IllustrationELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED WHILE DRIVING, MAKING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. *TR
2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cooper S Convertible years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
1625–50K
1650–75K
1375–100K
8100–150K
0150K+
55 reports with mileage · 6 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports4 fire reports0 injury reports
Steering complaints
37 reportsPOWER STEERING PUMP STARTED WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, THEN FAILED. CONTACTED LOCAL MINI DEALER (MIDWESTERN AUTO GROUP), WHO ADVISED THAT I BRING IT IN TO "CONFIRM" AT THE DIAGNOSTIC COST OF $140. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHY I SHOULD PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE WHEN I HAD I IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM, MAG SERVICE MANAGER STATED AT THAT…
Read full complaint
POWER STEERING PUMP STARTED WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, THEN FAILED. CONTACTED LOCAL MINI DEALER (MIDWESTERN AUTO GROUP), WHO ADVISED THAT I BRING IT IN TO "CONFIRM" AT THE DIAGNOSTIC COST OF $140. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHY I SHOULD PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE WHEN I HAD I IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM, MAG SERVICE MANAGER STATED AT THAT TIME THAT A FULL/PARTIAL REPAIR BY MINI USA WAS "HIGHLY LIKELY" IF I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR DEALER SERVICE AND PAID THE FEE. AFTER NEARLY A MONTH OF BACK-AND-FORTH BETWEEN MINI USA, MAG, AND MYSELF NEITHER MINI USA NOR MAG WOULD OFFER ANY REPAIR ASSISTANCE. NEITHER MINI USA NOR MAG WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION, THE RECALL IN CANADA, OR THE NUMEROUS ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS WELL-DOCUMENTED ISSUE. BOTTOM LINE: I EXPERIENCED A "SHAKE DOWN" FROM MAG AND MINI USA IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. DEPLORABLE PRACTICE. *TR
AT RANDOM TIMES, THE POWER STEERING FAILS, MOSTLY AT START-UP, BUT SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. I ALWAYS NEED TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION, AND RESTART THE CAR, WHICH SEEMS TO TEMPORARILY RE-ENGAGE THE POWER ASSIST STEERING.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN STRAIGHT ROAD STEERING BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY "TIGHTEN UP" AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND DRY. NEXT MORNING POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ALMOST HIT A FENCE. VEHICLE HAD BEEN GARAGED ALL NIGHT AT AMBIENT …
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING DOWN STRAIGHT ROAD STEERING BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY "TIGHTEN UP" AND BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANAGE. ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND DRY. NEXT MORNING POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ALMOST HIT A FENCE. VEHICLE HAD BEEN GARAGED ALL NIGHT AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. POWER STEERING UNEXPECTEDLY RETURNED TWO MILES LATER, CAUSING DRIVER TO OVER-CORRECT BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN RETURN OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF THIS FAILURE IS THE MOST CONCERNING SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE DRIVER IS UNAWARE THAT EFFORT REQUIRED TO CHANGE LANES OR NAVIGATE A TURN MAY CHANGE DRASTICALLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. OVER-CORRECTION IN TRAFFIC IS FRIGHTENING. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SUBJECTED TO UNUSUAL OR EXTREME DRIVING CONDITIONS. *TR
POWER STEERING RANDOMLY COMPLETELY FAILS AT LOWER SPEEDS/ NO ASSIST AT ALL. *TR
FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS, THE POWER STEERING ON OUR MINI WOULD GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY (AT SPEEDS OF 60-70MPH) AND DRIVING AROUND TOWN (SPEEDS OF 10-35). IT WOULD GO OUT RANDOMLY WITH NO WARNING. MY WIFE COULD BARELY STEER THE CAR AND ALMOST GOT INTO A CRASH TRYING TO TURN RIGHT ONE DAY. LAST WEEKEND…
Read full complaint
FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS, THE POWER STEERING ON OUR MINI WOULD GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY (AT SPEEDS OF 60-70MPH) AND DRIVING AROUND TOWN (SPEEDS OF 10-35). IT WOULD GO OUT RANDOMLY WITH NO WARNING. MY WIFE COULD BARELY STEER THE CAR AND ALMOST GOT INTO A CRASH TRYING TO TURN RIGHT ONE DAY. LAST WEEKEND, THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT FOR GOOD. WE ARE TAKING IT IN ON MONDAY FOR MINI TO LOOK AT. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS ARTICLES OF THIS PROBLEM AND WANTED TO REPORT IT HAPPENING IN OUR VEHICLE. *TR
THE POWER STEERING PUMP IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING 1 TO 5 TIMES PER WEEK. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY PATTERN TO IT, IT HAS HAPPENED AT COLD START, AFTER WARM START, HOT/COLD/WET/DRY WEATHER, LEVEL/SLOPED PARKING, WHILE DRIVING & STATIONARY, ETC. I'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH IT AS AN ANN…
