NHTSA Complaint #10444125 — 2005 MINI COOPER

AFTER RUNNING ERRANDS IN THE MORNING I PARKED MY CAR IN MY SPOT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. WHEN I WALKED AWAY THE CAR WAS SILENT. TWO HOURS LATER MY NEIGHBOR KNOCKED ON MY DOOR TO LET ME KNOW THAT MY CAR (WHICH HAD BEEN OFF AND PARKED FOR TWO HOURS) WAS MAKING A LOUD WHINING NOISE. I WENT OUTSIDE TO CHECK IT OUT, AND DETERMINED THAT THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM MY CAR WHILE IT WAS OFF. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR, WHICH WAS DRIVING WELL AT THE TIME, TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND RECOMMEND THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE MINI DEALERSHIP THEY IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY CAR BACK. I WAS TOLD THAT MY POWER STEERING PUMP WAS FAILING AND OVERHEATING, WHICH CAUSED THE POWER STEERING FAN TO KEEP RUNNING WHILE THE CAR WAS OFF. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT THIS HAPPENS TIME TO TIME, AND IF I HAD CONTINUED DRIVING THE CAR IT MAY OF CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE TECHNICAL WORDS ON THE WORK ORDER FROM THE MINI MECHANIC WERE, "SCANNED CAR FOR FAULTS, AFTER CHECKING CARS FAULT MEMORY IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE WAS A CURRENT FAULT FOR AN OPEN CIRCUIT ON THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PUMP." BOTH THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND FAN HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR