Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. When the vehicle made a right turn at 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact had to use excessive force to get the steering wheel to straighten. The dealer stated that the steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000.
2005 MINI Cooper: steering wheel locks up
14 of the 372 complaints about the 2005 MINI Cooper describe steering wheel locks up.
- owner complaints
- 14
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 65,000
- 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
While I was driving on the highway approximately 65 MPH my steering gave out and locked up, almost slamming me into the guard rail. I was fortunate enough to stop before tragedy. Unfortunately I was blocking a lane of traffic until I could force my way of the roadway. The second incident happened as I was turning into my own driveway. The steering locked up again causing me to miss my driveway and crash into the ditch. The other safety issues with my car is the windshield wipers will stop working at random and the reverse and tail lights will fail at random. The engine light stays on and the codes read emissions failure. When I talk to mini cooper customer relations they gave me an extended 100,000 mile warranty on the power steering and emissions. Mini cooper claims they can't do the safety repairs due to a part shortage. They extended my already extended warranty to 150,000 miles and are wanting to charge me for diagnostics on these extended warranty issues. They will not offer any resolution and claim it is my problem as a consumer and claim the power steering issues are not safety related. When I asked about the electrical lighting issues they replied with that's not mini coopers problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road and then towed to the contact's residence. The failure occurred five times. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
While turning into a shopping plaza parking lot the steering wheel locked up and I was not able to control or complete the turn. Thank god I was driving at a slow speed and pedistrians were not near by. I experienced the same thing when I was leaving to return home and two more times after that. Something needs to be done ,innocent lives are at risk.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was awaiting diagnosis. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure and the current mileage was 58,500.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised her that the power steering pump failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contact and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. The contact was driving 45 MPH when the power steering seized and became extremely difficult to maneuver. The dealer was contacted who advised that there were no recalls for the vehicle and that he should bring the vehicle in for repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,781.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. Then contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was stopped and shut off. The vehicle was then towed to an independent repair shop and the power steering pump was replaced. The failure recurred approximately one year later. The vehicle was taken back to an independent repair shop, but repairs were not performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Steering wheel locks while driving. I have talked to the dealer and the dealer believes the problem is with the steering pump. I researched it on the net and found many people complaining about it.
The failure in my power steering pump occurred at 70,000 miles while driving on the interstate highway at 75 MPH. The steering wheel locked as I was driving while changing lanes. I could not turn the wheel without excessive force. I have also found that a pump, in the process of failing, causes another problem; the pump might randomly start working again, and possibly in the process of a turn. This actually happened to me and caused an over compensation when turning a corner (on 2 occasions) and potentially endangered the other motorists on the road, as well as myself! I found that it will cost me $1000.00+ to have this repaired. I am currently unemployed and cannot afford this expense. In the mean time, my beloved mini sits in the garage until a recall or until I have enough money to pay for the repairs.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. The contact stated that while turning at approximately 15 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was stopped and shut off. Upon restart, the vehicle operated as normal but the failure recurred on a daily basis. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel locked up suddenly. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the power steering pump and gasket were replaced. The current and failure mileages were 56,954. Updated 3/7/11 *cn updated 03/14/11
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 2005 MINI Cooper steering lock-up
Is steering wheel locks up a common problem on the 2005 MINI Cooper?
14 of 372 owner complaints about the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 MINI Cooper
Power steering loss 117Loss of power 33Airbag light 20Engine failure 12Fire or smoke 10Battery drain 9Jerking 8Overheating 7Whining noise 7Check engine light 6Won't shift 6Transmission failure 5
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