NHTSA Complaint #10373638 — 2007 MINI COOPER S

MINI COOPER ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK SYSTEM CRITICAL MALFUNCTION - CAR WITH ONLY 57,000 MILES RECEIVES CRITICAL MESSAGE ON NAVIGATION SCREEN TELLIING DRIVER "TO DRIVE TO A SAFE LOCATION AND TURN OFF IGNITION AND BE AWARE THAT CAR IS UNLIKELY TO BE ABLE TO BE RESTARTED." DRIVER IS LEFT TO COPE WITH THIS CRITICAL SITUATION AND REPAIR EVEN THOUGH MINI COOPER HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE EXISTENCE OF THIS CRITICAL PROBLEM BY DISCONTINUING THE INSTALLATION OF THE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK ON ITS LATER MODELS AS THEY COULD NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. MINI REFUSES TO RECALL EARLIER MODELS AND WILL NOT REIMBURSE OWNER FOR COSTLY REPAIR ONCE CRITICAL MALFUNCTION OCCURS. WEB REPORTS HAVE ALERTED DRIVERS THAT STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED WHILE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN MAKING EARLILER MODELS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BUT MINI HAS DISPLAYED A COMPLETE LACK OF CONCERN FOR SAFETY OF ITS CUSTOMERS. *TR