NHTSA Complaint #10384988 — 2005 MINI COOPER

THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS DEFECTIVE. I HAD A LOCAL FIRESTONE CAR REPAIR SHOP DIAGNOSE AN UNUSUAL NOISE EMANATING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT INTENSIFIED WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. THEY NOTED THE DEFECTIVE STEERING PUMP AND THAT IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $1,223.39 TO REPLACE. THEY SAID IF I DID NOT REPLACE IT, I COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR AT ANY POINT WHILE MAKING A TURN. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THE STEERING PUMP. THE ONES WHO LEFT THE ISSUE UNRESOLVED ENDED UP LOSING CONTROL OF THEIR VEHICLE MID-TURN WHEN EITHER THE PUMP RANDOMLY SHUT OFF, OR IF IT HAD ALREADY FAILED, RANDOMLY TURNED BACK ON MID-TURN. THESE SITUATIONS ARE DANGEROUS ENOUGH, BUT THERE WERE ALSO REPORTS OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS CATCHING FIRE. IN LIGHT OF THIS, I COULD NOT RISK THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY OR MYSELF, AND TOOK IT INTO A LOCAL MINI DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE PUMP WAS FAILING AND THAT IT WAS GOOD THAT I BROUGHT IT IN BEFORE IT FAILED. THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPLACEMENT COST WAS $1,417.49. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE DEFECT AND WERE AWAITING THE RESULTS OF THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION BEFORE COMMITTING TO REFUND THE COST OF THE DEFECTIVE PART(S). THANKFULLY, THANKS TO ALL THE REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM ONLINE, I WAS ABLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE ANYONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED.