My 2002 base Mini Cooper had already had the power steering pump replaced last year but not under the recall as the pandemic was in effect. I don't think Mini would honor the recall now. The problem I have is that the pump has the normal whine when starting the car but after a minute or so, it starts to get louder to the point you can hear it in the cabin over the cabin fans. I immediately checked the fluid levels and topped off a little as the fluid was still within margin. There is evidence of the common down tube leak but other than that, the car turns and steers smoothly. Just that the noise is setting off my anxiety. Am I over reacting or is the pump about to fail again?

 

Make sure the fan is working

 

I would look into the following if it was my car:

1. Check the VIN and see if there are any open recalls per MINI: https://www.miniusa.com/owners/tools...rt/recall.html Many people have posted getting their pumps replaced under recall, even on cars they’ve recently purchased used from a private party or non-MINI dealer.
2. When you pay for a repair before a recall is announced, MINI usually reimburses for the repair if you have receipts. I know you paid for the repair after the recall was announced, but maybe you can argue your case with MINI USA due to the pandemic.
3. If you replaced it with a genuine MINI part it might be covered by their two year warranty.

 

Sadly, I do not qualify for the recall as it is too far out in the terms of mileage and years of wear and tear. I just want to know if the pump is on its way out or is there something that could be blocked/pinched to allow the pump to make it work that hard? There isn't any leaks that I can tell from the rack and pinion either. Thankfully, I only have a five minute drive to work but if I need to go to the grocery store or run other errands, I am out of luck if this pump fails again.

 

My recall was never done according to the Mini website, may be worth looking into.

 

I just had the recall done on my '03S (August '02 build date) at the dealer. They replaced my noisy pump as well as the fan with no charge. If you didn't file a claim for your previous repair you might want to look into it.