NHTSA Complaint #10852758 — 2015 MINI COOPER

IN NOV-2014 MY SON WAS DRIVING OUR '05 MINI COOPER DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 55MPH AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING STOPPED WORKING. HE WAS BARELY ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND GET IT TO THE SIDE OF INTERSTATE. HE WAS 17 YRS OLD AND IT WAS VERY HARD FOR HIM TO STEER IT AND GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. HE WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENED. WE THEN GOT THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP (NOT THE LOCAL MINI SHOP, SINCE THEIR LABOR RATE WAS TOO HIGH), WE HAD TO PAY $1,201.75 TO REPAIR THE STEERING. AFTER RECEIVING A LETTER REGARDING THE STEERING RECALL FROM MINI CORPORATE IN EARLY 2016, WE WERE TOLD TO CALL/GO TO THE LOCAL MINI DEALER AND THEY WOULD HANDLE THE CLAIM. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS, EMAILS, AND A PERSONAL VISIT TO THE KNOXVILLE, TN MINI COOPER DEALER, I HAVE GOT NOWHERE. THEY REFUSE TO HANDLE THE CLAIM (ONCE TELLING ME THAT IT HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO MINI CORPORATE, BUT THEN IT TURNS OUT THEY ADMITTED THAT IT NEVER WAS SUBMITTED)... THEN MOST RECENTLY BASICALLY THEY TOLD ME TO LEAVE THEM ALONE. THEY WILL NOT GIVE ME PROOF THAT THE CLAIM WAS SUBMITTED (WHICH I AM GUESSING IT HAS NOT BEEN), AND NOW THEY WILL NOT ANSWER MY EMAILS. CAROL HWANG AT KNOXVILLE MINI HAS BEEN VERY RUDE AND UNCOOPERATIVE. THEY REFUSE TO GIVE ME A CONTACT AT CORPORATE, AS I'VE REQUESTED, TO CONFIRM THE CLAIM HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND TO FOLLOW UP ON GETTING REIMBURSED FOR THIS REPAIR RELATED TO THE RECALL. WHEN I CALLED CORPORATE MINI, THEY SAID I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE LOCAL MINI SHOP. LOCAL MINI SHOP IN KNOXVILLE SAYS CORPORATE WILL HANDLE THE CLAIM. SO I AM GETTING NOTHING BUT A RUN-ROUND. THIS INCIDENT WAS VERY SCARY FOR US! MY SON COULD'VE BEEN KILLED WHEN THE STEERING WENT OUT. HE WAS TERRIFIED AND THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO GET HIT AND CRUSHED BY A SEMI TRUCK. THE WHOLE THING WAS AWFUL. NOW ALL I WANT TO DO IS GET REIMBURSED FOR THE REPAIR, BUT I CANNOT GET MINI COOPER TO COOPERATE. PLEASE HELP.