Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Mini Cooper owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was significantly difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
Electronic power steering pump issue/failure. The steering wheel was so stiff when I tried to go right that I physically could not turn the wheel. This is extremely dangerous & it happens without warning. No lights come on. You are left in a moving vehicle, without much of a way to control the direction you need it to travel in. From what I have learned, it seems an extended warranty was initially offered, & then a forced recall was issued on the, 1st Gen, 2002-2005 Mini Coopers. Only part of the vehicles with these issues were included in the recall. I have the same size 1.6 engine, & the exact same electronic power steering pump that comes with the issues & failures that I have in my 06. I have seen it on vehicles up to 08. This is absolutely unacceptable. This is a documented manufacturing defect & design flaw that has been continually allowed to endanger people's lives. …
The electro-hydraulic power steering system stopped working on my 2005 Mini Cooper. The was a recall for 2002 to 2005 mini power steering pump failures but the problem continued thru 2011 because the fix that mini Cooper came up with was inadequate. The essentially put a band-aid on the problem and left car owners holding the bag. I, in fact, had the auxiliary pump that mini came up with replaced and the power steering problem continued because their fix was no good. I have an appointment with the Mini Cooper dealership to look at my car in about 2 weeks. They've told me that I'm not covered by the recall even though they ordered a recall of 86,000 cars for the problem in 2015. Not having power steering in any vehicle is very dangerous. The problem first occurred and remains after 2 years. The problem was reproduced by an independent repair service that I have used for years.
Power steering pump went out while driving the car. Car was extremely hard to steer. Almost hit a guard rail. Had the car towed home and then to a garage. This is a known problem with Mini Coopers from year 2002 to 2006. Websites and Mini Cooper Forums are loaded with Power Steering Pumps failing. No warning. Pump was confirmed to be the problem by an independent garage that only services high end german cars. Power Steering Pump was diagnosed to be bad on 8/04/2022. Car has a little over 60,000 miles on it.
Power steering pump grinding. This was a recall on the 2002-2005 model but not the 2006. The same issue is happening with this car that happened with the recall vehicles and I would expect bmw to fix this problem. Thanks
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the while driving approximately 50 MPH, the power steering suddenly malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. After stopping the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke billowing from under the hood. After opening the hood, flames were present coming from the engine compartment. The neighbor assisted in extinguishing the flames. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 186,000.
Parked my car with a valet. Returned in an hour. It would not start. There was a smell as if something had burned. They jump started my car. As I began to drive the power steering was out. Immediately drove it to my car repair shop. By the time that I had traveled the 2 miles, the engine was heavily smoking. My car repair shop says that the power steering pump electrically malfunctioned - internal failure of the power steering pump.
I was driving on the highway. My car swerved to the right. I pulled left to correct the car and it began to fishtail swerving left and right and I was unable to control the car. Suddenly it went off the road, hit the guardrail and down a small embankment and flipped over. The car came to a stop upside down with the rear window smashed and snow in the car. I was minorly injured with a small cut on my face and bruises on my right side.
Bought veh. Used on 11/21/15 with 66,898 miles. On December 30, 2015 drove vehicle and parked, when veh. Was shut off I noticed a humming sound coming from under the hood, thought it was a fan. Returned to vehicle approx. 6 hrs. Later, battery was dead. Have veh. Jump started. Drove home, heard humming again coming from under the hood when veh. Was shut off. I disconnected battery and noticed smoke coming from behind the power steering fluid reservoir. Took veh. To my mechanic on 1/6/16 (veh. Had not been driven since 12/30/15) and he advised me that the steering pump needed replacing, veh. Was at 67,747 miles. Paid $1,154.17 for repairs. Mechanic advised me to do research as he has heard of this problem with other Mini owners. Researched on internet to find I was not the only 2006 Mini owner to experience this problems. …
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. …
Steering complaints in other Cooper years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2006 Mini Cooper?
NHTSA has 63 complaints about the steering of the 2006 Mini Cooper, 28% of the model year's 227 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2006 Mini Cooper steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2006 Mini Cooper, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Mini Cooper steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 3 fires and 2 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.