NHTSA Complaint #10315571 — 2007 MINI COOPER

I OWN A 2007 MINI COOPER. THE TAIL PIPE IS LARGE EXTENDS BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE BUMPER. I HAD DRIVEN MY CAR APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES AND PARKED IT, THEN OPENED THE BACK TO RETRIEVE SOME ITEMS FROM THE CARGO AREA. MY LEG CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TAIL PIPE AND I RECEIVED A SEVERE BURN WHICH WAS EXTREMELY PAINFUL AND BECAME BLISTERED. THE BURN WAS LARGE AND IN THE SHAPE OF A HALF MOON. THERE IS STILL A SCAR ON MY LEG FROM THIS. I CONTACTED BMW MINI NORTH AMERICA, TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND SENT THEM A PICTURE OF MY LEG WITH THE BURN ON IT. THEY ARRANGED FOR ME TO BRING MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE AN ENGINEER EVALUATE THE CAR FOR ANY DEFECTS IN THE TAILPIPE. LATER I WAS TOLD THAT THE TAILPIPE WAS MANUFACTURED PROPERLY AND I SHOULD JUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH IT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE IS A WARNING IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR THE CAR REGARDING THE TAIL PIPE. I LOOKED IT UP AND IT SAYS "DO NOT TOUCH HOT EXHAUST TAIL PIPES. OTHERWISE THERE IS A RISK OF BURNS". UNFORTUNATELY, THE TAIL PIPE IS IN A POSITION WHERE A PERSON'S LEG WOULD NORMALLY BE WHEN RETRIEVING ITEMS FROM THE CARGO AREA OF THE CAR. AND SINCE IT PROTRUDES PAST THE BUMPER, IT IS DIFFICULT NOT TO TOUCH IT. *TR