Mini Cooper — Recalls, Reliability, Specs & VIN Decoder

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper s. While driving 40 mph and attempting to make a turn, the power steering failed. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact sustained contusions to the face and lost a tooth. The occupants of the other vehicle sustained unknown injuries. Medical attention was not required. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 213,000.

8;30 am three car intersection accident. Traffic light controlled 4 way intersection, auto traveling south bound ran red light and collided with two cars traveling east bound through intersection at approx 35 mph.. 1st car impacted toyota mini van drivers side. Force of accident so severe that it forced mini van into my auto. The mini van impacted my mini primarily into my drivers side door. All three vehicles had to be towed from scene of accident. My mini coopers drivers side door demolished. Force of impact so great the it bent the frame underneath the drivers door 3-4 inches according to the repair facility it was towed to. Vip auto body. The window that was approx 1/3 open shattered the window. I sustained injuries to neck, back,shoulder and right side of head which hit the door panel upon impact. I have done extensive research since this accident and there are several air bags and side door impact bag curtains in the mini cooper and none of them deployed. There is an actual sensor in the middle of each door to activate the air bags, obviously the one in the drivers side door was not working. This car supposedly has a 5 star crash rating according to mini usa and my original window sticker. I contacted mini usa the day after the accident, and they instructed me not to have any repairs done until one of there tech's came out to inspect the mini and do a diagnostic check of the air bag system. I did so. The tech came out 5 days later, and a week after that the results came in and mini usa said everything was working properly as far as the air bags. Liars. Anyone with any common sense can see that the air bags should have deployed with the force of this impact. They just don't want to take any responsibility for this accident. My mini cooper was deemed a total loss. Any investigation into this accident would be very appreciated maybe even saving a life in the future ....updated 04/23/15 *bf

First incident: vehicle mileage 37004 (12/31/2009): 2004 mini cooper s was being driven on surface streets and power steering was lost without warning making the vehicle exquisitely difficult to turn. Upon arrival at a mechanic, the power steering pump was determined to be faulty and both the pump and fan were replaced. There were no accidents or injuries associated with this injury. Second incident: vehicle mileage ~55,000 (1/19/2013): same vehicle as above was being driven onto a sharp right banking on ramp to the i-10e freeway when the power steering suddenly failed without warning. The car was occupied by a driver and a passenger. Despite the driver's quick reactions, the car hit the curves outer concrete retaining wall nearly head on. The wall could not be avoided because of the lack of warning of the power steering failure, as well as the minimal space on the shoulder of the outside of the curve, estimated by the driver as less than a car width wide. The driver was estimated by a police officer to be driving below the speed limit. The driver received chemical burns to his upper extremity from the airbag, the passenger was hospitalized for three days with a pneumothorax and required a chest tube to be placed. An extended warranty will not prevent people from being injured, but a recall will. Updated 06/12/13*lj updated 07/10/13*lj *tr

Power steering pump failed while driving

I was driving on the highway. My car swerved to the right. I pulled left to correct the car and it began to fishtail swerving left and right and i was unable to control the car. Suddenly it went off the road, hit the guardrail and down a small embankment and flipped over. The car came to a stop upside down with the rear window smashed and snow in the car. I was minorly injured with a small cut on my face and bruises on my right side. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. The contact was driving 50 mph and lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle started to sway from side to side and caused the contact to crash into a utility pole. The vehicle was destroyed and had not been inspected for the cause of the failure. The contact sustained slight injuries in the crash. The failure and the current mileage was 70,000. .. Updated 02-07-13 *bf updated 02/13/2013 *js

Tl* the contact owned a 2005 mini cooper convertible. The contact stated that while driving at 5 mph after exiting his driveway, he suddenly lost power steering without warning. As a result of the failure, the contact lost complete control of the vehicle as the vehicle veered off the road and into a utility pole. The contact was unaware if the air bags deployed upon impact. The contact stated that he exited the vehicle, walked back to his home and took a nap. An hour later, the contact stated that he was awoken by a sheriff's deputy who asked him questions about the incident with his vehicle. A police report filed and the contact later went to a doctor where he was treated for injuries for his lower back which including a slipped disc and a bruised vertebrae. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was destroyed. Recently, the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 ( steering) which he linked to his vehicle failure. The contact reached out the manufacturer where he was asked questions about his vehicle failure; however, the contact refused to answer any questions and decided to seek legal advice. The vehicle was deemed destroyed. The failure mileage was unknown.

