NHTSA Complaint #10504501 — 2002 MINI COOPER

AFTER A SHORT TRIP, I HAD JUST PARKED THE MINI. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS OUTDOORS AND WITHIN 50FT OF MY TOOL CHEST. ON TURNING OFF THE IGNITION AND REMOVING THE KEY, I NOTICED AN UNUSUAL NOISE; THE [ELECTRIC] POWER STEERING PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN. A FEW SECONDS LATER, SMOKE APPEARED. I RACED TO MY TOOL DRAWER, GRABBING THE FIRST SUITABLE TOOL, CHANNEL LOCK PLIERS, AND PROCEEDED TO HASTILY DISCONNECT ONE OF THE BATTERY TERMINALS. SMOKE WAS HEAVY AT THAT POINT. DISCONNECTING POWER PREVENTED FURTHER DAMAGE, AND WAS FORTUNATELY DONE IN TIME, BEFORE THE WIRING HARNESS WAS INCINERATED, OR THE SITUATION BECAME A SELF-SUSTAINING CONFLAGRATION. APPARENTLY, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A 100A FUSE PRESENT, THE FAULT PROTECTION ON THE POWER STEERING PUMP CIRCUIT IS INADEQUATE. I REMOVED THE POWER WIRE TO THE PUMP, TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO BE DRIVEN, WITH HEAVY [NON-ASSISTED] STEERING, PENDING SERVICE. SINCE THE OUTCOME IS NOT SO BAD, WHY SHOULD I COMPLAIN? CONSIDER IF THE VEHICLE WERE PARKED INDOORS, AND/OR IF THE SAME EVENT WERE TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE WITH LESS ELECTRICAL APTITUDE. I DON'T EXPECT ACCESSORIES TO LAST FOREVER; THE VEHICLE IS 11 YEARS OLD WITH 123K MILES. I DO OBJECT TO THE FAILURE MODE, IN WHICH THE POWER STEERING PUMP CIRCUIT BECOMES AN INCENDIARY DEVICE... *TR