Read full complaint
THE POWER STEERING PUMP IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING 1 TO 5 TIMES PER WEEK. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY PATTERN TO IT, IT HAS HAPPENED AT COLD START, AFTER WARM START, HOT/COLD/WET/DRY WEATHER, LEVEL/SLOPED PARKING, WHILE DRIVING & STATIONARY, ETC. I'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH IT AS AN ANNOYANCE, UNTIL I RECENTLY HAD A VERY FRIGHTENING FAILURE THAT VERY NEARLY HAD *FATAL* CONSEQUENCES. I WAS DRIVING ROUGHLY 25 MPH, THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT, IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, WHEN A YOUNG CHILD (I ESTIMATE 4-5 YEARS OLD) RAN INTO THE STREET FROM BETWEEN TWO PARKED CARS 5 OR 6 CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF ME. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES (ABS FULLY ENGAGED) AND ATTEMPTED TO SWERVE INTO THE ONCOMING [EMPTY] LANE AT AVOID... BUT MY STEERING PUMP WAS OUT AND I COULD NOT ALTER MY COURSE SUFFICIENTLY. I CAME TO A STOP WITH THE CHILD BARELY THREE FEET OFF MY FRONT BUMPER! SO NO DAMAGE OR INJURY, BUT... THIS FAILURE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN MUCH, MUCH WORSE! *TR
MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED COMPLETE POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING HER MINI COOPER, NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION WITH AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. I DROVE THE CAR AFTERWARD AND COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW HARD IT WAS TO STEER THE CAR (COMPARED TO A MANUAL STEERING VEHICLE). I CALLED MINI AT THEIR TOLL FREE NUMBER AND WAS TOLD THAT …
Read full complaint
MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED COMPLETE POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING HER MINI COOPER, NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION WITH AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. I DROVE THE CAR AFTERWARD AND COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW HARD IT WAS TO STEER THE CAR (COMPARED TO A MANUAL STEERING VEHICLE). I CALLED MINI AT THEIR TOLL FREE NUMBER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD NO RECALL NOTICE FROM THE NHTSA, THEREFORE THEY HAD NO OBLIGATION TO FIX THIS INCREDIBLE DEFECT. I HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE A BODY COUNT FOR THE NHTSA TO RECALL THE 223,000 MINI'S EFFECTED BY THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DEFECT. *KB
MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE HAD A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT REPORTEDLY CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND TURNED OFF MY CAR. I HAD NO PROBLEM STEERING THE CAR UP TO THAT POINT. I GOT OUT AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE. MY WIFE CAME INSIDE AND TOLD ME MY CAR SMELLED FUNNY AND W…
Read full complaint
MY 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE HAD A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT REPORTEDLY CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND TURNED OFF MY CAR. I HAD NO PROBLEM STEERING THE CAR UP TO THAT POINT. I GOT OUT AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE. MY WIFE CAME INSIDE AND TOLD ME MY CAR SMELLED FUNNY AND WAS SMOKING (LIGHT) UNDER THE HOOD. I RAISED THE HOOD AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HEAT SHIELD IN THE REAR OF THE ENGINE, WHICH IS BELOW THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR AND ABOVE THE PS PUMP. I COULD HEAR SIZZLING, WHICH I INTERPRETED AS WATER. I WENT INSIDE TO CALL A MECHANIC FRIEND AND THEN REALIZED IT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA TO LEAVE A SMOKING CAR ALONE. WHEN I CAME OUTSIDE AGAIN, THE SMOKE HAD TURNED DARK AND HEAVIER. WHEN I REACHED THE CAR, I COULD SEE A RAGING FIRE BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD. I RAN INTO MY GARAGE AND RETURNED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER WHICH I USED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER THAT THE PUMP CAUSED THE FIRE AND THEY WOULD ONLY REIMBURSE FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE POWER STEERING PUMP, NOT FOR THE PUMP ITSELF. I WAS TOLD THAT PS FAILURE IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON MINI COOPERS OF MY YEAR (AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS) AND MODEL. AFTER CHECKING THE INTERNET, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MFGR.'S RECALL AND WHY THERE HAS NOT BEEN A NHTSA INVESTIGATION. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY CATASTROPHIC! *TR
2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE WITH 65K MILES. ORIGINAL OWNER. YESTERDAY MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AS I DROVE HOME FROM WORK. NO WARNING SIGN AND IT WAS HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND MANEUVER THE CAR. I WAS GLAD IT WAS ME DRIVING AND NOT MY WIFE. SCARY EXPERIENCE WHEN DRIVING AT 65MPH+ ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR
