I had just bought the car and flew to New Jersey to get it. The mechanic told me that the power steering was out and he was not sure what the problem was. I drove it back to Florida and did not have power steering the whole way. In April 2010, the power steering came back. I continued to have power steering and then in October 2010, it went out again for two days. Then it came back. Then in 2011, it went out again for two days during the year. And now it has been out since April of this year. I had been on disability from January till July, so I was not driving my car that much. I have not worried about fixing it. Also, when I picked my car up in NJ, they had written on my receipt that they would pay $500 towards the repair of my power steering. I have not had a chance to ask my attorney if that would still be valid or not. But it seems that a lot of the MINIs are having the same issue. I was wondering if MINIwill be recalling the power steering and I can have my car fixed?

- Fort Pierce, FL, USA

The first problem was when the power steering failed for about 15 minutes. The vehicle became very difficulty to control, but eventually the steering started working again. In August the same problem occurred only this time for an hour. This made the vehicle almost useless. Today 10/2/2012 the power steering failed completely while my wife was on the interstate. It was physically tiring to maintain control of this tiny car. This vehicle is dangerous and we no longer feel comfortable driving it.

- Houma, LA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. While driving approximately 20 mph, there was a complete loss of power steering without any warning. The contact was able to continue driving with extreme difficulty in turning the steering wheel. The steering malfunction recurred three times. The vehicle was taken to an independent auto shop where the power steering pump, fan and other related components were replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. There was a concurrent investigation under NHTSA action number: EA11005 (steering:hydraulic power assist:pump). The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

- Basking Ridge, NJ, USA

The power steering pump stops operating while the vehicle is in motion. It has happened three times to date: The first incident was at low speed in a parking structure; the second incident happened at freeway speed; the most recent incident occurred on a surface street while decelerating to a stop. In each case, control of the car was maintained but was very difficult. The pump function was restored by stopping and cycling the vehicle ignition to off and then restarting the engine.

- Valley Center, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. The contact stated that while attempting to drive the power steering failed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. However, the dealer was contacted who stated that the power steering unit might be defective. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 149,000.

- Clermont, FL, USA

When turning off the engine, the fan won't turn off and keeps running. It drains the battery very quickly. I took it to auto shop and the report says steering pump internal failure.

- Irving, TX, USA

Drove on the highway at 65 mph for about 15 mins. After exiting the highway, I realized the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. Fortunately, I was coming to a traffic junction and I was able to stop the car and pull aside without any incident. From what I've read on the internet, there is an inherent problem with the power steering pump that causes the power steering to fail intermittently while driving. This is a very serious problem that can easily cause an accident. There is also a whining noise that I hear coming from the engine compartment while driving the car which I found is also related to the power steering pump problem.

- Broomfield, CO, USA

I was exiting the interstate and the ramp curved to the right, as I began to negotiate the curve I noticed I had no power steering at all. I reached my destination about 15 minutes later and had no power steering assistance at all the entire time. I parked the vehicle and did not use it again until 9/3/12 and the steering appeared to be working properly again. In reading the investigative study I noted that it may be due to an error in the internal electronics and may also result in a continuous running of the power steering pump. Last year almost to the day, the electrical system went haywire and the car would not steer and had what seemed like power surge and after shutting the car off and removing the key the car continued to make a clicking sound and the windows rolled down by themselves. I could not get the car to restart and had it towed to the dealer and was told to replace the battery, which I did, I now wonder if that was a related incident.

- Lake Charles, LA, USA

The passenger air bag weight sensor stop working. As a result my vehicle displays a warning that the passenger side air bags are off. My driver side fog light housing melted and crack apart. I used stock 55W halogen bulbs. My passenger side fog light housing has also begun to melt. My power steering is not leaking now. But it has been replaced 3 times.

- San Ramon, CA, USA

Power steering failed, called dealer twice and BMW company twice, knew about problems, but sent me in a circle. Dealer said to go to company for help and info, company said to go to dealer, very deceptive practices.

