NHTSA Complaint #10450355 — 2004 MINI COOPER

TECHNICALLY THERE WERE 3 INCIDENTS WITH MY 04 MINI COOPER. OUT OF NOWHERE, WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY STREET, THE POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, AND SLOWED ENOUGH TO VEER TO THE ROADSIDE AND CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING PUMP WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY WITH MINI'S. HOWEVER, I DID NOT ASK THEM TO REPLACE MY PUMP, I WANTED A SECOND OPINION. OUT OF NOWHERE MY CAR STARTED TO DRIVE WITHOUT ANY ISSUE WHATSOEVER. I GOT A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD IN ABOUT A YEAR, IT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THEY TOO MENTIONED THIS ISSUE WITH MINI'S. I WAS SHOCKED. WEEKS LATER, I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I BARELY MISSED A BUS STOP ON THE CORNER, FULL OF PEOPLE. SHAKEN, I AGAIN CALLED MINI AND ASKED ABOUT A RECALL OR ANY PROCEDURES TOWARD HAVING ONE MADE. OBVIOUSLY, THEY WERE UNHELPFUL, BUT THEY TOO DIVULGED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. MY CAR STARTED TO DRIVE NORMALLY ONCE MORE, BUT I DROVE AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE WHILE I CONTINUED MY RESEARCH. A THIRD TIME, I COULDN'T EVEN GET MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND I DECIDED THAT WAS IT. I WAS JUST GOING TO TAKE IT TO A MINI DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THE PUMP REPLACED. WHEN I CALLED WITH MY SITUATION AND THEN TOLD THEM I BELIEVED MY POWER-STEERING PUMP WAS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED, THEY DIDN'T ARGUE OR SAY THEY'D LOOK INTO IT, THEY BASICALLY AGREED, AND GAVE AN ESTIMATE. I TOOK IT IN AND THEY AGAIN ASKED NO QUESTIONS, THEY DIDN'T LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. $1200 LATER, I LEFT WITH NO QUESTIONS ANSWERED, WITH A HOLE IN MY POCKET. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED ASAP. WHAT IF I HAD HIT THAT BUSTOP FULL OF PEOPLE, OR WORSE? I CAN STILL TELL THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY STEERING. MINI NEEDS TO DO A RECALL. YESTERDAY. *TR