NHTSA Complaint #10442269 — 2007 MINI COOPER S

WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC FOLLOWING EXTENDED HIGHWAY SPEED, STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ENGINE DIED WITH NO WARNING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE TO ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP. LEARNED THAT THE VACUUM PUMP SEIZED / LOCKED UP, CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION OF CATASTROPHIC RESULTS THAT TOTALLY DESTROYED ENGINE. CAR NEEDS COMPLETE NEW ENGINE AT 74,000 MILES (OUT OF WARRANTY)AND MINI USA ATTITUDE IS THAT SUCH ENGINE FAILURE IS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY EVEN THOUGH THIS PARTICULAR MINI WAS IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED BEYOND MINI SERVCIE REQUIREMENTS, BUT TO NO AVAIL AS ENGINE BLEW AT A VERY YOUNG 74,000 MILES OF AGE AND THERE ARE REPEATED INSTANCES OF SAME ENGINE FAILURE ON INTERNET BMW/MINI BLOGS. NOTE: THIS CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE FOLLOWS LAST YEAR'S LARGE OUT OF WARRANTY EXPENSE OF REPLACING THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK SYSTEM AS VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY AND AGAIN MINI FELT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR EQUIPMENT FAILURE EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE FACT THAT ELECTRONIC STEERING LOCK IS NO LONGER INSTALLED IN NEW MINI COOPERS! *TR