2006 Mini Cooper S

THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME MAKING DRIVING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. HAVING ONLY 12 MILES TO TRAVEL SHE DROVE HOME FIGHTING THE STEERING ALL THE WAY HOME WHEN SHE ARRIVED HOME I OPEN THE HOOD AND COULD SMELL AND SEE SMOKE FROM WHAT I HAVE DISCOVERED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL MELT DOWN ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE ENTIRE WIRING CONNECTORS ARE MELTED AND ASH AND UN USABLE. WE WERE LUCKY THE CAR DID NOT CATCH FIRE. HOWEVER THERE IS CLEAR EVIDENCE THE WIRES WERE ON FIRE. *TR

MY 2006 R53 ONLY HAS 40,000 MILES AND OUT OF NOWHERE THE STEERING BECAME PERIODICALLY STIFF. AFTER PERSISTING FOR 2 WEEKS, IT HAS BECOME INCREDIBLY HARD TO MOVE THE WHEEL AND THE PUMP SEEMS TO HAVE CUT OUT COMPLETELY. IT IS MUCH STIFFER THEN ANY CAR WITH MANUAL STEERING THAT I HAVE EVER TRIED, RENDERING MY MINI TOTALLY UNDRIVEABLE. SOMEHOW THE COOPER S IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FROM TRANSPORT CANADA? ( HTTP://WWWAPPS.TC.GC.CA/SAF-SEC-SUR/7/VRDB-BDRV/SEARCH/RECALLDETAIL.ASPX?LANG=ENG&RN=2012029 ) *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE WOULD OPERATE AS NORMAL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SEIZE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,650. UPDATED 03/05/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS ULTIMATELY TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING. UPDATED 03/06/12

MY POWER STEERING IS GOING IN AND OUT. I MIGHT HAVE IT, AND DRIVE ANOTHER MINUTE ITS NOT WORKING. THE CAR ONLY HAS 58740 MILES ON IT I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND THE PUMP SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM. MINI SAYS THERE IS NOT PROBLEM WITH THEIR STEERING PUMPS BUT WHEN I GO ON LINE AND CHECK THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF OTHERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AT THE SAME APPROXIMATE MILEAGE MARK GIVE OR TAKE A FEW. THIS IS OVER A THOUSAND DOLLAR FIX. IS MINI GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THERE ARE ENOUGH ACCIDENTS BEFORE THEY ADMIT THERE IN PROBLEM? I HAVE CHECKED THE FLUID AND THE FAN ALL IS WORKING AND FINE. IT'S JUST THE MALFUNCTIONING PUMP. *TR

MY WIFE NOTICED AN UNUSUAL ELECTRICAL HUMMING NOISE THAT RAPIDLY BECAME PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER COMING FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHEN THE CAR WAS RUNNING. VERY QUICKLY IT BECAME HARDER AND HARDER TO STEER UNTIL IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS NO ASSISTED STEERING AT ALL. SHE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE IT SINCE. RECENTLY WENT TO A MINI DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT WITH THE RESULT THAT THEY SAID THE PUMP DID INDEED FAIL. NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED AS OF YET, EVEN THOUGH THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. *TR

A PROBLEM DEVELOPED WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY MINI COOPER "S" (2006). THE PROBLEM STARTED SOMEWHAT GRADUALLY, OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL DAYS TO A WEEK, DURING WHICH THE WHEEL BECAME MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO TURN. MY VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR IN ANY SORT OF INCIDENT. IT HAS LESS THAN THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND MILES ON IT. I TOOK MY MINI TO AN AUTHORIZED MINI-COOPER REPAIR FACILITY WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE KNOCK (SP?) SENSOR AND STEERING MOTOR HAD FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THIS WAS AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2,000.00 DOLLARS, HOWEVER IT DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE STEERING WHEEL CONTINUES TO BE SLUGGISH AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WHATEVER IS WRONG WITH THE STEERING IS A DESIGN FLAW, AS NO CAR WITH LESS THAN THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND MILES ON IT SHOULD EXHIBIT SUCH A STRANGE AND CRITICAL FAILURE. *TR

SUDDEN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE ORIGINAL BATTERY FAILED AND WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A CONTINUING SOUND LIKE A FAN OR ELECTRIC MOTOR RUNNING CONSTANTLY. THIS NOISE CONTINUED UNTIL THE POWER STEERING CEASED COMPLETELY DURING A PARKING MANEUVER. AFTER THE STEERING FAILED THE PREVIOUSLY NOTED NOISE STOPPED.