On September 12th I was making my commute home from work in my 2005 MINICooper S. upon my return home, my battery indicator light went on. I parked and turned off the car and the next morning when I went to run errands the power steering was non-existent. I had he car towed to the BMW/MINIdealership where they gave me a diagnosis of a failing power steering pump and a bad alternator. Updated 09/08/11

- East Brunswick, NJ, USA

I just bought a 2005 MINICooper which is in excellent condition upon buying. After a week, my power steering went out on a turn that I could barely make. I couldn't make any of the turns all the way home! I thought maybe it's because the key wasn't in the ignition right. I took out the key and re-started my car. It worked and the power steering came back on! well, a couple days later this issue has now become a dangerous problem. I would make a right turn off a main road and I was shocked that my car wouldn't turn. To make things even worse, there was a school bus I almost hit! I had to slam on the brakes and try to make this impossible turn. After this incident, the problem has happened every time I have driven my car. Its becoming more frequent! it goes out all the time and I'm not able to drive my car for short distances. I have been keeping track of how many times this has occurred, I'm now at 31 times! many of those times, I was very close to hitting many people! I'm am very lucky to have not been in an accident or driven off the road!! updated 08/17/11 updated 1/27/2012

- Arlington Heights, IL, USA

Power steering pump failure without warning and intermittent steering system degradation prior to total failure. My wife was driving the 2005 MINIwhen steering started failing. Pulled over and was towed to garage for repairs. Poor design and no accommodation for system failure.

- Cedar Park, TX, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned without warning. The contact called the local dealer but was told that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000. The VIN was not available.

- Camarillo, CA, USA

I was driving my 2005 MINICooper today when the power steering went out and it became very difficult to control the vehicle around sharp turns at slower speeds. I have not yet corrected the failure.

- Eureka, CA, USA

Power steering in my 2005 MINIcooper with 28,000 miles sometimes functions and other times does not-mostly though it does not function. This issue has been ongoing since March, 2010. On rare occasions, I will start the car and the power steering will function as normal.

- Prairie Village, KS, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. While traveling 40 mph the contact noticed that the steering wheel suddenly become tight and was difficult to turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 48000.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

Steering on my MINIcooper 2005 failed this morning, resulting in a near accident in a parking garage. It felt like the power steering was failing. It came back briefly on the way to the repair shop, but the tech confirmed that there is a problem. It is currently being diagnosed, but it is likely the power steering pump.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

I have a 2005 MINICooper S. last year the power steering pump randomly stopped working on my way to school. I did not crash or anything but it was very hard to steer my car. I have not replaced the pump because honestly I do not know how to and I believe the pump costs nearly $1000. The pump on my car still works fine most of the time. Now every once in a while on sharp corners the pump will give out and if I pull over, shut the car off, and turn the car back on the pump will work again. This is obviously either a defect with the pump itself or the electronics which run the pump. The fact that shutting my car off and turning it back on makes me think it is mostly an electrical problem, possibly inside the pump itself.

- Stafford Springs, CT, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINIcooper S. the contact stated that the power steering failed intermittently. When the failure occurred it became extremely hard to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was not inspected by the dealer when the complaint was filed. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage and current mileages were 15000.

- Summitt, NJ, USA

Per the MINICooper power steering pump investigation - on March 24, 2010 I paid to have my power steering pump replaced after having my battery die for a second time. The MINIdealership failed the first time to find the problem but upon the second battery dying they reported that the power steering pump was remaining on and drawing power from the battery even when the car was turned off. This also explained why I had been noticing the power steering stopped working on a number of occasions.

- Washington, DC, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. The contact stated that while trying to move out a parking lot, the power steering failed. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who could not duplicate the failure. On another occasion while driving 25 mph, the power steering seized up. The replaced the power steering pump which corrected the problem. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The current mileage was approximately 58,000.

- Columbia , SC, USA

My 2005 MINICooper S has had the power steering go out several times. This happens with no warning and has caused me to almost be involved in an accident. As I was changing lanes on major highways I couldn't turn the wheel and almost went into a concrete wall. It also went out while on a trip in the mountains, I was very concerned about going off the side of a mountain road. This power steering pump also has stayed running and killed my battery leaving me to find a jump. The issue is that it turns off and on at random times and with no warning.

- Valparaiso, IN, USA

2005 MINICooper convertible at first intermittent power steering failure and now complete power steering failure. The first time it happened very suddenly while making a left turn, I almost ran into another car. Now I am not driving the car until I can afford to have it repaired.

- Gonzales, LA, USA

2005 MINIcooper intermittent power steering started at 55,000 miles. During right hand turn at approximately 30mi/hr had near head on collision with the car in the left hand lane do to the unexpected power steering outage. Repair was not covered under warranty (5,000 miles over) cost estimate at $1,200. Car is safer without power steering. Predictable, but difficult to drive.

- Harrison Township, MI, USA

MINIcooper, power steering froze up and came back while driving at highway speed.

- Copiague, NY, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper S. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle lost steering power. He turned off the ignition and restarted; after the restart, the steering capabilities returned. The failure progressed and became worse. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but they could not duplicate the failure. The current and failure mileages were approximately 80,000.

- Covina, CA, USA

Dear sir/madam, today (9/29/2010) I saw a news item, "(cnnmoney.com) -- the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into possible power steering failures in MINIcooper cars" and felt compelled to add to the existing complains regarding the dangerously defective power steering electrohydraulic pump in my 2005 MINICooper S. while driving in the city, average speed of 25 to 35 mph, the power assistance provided by the power steering went down to zero, totally unassisted, without any previous warning whatsoever, making the steering of the vehicle extremely difficult, almost impossible, while going around a roundabout (traffic circle) at no more than 25 mph. Consequentially I was unable to steer first right and the left around the circle, my passenger side front wheel striking the right side curb at the point that I needed to turn left, damaging both the wheel and the tire, and possibly the suspension (macpherson strut). And I ask you, what if I had to steer to avoid a mother pushing a baby stroller, or even an errant dog or cat at the moment the power steering assistance decided to quit" what if the failure occurred at a higher speed while merging on a freeway" I consider BMW/MINIto be totally responsible for any deaths or injuries and property damages related to their negligent failure to engineer a properly working power steering pump (an known problem as the newer models have done away with the electrohydraulic pump in favor of a totally electrical assisted steering). I also urge you to look into the failure rate of the power steering fan due to its absurd location (under the car unprotected from the dirt, water, stones, etc. 5-6 inches from the road) an afterthought of a solution that BMW/MINIused to resolve the previously known to them power steering pump failure. My car has 27,000 miles, and is dealer maintained since new. I urge you to take action regarding this problem before something more tragic happens. Thank you.

- Miami, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper S. while driving 35 mph and at other speeds, the power steering fan became inoperable and power steering functionality was lost. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the power steering fan was replaced at the contact's expense. The manufacturer had not been notified. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

- Morristown, NJ, USA

The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, all steering functionality was suddenly lost, making the steering wheel difficult to turn. She was able to drive home. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer where the contact stated that problem was common and was repaired at the contact's expense. The current and failure mileages were approximately 47,000. Updated 05/25/11 updated 05/31/11

- San Diego , CA, USA