carwrecks

In January of 2012, BMW recalled almost 89,000 Mini Coopers from model years 2007 to 2011.  The reason?  A faulty water pump circuit board could smolder and cause a vehicle fire.  BMW said that there had been 4 incidents of burned engine compartments as of November 2011 and that replacement of water pumps would begin in February.

There have now been 5 fires. 

A friend was at a restaurant in Fulshear, Texas, this weekend when a Mini Cooper in the parking lot went up in flames.

I apologize for the photo, but he was afraid to get any closer.  The car was total loss.  On YouTube, there is a video of a different Mini Cooper fire.

If you have a 2007 to 2011 Mini Cooper and are not sure whether your vehicle has been recalled, contact BMW at 1-866-275-6464.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether 1.4 million Toyotas and over 300,000 General Motors SUVs may have defective power-window switches that could lead to smoke and fire conditions.

The investigation of Toyota vehicles includes the 2007-9 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4 and Yaris, as well as the 2008 Highlander Hybrid. The agency is investigating 2006-7 Chevrolet TrailBlazers, though it said would consider sibling vehicles like the GMC Envoy as well.

In a report recently posted on its Web site, the safety agency said it had knowledge of 161 fires, resulting in nine injuries. The volume of known fires warranted the intensification of the inquiry as well as its expansion to 1.4 million vehicles.

Toyota said its internal investigation suggested that owners or mechanics might have used over-the-counter lubricants, like silicone, on the switch, which could have caused a malfunction.

If you detect a melting, burning smell or see flames, turn off the ignition and exit the car.  Toyota said the defect did not pose “an unreasonable risk to vehicle safety.”

Three years ago, the Center for Auto Safety petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall some three million Chrysler Jeep Cherokees from model years 1993-2004, after the group’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System revealed that the vehicles have “a fatal crash-fire occurrence rate that is about four times higher than S.U.V.’s made by other companies.”

Specifically, the group’s petition says, “the plastic fuel tank on 1993-2004 Grand Cherokees is not adequately protected from a rear impact because it is behind the rear axle.  The Grand Cherokee underwent a redesign in 2005, which involved putting the fuel tank in a safer location. 

Yesterday, NHTSA expanded its probe into the fires by adding Liberty and older Cherokee models to the probe.

If you or a loved one is involved in a crash where there is a vehicle fire, you should preserve the vehicle.  Do not sell it to an insurance company as a part of a settlement.  The vehicle may be important evidence that will help determine the cause of these fires and make sure that future vehicles will be safer.