2006 Mini Cooper

GOOD MORNING, I HAVE A 2006 MINI COOPER AND THE POWER STEERING UNIT FAILED. I WAS DRIVING AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HEAVY (POWER STEERING FLUID WAS OK) THE UNIT JUST GAVE OUT. I READ THAT THE NHTSA ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE POWER STEERING UNIT FOR 2002 TO 2005 COOPERS RECALL 15V660000 (THE 2002 THRU 2006 ARE ALL FIRST GENERATION MODELS). MY QUESTION IS WHY WAS THE 2006 COOPER NOT INCLUDED SINCE IT IS ALSO FIRST GENERATION MODEL, AND IT IS THE SAME POWER STEERING UNIT USED FROM 2002 THRU 2006 ATLEAST ON THE BASE MODELS - NOT SURE ON THE COOPER S MODEL. COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ADDED TO THE RECALL SINCE IT AFFECTS MY CAR ALSO,, IT HAPPENED AT 110K MILES FOR ME, I DONT DRIVE TOO MUCH THUS THE LOW MILEAGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THE STREWING WHEEL GOT STUCK WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT, LEFT OR MAKE A U-TURN. WHILE RESEARCHING ONLINE, I DISCOVERED IT IS ON RECALL BUT THE NORTH AMERICA MINI COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE INFORMED ME TO CONTACT NATIONAL HIGHWAY INSTITUTION TO ASK FOR A RECALL LETTER TO BE ISSUED TO THE COMPANY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NICK ALEXANDER MINI (6201 ALAMEDA ST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90001) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP, ALTERNATOR, AND RADIATOR COOLING FAN FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,054.

I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AT A LOW SPEED THIS MORNING WHEN I LOST THE POWER STEERING IN MY 2006 MINI COOPER. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY RIGID AND IT WAS HARD TO TURN. I TRIED TURNING MY VEHICLE OFF AND OFF AGAIN. I ALSO TRIED TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOOSEN IT UP. NOTHING HELPED THE ISSUE. I CONTINUED DRIVING FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES. AT A LOW SPEED MAKING SHARP TURNS WAS VERY HARD, IF NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO STAY IN MY LANE. IF SOMEONE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE OTHER LANE I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I COULD NOT MAKE THE TURN DUE TO THE LACK OF POWER STEERING WITH MY VEHICLE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY HARD TO TURN ALL THE WAY. EVEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS (30 TO 40 MPH) THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN AND MAKE IT AROUND CURVES IN THE ROAD. STARTING FROM A DEAD STOP IT WAS VERY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. I COULD BARELY PARK MY VEHICLE IN THE PARKING SPOT IN THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SO HARD TO TURN MY VEHICLE AT SUCH A LOW SPEED. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE ISSUE HAS OCCURRED IN MY VEHICLE DURING THIS MONTH. BUT THE OTHER TIMES THE ISSUE HAS GONE AWAY AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE TWICE. ONE TIME WAS TWO DAYS AGO IN THE MORNING. I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TIGHT AND HARD TO TURN. THE OTHER TIME WAS OVER A WEEK AGO AND THE VEHICLE WAS THIS TIME RESTARTING THE VEHICLE DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE.

A EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS ISSUED FOR THE COOPER S R53 TILL 2005 MODEL YEAR .... THE R 53 WAS PRODUCED INTO THE 2006 MODEL YEAR FOR THE NORTHAMERICAN MARKET .... HAVE REPLACED TO PUMP ONCE AROUND 40-50 K ON THE CAR , OUT OF POCKET, AND PUMP HAS FAILED AGAIN AROUND 95K . THE WARRANTY ON MODELS TILL 2005 WAS EXTENDED TO 13 YEARS AND/OR 150K ..... WHY ARE THE FEW REMAINING MODELS OF THE 2006 RUNOFF NOT COVERED.. FIRST PUMP FAILED ON THE MY WASHINGTON AUTO ROAD..... NOT A GOOD PLACE TO SAY THE LEAST..... THE OTHER ON THE WASHINGTON, D.C. BELTWAY DURING THE AFTERNOON RUSH.... MANAGED TO KEEP SAFE BUT WAS NOT A GOOD SITUATION FOR ANYONE ... STEERING PUMP WOULD SURGE ON AND OFF-ROAD CAUSING INCONSISTENT POWER ASSIST IN TURNS WITH A EVENTUALLY NO ASSIST WAS MUCH MORE DRAMATIC THE FIRST TIME WAS ONLY SAVED BY RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM AS IT OCCURRED THE SECOND TIME ... WHEN THE FIRST PUMP WAS REPLACED ALL LINES , COOLING FAN AND ITS DUCT WORK WERE REPLACED A WELL ......

STOPPED AT GAS STATION TO FILL UP. RESTARTED CAR AND BEGAN TO DRIVE...NOTICED EXTREME STIFFNESS IN STEERING AND PULLED OVER. SHUT ENGINE OFF AND THEN RESTARTED POWER STEERING RETURNED. LATER IN THE DAY...I WAS GOING FOR A DRIVE AND IT OCCURRED AGAIN. THIS TIME, IT WAS AFTER I HAD STOPPED AT THE GYM FOR AN HOUR, AND WAS RETURNING HOME. AGAIN, I PULLED OVER SHUT OF ENGINE AND THEN RESTARTED. POWER STEERING RETURNED.

MY '06 MINI COOPER S WITH ABOUT 87,000 MILES IS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID AND HAS BEEN DOING SO FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS OR 20,000 MILES. I'VE BEEN TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP. I BELIEVE MINI SHOULD HAVE TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP UNIT BECAUSE IS LIKELY A FAILURE SIMILAR TO THE POWER STEERING FAILURE DOCUMENTED AND COVERED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V660000. WHILE THE STEERING MECHANISM IS STILL FUNCTIONING, CAN A CATASTROPHIC POWER STEERING FAILURE BE FAR OFF?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS REPLACED HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED THE NEXT DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC AND UNKNOWN REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND WAS NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ENGINE COOLING FAN ALSO FAILED TO FUNCTION, WHICH CAUSED THE RADIATOR TO BE REPLACED TWICE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AT A DIFFERENT TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.