Power steering/steering pump showing signs of failing, first noticed in a crowded parking lot.

- Camden, ME, USA

Lost power steering unexpectedly in my car. Power steering pump and fan were replaced 6/3/2010. On 6/29/2011, I again lost power steering unexpectedly mileage- 96250. Power steering pump and fan were replaced again. On 6/26/2012 I yet again lost power steering - mileage -111834, pump and fan were replaced for the 3rd time. Each time the fan had failed and the pump overheated.

- Nichols, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2004 MINICooper S. the contact stated the power steering failed without warning. The failure only occurred once. The vehicle was not inspected for the failure nor repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 110,000. Updated 9/10/12

- Newtown Square, PA, USA

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.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

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.

- Carver, MN, USA

The contact owns a 2004 MINIcopper. 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.

- Washington , DC, USA

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.

- Pelham, AL, USA

Driving at around 40 mph and the power steering pump failed. The steering was extremely difficult.

- Bayport, NY, USA

Our 2004 MINICooper 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.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Driving down the road and the steering got hard. After almost wrecking and making it home, turned car off and 10 minutes later it worked again.

- Columbus, OH, USA

The contact owns a 2004 MINIcopper. 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.

- Lakewood, IL, USA

Intermittent loss of power steering. Occurs whether vehicle is hot or cold. Can occur after vehicle has sat overnight. Will start working again after shutting down and restarting the vehicle.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

My 2004 MINICooper 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.

- Seattle, WA, USA

I returned home after driving for 15 minutes. I turned the car off and a motor kept running. I restarted the car to see if a electrical fan had kept running. I turned the car off again, but the noise of a fan or pump was still heard. I looked for a fuse to remove, but could not find the one that stopped the noise. I disconnected the battery, so the wiring would not overheat. I reconnected the battery the following morning and the noise still persisted. I called the dealer fermin MINIof tampa bay to ask what the noise could be. I drove the car to the dealer for a replacement steering pump and fan.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

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?

- Media , PA, USA

Steering suddenly became very difficult and stayed that way. It was fine the next day, but as the car was being driven a while the problem came back.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

Power steering pump failed while driving on highway without notice. Never got a warning light before during or after failure. Narrowly avoided an accident since I was not prepared for steering to be so difficult to turn the wheel. I was able to pull over into a parking lot where I turned the car off, let it sit for a while and then turned it back on and the steering was ok again. Since the steering is back and no warning lights, I assume everything is going to work ok from now on.

- Franklin, TN, USA

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.

- San Diego, CA, USA

Power steering failed after 3 hour trip - while parking. Steering has returned and quit multiple times since - and now has quit working it seems for good. Car is hard to steer, especially at low speed, but I am still able to drive it.

- Rockingham, NC, USA

Driving on freeway, steering suddenly became very difficult. Later went back to normal. A month later the power steering pump continues to run after vehicle switched off, draining battery dead.

- Honolulu, HI, USA