NHTSA Complaint #10358358 — 2003 MINI COOPER

WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED I WAS APPROACHING A CORNER FOR A TURN AND WITHOUT WARNING THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. ANOTHER CAR WAS AT THE CORNER AND I ALMOST HIT IT BECAUSE I WASN'T EXPECTING TO HAVE TO MANUALLY FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN THE CAR. THERE IS NO SET TIME OR LENGTH OF DRIVE FOR THE POWER STEERING TO JUST QUIT. NOW EVEN GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD I CAN SOMETIMES FEEL THE STEERING STIFFEN UP SO I WILL MAKE A TURN TO CHECK AND SURE ENOUGH NO POWER STEERING. SOMETIMES WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN THE CAR WILL FEEL LIKE IT JUMPS A LITTLE SIDEWAYS AND I'M NOT SURE IF ITS THE POWER STEERING TRYING TO ENGAGE OR WHAT. I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO REPLACE THE PUMP YET BUT I TRY NOT TO DRIVE IT AS OFTEN TO DECREASE THE CHANCES OF HITTING SOMETHING OR THE POWER STEERING PUMP GOING OUT ALL OF THE WAY. *TR