Driving on highway about 60 mph. Extremely loud screeching burst of sound occurred. Sound was similar to smoke detector test sound, lasting about a second, but horribly loud, especially in a small enclosed area with the windows up. Nearly had an accident. Our ears hurt badly (I still feel some soreness a day later, as I now write. Similar occurrences for MINIcooper noted in web forums, referencing a possible stereo amplifier problem. Our radio was not on. Fortunately the dealer was open (on Sunday) and we have an appointment scheduled today. From what I've researched on the internet, we are not the only ones victimized by this issue. We are actually fearful and uncomfortable driving the car, worrying that at any time this could occur again. This is an unnecessary hardship and distraction that keeps us from paying full attention to safely driving the car. Until the dealer can specifically explain what the problem is and perform whatever work is need to guarantee it won't happen again, I do not feel safe driving this one-year-old car, being concerned that I'll have an accident if it happens again. This is without question a serious safety issue. If I still feel soreness in my left ear later today, I plan to contact my doctor.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA