Car impacted the rear end of a Jeep at low rate of speed (was braking to avoid crash in the front). Upon impact the car burst into flames. The air bag deployed. Luckily the occupant of the vehicle was able to get out of car. Within minutes the car was totally in flames. No one was killed or seriously injured but if the occupant did not get out when they did the occupant would have died due to smoke or flame injury.my complaint is that this low front end impact should not have resulted in immediate fire and large flames. I have photos of the car just after the occupant got out of the vehicle and also photos of the car after it was towed back to wrecker yard.

- Abilene, TX, USA

Beginning in approximately April of 2009, the airbag warning light has been on constantly. Anyone who is intelligent enough to use any internet search engine can find hundreds of accounts of the same issue. Due to what has been independently verified as a wiring problem in the seat sensors, the airbag warning light is always on and can cause the car to deploy with improper force. This is a widely known issue with MINIowners, and several independent mechanics have all attributed the problem to a wiring harness underneath the seat that breaks due to moving the seat back and forth. Unless I'm missing pages from the manual, moving the seat back and forth is a normal function, and it should not be considered normal wear and tear if simply moving the seat back and forth can render the airbag sensor useless. MINIacknowledged this issue in 2006, and stated 'in the interest of customer satisfaction, we are extending the warranty coverage of the vehicle for defects that may occur, for this specific air bag warning lamp issue, on your vehicle for 10 years / 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Under terms of this warranty coverage, MINIwill cover all necessary repair costs related to this action.' I have been told three times by MINIthat this does not apply to my car. They cannot provide any information as to why it does not apply. They just tell me that my car is not eligible for this repair despite the fact that it clearly fits the bill. This is a major safety issue. The wiring is clearly defective, and nobody should have to pay out of pocket to have a defect corrected. MINIwon't even pay to have a technician diagnose the issue.

- Springfield, OR, USA

Upon turning on my driver's side heated seat, one part of my back seemed to be getting extremely hot. Upon turning around, I saw a small hole had been burned in the seat cover and was smoldering and smoking. I immediately turned off the seat warmer. It took many minutes to cool down and stop smoking. Thankfully the vehicle was stationary when this happened. If it had been in motion, my safety would certainly have been comprised, as I could have sustained burns before pulling the car to the side of the road. The distraction of a burning seat is also not an insignificant safety hazard as well.

- Sparks, MD, USA

The contact owns a 2003 BMW MINICooper S. while driving, the vehicle shut off. The contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. When the battery was disconnected she noticed that the wires were melting. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was inspected. The dealer informed the contact that the relay and power steering pump both failed and would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was aware of the failure. The current and failure mileages were 41,000..updated 09/19/11 the control harness and power supply harness connector melted on the power steering motor. The vehicle has since been repaired.

- Auburn, WA, USA

2003 MINICooper S with power steering failure. Power steering goes in and out. Car radio turns on when car is off and no key is in the engine, causing battery to drain. Once my power steering went out when I was leaving a parking area causing me to hit the car in front of me. I have not repaired damages. I have however replaced the engine due to faulty wiring in aprox 2009. A fuse that runs everything for cooling blew and gave me no warning the engine was overheating.

- Marvel, CO, USA

My 2003 MINICooper has almost caught on fire several times, replaced transmission, electrical harness, power steering pump, A/C hoses and A/C service, wheel bearings, injection plugs etc....... I still cannot find the real problem why is causing a short, it has almost caught on fire several times, this car has been the most dangerous car I have ever own, I have never spend so much money on trying to fix any vehicle, right now I'm about $11,500 in costs of repairs, this is a crime to the consumer, I have been reading about a class action lawsuit that is in progress, I hope and pray that we get justice from the maker of MINI

- Fontana, CA, USA

2003 MINICooper S with 67,000K miles, power steering pump failed and caused a short circuit resulting in a complete meltdown. The pump, hydraulic lines, cooling fan and wiring harness were all burned or melted. There was no symptom or indication of a failure. Car drove and acted "normal" prior to parking it for the day. When I got back in the car, 8 hours later, no power steering. If it had been in my garage when the short/meltdown occurred, it may have caused fire. Miniusa basically said I was on my own due to expiration of my warranty. (60,000).

