CarComplaints.com Notes: Power steering problems are a major issue with the 2005 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:
12 / 17
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,862 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.
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible. The contact stated that she noticed a leak coming from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a power of steering hose leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact also stated that he was advised by the dealer that he had to pay out of pocket for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
My son drives this car and the power steering went out twice on him while driving. I need to get the pump replaced via the recall, but the nearest location is 200 miles from me. It is not safe to drive this car that far and I would have to drop it off and make another trip to pick it up. Towing that far would cost a small fortune. I called every number and was transferred to several people to help with this issue. They say they can not and won't help me till I get the car to a dealership to fix it. One person from Mini told me I might be able to go to a certified mechanic but when I asked the next person they said it had to be a dealership. I spent two days on the phone with several people from Mini and no one was willing to offer a solution. I drive this car to get the recall fixed and something happens and the car wrecks, or worse someone is killed, who would it be on then? No happy about this at all.
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (Steering). The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed. The dealer was made aware of the recall but informed the contact that they do not service recall repairs. The nearest dealer that was able to service the recall repair was located 177 miles away. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
- Gravette, AR, USA
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The contact owned a 2005 MINICooper convertible. The contact stated that while driving at 5 mph after exiting his driveway, he suddenly lost power steering without warning. As a result of the failure, the contact lost complete control of the vehicle as the vehicle veered off the road and into a utility pole. The contact was unaware if the air bags deployed upon impact. The contact stated that he exited the vehicle, walked back to his home and took a nap. An hour later, the contact stated that he was awoken by a sheriff's deputy who asked him questions about the incident with his vehicle. A police report filed and the contact later went to a doctor where he was treated for injuries for his lower back which including a slipped disc and a bruised vertebrae. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was destroyed. Recently, the contact received a recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 15V660000 ( steering) which he linked to his vehicle failure. The contact reached out the manufacturer where he was asked questions about his vehicle failure; however, the contact refused to answer any questions and decided to seek legal advice. The vehicle was deemed destroyed. The failure mileage was unknown.
Battery light flashing, power steering cutting out intermittently while driving. Alternator and serpintine belt replaced but problem continues. Electric power steering seems to be draining electrical system.
The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper S. the contact stated that while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle overheated and smoke began coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. After the repair, the power steering ceased without warning upon starting the vehicle. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 15V660000 (steering) as possible cause of the failure however, the VIN was not included. MINIof des moines located at (9900 hickman rd, des moines, ia 50325) was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
The power steering assist has all but stopped working, with steering now difficult at lower speed--especially when I first start the engine in the morning. The clutch doesn't respond well and the vehicle no longer goes into second gear. The rear left brake caliper seized in place, not allowing the brake pad to retract completely and therefore the brake pad continuously rubbed against the disc, but without noise. Not until the left rear brake made noise because of the metal on metal braking was the seized oem caliper identified, when I put on a set of new brake pads. None of the other three brakes had the seized oem caliper.
The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. While driving approximately 50 mph, the steering became very difficult to maneuver. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off. Once restarted, the steering operated normally. The contact also stated that the failure occurred approximately one and a half months and was getting worse. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. Testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 92,500.
The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper S. while driving various speeds, the contact experienced intermittent power steering failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 15V660000 (steering); however, MINIof marin (5880 paradise dr, corte madera, ca 94925, (415) 887-2194) and the manufacturer were contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
The car was in motion when suddenly the steering wheel became very hard and the driver lost control, almost causing an accident. There has been a recall for MINICooper S vehicles (15V-xxx safety recall) involving the electric-hydraulic power steering system. The recall includes 2002-2005 models, and extends the warranty up to 13 years or up to 150,000 miles. Our vehicle falls under those requirements, and is a 2005 model and has 69,751 miles, yet we were told that there are no existing recalls for our vehicle, even though we suspect that the incident we had involves the hydraulic steering system.
The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper S. when the vehicle was started, the steering wheel became very difficult to turn and the service engine soon warning indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the steering failure worsened since December of 2017. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V660000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
The contact owns a 2005 MINICooper. After turning the vehicle off, the power steering pump continued to operate. Also, while operating the vehicle, the power steering pump sometimes failed and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. Also, the low battery warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to orlando MINI350 lake destiny drive, orlando, fl) where it was diagnosed that the power steering pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 172,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Lakeside, CA, USA