NHTSA Complaint #10466293 — 2004 MINI COOPER

I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ON TO A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN MY POWER STEERING FAILED, CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO BE TEMPORARILY OUT OF MY CONTROL. DUE TO THE LOSS OF STEERING, I WAS UNABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE CAR INTO TRAFFIC AND WAS FORCED TO USE BOTH MY PARKING BRAKE AND MY REGULAR FOOT BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE I COLLIDED WITH A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE STOPPED APPROXIMATELY 5-10 FEET FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT POLE AND PLACED ME IN THE CENTER OF THE INTERSECTION WHERE OTHER MOTORISTS WERE ATTEMPTING TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE ON RAMP. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, THE POWERSTEERING REENGAGED AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE, WITHOUT INCIDENT. I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, AND THANKFUL THAT IT WAS NOT MY DEATH THE PROMPTED SOME CONCRETE ACTION BY BOTH YOUR AGENCY AND BMW. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME MY POWER STEERING UNIT HAS FAILED. THE FIRST TWO TIMES WERE LESS THAN ONE SECOND EACH AND OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE. SOME HOW CANADA HAS FORCED BMW TO ISSUE AT THE VERY LEAST AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS SPECIFIC PART, HOW IS IT THAT THE US IS SO FAR BEHIND? *TR