- Peyton, CO, USA

Spontaneous engine bay fire in 2003 MINICooper with 60,000 miles. Vehicle was driven normally to work, turned off, parked, locked and left. Unattended car caught fire several minutes later. Seattle city fire department responded to emergency call, but fire self-extinguished within 10 minutes. Soot covered engine bay and acrid smoke permeated vehicle. Inspection revealed melted connection between wiring harness and power steering pump, requiring replacement of pump, cooling fan, wiring and other parts. Internet communities of MINIowners contain numerous reports of sudden engine bay fires in 2002 and 2003 MINICoopers caused by electrical shorts linked to faulty power steering pumps or fans. Frequently these fires occur after the car has been switched off. They always result in moderate vehicle damage and major repair costs (mine is estimated @ $1,600). Occasionally they result in total vehicle loss and / or additional property damage. Had this fire occurred in my home garage at night the results could have been catastrophic; if this kind of incident (sudden power steering pump failure + electric fire) were to occur on a freeway at speed it could easily result in fatalities. BMW / MINIusa has reportedly quietly reimbursed individual owners who have suffered spontaneous fires, but has not acknowledged the widespread nature of the problem -- which is ridiculous. As I discovered while researching my incident, if you google "MINICooper fire" or "MINIpower steering pump failure" you get a rash of these reports. Apparently NHTSA investigated MINIengine bay fires in 2006-2008 and dismissed the problem, alluding only to the chance of some "localized smoldering." This is irresponsible -- my MINIwas billowing acrid black smoke and could easily have burned out, taking other cars on the parking deck with it. Shocking that this major, dangerous vehicle defect has been ignored. I am one of many victims. Please reopen this investigation into MINIfires. Thank you.

- Edmonds, WA, USA

I purchased my '03 MINIcopper S with 49K from a Honda in mechanicsburg, pa dealer in August. In December, I purchased tires and then went to a self-service carwash afterward. When I got home and before I put it in the garage, I took out the hose and washed off the wheels and under the car. During the process there was white smoke, which I thought was steam from the water hitting the manifold. I put the car in the garage and later when my wife came home she commented on the smoke and mist in the garage (it was quite cold that night.) the next day when I pulled the car out, the steering was very stiff and I only drove it out the driveway and on the road before I realized the power steering was completely out. I drove it about 15 miles to the dealer after checking fuses and determining that the problem was beyond my mechanical skills. The power steering pump, fan and harness were replaced along with the battery (shorted out). Insurance adjusters from hondacare (extended warranty), state farm insurance company (my comprehensive insurance) and the dealership determined that the power steering pump had caught fire. Their conjecture was that I had put out the fire with the hose when I sprayed under the car. Honda care paid $1999 from extended warranty for the power steering pump, battery, power steering harness and fan. A total of $2700 additional from state farm comprehensive insurance (hondacare extended warranty would not cover harness, towing and diagnostic work from the MINIdealer in Maryland, etc because they were the result of damage caused by the power steering pump fire); state farm insurance was exceptional and covered the difference with comprehensive covered. The parts are not available at this time but I was told that there are reports including pictures from adjusters at hondacare and from state farm insurance.

- Hershey, PA, USA

Battery failure. Battery has failed for the third time since car brand new in Feb, 2003. On each occasion the vehicle would not start after having given no warning. The first failure was in 2005 at 26,000 mi., the second in 2007 at 51,000 mi., the third in 2008 at 68,000 mi. Each failed battery was a manufacturer's brand (MINI

- Mission Viejo, CA, USA

I was driving home one day when several lights lit up in my car. I was scared because these lights were: Low tire pressure, low brake pads, traction control light, & ABS break light. I pulled over and shut off the car, and when I turned it back on, they still were lit up. I am not sure what caused this as I wasn't driving erratically, just normal. I still do not know why exactly they are on, however I figure it is something to do with the computer.

- Hendersonville, NC, USA

While driving at a three way intersection my MINIsuddenly cut out and blocked traffic in all directions; so much so that people had to stop traffic and cars needed to be backed up to get my car in a secure place. This was due to a defective wiring harness. Initial estimate for repair was $1200 parts and labor, but upon my complaint just labor was charged me - I feel neither is appropriate as this is a product issue, in my case a safety issue, and I should be reinstated to my pre-harness incidence at the product owner's expense. I further notice that there is a T.O. for this item and part of it states only replace at owner's complaint - in my case this was almost too late as I was in a very busy area when my car died and shut down three lanes of traffic.

- East Haddam, CT, USA

Complete failure of the internal controller area network, resulting in blown electronics, service engine soon light, ABS light, dsc light and air bag light. Cause was apparently a faulty radio. However, a replacement radio failed when installed in the vehicle, bringing more controller area network problems.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

Computer(s) failure resulting in a lost of ability to move forward or rearward. The engine computer(s) have been replaced as well as the transmission.

- Flushing, NY, USA

Driver's side electric window would not open for 18 hours. This occurred after a heavy rain storm and did not clear until after a 20 minute drive the following day. Attempts to open the window the day and evening of the failure while parked and driving all failed.

- Aiea, HI, USA

The computer system doesn't seem to be working properly. My car just stopped running while driving in rush hour traffic (this happened twice.) my key-less entry doesn't work. Finally, the tire failure light comes on when the tire pressure changes but it doesn't light up when I had a flat.

- Manassas, VA, USA

MINICooper 2003 stop dead at the the intersection for the third time.the car was towed to the dealer.

- Aberdden, NJ, USA