NHTSA Complaint #10553537 — 2005 MINI COOPER S

I WAS ON MY WAY BACK TO WORK FROM LUNCH IN MY 2005 MINI COOPER S AND MY POWER STEERING SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING FAILED IN THE MIDDLE OF A CURVE! I FORTUNATELY MANAGED TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND LIMP TO THE PARKING LOT TO PULL OVER. THEN, I TURNED THE CAR OFF TO GET OUT, AND DISCOVERED MY POWER STEERING PUMP WAS STILL RUNNING EVEN WITH THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF!? I WAS AFRAID THAT THIS WOULD CAUSE A MELTDOWN OR FIRE, SO I QUICKLY CALLED A MINI DEALER TO ASK HOW TO SHUT THE PUMP OFF. I WAS TOLD THAT THE BATTERY HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED! THE BATTERY HAD TO REMAIN DISCONNECTED WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF OR THE PUMP WOULD RUN CONTINUOUSLY. I DID NOT FEEL THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE AT THIS POINT. MY POWER STEERING WAS NOW UNPREDICTABLY INTERMITTENT WHEN THE CAR WAS RUNNING. THE POWER STEERING WOULD SUDDENLY FAIL AND THEN SUDDENLY COME BACK ON, CAUSING A JERK-AND-SWERVE REACTION IN THE STEERING WHEEL FOR ME WHILE DRIVING. SO I CALLED MINI USA TO REPORT THE PROBLEM, AND I TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A MINI DEALER. THE MINI DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM TO BE THE KNOWN POWER STEERING FAILURE COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND ASSOCIATED PUMP COOLING FAN FOR MODEL YEARS 2002-2005 FOR UP TO 13 YEARS/150,000 MILES. BUT MINI USA DENIED COVERAGE DESPITE MY CAR ONLY HAVING APPROX 70,000 MILES, CLAIMING THAT THEY STOPPED COVERAGE AFTER FEB 2005 BECAUSE THE NEWLY DESIGNED REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE INSTALLED AFTER FEB 2005. MY CAR WAS BUILT IN MAY 2005 AND WAS PROVEN BY THE MINI DEALER TO HAVE THE ORIGINAL FAULTY POWER STEERING PARTS, NOT THE NEWLY DESIGNED PARTS. I AM REPORTING THIS AS A KNOWN POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD INSTEAD BE A SAFETY RECALL, RATHER THAN THIS EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT MINI USA DOES NOT PROPERLY ADVERTISE OR HONOR, SO THAT ALL MINI OWNERS WILL GET THEIR STEERING CHECKED BEFORE ANYTHING BAD HAPPENS. *TR