Following rear end impact, there was an engine compartment fire, which was later traced to the power steering pump. Terminals were burned off the pump, and alternator also failed as a result. Note: there was absolutely no collision damage to front end. *tr

I was approaching a corner on a back road and half way through the power steering failed which caused the car to go off the road rolling two and a half times landing on the roof.

Power steering went out without warning, causing loss of control while vehicle was in motion; mini usa advised it was still driveable, but to be cautious due to lack of control/power steering; when parked, smoke began to plume from under hood where a fire was noticed in back of engine. Called mini usa back and they advised us to not drive vehicle, as it was a safety hazard. Contacted mini to set up recalled part (hydraulic power steering), but they were not willing to have car towed to dealer (120 miles from my residence).

2005 mini cooper s was traveling 50mph when it hit icy bridge spun around and rolled 3 times driver was wearing a seatbelt and passenger was not and got ejected and died.no airbags deployed. Hwy 299.*dt *js

I just found this web site and after reading through the various issues other people are having with their mini, i decided i should also go ahead and share my issues as well. Back in april of 2004, i was hit on the front passenger side by a honda accord traveling about 50 miles an hour and my airbags failed to deploy. I never had a check engine light or an airbag light for that matter but it's a scary thought not having your airbags deploy, especially at such a high speed of impact. I used to be in love with mini's but i have been so "soured" by them as of late with all of the issues i have been having. My automatic transmission is shot and because of that, i can't even start my car. *tr

8;30 am three car intersection accident. Traffic light controlled 4 way intersection, auto traveling south bound ran red light and collided with two cars traveling east bound through intersection at approx 35 mph.. 1st car impacted toyota mini van drivers side. Force of accident so severe that it forced mini van into my auto. The mini van impacted my mini primarily into my drivers side door. All three vehicles had to be towed from scene of accident. My mini coopers drivers side door demolished. Force of impact so great the it bent the frame underneath the drivers door 3-4 inches according to the repair facility it was towed to. Vip auto body. The window that was approx 1/3 open shattered the window. I sustained injuries to neck, back,shoulder and right side of head which hit the door panel upon impact. I have done extensive research since this accident and there are several air bags and side door impact bag curtains in the mini cooper and none of them deployed. There is an actual sensor in the middle of each door to activate the air bags, obviously the one in the drivers side door was not working. This car supposedly has a 5 star crash rating according to mini usa and my original window sticker. I contacted mini usa the day after the accident, and they instructed me not to have any repairs done until one of there tech's came out to inspect the mini and do a diagnostic check of the air bag system. I did so. The tech came out 5 days later, and a week after that the results came in and mini usa said everything was working properly as far as the air bags. Liars. Anyone with any common sense can see that the air bags should have deployed with the force of this impact. They just don't want to take any responsibility for this accident. My mini cooper was deemed a total loss. Any investigation into this accident would be very appreciated maybe even saving a life in the future ....updated 04/23/15 *bf

Blindsided Drive side impact car ignited I was cut from my car suffering emence Injuries due to the malfunction of the airbags . No air bags deployed.

I was a passenger in a mini cooper 2006, my friend was hit head on by a drunk driver on a city street. My friend's mini cooper 2006 was totaled. The airbags did not deploy as a result of the front passenger mat sensor defect. I suffered multiple injuries to my chest, hands, arms, and neck that are very serious.

Consumer's vehicle was involved in a rear end collision. The vehicle that rear ended consumer's vehicle pushed it into the vehicle that was parked in front. None of the airbags deployed. *ak the repair shop reported the seat being broken. Consumer noted the seat hit the back of the calves and bruised them. Hit the steering wheel, fractured nose and received a concussion. Vehicle totaled with front end damage and a cracked windshield. Consumer was wearing her seat belt and was sitting pretty far back. She managed to hit the steering wheel and sustained injuries. The vehicle she hit in the rear was also towed. That vehicle sustained damage to the rear. Consumer's hood was pushed up and headlight was damaged. *ph

I was exiting from 35th street in newport news, va onto the warwick blvd off ramp in traffic, coasting with the brakes at about 5 mph, when i was rear ended by a navy operated flat nose school bus, which forced my vehicle into a late model chevy trailblazer. My air bags (front and side) did not deploy, and when i came to rest my seat back had reclined against my child's car seat (child was not in vehicle). The right rear unibody was creased due to the impact from the bus. I suffered neck, back, and spine trauma. The driver of the trailblazer complained of neck pain at the scene. Local newport news fire and rescue units arrived on scene, as well as a virginia state trooper. The trooper handled the accident. *tr

Air bags did not deploy upon impact.

