NHTSA Complaint #10395246 — 2005 MINI COOPER S

ON TUESDAY, 5 APRIL 2011, I DROVE MY 2005 MINI COOPER S ABOUT 20 - 25 MILES HEADING FOR WORK - I MADE A BRIEF STOP FOR COFFEE. THE CAR OPERATED PROPERLY DURING THIS DRIVE, HOWEVER, WHEN I LEFT THE COFFEE SHOP I NOTICE A VERY ACRID SMELL IN THE AREA. WHEN I GOT IN MY CAR AND STARTED IT THE "BATTERY" INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ON. I CHECK THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND IT SAID THIS INDICATED THE BATTERY WAS NOT BEING CHARGED. AS THE CAR WAS RUNNING I DECIDED I COULD DRIVE IT TO WORK AND THEN ADDRESS THE CHARGING ISSUE. WHEN I BACK OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT I REALIZED I HAD ALSO LOST MY POWER STEERING. I WAS CONCERNED THAT MY CAR MIGHT NOT BE COOLING AS WELL, SO MOVED THE CAR TO A SPOT FURTHER OUT IN THE PARKING LOT TO ALLOW FOR A TOW TRUCK TO PICK IT UP. I REALIZED THE ACRID SMOKE SMELL WAS STILL WITH ME AND DECIDED TO CHECK UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I LIFTED THE HOOD I FOUND THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FORTUNATELY I CARRIED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT - THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALSO RESPONDED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO SANDIA MINI COOPER IN ALBUQUERQUE NM AND I HAVE SINCE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE FIRE. FROM SOME RESEARCH I HAVE DONE ON LINE IT APPEARS THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE ISOLATED TO MY VEHICLE, BUT THAT IT WAS OCCURRED IN A NUMBER OF CASES. *TR