NHTSA Complaint #10435044 — 2011 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN

BOUGHT 2011 MINI COUNTRYMAN S IN 6-2011. I TURNED VEHICLE ON IN THE MORNING (11-5-2011 AT 730AM) TO DRIVE TO WORK. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE ON MY DRIVEWAY. NO ISSUES DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. NO VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS OR ALARMS CAME ON. AFTER PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE ATTEMPTED TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY ONTO THE STREET AND NOTICED THAT I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO BACK OUT. REQUIRED EXTREME AMOUNT OF FORCE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK (APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES) ON SURFACE STREETS BUT HAD VERY LIMITED STEERING ABILITY. WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK (SOME 15MINUTES LATER), PARKED VEHICLE AND TURNED OFF IGNITION. CAME BACK APPROXIMATELY 15MINUTES LATER AND TURNED VEHICLE BACK ON AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO ANOTHER FACILITY WITHOUT ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS. LATER DROVE HOME AND DID NOT DRIVE IT UNTIL MORNING OF 11-7-2011. WHEN I TURNED ON THE IGNITION ON 11-7-2011 TRANSIENTLY NOTICED STEERING MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN TURNED ITSELF OFF. I WAS ABLE TO STEER WITHOUT ANY ISSUES AND DROVE IT TO NEAREST BMW DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. WAS TOLD BY BMW DEALERSHIP THAT MY ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM NEEDED TO REPLACED. STILL WAITING FOR REPAIR TO BE COMPLETED. *TR