I was in a bad car accident in which my car was rear ended. I was in the very most right hand lane on the highway, at a stop in stop and go traffic. The vehicle behind me did not stop, hitting me at approximately 75 mph. As a result, my car spun out to the right and hit the guard rail on the side of the highway head on. The car then bounced off of the guard rail, and spun about 180 degrees to the left, where the rear end of the car then hit the same guard rail and finally stopped. When the car crashed into the guard rail head on, the air bag did not deploy and i hit my head and my chest against the steering wheel. I sustained a fracture in my t2 vertebrae and bad chest bruising.

Car crash may 30, 2017, driver's air bag did not deploy causing great bodily injury to driver.. Driver was traveling 25 mph in town at around 10:30 a.m.. Driver had a stroke, passed out, crossed over to opposite side of road and hit an unoccupied parked car. That car hit another parked vehicle and chain reaction left four cars in the accident. State farm or gene's auto body shop have photos.

2005 mini cooper s was traveling 50mph when it hit icy bridge spun around and rolled 3 times driver was wearing a seatbelt and passenger was not and got ejected and died.no airbags deployed. Hwy 299.*dt *js

I was driving the car for a 300 miles trip, never had an issue before. After stopping in san antonio the fans kept running for at least 15min. Stopped at a conveinience store and topped off coolant which wasnt missing any and checked the oil level and added one quart of oil. Taking on the trip to austin tx, the car was running fine at 70mph when my low oil light came on. Ten seconds later pulled to the side and smoke started coming from the engine. Less than a minute later on the side of the road and fire started blazing throughout the car burning all our belongings.

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 mini cooper. The contact stated that on two different occasions, two passengers sustained burns to their legs from the exhaust pipe while placing an item in the trunk. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 5,600 and the current mileage was 5,732.

On Thursday I was driving my 2010 Mini Cooper S with 75,000 miles on it and there was a total and sudden power outage on the high way. I was able to get to the breakdown lane and had it towed. My mini certified garage ran the computer on it and the car started right up. It was due for an inspection so we did an oil and filter and put on some new tires. No issues were found and car was running well. We picked it up on Friday and Saturday morning after a short drive I was parking and smoke started pouring out from behind the steering wheel. I ran inside a coffee shop for help and they asked if there were flames. I went back out and opened the car door and there was loud noise and the hood was in flames. The entire dash was melted, the hood had a hole burned in it and with the fire rescue interventions the car was a total loss. No one was injured.

The contact owns a 2010 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a rattling sound heard with a burning odor detected. The vehicle stalled without warning. The check engine light warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The dealer performed an oil change and the check engine light was reset; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and diagnosed with engine failure after failing the smog test. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the Vin was not under recall. The failure mileage was 104,000.

MINI was totally destroyed by fire after driving for 15 minutes. It was parked in a parking lot and was in flames 5 minutes after my wife entered the store. This is comparable with problem requiring recall (with no remedy). No warnings

Hello, yesterday afternoon i started my 2009 mini cooper and noted that my gauges suddenly failed. The tach dropped to zero. Suddenly i received a tire pressure warning light. I decided i would move the car to a more favorable location to look under the hood. As i placed the car in reverse i noted that my power steering had failed. I stopped the car immediately and popped the hood. I immediately noticed the smell of burning electrical equipment. I ran down to the basement to grab a wrench to disconnect the battery. When i returned i could hear pops and cracks and noted char on the hood interior. Though the keys were out i continued to hear pops and cracks and felt heat accumulating . I finally got the battery disconnected and the popping stopped. After some investigation i found that the wiring near the power steering module was completely burnt out. The car drove fine the day prior. My wife is 38 weeks pregnant and i am shaken by the idea that this could have happened while she was driving the day before.

