NHTSA Complaint #10162334 — 2006 MINI COOPER S

I STARTED LEASING MY MINI COOPER IN 11/2005. I HAD LEASED CARS WITH MITSUBUSHI PRIOR TO THIS FOR 8 YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, I WAS COMING HOME FROM THE AIRPORT IN MY MINI COOPER. IT STARTED TO "CLUNK", SEIZED, I PULLED OVER - THEN BLACK AND GREEN FLUID STARTED POURING OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE ROADSIDE SERVICE SENT A TOW TRUCK TO PICK ME UP. I SAT IN 95 DEGREE HEAT ON I-95 FOR 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES WAITING FOR THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK CAME AND WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST BMW DEALER - THE DEALER I LEASED FROM - PRINCETON BMW. THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY - EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS ONLY 8 1/2 MONTHS OLD AND HAD 6,300 MILES ON IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE REASON WAS THAT THE CAR HAD GONE THROUGH WATER AND THIS WAS NOT COVERED. 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, I WENT THROUGH WATER ON A REGULAR STREET IN MY AREA, THE CAR STOPPED, I STARTED IT UP AND WENT ON MY WAY. I THEN PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR DOWN THE SHORE, TO WORK, ETC WITH NO PROBLEMS, NO ENGINE LIGHT OR WARNING SIGNS. ON JULY 9, I DROVE TO THE AIRPORT, PARKED THE CAR, AND WENT ON A BUSINESS TRIP. ON JULY 11TH THE INCIDENT ON 95 OCCURRED. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR THAT WAS NOT ABLE TO GO THROUGH WATER ON A STREET. *JB