Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering electric pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v660000 (steering); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
2004 MINI Cooper: steering wheel locks up
12 of the 282 complaints about the 2004 MINI Cooper describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 71,421
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 4 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Steering wheel locks up by model year
What owners say
1) automatic transmission busted. Car stalled dangerously on the highway. 2) power steering pump busted. Steering locked dangerously on the road and could not be moved.
Yesterday I was driving home from work and as I was turning onto the access road to get on the highway my steering wheel locked up and forced me to hit a curb. I was able to take side roads to avoid the highway and make it home safely. The curb did do some damage to my car. Man date is oct 2004.
Lost power steering when driving on the freeway. Feels like the steering locks up but can still steer when using a lot of strength. Since first incident, this has happened again several times. Usually after driving for about five minutes.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while traveling 35 MPH, the power steering completely failed and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer for assistance. The dealer replaced the entire power steering system because the electronic power assist pump could not be replaced by itself. The failure mileage was 46,995 and the current mileage was 48,000. Updated 03/14/12*lj also, the auxiliary cooling fan was replaced. Updated 04/18/12
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning and was difficult to control. The contact inspected the vehicle and the failure was located at the power steering pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 98,000.
Took car into dealer and they said the power steering pump needs to replaced, which would cost $1050.00 for parts and labor. Prior to taking it into dealer, the steering wheel locked up on several occasions, which caused me to use all my strength to get the car to steer. On february 5, 2012, the steering wheel locked up, I parked the car, and the power steering pump fan ran continuously until it drained the battery. I have read online that mini cooper owners are trying to get bmw to recall this defect, but they will not. I also read that the federal safety agency checked into this, but I do not know what the outcome was.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper .the contact stated that while driving in reverse, the power steering seized momentarily before resuming normal operation independently. The contact had experienced the failure at least twice. The dealer was not contacted and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 84,000. The VIN was not available.
Power steering froze up as we turned a corner and then died out completely. It has never returned. Very close to causing a collision because of the loss of power steering.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. While driving 25 MPH and attempting a right turn, the steering wheel locked and the contact was unable to maneuver the steering wheel. The dealer was contacted and she was advised that the vehicle was not under recall and any repairs would be at her expense. The dealer also advised that the power steering pump would likely ned to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Driving on the highway and the power steering failed for no apparent reason. Car had just been inspected and there were no other mechanical or road hazard issues but I almost collided with a vehicle because the steering wheel froze. In actuality, it required a great deal of strength--unexpectedly so it felt frozen.
I have a 2004 mini cooper with about 61000 miles, and have recently experienced problems with the power steering. It was a very scary situation as the steering locked as I was driving on a los angeles freeway at a high speed. There is no warning indication, and there is definitely a potential danger.
Service bulletins that may apply
- This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI 32 02 14 dated August 2014
- Electro-Hydraulic Power-Assist Steering Pump (EHPS) and Cooling Fan: Limited Warranty Extension to 13...
- Mini: a warranty extension for certain vehicles with potential problem with cooling fan and the durability...
- Electro-Hydraulic Power-Assist Steering Pump (EHPS) and Cooling Fan: Warranty Extension to 13...
Related recalls
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles and 2005 Cooper and Cooper S Convertible vehicles. The affected vehicles may experience temporary or permanent loss of the electro-hydraulic steering assistance.
- Risk
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the electro-hydraulic power steering system, replacing the components and wiring, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notices were mailed to owners on December 10, 2015. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1‑866‑825‑1525.
Recall number 15V660000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2004 MINI Cooper steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2004 MINI Cooper?
12 of 282 owner complaints about the 2004 MINI Cooper (4%) mention steering wheel locks up. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 MINI Cooper?
There is 1 recall and 4 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 MINI Cooper
Power steering loss 95Loss of power 24Transmission failure 12CVT failure 11Battery drain 7Engine failure 7Fire or smoke 7Stalling 5
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