We parked the car and 3 hours later is was on fire. It seems to have emanated from the power steering pump area but cannot tell with all the fire damage. The car is most likely a total loss.

Turbo oil line leaks and drips on turbo manifold causing burning oil smell and smoke. The engine caught a small fire, lucky i was parked on side of a highway road up in the mountains. (no fire stations or very little traffic) i smelt something burning under to hood when it happened and caught the flames in time to extinguish the fire. 2 seattle area mini dealers state that this is a problem with all the turbo engines in this class. They want you to pay for this repair it's a $1300 fix. I believe that mini/bmw needs to take responsibility and repair/recall the turbo oil line because it poses a safety issue the car could catch fire and potentially injure someone cause an accident, or worse death.

I was driving home from work on 21 november 2013 when the check engine light on my mini came on. I called the dealer to schedule the appointment. By the time i got off the phone with the dealer, the light turned off. Around 5 miles further down the road the light came back on and then the car erupted in flames. I am unsure where else to file a complaint but i thought i would begin here. *tr

I just found this web site and after reading through the various issues other people are having with their mini, i decided i should also go ahead and share my issues as well. Back in april of 2004, i was hit on the front passenger side by a honda accord traveling about 50 miles an hour and my airbags failed to deploy. I never had a check engine light or an airbag light for that matter but it's a scary thought not having your airbags deploy, especially at such a high speed of impact. I used to be in love with mini's but i have been so "soured" by them as of late with all of the issues i have been having. My automatic transmission is shot and because of that, i can't even start my car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mini cooper. When shifting into first gear, the vehicle easily switched into the reverse position. The contact was involved in a crash. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 46,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper s. The contact stated that the clutch always emitted an odor of burning plastic. The engine gradually revved within a 48 hour period. While driving 30 mph, the clutch failed. The dealer stated that a new clutch needed to be installed at the estimated cost of $3,300. The vin was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 5,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle downshifted and stalled. The contact had to pull to the side of the road and shift into manual mode to shift the gears up and down. The contact also stated that the battery light illuminated while the vehicle was parked. The contact also stated that the engine malfunctioned due to the cooling system emitting smoke from the engine and corrosion on the engine itself. The contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was 74,000.

Plethora of electrical problems. Heated seats are a major concern. They go on and off by themselves, seem haunted. Sometimes, they get so hot they leave burn marks in my legs. I am afraid of an electrical fire. The heated seats get so hot, they left burn marks in my seat. Aisin 6 speed automatic transmission, equipped with "lifetime" fluid, begins slipping gears at 70k the supercharger had to be replaced due to the "design" of the supercharger it could not be repaired, i was forced by bmwusa to purchase a remanufactured supercharger. I was told it was a "common problem" i have also found out from forums such as northamericanmotoring.com this is a problem that bmw does not want to admit its at fault for however they are acknowledging the widespread happenings across the country. The availability of new superchargers is very low because of this problem, hence me purchasing a remfgd one. Rear wiper motor failed at 40k quoted hundreds to replace, not worth it!!!!! *tr

I purchased at 2006 mini cooper automatic in july 2010. October 2010 i had the kids in my car, key in my hand, car turned off and in park. The car started to roll backwards, dragging me and i had to pull the emergency brake to get the car to stop rolling and not roll into on-coming traffic. I was worried my kids would be hit. Mini usa claimed nothing was wrong. Now i am told my back brakes are worn, i am scared they did not look at my vehicle properly, did not take me seriously and am scared my car will roll again. I always park my car and pull the emergency brake i never leave it just in park. I need someone to make sure these cars and my car is truly safe. Mini usa and the dealer that certified my car have both failed to take this dangerous manner seriously. I could of been seriously hurt and my children killed by on coming traffic. *tr

Very disappointed with mini cooper and the corporation of bmw on how they handled my issues with my 2004 mini. I came to the dealership several times in ramsey, new jersey with the repairs that were recalled. I had printed the recalls as evidence that there were identical issues as the repairs needed to my car! The dealership ignored and refused to even look at the recalls on paper and to my dismay i was forced to pay out-of-my-own pocket! I had no choice because of my concern to drive a 'safe' vehicle. To my disappointment i had to return back to the dealership with the same and additional issues that were no repaired! The next day the manager assured me that all was taken care of and the car was finally safe! Wrong again! With additional calls to both the dealership and bmw i still did not have a solution nor a safe car! . The issues were: 1.brake light being replaced multiple times and then caused a fire. 2.steering 3.stability control ultimately, i have contacted nhtsa several times to assist and the response was to contact the dealer. I'm at the point i need to now take this to a new level to resolve this situation. *tr