Official recalls
115V205000 · Air Bags:frontal
Apr 6, 2015
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to November 28, 2006, and 2005-2008 MINI Cooper Convertible and Cooper S Convertible vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to July 31, 2008. Due to manufacturing, installation, and exposure issues, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat may not function properly and, as a result, the front passenger air bag may not deploy in a crash.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly functioning mat may cause the passenger frontal air bag to be inactive when the seat is occupied, and in the event of a crash, the air bag will not deploy, increasing the passenger's risk of injury.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1EA11005 · Loss Of Power Steering Assist
Opened May 4, 2011 · Closed Jan 5, 2016
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:electric Power Assist System; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System; Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:pump
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) originally opened the investigation of loss of power steering assist in model year (MY) 2004 and 2005 Mini Cooper as Preliminary Evaluation PE10-038.The investigation was upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA11-005 in May, 2011.During EA11-005 the scope was expanded to include MY 2002 and 2003 vehicles that use the same steering system.The subject vehicles now include MY 2002, the first year BMW sold MINI in the U.S., through mid-MY 2005 covering approximately 109,000 vehicles.The subject vehicles use an electrically driven pump to provide hydraulic pressure to a conventional rack-and-pinion steering gear.A pump, the electric motor, and an electronic control unit (ECU) are housed in a single component BMW calls a Power Pack.The investigation focused on contaminant-induced failure of the ECU resulting in a loss of assist without warning.When assist is lost mechanical steering is retained however increased steering effort is required to keep the vehicle on an intended path.Some consumers reported that restarting the vehicle (cycling the ignition switch) would often reinstate the steering assist.Additionally, and by design, assist can also reinstate during the drive cycle in limited circumstances.The unexpected loss of assist, and/or possibly the reinstatement of assist while driving, may contribute to a loss of vehicle control in certain driving situations.During MY 2005 production BMW introduced a revised Power Pack design (the ECU incorporated a conformal coating of the circuit board) which resulted in a significant reduction in failures.ODI identified 20 reports describing crashes consistent with a loss of power assist event possibly caused by a failure of the Power Pack.Two reports alleged an injury however both were minor in nature and did not require emergency treatment (a subsequent doctor's visit occurred in one case).Ten of these reports described low speed crashes with minimal, or in most cases no property or vehicle damage (e.g., striking a movable barrier in a parking lot).Additionally 27 other reports alleged or indicated that a crash occurred due to a Power Pack failure however in reviewing these reports, ODI either 1) was unable to confirm that a crash actually occurred (8 reports), or 2) determined that the crash circumstances (e.g., adverse road/weather conditions) or cause (e.g., the crash was caused by steering linkage failure) were not attributable to a Power Pack failure (19 reports).Throughout the investigation BMW maintained that loss of assist in the subject vehicles did not constitute a safety related defect, noting that the subject vehicles are smaller, light weight vehicles that can be reasonably controlled when assist is lost.In May 2013 BMW launched a 13 year/150,000 mile extended warranty coverage utilizing the redesigned Power Pack as a replacement part.ODI continued its investigation.In July 2014 BMW provided ODI a status of the ongoing extended warranty program, and in May 2015 ODI requested an update of complaint data.Following a review of the provided data, ODI informed BMW of its assessment that loss of steering assist failures were not adequately resolved by an extended warranty program.On October 12, 2015 BMW notified NHTSA that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-660) on approximately 86,000 subject vehicles not previously remedied with the new design Power Pack through regular or extended warranty programs.The recall covers MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper, MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper S, and MY 2005 MINI Cooper/Cooper S convertibles manufactured through Feb 9, 2005.Vehicles produced after this date are not included si
Additional source detail variants (4)
Steering
