2008 Mini Cooper

MY WIFE AND I LIVE IN MUNICH, GERMANY, WHERE SHE WORKS FOR THE US GOVERNMENT. LAST WEDNESDAY, WHILE ON THE AUTOBAHN OUR CAR BEGAN TO MAKE SOUNDS AS IF IT WAS DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE OR THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF FLUID BEING SPLASHED ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE CAR. BECAUSE IT WAS A SUNNY DAY, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND I WAS PREPARING TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE SOUND. BEFORE I COULD DO SO HOWEVER, I HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND SUDDENLY THE CAR BECAME FLOODED WITH A THICK WHITE/GRAY SMOKE FROM THE VENTS AND DASH. I PULLED OVER AS QUICKLY AS I COULD AND BY THE TIME I GOT OUT OF THE CAR, THE ENTIRE HOOD AND INSIDE CABIN WAS ENGULFED IN SMOKE. RATHER THAN POP THE HOOD, I FIRST RAN TO THE TRUNK AND GRABBED A REFLECTOR (WHICH IS REQUIRED BY LAW HERE) AND RAN 20-25 FEET BEHIND THE CAR TO PLACE IT ON THE GROUND, TO WARN ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NO SOONER HAD I DONE THIS, WHEN I HEAD AN EXPLOSION, QUICKLY TURNED AROUND AND SAW THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT HALF OF THE MINI WAS NOW ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I COULD DO NOTHING BUT SIT AND WATCH, AS WITHIN MOMENTS THE FIRE HAD SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE CAR AND SOON BECAME AN COMPLETE FIREBALL. GERMAN POLICE AND FIRE OFFICIALS SHOWED UP 15-20 MINUTES LATER AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS A CHARRED FRAME OF METAL. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT PHYSICALLY HURT BY THE EXPLOSION OR THE FIRE. HOWEVER, MENTALLY I HAVE REPLAYED THE EXPERIENCE A HUNDRED TIMES AND EACH TIME I ASK MYSELF, WHAT IF I HAD POPPED THE HOOD FIRST, OR WHAT IF I HAD TAKEN EVEN AN EXTRA 30 SECONDS IN PULLING THE CAR OVER? THINKING ABOUT IT JUST MAKES MY BLOOD RUN COLD AND FEELS ME WITH DREAD. WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN '08 IN VIRGINIA AND NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH IT AND IT WAS EVEN IN THE SHOP EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHERE THE FLUIDS WERE ALL TOPPED OFF AND EVERYTHING WAS TOLD TO BE IN EXCELLENT RUNNING CONDITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S TEMPERATURE STARTED TO INCREASE AND THE TEMPERATURE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERMOSTAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 84,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITION WAS ON AND BEGAN TO BLOW OUT WARM AIR. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHAKE SO HE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER. UPON LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS OIL SPILLED EVERYWHERE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE HAD CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.