# 2004 MINI COOPER S — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
> NHTSA complaint `801736` · 2010-07-25 · BMW of North America, LLC
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** MINI
- **Model:** COOPER S
- **Year:** 2004
- **Manufacturer:** BMW of North America, LLC
- **Component:** ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- **Miles at failure:** 70,000
- **Speed:** 10 mph
## Narrative
ON MY WAY UP DRIVEWAY I NOTICED A SHARP STINGING SENSATION IN THE LUMBAR OF MY BACK. FELT SORT OF LIKE AN "CONTINUOUS ELECTRIC SHOCK". I IMMEDIATELY ARCHED MY BACK AS A REACTION TO THE STING AND HAD TO STRAIGHTEN MY BACK IN ORDER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. WHEN STRAIGHTENING MY BACK I FELT SOMETHING HOT, VERY HOT THIS TIME LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS ON FIRE. I COULD NOT LONGER CONTROL THE VEHICLE GRABBED FOR THE HANDLE OPENED THE DOOR AND ROLLED OUT ONTO THE DRIVEWAY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING.  THE VEHICLE BUCKED AND STALLED OUT. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE INTERIOR AND NOTICED THAT THE SEAT WAS SMOLDERING AND THERE WAS A HOLE THE SIZE OF A QUARTER BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT IN THE LUMBAR. IT WAS A 100 DEGREE DAY SO I WASN'T USING THE SEAT HEATER, NONETHELESS IT WAS ON, MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSED A FIRE WHICH RESULTED IN ME JUMPING OUT OF THE MOVING VEHICLE. I ALSO READ ONLINE ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO ANOTHER 2004 MINI COOPER S "PASSENGER SEAT" AS WELL. *TR
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*