NHTSA Complaint #10444051 — 2005 MINI COOPER S

I HAD TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP AS IT HAD FAILED. IT FIRST FAILED WHILE I WAS ON A HIGHWAY OFF-RAMP AND NEARLY CRASHED. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE POWER STEERING FAN SEIZING AND THEREFORE IT WAS NOT COOLING THE POWER STEERING PUMP. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATION OF MY OWN, I FOUND OUT THAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS THE LOW FAN SPEED RESISTOR FAILED ON THE ENGINE COOLING FAN. THE POWER STEERING FAN WILL ONLY ACTIVATE ONCE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN IS RUNNING. IF THE LOW FAN SPEED RELAY FAILS, THE ENGINE COOLING FAN WILL ONLY TURN ON AT 233F (HIGH SPEED FAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURE). ONCE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN TURNS ON AT 233F, THE POWER STEERING FAN WILL TURN ON TO COOL THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THE POWER STEERING FAN WILL BE TOO HOT AT THIS POINT AND WILL OVERHEAT ITSELF AND SEIZE. THE POWER STEERING FAN FAILURE THEN CAUSES THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO OVERHEAT AND FAIL. IF THE POWER STEERING FAN IS NOT REPLACED BEFORE THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILS, THIS CAUSES THE ENTIRE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM FOR THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM TO FAIL AS WELL AND LEAK HYDRAULIC FLUID. IF THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILS, THIS CAN CAUSE THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO ULTIMATELY CATCH ON FIRE DUE TO IT OVERHEATING FROM LOW LEVELS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID. THE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF PARTS ALONE FOR THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM IS $1,296.35. THIS SYSTEM IS REQUIRED FOR DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED AS IT IS A "POWER ASSISTED STEERING" SYSTEM, THUS MAKING IT VERY HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED. IF YOU VISIT ANY MINI FORUM (I.E. WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM OR WWW.MOTORINGALLIANCE.COM) YOU CAN FIND HUNDREDS OF POSTS ABOUT THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILING IN MINIS. I REPLACED THE PUMP AND FAN ($876.46 PARTS COST), THEN HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM ($1296.35 PARTS COST) WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE LOW SPEED ENGINE FAN RESISTOR FAILING AND CAUSING THE ENTIRE PROBLEM. *TR