Was thrilled to find an 03 MCS in my price range and bought her from a private seller just 4 months ago with only 46k miles. What a blast - - - till nearly wreaking her last week in a fast 90 degree sweeper - not just when the PS abruptly wasn't there, I dealt, but when it came back on half a second later and half way through the turn and when I nearly veered head on into a pickup truck!

MINI of Peabody Service Dept. in Massachusetts quoted somewhere north of 700 for the pump and ~$1100 for the job total. - Graham there was quite sympathetic when listening to my woos but gave me MINIUSA as my only avenue of recourse other than just forking up and paying them, the dealer. Eric at MINIUSA gave me a courteous ear but frankly told me not to expect much. After noting my awareness of numerous complaints and the resulting NHTSA investigation, he mentioned it was for 04s and 05s only. He didn't give me anything assuring when I told him of many 03s including now mine and 02s that had the same problems. Maybe we're not making enough noise!

Iron-Iceberg, I give you major kudoes for taking the beast apart and identifying the source of our troubles. I'm an EE/ ME but I'm doubtful I would have gone through the trouble that you have. Designed guaranteed failure is worse than just inept engineering in my book! It's disgraceful!

Alan

 

Wow. This is too coincidental. The power steering just went from intermittently not working to not working at all on my '04 Mini with 102K miles. Just checked the fan to the steering pump and it seems to be working correctly and the fluid level is also good. I've never owned a car with this many problems from day one.

 

the power steering just went out in my 2002 mini today (80k miles). It was fine and then all of a sudden it was hard as hell to steer. Looked at prices for a new pump and there is no way i am dropping almost 700 bucks on this. Anyone know of a place that i can get a pump for around 250-300 bucks? Any help would be great.

 

Way motor works sells them for 550, thats whre i got mine, although i think mine was 495 at the time.

http://www.waymotorworks.com/oem-pow...ring-pump.html

 

Try your local dealer price is way down

 

I urge, urge, urge everyone to register complaints with the NHTSA and MINIUSA. If we don't make our voices heard nothing will be done. It's absolutely disgraceful that BMW hasn't owned up to this serious safety defect. I plan to contact some of the Boson investigative news media to see if they might be interested in a story. Folks over on the MINI2 forums have a pool going where nearly 55% of respondents out of almost 2000 have had a power steering failure! If someone dies in a Prius like crash, then people certainly will notice!

http://www.mini2.com/forum/first-gen...te-yes-no.html

Meanwhile I plan to yank my pump out this weekend and disassemble the beast to see if it's possible to clean it up and get it working again. My local dealer's web page has the pump currently at $516.

 

Ok so I let my car sit for about 8 hours and I got back in to see if I still had the same problem. Well now my steering is like nothing was ever wrong with it. Does this mean that my car I'd having signs that I need a new pump or could it be the cooling fan that needs to be changed?

 

It's the beginning of the end Yellow Tiger. That's exactly how mine started. The first few days I could just switch off and restart the car to get the PS back. The most terrifying thing is when it's dead for a while and then suddenly comes back on. If your in a corner, the natural reaction because you've just been muscling the beast will be to suddenly overstear and vear out of your lane. Good luck!

 

Just call MINI of Westchester. $727 for the pump. No deal! It doesn't look at all like the price is "way down" any longer!

 

I'd suggest doing it yourself with a reman pump. I impressed my family by doing it myself and it wasn't a hard install. There are some good DIY threads around

 

Mine just died on me, the unit started to heat up.

I had the car towed home.

Is it possible to unpower the power sterring pump by a removing a fuse to drive it a shop without power steering?

