Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Mini Cooper S owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the vehicle had lost power steering assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that a software update was performed on the back over prevention camera. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 175,830.
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact also stated that he was advised by the dealer that he had to pay out of pocket for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH, the steering wheel was significantly loose and turned excessively. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel felt like it would detach from the column. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
On Tuesday, 5 April 2011, I drove my 2005 Mini Cooper s about 20 - 25 miles heading for work - I made a brief stop for coffee. The car operated properly during this drive, however, when I left the coffee shop I notice a very acrid smell in the area. When I got in my car and started it the "battery" indicator light was on. I check the owner's manual and it said this indicated the battery was not being charged. As the car was running I decided I could drive it to work and then address the charging issue. When I back out of the parking spot I realized I had also lost my power steering. I was concerned that my car might not be cooling as well, so moved the car to a spot further out in the parking lot to allow for a tow truck to pick it up. I realized the acrid smoke smell was still with me and decided to check under the hood. …
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. …
Power steering pump on my daughter's car caught on fire about three (3) weeks ago while she was stopped at a red light, luckily she thought enough and turned the car off so the damage was only to the power steering pump and wiring harness . Once we discovered what had caught fire we did research on how to make the repair(s) and came across the recall for 2005 Mini Cooper s convertibles power steering pumps, they are recalling them because they fail and sometimes catch fire. The recall is for cars produced until February 2005 and mine, according to the door sticker, was produced in March 2005 so Mini will not make the necessary repairs because they say they 'fixed' the issue. …
On 2/11/2016 I got home from work and I parked my 2005 Mini Cooper s (53,000 miles) on the driveway, turn off car and stayed with my kids & wife since they were waiting for me outside, my wife notice a sound & smoke coming from the car, the smoke were coming from the engine, I immediately open the hood & there was more smoke coming out, the headlights & all the lights turned on & stared flickering, also the wipers turned on, couple of seconds later the botom of the engine was engulfed in flames. My wife ran to get the water hose & I were able to put the fire out, we were lucky that I didn't walk inside the house like I always do, it could have been a horrible tragedy for me, my family and even our neighbors. …
Driving approx. 15 miles - mostly interstate - to attend a friend's birthday dinner. While pulling into the parking lot, lost power steering and all indicator warning lights started flashing. I proceeded to a parking space and saw smoke pouring out from under the hood. When I released the hood I could see an orange glow at the bottom of the engine (night time). Within 30 seconds it burst into flames. A 911 call to local fire fighters was placed who responded within 15 minutes. Since there were two restaurants in the complex, employees of each one had come out with fire extinguishers and put out the fire. The car had to be towed to my work place, from my work place to another city for repairs. Only the actual repairs were covered under warranty, but not the towing or rentals. …
Power steering abruptly stopped working while cornering causing driver to use heavy manual force to corner the vehicle thru a tricky viaduct train bridge passageway. While midway into the turn, the power steering abruptly "kicked back on" causing the steering wheel to turn violently across lane and nearly into corner of cement wall holding up overhead train bridge. Other cars were missed, and driver stopped car with front bumper slightly touching viaduct cement wall. Wife and 7 year old child were on the impact side of vehicle. Vehicle was checked by an independent mechanic which noted the ehps power steering pump is failing. He cleaned the power steering pump and installed a new cooling fan on the power steering pump. The pump was overheated and packed with metal debris. …
2005 Mini Cooper s. Approximately 63,000 miles. October 22, 2009. I had just gotten home from work and parked in the garage. Going in the house I smelled something burning. After a couple minutes of investigating in the house, I decided to go back into the garage, and find that it is a little smokey. I open the garage door and back the Mini out onto the driveway. Now there is smoke streaming from under the hood. I can hear spinning/clicking noises coming from the engine compartment. I open the hood and see flames coming out of the back of the engine, below the exhaust manifold. I emptied 3 fire extinguishers into the engine bay and it was still burning. Called 911. By the time the fire department came, the fire had burned itself out. …
Related recalls
Steering › Electric power assist system
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles and 2005 Cooper and Cooper S Convertible vehicles. The affected vehicles may experience temporary or permanent loss of the electro-hydraulic steering assistance.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the electro-hydraulic power steering system, replacing the components and wiring, as necessary, free of charge.
NHTSA investigations
Loss of Power Steering Assist
ODI has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.When the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.According to BMW drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.BMW further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a…
Loss of power steering assist
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,…
Steering complaints in other Cooper S years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2005 Mini Cooper S?
NHTSA has 249 complaints about the steering of the 2005 Mini Cooper S, 66% of the model year's 375 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Mini Cooper S steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-660 (electric power assist system, Oct 15, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Mini Cooper S steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 15 fires and 0 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.