NHTSA Complaint #10622422 — 2003 MINI COOPER

DRAIN HOSE FROM SUNROOF DRAIN RUNNING DOWN A-PILLAR CAME DISLODGED THROUGH "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" CAUSING MASSIVE FLOODING TO THE INTERIOR OF MY CAR. IT WAS RENDERED UNSERVICEABLE AND TOTALED, ON JUNE 16, 2014, BUT UNCOVERED BY INSURANCE. THIS WAS NOTHING THAT I WAS AWARE OF THAT WAS AN ISSUE, NOR WERE ANY RECALLS EVER ISSUED ON THIS ISSUE. I HAD IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP IN 2012, 2 YEARS AGO, FOR ELECTRICAL FAILURE, AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS MERELY THE BATTERY, SO THEY REPLACED IT AND IT SEEMED TO BE FINE, BUT THEY SAID TO KEEP THE BATTERY AS A BACK UP "JUST IN CASE" BECAUSE IT STILL APPEARED TO BE A GOOD BATTERY. THEN LATER IN 2013, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE MINI DEALER FOR GENERAL SERVICE AND I SAID I NOTICED WATER IN THE BOOT (TRUNK) AND FOR THEM TO CHECK THE HATCHBACK SEAL TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY LEAKS, THEY SAID NO, AND NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION WAS DONE FOR EITHER EVENT. I BELIEVE THAT BOTH THESE EVENTS WERE RESULTS OF THE FAULTY DRAIN HOSE FROM THE A-PILLAR BEING DISLODGED FOR SO LONG. TODAY, THE AUTOMOBILE LEFT MY POSSESSION, TO AN AUCTION HOUSE. I WANTED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT SO THAT YOU, THE NHTSA CAN PERHAPS HAVE MINI ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND HAVE THEM CHANGE THEIR VEHICLE'S SUNROOF DRAINAGE SYSTEM SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE DOESN'T HAVE A CAR TOTALLY RUINED BY FLOODING DUE TO THIS DEFECT IN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN. AFTER VIEWING SOME MINI FORUMS, I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAS HAD THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED TO THEIR MINI COOPER. I'M VERY SAD, BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO REALLY ENJOY THIS CAR, AND IT WAS TOTALLY FUN TO DRIVE. I WAS ADVISED BY A FRIEND WHO IS A MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC AND MY INSURANCE AGENT TO FILE THIS REPORT WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION, IN HOPES THAT SOMETHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT THIS. TOO MANY PEOPLE DON'T SPEAK UP, AND I AM NOT ONE TO LET SOMETHING DONE WRONG TO ME GO WITHOUT A FIGHT! DO ALL YOU CAN TO RECTIFY THIS ISSUE WITH MINI! *TR