I parked my 2003 mini cooper s at work, and shut the car off. When i got out of the car, i noticed the power steering pump was still running. I was going into the office get a wrench to disconnect the battery, and within 5 min, an email was sent out "2003 mini cooper heavily smoking in parking lot." as soon as i got out there, the fire/smoke has been put out by a coolant line that split open by the fire and put the flames out. When i looked under the car, i could see the power steering pump completely burnt. I filed a claim with my insurance company, and so far this is over $4,000 worth of damage. I am filing this complaint as i have done much research on the internet and have found this is not a rare incidence. In fact, it is very common, and bmw refuses to recall this faulty designed part. I am just so fortunate that this did not happen in my garage. This needs to be addressed and investigate by someone other than bmw, as they have stated publicly there is no problem. I will provide any evidence needed to help this investigation. There is a mini cooper community that shares their problems and frustrations here: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/stock-problems-issues/73527-spontaneous-engine-bay-fires.html the list is only growing, as this is a very common issue. I hope it doesn't take a death for bmw to recognize there is an issue. *tr

Car loses power suddenly and lurches in first gear when moving off from a standing start. *la

Transmission/timing chain issue/engine malfunctions

The contact owned a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that after the vehicle was unoccupied and parked in the residential garage, she was putting her children down for a nap and 2 minutes later, the contact and her husband smelled smoke within the residence, shortly afterward it was discovered that the garage was engulfed in flames. The contact called 911 and evacuated her family of 2 dogs, and 2 minor children. The contact sustained injuries to both arms, both legs and her rear end up to her back. The husband sustained bruises right leg and back. The contact's toddler son sustained a bruise from running into the wall in the residence. No medical attention was sought. The contact mentioned that 1 of the dogs sustained abnormal breathing injuries. The police and fire departments arrived on the scene, and the firefighters extinguished the fire. The fire consumed the vehicle in the garage and resulted in damage to the residence. Police and fire department reports were filed. The contact does not have the fire report, yet, and was currently being worked by the chief of the fire department. The vehicle currently remained on the scene. The insurance company deemed the vehicle and her home totaled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

I was driving the car for a 300 miles trip, never had an issue before. After stopping in san antonio the fans kept running for at least 15min. Stopped at a conveinience store and topped off coolant which wasnt missing any and checked the oil level and added one quart of oil. Taking on the trip to austin tx, the car was running fine at 70mph when my low oil light came on. Ten seconds later pulled to the side and smoke started coming from the engine. Less than a minute later on the side of the road and fire started blazing throughout the car burning all our belongings.

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. *tr

The contact owned a 2010 Mini Cooper S Hartop. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH with the two sunroofs open, the vehicle caught fire. There were flames underneath the rear of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact opened the hood and threw baking soda on the flames but sustained burns to her hands and face, and medical attention was provided. The neighbors had used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The airbags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There was no crash. The vehicle was previously taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the footwell control module. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. The insurance deemed the vehicle a total loss.

Driving on highway about 60 mph. Extremely loud screeching burst of sound occurred. Sound was similar to smoke detector test sound, lasting about a second, but horribly loud, especially in a small enclosed area with the windows up. Nearly had an accident. Our ears hurt badly (i still feel some soreness a day later, as i now write. Similar occurrences for mini cooper noted in web forums, referencing a possible stereo amplifier problem. Our radio was not on. Fortunately the dealer was open (on sunday) and we have an appointment scheduled today. From what i've researched on the internet, we are not the only ones victimized by this issue. We are actually fearful and uncomfortable driving the car, worrying that at any time this could occur again. This is an unnecessary hardship and distraction that keeps us from paying full attention to safely driving the car. Until the dealer can specifically explain what the problem is and perform whatever work is need to guarantee it won't happen again, i do not feel safe driving this one-year-old car, being concerned that i'll have an accident if it happens again. This is without question a serious safety issue. If i still feel soreness in my left ear later today, i plan to contact my doctor. *tr

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

Power steering went out without warning, causing loss of control while vehicle was in motion; mini usa advised it was still driveable, but to be cautious due to lack of control/power steering; when parked, smoke began to plume from under hood where a fire was noticed in back of engine. Called mini usa back and they advised us to not drive vehicle, as it was a safety hazard. Contacted mini to set up recalled part (hydraulic power steering), but they were not willing to have car towed to dealer (120 miles from my residence).

