NHTSA Complaint #10386235 — 2003 MINI COOPER S

2003 MINI COOPER S JUST HAD A POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILURE RESULTING IN AT LEAST $600.00 IN REPAIR COST. CAR ONLY HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILED, STEERING WENT TO MANUAL EFFORT, NO ASSIST, NO WARNING. FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING AND NOT MY WIFE AS SHE WOULD HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY COMPLETING THE TURN. I KNOW THE STEERING STILL OPERATES, BUT IF YOU AREN'T READY FOR THE DRASTICALLY INCREASED EFFORT REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A TURN, YOU WILL LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HALF-WAY THROUGH A TURN IN TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IS NO TIME TO FIND OUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FINISH IT. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING OF IMPENDING FAILURE. TO HAVE A MAJOR SAFETY AND CONTROL SYSTEM OF YOUR VEHICLE FAIL THIS QUICKLY (ONLY 80,000 MILES) LEAVES ME WONDERING AS TO THE SAFETY OF THE OTHER VITAL SYSTEMS ON THE VEHICLE. MINI MADE CHANGES ON THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM ON LATER VEHICLES TO ADDRESS THIS WITHOUT HAVING ANY RECALL OR VOLUNTARY REPAIR PROGRAM FOR RETROFIT TO THE OLDER VEHICLES. THIS IS NOT FAIR AND DEFINITELY NOT SAFE. *TR