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) originally opened the investigation of loss of power steering assist in model year (MY) 2004 and 2005 Mini Cooper as Preliminary Evaluation PE10-038.The investigation was upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA11-005 in May, 2011.During EA11-005 the scope was expanded to include MY 2002 and 2003 vehicles that use the same steering system.The subject vehicles now include MY 2002, the first year BMW sold MINI in the U.S., through mid-MY 2005 covering approximately 109,000 vehicles.The subject vehicles use an electrically driven pump to provide hydraulic pressure to a conventional rack-and-pinion steering gear.A pump, the electric motor, and an electronic control unit (ECU) are housed in a single component BMW calls a Power Pack.The investigation focused on contaminant-induced failure of the ECU resulting in a loss of assist without warning.When assist is lost mechanical steering is retained however increased steering effort is required to keep the vehicle on an intended path.Some consumers reported that restarting the vehicle (cycling the ignition switch) would often reinstate the steering assist.Additionally, and by design, assist can also reinstate during the drive cycle in limited circumstances.The unexpected loss of assist, and/or possibly the reinstatement of assist while driving, may contribute to a loss of vehicle control in certain driving situations.During MY 2005 production BMW introduced a revised Power Pack design (the ECU incorporated a conformal coating of the circuit board) which resulted in a significant reduction in failures.ODI identified 20 reports describing crashes consistent with a loss of power assist event possibly caused by a failure of the Power Pack.Two reports alleged an injury however both were minor in nature and did not require emergency treatment (a subsequent doctor's visit occurred in one case).Ten of these reports described low speed crashes with minimal, or in most cases no property or vehicle damage (e.g., striking a movable barrier in a parking lot).Additionally 27 other reports alleged or indicated that a crash occurred due to a Power Pack failure however in reviewing these reports, ODI either 1) was unable to confirm that a crash actually occurred (8 reports), or 2) determined that the crash circumstances (e.g., adverse road/weather conditions) or cause (e.g., the crash was caused by steering linkage failure) were not attributable to a Power Pack failure (19 reports).Throughout the investigation BMW maintained that loss of assist in the subject vehicles did not constitute a safety related defect, noting that the subject vehicles are smaller, light weight vehicles that can be reasonably controlled when assist is lost.In May 2013 BMW launched a 13 year/150,000 mile extended warranty coverage utilizing the redesigned Power Pack as a replacement part.ODI continued its investigation.In July 2014 BMW provided ODI a status of the ongoing extended warranty program, and in May 2015 ODI requested an update of complaint data.Following a review of the provided data, ODI informed BMW of its assessment that loss of steering assist failures were not adequately resolved by an extended warranty program.On October 12, 2015 BMW notified NHTSA that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-660) on approximately 86,000 subject vehicles not previously remedied with the new design Power Pack through regular or extended warranty programs.The recall covers MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper, MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper S, and MY 2005 MINI Cooper/Cooper S convertibles manufactured through Feb 9, 2005.Vehicles produced after this date are not included si
Steering:electric Power Assist System
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) originally opened the investigation of loss of power steering assist in model year (MY) 2004 and 2005 Mini Cooper as Preliminary Evaluation PE10-038.The investigation was upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA11-005 in May, 2011.During EA11-005 the scope was expanded to include MY 2002 and 2003 vehicles that use the same steering system.The subject vehicles now include MY 2002, the first year BMW sold MINI in the U.S., through mid-MY 2005 covering approximately 109,000 vehicles.The subject vehicles use an electrically driven pump to provide hydraulic pressure to a conventional rack-and-pinion steering gear.A pump, the electric motor, and an electronic control unit (ECU) are housed in a single component BMW calls a Power Pack.The investigation focused on contaminant-induced failure of the ECU resulting in a loss of assist without warning.When assist is lost mechanical steering is retained however increased steering effort is required to keep the vehicle on an intended path.Some consumers reported that restarting the vehicle (cycling the ignition switch) would often reinstate the steering assist.Additionally, and by design, assist can also reinstate during