[DeneeW]

My daughter '04 mini PS failed today at college. I'm the mechanic in the family, and unknowingly, I went and bought a Ps belt at Oreilly's auto parts. I can't find the Power steerring anything!!! It started working when my husband got it home, and is stil working!! Now I'm waiting for a call from the dealer. I'm glad I found this site! the cooper warranty just expired!!!

[Church]

Hi,
My 2003 Cooper (27K mile) had it's power steering fail this morning whlst attempting to park at the local train Station

I'm amazed it's such a common problem and the steering can fail at speed. Car will be taken to Mini Northampton tomorrow - I'll be quoting this forum's poll results as the my car is out of warrenty. I'll let you know how I get on.

UPDATE - Failure was intermittent for a week or so - all fine when engine was cold, but power steering failed when engine was hot. Now the failure is permanent.

Dealer confirmed it was the power steering pump failure and intially wanted £625+labour+VAT to fix the issue.

I told them the fault was very common and some would say it was a design fault of the power steering setup. Also told them that I understood MINI UK were sympathetic to goodwill claims outside of the warrenty for such a failure and would the dealership be prepared to pursue a claim on my behalf.

60 minutes later the dealer came back with an offer of free parts but I would have to pay the labour - £120+VAT. Not as good as some on this site have received however my warrenty did run out 9 months ago.

Thanks MINI2.com for highlighting this issue the info on here has saved me £700.

[DeneeW]

Update: We took the mini (out of warranty by a 1k or so), they replaced it at no charge! They call it a "Good will" . At the same time, they called and said the pan gasket was leaking, and it requires pulling the front bumper etc.. I told them I was underneath the car checking things out, and noticed the drain plug leaking, but nothing more! Otherwise there would be oil all over the place! I kind of caught them! He called back a little later and said, they'd take care of it. We just had spent 2400 on brakes and suspension work!!
Otherwise, I told the man I didn't want to spend any more money necessary on the car unless absolutley necessary.
Honestly, I think the electric ps pump is a dumb idea! regular belt driven pumps do not rob the motor of that much power and there is ample room for a belt driven pump. My thoughts.
dne'

[Mins21]

My MINI Cooper S Power Steering just failed last friday whilst driving past Westminster (London) - great I thought - just great - no warning - nothing - just kaput.

Anyway - into the local dealer (Berry of Chiswick) to have a look and they agree its the pump and that the manufacturer will contribute 50% of the cost of the part which brings the total down to about £500 for me to pay...

I still don't think this is good enough and have asked the dealer to go back to MINI UK and fight my corner for me - especially since I haven't had any previous warranty work carried etc and generally haven't been a pain in the ar$e to them...

I was genuinely considering upgrading to the new Cooper S soon, but if I don't get assistance from MINI I will not be happy, write a nasty letter to MINI UK and proceed to sell my MINI (although I don't want to)

So NOT GOOD ENOUGH for a car like this...

Can anyone offer any help/thoughts on this - how to approach my dealer/MINI UK?

Please?!

Ok so its a few days later and my local garage have been looking at the car and say its the power steering pump which needs changing - duh.

So they want to charge me full whack for it - I'm not having that and request that my dealer contacts MINI UK with my "MANUAL" (every car has a manual which details the history of the car on their system). MINI UK apparently checks each car on its individual merit and decides whether to offer financial aid etc - so in my case they did - 100% of cost of parts and 50% of costs of labour.

All in all my dealer and service manager being great, said that I'd only have to pay £72 on my part all inclusive. GREAT!

I got a call this afternoon (Wed 20th Feb 2008) and they say that its actualy going to cost £69 - even GREATER!!! PLus no delivery charge for getting the car back to me as the admin dept "didnt add the delivery charge on it" - BONUS!!! So the service manager says don't worry about it etc

And now I have my car back!

Think I'll still be selling it though....!!!

