I have just picked up my 2004 Mini Cooper after a servicing. I have owned the car since August of this year.
One of the items I asked the dealer to check on was the power steering. When parking the car, the steering seemed to me to be overly heavy, particularly when compared to other cars--notably a small Citroen that I rented in France in September and the Mazda MX-5 that I traded in for the Mini.
The work done by the dealer was covered by the warranty on the car, and I didn't have to pay for it. On the list of things done was replacement of the power steering pump, which was described as "not functioning correctly." The steering now seems improved, but still heavy when parking.
Is heavy steering while parking a general characteristic of Mini Coopers? I seem to remember seeing that they have some unusual power steering arrangements.