NHTSA Complaint #10358171 — 2004 MINI COOPER S

MY 04 MINI S JUST HIT 90K AND RUNS GREAT UNTIL I WAS ON THE FREEWAY OVERPASS THE OTHER DAY. THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT SUDDENLY ON A 55 MPH TURN AND ALMOST RAN ME RIGHT INTO THE SHOULDER BARRIER WHICH HAPPENS TO BE 50 FEET ABOVE THE LOWER FREEWAY. THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. MINI COOPER IS A GREAT CAR, BUT THIS POWER STEERING ISSUE IS A WELL KNOW ISSUE AMONGST THE COMMUNITY OF OWNERS AND MINI NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE AND HELP OWNERS WHO ARE OUT OF WARRANTY. ONCE YOU TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT THE STEERING COMES BACK TO NORMAL. WHEN ITS HOT OUT THE STEERING SEEMS TO FAIL AND IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL THE CAR ONCE THIS HAPPENS WHICH WAS THE RESULT IN MY ABOVE EXPERIENCE. THIS POWER STEERING FAILURE IS WELL KNOW AND HAS MANY MANY ACCOUNTS OF FAILURES ON POPULAR MINI FORUMS. THE PART TO REPLACE THIS ISSUE A SINGLE POWER STEERING UNIT WHICH CAN BE BOUGHT FOR ABOUT $450 AND THE AVERAGE MECHANIC CAN REPLACE IT WITHIN AND HOUR OR SO. *TR