NHTSA Complaint #10362915 — 2005 MINI COOPER S

I OWN A 2005 MINI COOPER S 2 DOOR HARD TOP WITH CURRENTLY 90,000 MILES. JUST RECENTLY A SEMI LOUD WHIRRING SOUND STARTED FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AS SOON AS THE ENGINE IS STARTED. IMMEDIATELY I CAN NOTICE THAT THE PITCH OF THE NOISE SUBTLY CHANGES WHEN YOU GO TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION. I HAD A CERTIFIED MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR AND HE CONFIRMED TO ME THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS FAILING. WHEN I AM DRIVING THE MINI COOPER THE STEERING WILL INTERMITTENTLY BEGIN TO GET A LITTLE HARDER TO STEER. THE PUMP IS ON THE WAY TO COMPLETE FAILURE AND HARD STEERING WILL END UP BEING THE RESULT. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE VIA THE WEB AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILING POWER STEERING UNIT IN MINI COOPERS HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE WITH BMW BUT I HAVE YET TO FIND ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHAT THEY ARE DOING ABOUT IT. ASIDE FROM SPEED, STEERING A MOTOR VEHICLE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN IN OPERATION. *TR