NHTSA Complaint #10449527 — 2002 MINI COOPER

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE DURING OVERTAKING ON TWO LANE ROAD. STEERING REQUIRED AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF EFFORT. BARELY MANAGED TO MOVE BACK TO RIGHT HAND LAND BEFORE GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. POWER STEERING DID NOT RECOVER FOR ANOTHER 2.5 MINS OF DRIVING. PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD, TURNED CAR OFF, ON AGAIN, POWER STEERING RETURNED. ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP NOW RUNS CONTINUOUSLY EVEN WHEN KEY IS TURNED OFF. INDICATIVE OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP CONTROLLER FAILURE. I CONTINUE TO HAVE CONCERNS THAT POWER STEERING MAY CUT OUT AT ANY TIME AGAIN, AND THAT IF THE PUMP CONTINUES RUNNING CONSTANTLY EVEN WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED IT MAY START A FIRE AT SOME POINT. I HAVE TO DISCONNECT THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL OF THE BATTERY TO PREVENT THE PUMP FROM RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY. *TR