On Thursday I was driving my 2010 Mini Cooper S with 75,000 miles on it and there was a total and sudden power outage on the high way. I was able to get to the breakdown lane and had it towed. My mini certified garage ran the computer on it and the car started right up. It was due for an inspection so we did an oil and filter and put on some new tires. No issues were found and car was running well. We picked it up on Friday and Saturday morning after a short drive I was parking and smoke started pouring out from behind the steering wheel. I ran inside a coffee shop for help and they asked if there were flames. I went back out and opened the car door and there was loud noise and the hood was in flames. The entire dash was melted, the hood had a hole burned in it and with the fire rescue interventions the car was a total loss. No one was injured.

The contact owned a 2010 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled a burning odor within the interior of the vehicle. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the road, and after visual inspection, he observed flames emanating from the footwell control module. The contact stated that bystanders assisted him in extinguishing the flames. No police or fire reports were filed. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic; instead, it was towed to the contact's residence, where it remains. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V337000 (Electrical System), and the VIN was included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.

MINI was totally destroyed by fire after driving for 15 minutes. It was parked in a parking lot and was in flames 5 minutes after my wife entered the store. This is comparable with problem requiring recall (with no remedy). No warnings

My 10 year old daughter received a serious burn on her leg from the exhaust of my mini cooper s. The double exhaust is located in the center back of the car and extends past the edge of the vehicle. It is very difficult to get items out of the trunk area without touching the exhaust. The exhaust in located in the exact location where one stands to retrieve cargo. I have burned my leg twice unloading groceries. It takes a constant effort to remember to avoid the exhaust. This is a serious design flaw that needs to be addressed. *jb add picture *121108 cw updated 12/11/08

I had just parked in our garage and got out to get items out of the trunk of the car. My leg touched the tail pipe of the car and there was in instant burn to the calf of my leg. It only took one second. It was the size of a quarter and skin was burned off instantly. It is quite painful. I took a picture of the injury and i also took a picture of the tail pipe to show that it sticks out beyond the bumper. I feel that this is a poor design in regards to safety. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 2010 mini cooper. While the vehicle was parked and turned off, there was an explosion under the hood. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed a brown spot on the hood and flames underneath the hood. The fire also spread throughout the vehicle. A police and fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and declared destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

The tailpipe of the subject vehicle extends beyond the rear bumper. My lower leg inadvertently made contact with the exhaust and, as a result, i suffered a serious "c"-shaped burn. The injury has required medical treatment. *tr it appears that the manufacturer recalled a prior year's model for the identical and/or significantly similar issue. It is my understanding that the subject vehicle is a sister and/or clone of the vehicle that was recalled.

Vehicle caught fire while parked and unattended for over 7 hours. It was reported to the metropolitan police department under report number 10-140-031. The fire department advised it was mechanical defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 mini cooper s. While driving 60 mph, smoke appeared from the vehicle and the service engine, coolant, and oil warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle stalled and was able to be restarted after several attempts. The contact stated that coolant was added on two occasions, but the coolant indicator illuminated one week later. The vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the thermostat, water pump, and engine were melted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v008000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 57,000.

The vehicle was driven approximately 1 mile, then stopped at a gas station to add air to a low tire. While the car was idling, white smoke came from the engine, followed by dark smoke. When the hood was opened, we saw a small flame coming from inside the front of the engine. We ran to get a fire extinguisher from the gas station attendant; by the time we returned, flames were visibly shooting up out of the engine. We were able to extinguish the fire with a hand-held fire extinguisher. There were no injuries and the fire department was not called. The vehicle was towed to the nearest mini dealer. The service attendant declared that he had no experience with any engine fires in his tenure with mini. After an investigation (pictures taken by service and emailed to mini corporate), the auxiliary water pump was found to be the source. It was replaced, along with a number of connectors and hoses, and the engine was cleaned of fire extinguisher powder. When i asked several times about this problem, the only answer i received was that this staffer had never heard of a car fire like this in his time (3 years) at mini.