 

Another failure here, 03 MCS w just shy of 87k. PS went out on me on my way home, PS fan was still running though. I stopped in a parking lot and popped the bonnet to make sure there was no smoke or fire, and when I didn't see or smell anything drove it home hoping nothing bad would happen until I could get it into my local shop. PS worked for the rest of the way home and to the shop (3 mi total). Turns out the PS pump was leaking fluid. I know that I could have gotten a rebuilt or aftermaket pump but just bucking up and getting the "redesigned" one and the new fan too (though believe it or not my early build fan was still ok). We don't have a MINI dealer here in town but going through an independent Brit car mechanic who has taken good care of my car in the past and while I'm paying what I would have at the dealer for the pump install alone for the pump and fan together (so not cheap!) I don't want to mess around and risk a car fire or otherwise further damage to my car. I know I've been on borrowed time and as soon as it went out the other day I knew not to wait. Though I have USAA insurance and they have successfully gone after MINI USA for PS related car fires based on previous posts in the engine bay fire thread...

 

BTW, when my mechanic called MINI USA they were fully aware of the issue and knew without his telling them that it was an early build MCS so they absolutely cannot claim ignorance. Also, THEY DO NOT WARRANTY THE PUMP UNLESS THE FAN IS ALSO REPLACED. I would have replaced the fan anyway but they ADMITTED to my mechanic that the fan could catch on fire if not replaced!!!!! This is tacit admission there is a safety defect and my mechanic said he would be happy to vouch for this if investigated (again) by the NHTSB. And you better believe I did report it.

 

I just joined the club. 55 mph, 2 lane winding country road, no shoulders and ended up in the oncoming lane before I regained control. Luckily no traffic at the time but this road is used by log trucks on the way to the mill.

I muscled it home for 22 miles, shut it off and started research on the problem. I did not know it was this prevalent with the MC. After reading this and other posts on several forums, I went out to the car to verify that the PSP or Fan was not running. I started the car and the PS worked for 1/4 turn to the right. Shut down and restarted and it worked for 1/4 turn to the left. Shut down and restarted and it worked stop to stop.

Have reported this to NHTSA.

I have driven it for a 10 mile round trip and a 50 mile round trip and it seems to be working ok. The PSP sings like it should when turning the wheel and the fans are working. No codes on the Scangauge II.

I called my local dealer (4.5 hours & 285 miles away) about the problem. The service manager said it sounds like the PS Fan is intermittent and recommended replacing it. Have one on order UPS to the house.

The reason I called the dealer is that I have had the MINI in for service twice in the last 6 weeks and both times they had to drop the sub-frame. The PSP, Fan and piston assembly are all on this sub-frame and I was concerned that they could have contributed to the problem. However, my Bentley MC manual says to unbolt the PS reservoir and support it while dropping the sub-frame. If they did this, the PS system was not opened.

Of course the 110k miles I have on the MC could have some bearing as well.

 

I took my '04 75K to the dealer this morning for intermittent loss of power steering. I was quoted $1170 (referb PS pump, hydro fluid + labor), and this isn't including the $180 diagnostic charge! Argh! I'm going to the NHTSA site right now! BTW, I was told by the dealer that there are no "new" power steering pumps, and that "all" are remanufactured. Is that true? $800 and it's not even NEW??

 

Hi everyone!
I just want to give an update on my issue with the Power-steering pump.
The NHTSA has contacted me and has spoken to the corporate office of BMW-Mini located in New Jersey.
Both The NHTSA and BMW-Mini has been informed on many of our posted complaints in regards to the power-steering pump on the NHTSA website.

Make sure to post your issue on the website https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
Believe it or not posting your issue is helping all the Mini community tremendously....I'm soon to go in and get a new pump installed which was arranged by corporate Mini/ BMW. What gets me mad is that I already spent lots of money fixing it myself and now Mini wants to put a new one in.....

To keep informed with this issue..... the investigation is under action number EA11005 http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/defects/
I have an email address and direct # to both the corporate office and the person at the NHTSA office who is handling the Mini Cooper case. PM me if you need it.
Log your issues @ the NHTSA website...
-Iris

 

Update:

The PS Fan arrived yesterday via. UPS - $248 from dealer including UPS shipping.
Was $10 for installation at tire dealer today while rotating and balancing the tires. Took them longer to find the right socket than it did to do the work.

The old fan turned free after the mechanic tossed it up on the rack after removing it. When I got home, I checked the old fan again, this time it was very gritty while turning but eventually it sorta freed up.

