NHTSA Complaint #10415331 — 2005 MINI COOPER S

I HAVE A JANUARY 2005 BUILT MINI COOPER S (R53) WITH APPROXIMATELY 21,000 MILES ON IT. ON FEBRUARY 12, 2011 I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A WINDING ROAD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH SPEED TURN. THE UNEXPECTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE MADE THE STEERING COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE CAUSING THE CAR TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND NEARLY HIT A TREE (I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I WASN'T KILLED!). AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT UNWARRANTED POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURES ARE QUITE COMMON WITH THE EARLIER MINI COOPER MODELS. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURE VIA A MANDATORY SAFETY RECALL. AFTER THE INITIAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE PUMP WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY IN THAT IT WOULD RUN FINE FOR A WHILE AND THEN FAIL AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING A SHORT TIME LATER MAKING THE CAR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AT TIMES, THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP WOULD NOT SWITCH OFF AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR'S IGNITION AND THE CAR'S BATTERY WOULD ULTIMATELY GO FLAT LEAVING US STRANDED. WE TOOK THE CAR INTO THE MINI DEALERSHIP ON 2/17//2011 AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AS HAVING A BAD BATTERY (CLAIMING THAT THE BATTERY WAS SO LOW THAT THE CAR WAS ACTUALLY SHUTTING DOWN THE POWER STEERING IN ORDER TO STAY RUNNING). THEY CHARGED US $160 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS. WE THEN REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH AN OEM BATTER FROM THE DEALERSHIP ($130) AND IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. WE ALSO CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER (MINI USA) DIRECTLY AND THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP CLAIMING THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. ULTIMATELY, ON JULY 26, 2011 (AT 21,385 MILES) WE REPLACED THE FAILED POWER STEERING PUMP (PART # 32-41-6-778-425) AT A COST OF $735.29 (PLUS LABOR). THE MINI DEALERSHIP WANTED WELL OVER $1,000 TO PERFORM THE WORK AND SO WE PURCHASE A REMPLACEMENT PUMP FROM THE MINI DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT INSTALLED OURSELVES. *TR