Shortly after the temperature light came on, smoke started coming out of the exhaust. I pulled over almost immediately on the side of the busy highway i was on. However, in just that short time, smoke was already coming out of the front of the car and out of the car vents. At least one bystander said he saw a fire before i shut off the engine. He called the fire department and paramedics for fear that i might be injured. Please note that this was not a mini cooper s. I am requesting that you expand your current investigation of mini engine fires to include the standard model (mini cooper). *tr

I bought car new in nov 2007. Car was used as transportation every day to and from work (~100 mi total). Car was well cared for, service was performed as required, etc. In sept 2008 after sitting undriven for 10 days while i was away on vacation, i drove 50 mi to work and there were no signs of trouble except that an indicator for a blown headlamp came on when i initially started up. When i arrived at work and pulled into a parking space i noticed wisps of smoke coming from the grill and intake and suspected overheating. I peered into the intake and saw glowing orange, and smelled the smoke and realized this was a fire not an overheating. I had a colleague call 911 and grabbed a fire extinguisher. When i got back to the car smoke was pouring out of the hood. Not wanting to open the hood i aimed the fire extinguisher into the grill, intake, and gaps but it didn't do much. At that point i grabbed valuables from car and walked away. Flames began coming out of the hood over the windshield. Car was completely engulfed within 10 minutes. There were no injuries or property damage except for the car itself. Insurance declared it a total loss. Mini was notified. I have photos of in-progress and aftermath. Having seen the recent publicity about the investigation into the engine fires i thought i should log my very relevant experience. *tr

I was driving around and i began loosing power to my car, so i stopped and then i couldn't get it started again. I was in the process of calling a tow company when i popped the hood and when i lifted it up i could smell gasoline and noticed a cloud of fumes so i backed up and it caught fire so i called 911 and now my cars virtually gone. I come across some mini cooper owners club forum and its apparently happened to other people and also on youtube. Or it seems like it was the same thing since they caught fire in the engine first too. I called mini and they are going to have me tow it there so they can diagnose it to determine what happened. *tr

My wife was driving her mini cooper hardtop with glass sun roof on the highway and suddenly the glass sun roof shattered and fell over her. There was no car nearby or any external object to cause the damage. The glass sun roof just shattered with a loud band. My wife was injured due to the glass falling over her and some of the pieces went into her and bruised her forearm. The glass sunroof was not tempered and the pieces were significantly large with sharp edges. It fell over her body and hit her head first. She suffered head injury also. I took picture and looks like the frame that holds the sun roof is slightly bent upwards. I believe it is a manufacturing defect with the glass sun roof. *tr

Plethora of electrical problems. Heated seats are a major concern. They go on and off by themselves, seem haunted. Sometimes, they get so hot they leave burn marks in my legs. I am afraid of an electrical fire. The heated seats get so hot, they left burn marks in my seat. Aisin 6 speed automatic transmission, equipped with "lifetime" fluid, begins slipping gears at 70k the supercharger had to be replaced due to the "design" of the supercharger it could not be repaired, i was forced by bmwusa to purchase a remanufactured supercharger. I was told it was a "common problem" i have also found out from forums such as northamericanmotoring.com this is a problem that bmw does not want to admit its at fault for however they are acknowledging the widespread happenings across the country. The availability of new superchargers is very low because of this problem, hence me purchasing a remfgd one. Rear wiper motor failed at 40k quoted hundreds to replace, not worth it!!!!! *tr

2010 minicooper. Consumer writes regarding a stress crack that developed on the windshield unrelated to any impact *tgw the consumer stated the crack was a straight line, not consistent with an impact which leaves a spider like crack. *jb