[firefly]

Just had my first power steering pump failure - '05 MC 44K Kms. Saturday night came home (after a lovely first date I parked the car in the garage and turned it off. When I got out I heard an familiar sound the whine from the power steering pump - but this time the car was off. I thought maybe it was cooling down and would shut off after a few minutes. I went in inside and searched for power steering mini and found this forum. Went back into the garage and it was still running - 3 hours later (4 am) it stopped - well it didn't stop it drained the battery.

Yesterday I called Road Side Assistance I told them what happened and they towed it to my dealer BMW Toronto - It was a holiday and they where closed. Today at 2pm I called to get an update - BMW Toronto had not called me by this point. I spoke with my rather dismissive adviser who told me that the battery was dead "duh" and that they recharged it. I said did you fix the pump since that is was drained the battery. He said no that they had hooked it up to the computer and the diagnostics said that nothing drained the battery and that is must have been the cold. Ya the cold of the heated garage it spends all day in. I said I heard the pump after turning the car off. His reply was that happens to cool the pump down. "For 3 hours" - that made him pause and he said he would look at it - right before he hung up I said to check the coolant cause the reservoir was nearly empty - I'm talking like a teaspoon left. If it ran out before the battery it could have caught fire right? like some other people. He said ok and hung up.

5 mins later he left a message - being rather apologetic - and thanking me for the tip since they checked it out and it WAS a faulty pump. Buddy a "tip" is "I heard a whine" not "the power steering pump is broken and drained my battery" that is doing your job.

Questions? Does the pump use the same coolant as the engine too? Why the hell would you design something that could get stuck in on position? Do mechanics do any diagnostics them self anymore or just rely on the computer? Do modern 3 year old batteries die by themselves cause of the cold? Does anyone know a good mechanic in Toronto?

[ladycool]

It has happened to me, driving on the motorway doing around 70mpg and the power steering just went, luckily it was a straight drive and i managed to exit carefully and pull in to the side, I switched engine off and afte a few mins turned on again and it seemed okay.
Not so it has happened again and now seems stuck solid.
Mine is a late 2001 model and I dont know what to do?
It is sitting outside my house, Im unable to get it to any dealership to check it out as i dont think it could be driven there.
I did telephone bmw and they say they are not aware of any major problems with psp .
I tlephoned VOSA and they said right away there is problems with the psp and not to be fobbed off but bmw are not listening..
I am seriously considering contacting Watchdog and get them to run it on national tv and see how many owners ring in.
Can anyone advise me what to do as my car is just sitting there.

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by ladycool (original)

I did telephone bmw and they say they are not aware of any major problems with psp.

They are lying. BMW have indeed recognised that there is a problem with the power steering pump and that it results from a design flaw! They have therefore been assisting with the replacement of this component in out of warranty cars in good faith for other customers.

Admittedly, a late 2001 model is far enough out of warranty that you can start to expect parts to break down and BMW might not be willing to offer you any goodwill assistance in this case. But that is a different issue - if they explicitly tell you that they're not aware of a problem with the power steering pump then that is a lie.

Quote: Originally Posted by ladycool (original)

I telephoned VOSA and they said right away there is problems with the psp and not to be fobbed off but bmw are not listening..
I am seriously considering contacting Watchdog and get them to run it on national tv and see how many owners ring in.
Can anyone advise me what to do as my car is just sitting there.

If you know the power steering has cut out completely, it is awkward and heavy to drive - but it won't be a surprise. Can you just drive it to the dealer slowly? Alternatively, you could get it driven there by a strong friend, or have it towed.

I would contact someone over the fact that they are telling you an untruth. In my view, it would be better for them to admit that there is a known problem with the component even if they subsequently decide that your power steering pump in particular has performed for an acceptable amount of time.

What's the mileage on your car? If it's low mileage, then I'd say it's worth pursuing with BMW as a low-mileage claim for assistance in the replacement of a prematurely-failed component.