the drive cycle in limited circumstances.The unexpected loss of assist, and/or possibly the reinstatement of assist while driving, may contribute to a loss of vehicle control in certain driving situations.During MY 2005 production BMW introduced a revised Power Pack design (the ECU incorporated a conformal coating of the circuit board) which resulted in a significant reduction in failures.ODI identified 20 reports describing crashes consistent with a loss of power assist event possibly caused by a failure of the Power Pack.Two reports alleged an injury however both were minor in nature and did not require emergency treatment (a subsequent doctor's visit occurred in one case).Ten of these reports described low speed crashes with minimal, or in most cases no property or vehicle damage (e.g., striking a movable barrier in a parking lot).Additionally 27 other reports alleged or indicated that a crash occurred due to a Power Pack failure however in reviewing these reports, ODI either 1) was unable to confirm that a crash actually occurred (8 reports), or 2) determined that the crash circumstances (e.g., adverse road/weather conditions) or cause (e.g., the crash was caused by steering linkage failure) were not attributable to a Power Pack failure (19 reports).Throughout the investigation BMW maintained that loss of assist in the subject vehicles did not constitute a safety related defect, noting that the subject vehicles are smaller, light weight vehicles that can be reasonably controlled when assist is lost.In May 2013 BMW launched a 13 year/150,000 mile extended warranty coverage utilizing the redesigned Power Pack as a replacement part.ODI continued its investigation.In July 2014 BMW provided ODI a status of the ongoing extended warranty program, and in May 2015 ODI requested an update of complaint data.Following a review of the provided data, ODI informed BMW of its assessment that loss of steering assist failures were not adequately resolved by an extended warranty program.On October 12, 2015 BMW notified NHTSA that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-660) on approximately 86,000 subject vehicles not previously remedied with the new design Power Pack through regular or extended warranty programs.The recall covers MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper, MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper S, and MY 2005 MINI Cooper/Cooper S convertibles manufactured through Feb 9, 2005.Vehicles produced after this date are not included si
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:pump
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) originally opened the investigation of loss of power steering assist in model year (MY) 2004 and 2005 Mini Cooper as Preliminary Evaluation PE10-038.The investigation was upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA11-005 in May, 2011.During EA11-005 the scope was expanded to include MY 2002 and 2003 vehicles that use the same steering system.The subject vehicles now include MY 2002, the first year BMW sold MINI in the U.S., through mid-MY 2005 covering approximately 109,000 vehicles.The subject vehicles use an electrically driven pump to provide hydraulic pressure to a conventional rack-and-pinion steering gear.A pump, the electric motor, and an electronic control unit (ECU) are housed in a single component BMW calls a Power Pack.The investigation focused on contaminant-induced failure of the ECU resulting in a loss of assist without warning.When assist is lost mechanical steering is retained however increased steering effort is required to keep the vehicle on an intended path.Some consumers reported that restarting the vehicle (cycling the ignition switch) would often reinstate the steering assist.Additionally, and by design, assist can also reinstate during the drive cycle in limited circumstances.The unexpected loss of assist, and/or possibly the reinstatement of assist while driving, may contribute to a loss of vehicle control in certain driving situations.During MY 2005 production BMW introduced a revised Power Pack design (the ECU incorporated a conformal coating of the circuit board) which resulted in a significant reduction in failures.ODI identified 20 reports describing crashes consistent with a loss of power assist event possibly caused by a failure of the Power Pack.Two reports alleged an injury however both were minor in nature and did not require emergency treatment (a subsequent doctor's visit occurred in one case).Ten of these reports described low speed crashes with minimal, or in most cases no property or vehicle damage (e.g., striking a movable barrier in a parking lot).Additionally 27 other reports alleged or indicated that a crash occurred due to a Power Pack failure however in reviewing these reports, ODI either 1) was unable to confirm that a crash actually occurred (8 reports), or 2) determined that the crash circumstances (e.g., adverse road/weather conditions) or cause (e.g., the crash was caused by steering linkage