NHTSA Complaint #10250103 — 2004 MINI COOPER

APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH AGO I WAS ON ORTEGA HIGHWAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH MY CHILD IN THE BACK SEAT. AS I WAS MANEUVERING THE MINI ALONG THE CURVY ROAD THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. FORTUNATELY I HAD GOTTEN THROUGH THE WORST OF THE HAIR PINS AND WAS GOING SLOWER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT ETC. SUDDENLY THE STEERING BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN. MY HUSBAND WAS INFORMED BY A MECHANIC THAT IT WAS THE POWER STEERING FAN. WE HAD IT REPLACED AND IT SEEMED OKAY. ON NOVEMBER 26TH I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR GOING TO MY SISTERS I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND THE CAR DIDN'T WANT TO TURN. THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN. I WAS FORTUNATE ONCE AGAIN AS THERE WAS NO ON COMING TRAFFIC BECAUSE IF THERE WAS I WOULD HAVE HAD A HEAD-ON COLLISION. THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS FOR THIS ISSUE AND I HAD NEVER BEEN INFORMED OF POWER STEERING ISSUES BEING SO SUDDEN ON THIS VEHICLE. I BELIEVE A MASSIVE RECALL FOR THE 02-04 YEARS WOULD BE AN EXTREMELY GOOD IDEA. I GOGGLED THE ISSUE AND HAVE FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH THESE YEARS THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. I HAVE A TRUCK OLDER THAN IT THAT HAS NEVER HAD TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING REPLACED. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE IT NOW DUE TO FINANCIAL ISSUES. THE PUMP ALONE IS BETWEEN 400-500 DOLLARS. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE GET THEM TO RECALL THIS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES! OR IS THAT WHAT EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR?!? *TR