[DrNorman]

My 2002 mini cooper (33000 miles) PS pump quit about 4 months ago, have been managing to drive pretty normally without power steering, although parking is obviously more difficult. I knew it was costly to replace and prone to failing again so opted to carry on.

Today went to get the car serviced and MOT done - the first thing they failed it on was the PS pump - £445.05 to fix

Have asked them to contact Mini UK for a goodwill claim and the dealer states this is done retrospectively - is this true?

All in all not too hopeful about being reimbursed anyone have any ideas?

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by DrNorman (original)

Have asked them to contact Mini UK for a goodwill claim and the dealer states this is done retrospectively - is this true?

No, that is not true. MINI UK can be contacted in advance of the repair being taken out, and was in the case of my car.

Having diagnosed the problem, ask them to contact MINI UK on your behalf before repairs are authorised. If it is repaired before this is done, you will likely get lumped with the full cost.

In your letter to the dealership asking them to plead your case, stress that yours is a low-mileage car and that, based on the mileage, you deem this component to have failed prematurely. I would also acknowledge that you are a member of a MINI enthusiast club and that you are aware that an alarming proportion of MINIs have experienced premature failure of this component.

All the best,
Andrew.

[Si2000]

My misses bought a second hand 04 Mini One with 28k on the clock only 2 weeks ago. The car had been parked up on the drive for the past week. I move it today and notice a puddle of oil on the ground. After closer inspection if came from the car!

But everything seems fine, no warning lights are on so far?

But the steering seems to be heavier then when I first drive the car. I can only guess the pump has gone! She bought this from a MINI dealer so it’s under warranty, taking it back in tomorrow.

Not a good sign, since she’s only had this for 2 weeks.

Will post a vote once I found out from them what’s what.

[minipodder]

My wifes 3 & a half year old Mini Cooper Conv has developed a Power Steering problem..my local dealer asked me to bring the car down for a diagnostic check - I advised them that Im a member of this forum & that im fully aware that MINI are contributing to the costs of repair however thay diagnosed the problem & have submitted a goodwill claim through to MINI UK however they charged me £103 for the diagnostic check .........this doesnt seem right nor fair to me, I challenged them & they said the car is out of warranty & so the diagnostic check isnt FOC, Further update to follow once MINI/deaker get back to me with a response.

[bryce03]

Quote: Originally Posted by bryce03 (original)

UPDATE 2

Went to my local dealership this afternoon, spoke to the service manager. Explained that Id had a look on the internet for symtoms and came across a topic (this one) so I contacted MINI UK and they explained the above (UPDATE 1). I asked what it would take for a diagnostic - £35. I then asked if it was possible to do it as a favour (valued customer etc) Quite bluntly got the answer "No chance". Well thanks very much. He denied all knowledge of knowing the problem and even checked his "computer" in another room... I told him Id think about it and get back to him.

Phoned another MINI dealer (20miles further away). Never been a customer of theirs. Explained my situation and the very helpful service guy explained that its the wiring that corrodes, melts the pumps housing, and bug*ers it. I asked what it'd take for a diagnostics, he said 10mins, how much? we can do that foc Mr ****. We will then submit a claim to MINI and see what they say. He asked age, service history and mileage. Said due to low miles and history it should be in my favour and MINI are likely to help out.

Just gotta get her booked in now and see what the outcome is.

Very pleased with the service thus far from second dealer.

UPDATE 3

Car is booked in tommorrow morning for diagnostics at afore mentioned dealer. I dont think they remember me calling , was about 2months ago, so I'll see what they come up with, Car has only done 500miles since then and seems to be fine...

I'll update again soon.

