UGHHHHH i went to get oil changed at my mini mechanic. he found some kind of fluid leaking from car. looked around and found that the rack and pinion was leaking into the boot. there was never any fluid on the ground when parked. of course only leaks when driving and i never noticed any fade in steering. Mechanic said he could replace seals but would probably leak again. suggested new rack and pinion. The car is lowered. I was wondering is the only option a stock rack and pinion. i have looked online and only found a few places that sell mini r&p. Is this going to be and ongoing problem with the car. mini only has 32000 miles

1 Is stock my only option?

2 Is this going to be an ongoing problem and have to be replaced again in the next 32000 miles?

3 Is there a upgrade to the stock r&p that can handle the stress of being lowered or this is not an issue?