NHTSA Complaint #10626797 — 2004 MINI COOPER S

3 MONTHS AGO I BECAME AWARE OF A FAULT IN MY MINI COOPER 2004 REGARDING THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN. STEERING HAD BECOME OVERLY DIFFICULT, AND AFTER TAKING THE VEHICLE TO MY USUAL MECHANIC AND THEN BMW, THIS WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. I THEN DISCOVERED THE ISSUE HAD BEEN THE SUBJECT OF AN UNOFFICIAL RECALL BY MINI USA (BMW), AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP, IN BEVERLY, MA, A ROUND TRIP OF 200 MILES, TO HAVE THE ITEM FIXED. AFTER THIS, THE CAR BECAME HARD TO CONTROL ON CURVES. IT APPEARS THE FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN PUT UNDUE STRAIN ON THE STEERING KNUCKLE, AND AT 80,000 THIS HAS BECOME PREMATURELY WORN. CONSEQUENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS VERY HARD TO HANDLE PROPERLY ON TURNS, AND IS BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE. FOR THREE MONTHS MY MECHANIC HAS BEEN TRYING TO SECURE THIS PART FROM MINI USA TO NO AVAIL. MEANWHILE MY CAR IS BECOMING MORE UNDRIVABLE BY THE DAY. THIS PART IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE PETITIONED BMW FOR AN ANSWER, AND AFTER TWO WEEKS OF PEOPLE AVOIDING THE ISSUE, IT SEEMS THE PART REMAINS UNAVAILABLE. MINI USA(BMW)'S BEST RESPONSE WAS TO ASK ME TO DRIVE BACK TO MA TO HAVE THE CAR LOOKED AT, WHICH POINT THEY MAY OFFER ME A LOANER. BUT THIS IS BESIDE THE POINT: ASIDE FROM NOT PROVIDING AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT THAT AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE, THEY WANT ME TO WASTE A DAY DRIVING TO MA, THEN PAY THE DEALER'S OVER-INFLATED SERVICE CHARGES, BECAUSE THEY MADE IT CLEAR ON THE PHONE THEY WILL NOT SELL THIS PART TO NON-MINI REPAIR FACILITIES WHEN IT FINALLY DOES ARRIVE (THERE IS STILL NO DATE FOR THIS, BY THE WAY). ESSENTIALLY THEY ARE COVERING UP AN ISSUE BY KEEPING THE MATTER IN-HOUSE, FAILING TO PROVIDE A COMPONENT, AND FORCING CUSTOMERS TO DRIVE HUNDREDS OF MILES AND USE ONLY THEIR FACILITIES. CLEARLY THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AND ILLEGAL. ANY ASSISTANCE FROM YOUR OFFICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *TR