NHTSA Complaint #10175101 — 2002 MINI COOPER

POWER STEERING MOTOR FAILURE ON MINI COOPER. 1 - WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT, AT TIMES ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. 2 - ONCE HOME WHILE PARKING THE CAR, SMOKE STARTED TO BILLOW OUR FROM UNDER THE HOOD. TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, SMOKE CONTINUED TO BILLOW AND GET THICKER, OPENED THE HOOD, HEARD A SIZZLING SOUND AND NOTICED THAT SOME OF THE WIRES WERE MELTING. IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, THE SMOKE STARTED TO DISSAPATE, THE NOISE STOPPED ETC. 3 - THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. ACCORDING TO THE TOW OPERATOR, BASED UPON THE CONDIDTION OF THE WIRING HARNESS, IF THE BATTERY HAD NOT BE DISCONNECTED QUICKLY, THE CAR WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP MOTOR HAD FAILED AND THAT MINI WOULD REPLACE THE PARTS AT NO CHARGE, BUT LABOR WOULD BE AT OUR COST. TOTAL PARTS WERE APPROXIMATLEY $1,000.00 WITH LABOR TOTALING ABOUT $400.00. THE CAR IS NOW FIXED AND OPERATING PROPERLY. *NM