NHTSA Complaint #10473687 — 2005 MINI COOPER S

RIGHT AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME SUDDENLY VERY STIFF AS I WAS MAKING A STANDARD 90 TURN. I ALMOST HIT THE CAR NEXT TO ME BUT DIDN'T AS I MANAGED TO HIT THE BRAKES. I FINISHED THE CURVE ON THE VERY LAST LANE ON THE RIGHT. IF A CAR HAD BEEN ON MY WAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CRASH, FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NONE. MINI DIAGNOSED A POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE. BROWSING ON THE WEB, I CAME ACROSS PAGES OF PEOPLE HAVING HAD THE SAME ISSUE FOR THIS YEAR'S MODEL (MINI COOPER S 2005). CANADIAN AUTHORITIES EVEN ORDERED A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SAME FAILURE. I HAVE ALSO READ THAT NHTSA IS CURRENTLY STUDYING THIS ISSUE; COULD YOU PLEASE CONFIRM THIS IS TRUE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IS THE PROCESS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT A RECALL WILL BE DECIDED IF A RECALL WAS DECIDED, WOULD WE GET REIMBURSE NOT MATTER THE REPAIR WAS DONE IN A MINI DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE ? THANK YOU *TR