Anyone experienced it?
What to do?

Mini 2004 steering wheel stopped responding while driving. Once in past stopped the car and restarted. Steering returned to normal.
Today it got stuck. Most minor turn requires a lot of force. Tried many times to turn of and restart. Steering does not respond.

Is mini a death trap?

 

It sounds like you're describing the power steering pump failure! Did the wheel actually LOCK or did it still move, but just hard to move.

 

Power steering pump going? The MINI is pretty difficult to steer when there is no power helping out. Or did the steering wheel lock, like when the car is off and the key is out?

Nik

 

When the pump goes the steering is VERY heavy all of a sudden... If you've been hearing a high-pitched whine that varies in pitch as you turn the wheel for several months, then it's your pump. Unfortunately this is a "known issue" on the 1st gen Coopers, I'm afraid.

 

First thing i thought is the power-steering fluid is bone dry but i won't know until lunch