CarComplaints.com Notes: Power steering problems are a major issue with the 2004 Mini Cooper, with hundreds of owners reporting complaints to the NHTSA about their power steering suddenly failing while driving.
Some power steering failures have caused crashes & injuries. Average mileage at failure is well under 100,000 miles & the repair cost is over $1,000. Not good.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
75,582 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Normal driving conditions. 2004 MINICooper 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.
The contact owns a 2004 MINICooper. 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 01/13/11 updated 01/24/11
The contact owns a 2004 MINICooper S. the contact stated that the power steering failed while driving approximately 45 mph causing limited steering capability. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that the power steering pump and column would need to be replaced. The repairs were performed at that time. The failure did not recur. The manufacturer offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000 and the current mileage was approximately 70,000.
Near the end of a 500 mile trip from northern to southern California, the power steering failed. I completed the trip without the power steering. The next day I took the vehicle into an authorized dealer for repair. The power steering pump was replaced. The old part is not available.
- Oregon House, CA, USA
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The contact owns a 2004 MINICooper. 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
The contact owns a 2004 MINICooper. 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.
I have a 2004 MINICooper S built in late September or early October 2003. At approximately 54,000 miles in spring of 2010, I left to go on a trip across town. After about 2 miles of the up to then normal drive, the power steering suddenly and without warning stopped working in the middle of a curve. Fortunately I was able to retain control of the car and make it to my destination a couple more miles away. After sitting about 15 minutes, upon restart, the car performed normally as far as I can tell. Checking the internet, it seems that this is a somewhat common problem with this vehicle and that it will continue on and off until the power steering does not function at all. This can also lead to a fire at the power steering pump that may lead to complete loss of vehicle and or additional property damage. Some with fires have not had any prior hints of an issue and some have had the intermittent pump going out. In speaking to the MINIservice center, they of course said they had never heard of the problem and refused to give me any help under goodwill warranty. I had them replace the pump at my expense to avoid the risk of fire.
The contact owns a 2004 MINICooper. 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 MINICooper. 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.
Power steering failed while driving normally on the freeway and it became very difficult to control the car. Power steering returned after letting the car sit in a parking lot, but failed again while driving home. We have not driven the car since. The car is out of warranty and we have talked to MINIbut they have not offered to help repair the car. We were told that it will cost around $1500 to replace the malfunctioning parts.
My wife's 2004 MINICooper (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 MINIdealership 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.
I own a 2004 MINICooper S and when driving the power steering failed. I was in the middle of an off ramp and the steering became extremely hard. I was unable to navigate the turn and went off the road. Luckily I did not hit anything. When the car was turned off and then back on the power steering came back on. From time to time now I loose the power steering. I feel this is a major safety issue and do not let my wife or child ride in the car.
Daily driving my 04 MINICooper 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 MINICooper dealership and they diagnosed that it needed a new power steering pump. I had it replaced 10/14/2010.
I own a 2004 MINICooper S. on September 23, 2010, I was driving on the highway and my power steering went out. This was out of the blue, and I had not experienced any previous problems with the power steering. I was able to take it to my mechanic the same day and was informed that my power steering fan went out, therefore causing my power steering pump to fail. After I had everything replaced for around $900, I saw an article in usa today that this is happening to other 2004 and 2005 MINIs. I think MINIshould issue a recall so this doesn't happen to anyone else. It was very scary to drive my MINIwith no power steering, and I feel fortunate that I was able to keep the car under control when the steering went out.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- West Bloomfield, MI, USA