failure) were not attributable to a Power Pack failure (19 reports).Throughout the investigation BMW maintained that loss of assist in the subject vehicles did not constitute a safety related defect, noting that the subject vehicles are smaller, light weight vehicles that can be reasonably controlled when assist is lost.In May 2013 BMW launched a 13 year/150,000 mile extended warranty coverage utilizing the redesigned Power Pack as a replacement part.ODI continued its investigation.In July 2014 BMW provided ODI a status of the ongoing extended warranty program, and in May 2015 ODI requested an update of complaint data.Following a review of the provided data, ODI informed BMW of its assessment that loss of steering assist failures were not adequately resolved by an extended warranty program.On October 12, 2015 BMW notified NHTSA that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-660) on approximately 86,000 subject vehicles not previously remedied with the new design Power Pack through regular or extended warranty programs.The recall covers MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper, MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper S, and MY 2005 MINI Cooper/Cooper S convertibles manufactured through Feb 9, 2005.Vehicles produced after this date are not included si
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) originally opened the investigation of loss of power steering assist in model year (MY) 2004 and 2005 Mini Cooper as Preliminary Evaluation PE10-038.The investigation was upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA11-005 in May, 2011.During EA11-005 the scope was expanded to include MY 2002 and 2003 vehicles that use the same steering system.The subject vehicles now include MY 2002, the first year BMW sold MINI in the U.S., through mid-MY 2005 covering approximately 109,000 vehicles.The subject vehicles use an electrically driven pump to provide hydraulic pressure to a conventional rack-and-pinion steering gear.A pump, the electric motor, and an electronic control unit (ECU) are housed in a single component BMW calls a Power Pack.The investigation focused on contaminant-induced failure of the ECU resulting in a loss of assist without warning.When assist is lost mechanical steering is retained however increased steering effort is required to keep the vehicle on an intended path.Some consumers reported that restarting the vehicle (cycling the ignition switch) would often reinstate the steering assist.Additionally, and by design, assist can also reinstate during the drive cycle in limited circumstances.The unexpected loss of assist, and/or possibly the reinstatement of assist while driving, may contribute to a loss of vehicle control in certain driving situations.During MY 2005 production BMW introduced a revised Power Pack design (the ECU incorporated a conformal coating of the circuit board) which resulted in a significant reduction in failures.ODI identified 20 reports describing crashes consistent with a loss of power assist event possibly caused by a failure of the Power Pack.Two reports alleged an injury however both were minor in nature and did not require emergency treatment (a subsequent doctor's visit occurred in one case).Ten of these reports described low speed crashes with minimal, or in most cases no property or vehicle damage (e.g., striking a movable barrier in a parking lot).Additionally 27 other reports alleged or indicated that a crash occurred due to a Power Pack failure however in reviewing these reports, ODI either 1) was unable to confirm that a crash actually occurred (8 reports), or 2) determined that the crash circumstances (e.g., adverse road/weather conditions) or cause (e.g., the crash was caused by steering linkage failure) were not attributable to a Power Pack failure (19 reports).Throughout the investigation BMW maintained that loss of assist in the subject vehicles did not constitute a safety related defect, noting that the subject vehicles are smaller, light weight vehicles that can be reasonably controlled when assist is lost.In May 2013 BMW launched a 13 year/150,000 mile extended warranty coverage utilizing the redesigned Power Pack as a replacement part.ODI continued its investigation.In July 2014 BMW provided ODI a status of the ongoing extended warranty program, and in May 2015 ODI requested an update of complaint data.Following a review of the provided data, ODI informed BMW of its assessment that loss of steering assist failures were not adequately resolved by an extended warranty program.On October 12, 2015 BMW notified NHTSA that it would conduct a safety recall (15V-660) on approximately 86,000 subject vehicles not previously remedied with the new design Power Pack through regular or extended warranty programs.The recall covers MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper, MY 2002-2005 MINI Cooper S, and MY 2005 MINI Cooper/Cooper S convertibles manufactured through Feb 9, 2005.Vehicles produced after this date are not included si