[bryce03]

Quote: Originally Posted by minipodder (original)

they charged me £103 for the diagnostic check .........this doesnt seem right nor fair to me, I challenged them & they said the car is out of warranty & so the diagnostic check isnt FOC

Its right enough that a diagnostic is not FOC, afterall, you could get them to check it and DIY fix or take it to a cheapo garage. However, £103 is ridiculous IMO, I called two garages and they both quoted £35 for diag. (one has actually said they'll do it for free, if they get the fix)

AR Crawford, good to see your still helping out! I'll PM ya if things get sticky my end

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by bryce03 (original)

UPDATE 3

Car is booked in tommorrow morning for diagnostics at afore mentioned dealer. I dont think they remember me calling , was about 2months ago, so I'll see what they come up with, Car has only done 500miles since then and seems to be fine...

I'll update again soon.

It's good to hear that things are moving along nicely. I do love to use letters to communicate with dealers, as it's something that both you and they can file away for future reference.

Let us know how it goes!

Quote: Originally Posted by minipodder (original)

My wifes 3 & a half year old Mini Cooper Conv has developed a Power Steering problem..my local dealer asked me to bring the car down for a diagnostic check - I advised them that Im a member of this forum & that im fully aware that MINI are contributing to the costs of repair however thay diagnosed the problem & have submitted a goodwill claim through to MINI UK however they charged me £103 for the diagnostic check .........this doesnt seem right nor fair to me, I challenged them & they said the car is out of warranty & so the diagnostic check isnt FOC, Further update to follow once MINI/deaker get back to me with a response.

Quote: Originally Posted by bryce03 (original)

Its right enough that a diagnostic is not FOC, afterall, you could get them to check it and DIY fix or take it to a cheapo garage. However, £103 is ridiculous IMO, I called two garages and they both quoted £35 for diag. (one has actually said they'll do it for free, if they get the fix)

£103 does sound extremely expensive for what should be relatively straightforward for the dealer - as it's a known problem, they already know exactly what they're looking for!

£35 sounds about right if you were going to pay for it. But, like Bryce says, there are dealers who will check it for free. My car was out of warranty a few months out of warranty (still low mileage though) and my diagnostic was free of charge.

MINI UK covered 100% parts and 50% labour for the fix as a goodwill gesture - something which is cheaper for them to do than issue a recall.

Quote: Originally Posted by bryce03 (original)

AR Crawford, good to see your still helping out! I'll PM ya if things get sticky my end

Well, we all do what we can - and yes, do PM me if you get stuck.

All the best,
Andrew.

[minipodder]

Thanks for your comments/advise AR Crawford/Bryce03
I still havent heard anything back yet from Mini UK or my local dealer in Portsmouth (SNOWS Portsmouth)

Im really going to make a major noise if they dont cover 100% parts & 50% Labour

has anyone been onto watchdog or 5th Gear or Top Gear about this problem......im staggered that this hasnt got more publicity

Im really seriously considering selling the Mini once its fixed...cars this age shouldnt have major steering failures,.maybe ill go with a brand with decent customer satisfaction i.e. .Skoda

[NeuroBeaker]

Well, 100% parts and 50% labour is the best possible outcome, but I wouldn't be too indignant with them if you don't get exactly that - close would be good though.

Also, on the subject of cars and reliability - all cars have their faults. All of them. Even manufacturers like Bentley have their problems: a few years ago their heated seats were getting so hot that they were burning the thighs and bums of their customers! Better to have a car you know and have potential problems identified that you can look out for and correct quickly than to have a car you foolishly think will be perfect - you're only setting yourself up for a nasty shock.

As for Skoda, I've had two of those before the MINI. A K-reg Skoda Favorit with 70,000 miles, which was fantastic - albeit very old and in need of new shocks, with a cooling system full of holes that simply wouldn't retain fluid, a radio that didn't work, and an oil reservoir that needed a liter of black gold every two months. The second one was an S-reg Skoda Felicia with 18,000 miles, and that caught fire... twice. Electrical problems were rife, a disc brake once cracked (with new-ish pads, I might add) and the exhaust once split in two. New Skodas are a great improvement on the old ones, but don't go thinking that you won't experience problems there either.

