NHTSA Complaint #10204238 — 2002 MINI COOPER S

TOOK MY CAR IN FOR WINDING SOUND COMING FROM MOTOR. DIAGNOSED AS THE ALTERNATOR...THEY REPLACED IT AND SOUND WAS STILL PRESENT ...MISDIAGNOSED AND WAS ACTUALLY THE SUPERCHARGER, BUT WHILE THEY WERE CHECKING IT OUT INITIALLY THE POWER STEERING PUMP STAYED ON...WHICH DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ME UNTIL THEY HAD IT. AFTER CHANGING THE ALTERNATOR POWER STEERING PUMP NO LONGER STAYED ON PER THE DEALER. HAD IT HOME 3 DAYS TO WAKE UP ONE MORNING HEARING THE PUMP ON AND I GO TO START MY CAR AND IN DRAINED MY BATTERY. HAD TO JUMP THE CAR AND THEN DISCONNECT THE CABLE TO KEEP FROM THE PS PUMP CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING. THE CAR IS AT THE DEALER GETTING A NEW PUMP $975 PLUS TAX, RESEARCHED MINI OWNER WEBSITE AND FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME ISSUE ALSO THAT SOME CARS ACTUALLY CAUGHT FIRE FROM A FAILURE OF THE PUMP. RESEARCHED MORE ON NORTH AMERICAN MOTORING . THERE WAS A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAD THE EXACT EXPERIENCE. SURE WOULD BE AWFUL FOR THE PUMP TO GO OUT WHILE DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY AND NOT ABLE TO STEER CORRECTLY. SURPRISED IT HASN'T CAUSED AN ACCIDENT/DEATH YET. *TR