10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 2
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 57,133 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
The contact owns a 2006 MINICooper S. while driving 65 mph, the fuel sensor gauge malfunctioned. The contact stated that the vehicle ran out of fuel, but the gauge indicated that there was 74 miles left in the fuel tank. Tempe MINIlocated at 7855 South test drive, tempe, Arizona 85284, was made aware of the failure and stated that the fuel pump, fuel housing, and fuel sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000. The VIN was not available.
- Apache Junction, AZ, USA
Blue black smoke from front grill of warm (20 miles) driven car. Car was off and parked in highway 40 mcdonalds restaurant parking lot next to a 10,000 gallon heating fuel tank. Parker fuel company employees put out the fire in the engine compartment just below the engine. Note the battery was disconnected immediately before opening the bonnet/hood at which time the smoke and visible flame was extinguished 5 times via 1 small (depleted) and 3 times ending via a 2nd larger parker fuel company unit. Howard county fire and police vehicles arrived after fire had ended. Car seemed normal over 20 mile portion of trip on highway 70 + 40 @ 70 + 55 mph speeds. Flame could be viewed originating under engine when looking downward in space between engine and firewall below exhaust manifold. Not sure if fire was from power steering pump drive (electric motor), power steering hose(s), ps fan or compromised oil pump volume control solenoid valve leaking oil on very hot supercharged engine exhaust. I was very lucky that the 4 minutes I was inside mcdonalds, that multiple parker fuel company employees arriving to work had seen the smoke and had multiple fire extinguishers and training to put out fires. My car would have completely burned up in the time it would have taken the fire dept to arrive. The 1st parker fuel company employee was already at my car with pliers to disconnect the battery as he knew it was not steam from a radiator, but black smoke from a electrical, gas, oil or rubber/plastic sources being difficult to extinguish.
- Mount Airy, MD, USA
As I turn on the engine, battery light came on, 5 seconds later, engine started to smoke. I turned off the engine. Engine won't turn back on and lost all power, steering wheel won't turn. Before this incident, gear would shift up and down on it's own while I'm driving. Very dangerous!
- El Granada, CA, USA
- San Antonio, TX, USA