Afterall, for customers who don't log onto MINI2 and have a power steering pump failure, they might just assume their car had a one-off duff pump and shell out for the full £600 to get it fixed. The MINI isn't perfect - but it sure is lovable. And the community spirit with which we look out for each other more than makes up for the cars few shortcomings!

Hopefully, we can tempt you to reconsider?

All the best,
Andrew.


PS:
Just quoting myself from another thread to make sure I've reiterated this enough times - I do beg your indulgence from those of you who have seen it before. Oh, and if anyone could suggest any improvements to the advice - do please speak up!

Quote: Originally Posted by ARCrawford (original)

Hello Breville - welcome to MINI2!

Sorry to hear you're having a spot of bother with your steering, but I think I might be able to help. If when the steering is very heavy, you notice an absence of the MINI's characteristic whine from the engine compartment, then it's quite probably that your Power Steering Pump has failed. This is a common problem on MINIs and an exhaustive list of owners who have had this problem - and how they dealt with it - is detailed here (click on the title to be taken to that thread):

IMPORTANT. Have you had a power steering/pump failure? Please vote YES or NO!!!

My advice is to do the following (hopefully your car doesn't have too high a mileage and this will work):

1. Write a letter to your local dealer (addressed to the Service Manager), and in this letter you will want to detail the following:
   1. You believe your power steering pump has failed (as noticed by an absence of whine from the engine compartment when the steering wheel becomes extremely heavy).
   2. You believe that this failure makes the car dangerous to drive. You love your MINI very much and it distresses you that you are unable to enjoy your MINI ownership.
   3. The car is only recently out of warranty and given that it is a low-mileage vehicle, you believe this component to have failed prematurely.
   4. You are a member of a MINI Enthusiast Community and you are aware that this is a common problem with the MINI (more than half the cars surveyed have had a PSP failure - note: some had a failure after they'd already voted, me included).
   5. You request that your dealership contact MINI UK on your behalf to arrange provisions for the repair on the basis that the component has prematurely failed.
2. Ring the dealer and book an appointment.
3. Take the car in and drop off both the keys and the letter.
4. When the dealer diagnoses the problem and contacts MINI UK the absolute best possible outcome for you is:
   1. MINI UK will give you a new power steering pump for free (i.e. 100% parts cover)
   2. MINI UK will pay half the costs for installation (i.e. 50% labour)
   3. Having made a contribution towards the replacement of your power steering pump (about £70 seems normal, but this can be anywhere from £40-110), you will now have a 2-year warranty on the component - starting from the date of installation.
5. Drive home happy.

Good luck in getting it sorted, and do keep us updated in the Power Steering Pump thread as to your progress!

All the best,
Andrew.

[minipodder]

Cheers Andrew....great advice re the Letter - Dealer approach.

I only wish id seen this before Id been stung for £103 for a diagnostic check.

I do agree that ALL Cars have their weak points..its just a shame that my wife's Mini has suffered within month's of her ownership........you are right though it does have great character & for that alone its gets a 2nd chance (+ the great website here of course :-)

Cheers

Mick

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by minipodder (original)

it does have great character & for that alone its gets a 2nd chance (+ the great website here of course :-)

[mab01uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by minipodder (original)

I do agree that ALL Cars have their weak points..its just a shame that my wife's Mini has suffered within month's of her ownership........you are right though it does have great character & for that alone its gets a 2nd chance (+ the great website here of course :-)

Could be worse................my neighbour bought a brand new Vauxhall Corsa and had endless problems now hates the car, steering has now failed.........the car crashed into a kerb luckily at low speed. Vauxhall have put out a recall about possible steering failure on new Corsa D due to faulty welds on lower suspension arms and steering columns !

[minipodder]

Update 3 - The Dealer today confirmed that MINI will pay 100% towards the part & 50% towards the Labour (cost to me now is £90) so that is as good as I could have hoped for...thanks to this website im £400 better off

Mini CC is booked in next week - lets see how it goes...