AND FUSES HAVE BEEN CHECKED. THE POWER STEERING PUMP COOLING FAN WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN INOPERATIVE AND WAS REMOVED, CLEANED AND REINSTALLED APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AGO.

I HAVE A 2005 MINI COOPER S WITH 51,000 MILES ON IT. I RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS AND HAVE HAD A CREAK IN MY STEERING COLUMN THAT IS GETTING WORSE. LAST MONTH, I FIRST EXPERIENCED COMPLETE LACK OF POWER STEERING. THE CAR CORRECTED ITSELF AND WORKED PROPERLY UNTIL A FEW INTERMITTENT OCCASIONS THIS WEEK. TURNING OFF THE CAR AND TURNING IT BACK ON SEEM TO TEMPORARILY CORRECT THE LACK OF POWER STEERING. HOWEVER, IT IS VERY TEMPORARY. WHILE DRIVING, I CAN FEEL THE STEERING RESPONSE CHANGE ON/OFF DUE TO LACK OF POWER STEERING CONTROL. WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILS, THE WHEEL IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. IT FEELS LIKE A 1961 CHEVY TRUCK WITH A 350 V8. IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE CAR FROM A DEAD STOP MAKING PARKING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. I AM BEING FORCED TO DRIVE BELOW THE SPEED LIMIT TO LIMIT...