Is my power steering fixed? Only time will tell. However, my confidence in the MC is not quite where it was last week and my motoring now has a new edge to it.

 

This is pretty much the cost to replace the pump I was quoted by Mini. I didn't ask if the pump was refurbished. I assumed for that price it would be new.

 

This morning at 3:00am while pulling into the parking lot at work the steering felt a bit underpowered, once coming to a stop with the engine at idle I noticed the headlights starting to dim then engine idle started to rise and fall, as if the ECU was attempting to correct to maintain normal idle. Thats when I noticed the smoke or what I thought was steam from under the hood. Just then the battery light came. I opened the bonnet and I could hear what sounded like the power steering fan on and the smoke appears to be coming from that location ( keep in mind this is 3:00am and I have no flashlight) I frantically remove the fuse for the PS fan and it's still on. I had to disconnect the battery for the fan to stop. The power steering pump was replaced 13 months ago and the the PS fan was replaced 3 months ago. Any idea's what caused this?
Update - It appears to me that the motor for the PS pump has failed...the PS fan turns freely by hand. A heavy burnt electrical odor is present when opening the bonnet. No power steering at all when the car is on!!!!! Can I pull the fuse for the PS pump so I can drive the car home??

After reviewing previous posts regarding the PS issues I found my last post when I replaced the PS pump in June 2010. Does BBA-Remus have a lifetime warranty?? I'll call them this morning and verify the warranty question.

Mark

 

my second pump is on its way out now. WTF. im starting to hate mini......

 

Two pumps already?

Obviously there's something fishy there...

I bet your pump is not the problem (well now it's dead I know) but I mean maybe it's failing because something else in the PS system is not working fine, I can think of PS Fan, hoses, wrong PS oil, etc, etc, etc...

I'm just saying...

Good luck!

 

My pump is constantly running even with the car off. Fan still works. Just called to file a complaint. They said they only have 96 complaints on file! Everyone call and complain. I'm afraid my car is going to catch fire.

 

Not to discourage you but in fact it can caught fire!

There is a whole thread somewhere about this (don't recall if its here on NAM or elsewhere), but yes, there are cases where pumps ignite and total the car.

Better check it now!

How are you handling this issue? Removing a fuse or relay?

Sorry!
RayanMX

 

If your pump is runnimg with the car shut off you need to disconect the battery ASAP, or you will have a dead one. Until you get a new pump you must do this every time if you leave your car for morethan a few hours. I am amazed @ the # of complaints being so low we are a dedicated crowd who loves our cars but BMW N.A is goiving it to us without even a cocktail............ REGISTER YOUR PUMP FAILURE AND YOU MAY EVEN SEE SOME LOVE FROM THE STEALERSHIP !!!...Trick if you need any other advice pls PM me.....

 

Got under the car. Unbolted the power steering fan. I had a battery charger on the car because my fiberglass enclosure in the trunk keeps me from the battery I unplugged the harness to the power steering pump until I can remove it and have it rebuilt.

Get this:

I called and made my complaint. I then called Bavarian BMW in Rochester, MI which sells and services Mini. I talked to parts who told me, "uhh, let me get you to a service guy!" He transferred me to Mini service and I tell him that the pump won't shut off and that I'm afraid its going to catch fire. He tells me to disconnect the neg. terminal on the battery. I tell him I can't get to the battery. He says, "Just let it run until the power steering motor burns out." Uhhhhh, really?! I asked if I could pull a fuse (39 inside and 4 under the hood didn't do it) or pull a harness and he told me no. I had to figure it out. I called MINI USA to complain about the power steering issue. The service center gave me a quote of $1100 with a reman. ps pump. I'm just going to remove it and send it to BBA.

I've had this car since Oct. and already had to replace the motor. Last week I replaced the Front passenger Wheel Hub. This week a power steering pump....

My Mini Cooper S is costing more like a Mercedes AMG. I almost wanted to see the pump catch fire so I could claim it on Insurance and add another strike against MINI.

What gives??