NHTSA Complaint #10436509 — 2006 MINI COOPER S

ON 29SEP2007, MY 2006 MINI COOPER S WAS SERVICED TO PERFORM THE LOW MILEAGE SERVICE AT 3,354 MILES. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN ON 30SEP2007. ON 01OCT2007, THE CAR WAS DRIVEN A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE EACH WAY TO A BUS STOP. THE CAR WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT IN THE GARAGE BENEATH MY TOWNHOUSE. AT 6:00 AM ON 02OCT2007, WHEN I WANT TO THE LOWER LEVEL OF MY TOWNHOUSE AND OPENED THE DOOR TO THE GARAGE, I SAW THAT THE GARAGE WAS FILLED A "FOGGY SMOKE" AND THERE WAS A "BURNING ODOR". THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. AS THE SMOKE BEGAN TO SPREAD INTO THE UPPER LEVEL OF MY HOME, THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED AS BACK-UP. THE FIREMEN LOCATED THE SOURCE UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR AND DETERMINED THE SMOKE TO BE FROM A "BURNED POWER STEERING BELTON THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE". THE FIREMEN MOVED THE CAR TO THE PARKING LOT AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DIVING THE CAR. THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE CAR WITH A NEW 2007 MINI COOPER S ([XXX]). I WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT MINE WAS AN "ISOLATED INCIDENT" BUT HAVE NOW BECOME AWARE THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH MINI COOPER S FROM 2007-2009. WHEN I CONTACTED THE DEALER, I WAS ADVISED TO NOT PARK MY CAR IN THE GARAGE UNTIL THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DETERMINED OR IF THERE IS A RECALL. I NOW AM NOT PARKING IN THE GARAGE. I AM SUBMITTING THIS REPORT ON THE 2007 INCIDENT SINCE IT WAS NEVER REPORTED AND I AM AFRAID THAT THE RATE OF OCCURRENCE MAY BE UNDER-REPORTED. THANK YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR