Other Restraint System Info: Driver and Passenger Dual-stage Advanced Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Plant City: Oxford
Plant Country: United Kingdom (UK)
Seat Belts All: Manual
Series: Cooper S
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2003
STEERING
AT APPROXIMATELY 35MPH THE POWER STEERING OF MY 2003 MINI COOPER ERRATICALLY ENGAGED AND DISENGAGED SEVERAL TIMES. I RESPONDED BY SLOWING DOWN AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. ONCE STOPPED, I TURNED THE CAR OFF COMPLETELY. ONCE OUT OF THE VEHICLE I HEARD AN ELECTRIC MOTOR RUNNING. I OPENED THE HOOD TO INVESTIGATE AND NOTED A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE RISING FROM THE AFT PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I WENT BACK TO THE IGNITION SWITCH TO CONFIRM IT WAS OFF AND REMOVED THE KEYS. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTINUED TO RUN AND AS I WENT BACK TO THE OPEN HOOD THE SMOKE VOLUME HAD INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. THE SMOKE HAD A VERY CLEAR ELECTRICAL SMELL AND COLOR. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TRYING TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. WHILE OBTAINING TOOLS FROM THE HATCH OF THE CAR, THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP ASSEMBLY ERUPTED IN FLAMES. I OBTAINED MY FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND DIRECTED IT AT THE AFT PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS PRODUCED NO RESULTS AND THE FLAMES RETURNED QUICKLY. I THEN GOT THE TOOLS FROM THE HATCH OF THE CAR AND CUT THE BATTERY CABLES. THIS CAUSED THE FIRE TO SUBSIDE IMMEDIATELY. AT THE REPAIR FACILITY THE POWER STEERING PUMP ASSEMBLY (ELECTRIC) WAS REMOVED AND DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE FACT THAT I HAD TOOLS AND 25 YEARS MECHANICAL EXPERIENCE PREVENTED THIS CAR FROM BURNING TO THE GROUND. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ON TWO LEVELS. FIRST: LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. SECOND: FIRE HAZARD, ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT CANNOT BE TURNED OFF WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS MUST BE INVESTIGATED AND THE MANUFACTURE DIRECTED TO APPLY A FIX TO ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. *TR
2002
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
2002 MINI COOPER WITH <55,000 MILES (SAME OWNER) THE SHIFT CABLE DETACHED FROM THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE GEARS. GEAR CHANGES ARE NO LONGER POSSIBLE AND THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS IN THE LAST GEAR SELECTED! PRIOR TO THIS -BUT WITHIN THE LAST 6 MONTHS, ALL THE WINDOW MOTORS DIED SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE FAN BELT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF, THE ENGINE CONTINUALLY OVERHEATED (DESPITE REPEATED SERVICE BY BMW), THE HORN FUSE WOULD NOT SHUT OFF (UNTIL IT BLEW), AND THE TRANSMITION IS SLOWLY DYING. 1) THE FAN BELT WOULD NOT TURN OFF -CONTINUOUSLY, DRAINING THE BATTERY. 2) TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED 3) THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING 4) THE POWER WINDOWS *TR