2004 MINI COOPER Unknown Or Other Problems

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2004 MINI COOPER HOME TRAVELING UPHILL ON A STEEP PAVED MOUNTAIN ROADWAY TRAVELING A MAXIMUM OF 15 MPH WHEN FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY; STRUCK A TREE WITH ITS LEFT FRONT AND BURST INTO AN EXPLODING FIRE KILLING MY WIFE WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO ESCAPE THE BURNING VEHICLE. THE NC STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AND DEATH. THEY DO NOT KNOW YET WHETHER THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE PRIOR TO STRIKING THE TREE BUT, FEEL THE FIRE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE VEHICLE STRIKING THE TREE AT A LOW IMPACT AND SPEED. NC MV ACCIDENT REPORT#[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

MY POWER STEERING FAILS INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT NOTICE. EVENTUALLY A HIGH PITCHED WEEING SOUND WAS NOTICEABLE. THE SOUND EVENTUALLY STOPPED. WE TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR THE EVENING. THE NEXT MORNING THE BATTERY (ONLY 1 YEAR OLD) WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. AFTER GETTING THE BATTERY CHARGED AND FUNCTIONAL, I PROCEEDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND PHONE CALLING TO FIND OUT THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. COME TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM IS THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY MY POWER STEERING PUMP DIED I COULD HARDLY CHANGE LANES ON THE FREEWAY, IT FELT LIKE MY STEERING WHEEL HAD LOCKED, TURNING IN ANY ANGLE WAS VERY HARD WORST THAN DRIVING A TRUCK, I KEPT A FIRM GRIP WITH ONE HAND WHILE TRYING TO CONTROL THE GEARS, MY ARMS, BACK, AND HAND IS STILL HURTING, HAD NO WARNING SIGNALS, IT WHEEL JUST LOCKED UP AND WAS VERY HARD TO MANAGED I WASNT ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAR DID NOT FEEL SAFE, DID NOT HAVE FULL CONTROL OF HANDLING THE STEERING THIS IS SERIOUS PROTENTIAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE RECALLS BUT NOT FOR MY VIN 2004. MY MINI IS NOW IN THE REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE PUMP REPLACE AND THE FAN. THIS IS A DEADLY ISSUE AND MINI SHOULD RECALL AND PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM...