NHTSA Complaint #10447286 — 2005 MINI COOPER

ON THREE OCCASIONS, MY 2005 MINI COOPER HAS HAD POWER STEERING FAILURE. EACH TIME, I WAS DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 35-45MPH AND HAS PUT ME IN DANGEROUS POSITIONS WHERE I WAS UNABLE TO STEER MYSELF OUT OF MAJOR MATERIALS AND ONTO A SAFER ROAD. I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO EASILY OVERPOWER MY VEHICLE'S STEERING. MY FIRST EXPERIENCE HAPPENED AS I WAS DRIVING 35MPH ON A BUSY ROAD AT PEAK HOUR. I WAS ON A FOUR LANE ROAD, TWO IN EACH DIRECTION. I WAS IN THE LEFT HAND LANE COMING UP TO MY APT WHEN MY STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS UNABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE RIGHT LANE TO PULL OVER DUE TO THE SHEER STRENGTH NEEDED AND HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUMES. I IMMEDIATELY PUT MY HAZARDS ON TO ALERT MOTORISTS AND SLOWED DOWN MY SPEED. I WAS LEFT STRANDED BEFORE A MAJOR CURVE IN THE ROAD. I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE MY CAR IN EITHER DIRECTION. A SECOND EXPERIENCE OCCURRED PRIOR TO A CURVE AS I WAS EXITING AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. AS I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE WHEEL I NOTICED THE WHEEL WAS STIFF/RIGID. I COULD NOT MAKE THE CURVED EXIT RAMP AND BLOCKED TREMENDOUSLY HIGH SPEEDING EXITING TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DANGER TO DRIVERS. PRIOR TO EACH INCIDENT, THERE WERE NO WARNINGS/LIGHTS INDICATING ISSUES OF ANY KIND. I WOULD SUGGEST AN INVESTIGATION, AS I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY RECALLS FROM MINIUSA. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND HAVE FOUND MANY FORUMS (USA & UK) OF MINI OWNERS DISCUSSING EACH OF THEIR INCIDENTS CAUSED BY POWER STEERING FAILURES. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM AND COULD CAUSE GREAT HARM TO OWNERS. IT IS COMMON THAT ONCE AN ACCIDENT/DEATH HAS OCCURRED DUE TO FAULTY PARTS, A RECALL IS MADE. AN INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE MADE BEFORE THIS HAPPENS. *TR