- Hopkins, MN, USA

Power steering pump failure.

- Loxley, AL, USA

Right after exiting the highway, the steering wheel became suddenly very stiff as I was making a standard 90 turn. I almost hit the car next to me but didn't as I managed to hit the brakes. I finished the curve on the very last lane on the right. If a car had been on my way, it would have been a crash, fortunately there was none. MINIdiagnosed a power steering pump failure. Browsing on the web, I came across pages of people having had the same issue for this year's model (MINICooper S 2005). Canadian authorities even ordered a recall for this exact same failure. I have also read that NHTSA is currently studying this issue; could you please confirm this is true any idea how long is the process to decide whether or not a recall will be decided if a recall was decided, would we get reimburse not matter the repair was done in a MINIdealer or an independent garage ? thank you

- San Diego, CA, USA

Generally, I love the MINICooper having purchased it in the after market. However, not long after the warranty ran out, I had problems for several weeks with my steering wheel seizing up but an incident in February 2012 sticks out most in my mind since I was on I-95 in the rain and could not adequately steer the car to take an exit. My 11 yr old daughter was with me at the time. I pulled to the shoulder and shut the car off and was able to restart and resume driving. Financially, I could not afford to take the car into the dealer but the condition and work around continued intermittently for a few weeks when I could afford the repair. In early May 2012, I took the car to the dealer for repair and it cost over $1300 to replace the power steering pump. At the time of the repair, it was noted that the cooling fan also needed repair for another $720 -- I just didn't have it. Today, my 2-yr old battery failed apparently due to draining from the fan. For now, I replaced the battery for $249. I will be incrementally getting repairs done, however, in reading some people's experience with the steering pump, I understand that there may be some relevance between the pump going bad and an impact on the fan. I'd appreciate any insights you may have on that possibility. I am reporting this not only for myself but for others who also may be impacted by the pump defect that I am learning is somewhat common. I look forward to the outcome of your engineering analysis. Thank you.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

My power steering went out while I was making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. I managed to avoid hitting the curb and pulled over after completing the turn. It felt like driving with four flat tires. After restarting, the power steering worked again. The same thing happened again two days later. In both cases, this happened shortly after starting up.

- Seattle, WA, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph making a left turn the power steering failed. As a result, it became very difficult to maneuver the steering. The vehicle was taken to the dealer 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 80,000...updated 11/29/12 the consumer also stated the power steering pump would come on periodically when the vehicle was off and would run, until the battery drained. Updated 12/03/12

- Philomont , VA, USA

Daughter/co-owner was driving car. Shifting from 1st in to 2nd gear. Loud clunk or rattle/clicking from unside. Car lost power steering, battery light came on. Could not control vehicle. Had to call tow truck.

- Marana, AZ, USA

I cannot remember exact dates as this part has been bad for so long. The power steering pump whines very loudly. A couple times the power has gone out and the car became difficult to steer. The problem is very intermittent and only lasted a few seconds each time.

- Hobart, IN, USA

Just got off the highway cause the steering started to get very difficult. After we looked in the manual and couldn't find anything about power steering fluid levels we headed towards our destination about 10 or so mins. Later. Steering was fine after that, then about 3 weeks ago we had the same issue, thankfully we were on a local road and it lasted about 3 mins. Then steering became normal again.

- Derby, CT, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. The contact stated that the power steering failed while driving 40 mph, causing a loss of steering capabilities. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection where they stated that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,207. The VIN was not available.

- Missouri City, MO, USA

The first time my power steering went out I was at a stop sign. I was making a right turn and had difficulty making the turn. The power steering went out again another time when I was in the middle of a turn, making it difficult to turn. I was fortunate there were no other cars around. Today, 8/20/2012 is the most recent day that it went out. I was driving at approximately 35 mph and making a left turn when I noticed it was out. I have figured out that if I turn off my car it comes back on. Luckily I had to stop before getting onto the freeway so I was able to control my car at high speeds.

- Ardmore, OK, USA