NHTSA Complaint #10441031 — 2007 MINI COOPER S

AS A BACKGROUND, ON NOVEMBER 25, 2011, I DELIVERED THE CAR, A 2007 MINI COOPER S TO A MINI DEALERSHIP WHERE I ALWAYS HAVE IT SERVICED. THE REASON I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE WAS DUE TO THE OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT BEING TRIGGERED WHILE DRIVING. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE ADVISOR ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS IN COMPLETE WORKING ORDER AND THE REPAIRS MADE THE CAR AS GOOD AS NEW. ON THAT NOVEMBER 25TH, VISIT, I HAD PAID $1,817.40 FOR A NEW WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, SPARK PLUGS, AND WATER PIPE REPLACEMENT DESPITE THE FACT THEY ARE COMMONLY 100,000-MILE SERVICES. MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 41,000 MILES. 10 DAYS AFTER MY CAR WAS SERVICED, THE SAME OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. IN RESPONSE TO THIS REPEATED ISSUE, ON DECEMBER 11, 2011, I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHO TOLD ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP. DURING THIS SECOND VISIT, I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE OVERHEATING ISSUE FOR A SECOND TIME. DURING THIS SECOND VISIT, THE MINI DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FLUSHED THE RADIATOR SEVERAL TIMES, AGAIN, IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE OVERHEATING ISSUE. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE CONSULTANT ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS IN COMPLETE WORKING ORDER AND THE REPAIRS MADE THE CAR AS GOOD AS NEW. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT THIS CAR WAS IN PROPER WORKING ORDER. NOW, FOR THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST 24 DAYS, THE OVERHEATING LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT HAS CAME ON AGAIN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON DECEMBER 18, 2011. FRUSTRATED, AT THE LEAST, I PROMPTLY RETURNED THE CAR FOR FURTHER SERVICE BY YOUR DEALERSHIP. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THE SERVICE ADVISOR CONTACTED ME ON DECEMBER 21, 2011 TO INFORM ME THAT AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT WAS REQUIRED. THE CAR HAS FEWER THAN 41,000 MILES AND HAS ONLY EVER BEEN SERVICED BY LICENSED MINI DEALERSHIPS. *TR