2008 mini cooper s. The vehicle had a complete electrical and engine failure with no notice. While driving on interstate 287 in nj with absolutely no notice the car lost total power. Every warning light illuminated on the dash, all gauges dropped to zero, no power whatsoever from the engine, no way to open windows or door locks as their was a complete and total electrical and mechanical failure of this vehicle - there was absolutely no notice. One moment the vehicle was operating normally and the next i had complete and total mechanical, engine and electrical failure rendering the car disabled and without power in the middle lane of interstate 287 south in morristown nj. Vehicle brought to mini dealer; vehicle there for almost 2 weeks-supposedly "fixed". The same problem happened a second time within 100 miles of that first service. Vehicle brought to mini dealer again. Happened a third time for the service technician while he drove the car home from princeton to pa. Vehicle was at mini for another 2 and one half weeks. Now they say it is fixed and i do not feel confident they are correct. This problem is without warning and leaves the vehicle permanently disabled in a total and complete way that can lead to serious injury or death for the occupants. Mini customer service was abhorrent. They would not return calls and stalled time and again when asked to repurchase this vehicle which is clearly unsafe. They will do nothing. The nhtsa must investigate. The only part they tell me is wrong is the footwell module but will be no more specific. Mini must be held accountable for this defect and failure; this is of very serious nature. Again, the car completely fails-everything-engine, electrical, all power you can not open door locks, windows or the rear hatch. The engine losses all power. Please investigate. *tr

My complaint is not about an accident but rather an unsafe condition in my relatively new mini cooper. The size and position of my interior rear view mirror significantly obscures the view of the road on right hand turns (especially on exit ramps). I think that this should be corrected. *tr

The dual power sunroof is stuck in the open position. After doing some research i have found that this happens very frequently on the 2007 model mini's and nothing is being done by the manufacturer. To fix the problem mini is charging over $2500.00 to correct this. There should be a recall on this item. *tr

I have had previous issues with the panoramic sunroof, i had to get it replaced. Then i had issues with the chain and chain tensioner and had to get that replaced too. Now the steering has failed on me, i can't start the car or even move the steering wheel. My steering is locked now; i had the car running, everything seemed to run fine and the steering worked fine. Once i shut the car off i couldn't start the car back up and my steering locked up. I had to get my car towed home. I wish bmw would do some kind of a recall on this car so we wouldn't have to pay so much money out of our own pockets! *tr

Several weeks ago i found a crack in windshield of 2007 mini cooper s on passenger side below wiper. I had the windshield replaced and car was returned to me on sept. 10th. On sept. 16 i found another crack in the new glass in approximately same spot! After looking on internet i found that stress cracking of the windshield is a common problem with this car. Anyway, the dealer claims it is an impact crack and only a coincidence that it occurred in same spot! After arguing they agreed to replace the windshield at their cost--as a courtesy. I was not aware of anything hitting the windshield and even if a small pebble hit--the windshield should not crack so easily. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper us. While attempting to make a right turn, the rear view mirror blocked his view and nearly caused a crash. The manufacturer advised him to notify the dealer. The dealer stated that they would not remove the rear view mirror due to circuits in the mirror that are used to operate the vehicle. The speed was unknown. The current mileage was 3,200 and failure mileage was 5.

Driving home from dealership after purchasing vehicle and the windshield cracked. I thought i was just unlucky and a rock hit the windshield. Now i think there was not a rock involved. Defective windshield. *tr

I was exiting from 35th street in newport news, va onto the warwick blvd off ramp in traffic, coasting with the brakes at about 5 mph, when i was rear ended by a navy operated flat nose school bus, which forced my vehicle into a late model chevy trailblazer. My air bags (front and side) did not deploy, and when i came to rest my seat back had reclined against my child's car seat (child was not in vehicle). The right rear unibody was creased due to the impact from the bus. I suffered neck, back, and spine trauma. The driver of the trailblazer complained of neck pain at the scene. Local newport news fire and rescue units arrived on scene, as well as a virginia state trooper. The trooper handled the accident. *tr

Passenger airbag warning light is illuminated and cannot be fixed. Paasenger seat weight wiring harness is defective. The replacement parts cannot be purchased (6 month backlist). This is a very dangerous defect.

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

My 2008 mini cooper was in accident in jan 2016. The (passenger) light came on and it was immediately take to autobody shop. The passenger airbag warning light was evaluated and added to repairs. The seat map sensor is the chief problem. The car is undrivable. The dealership in sterling indicated that it would take 15-30 day to received the part. The part was delayed until march 24,2016. Three days prior to delivery it was updated to jul 13, 2016. At this point my rental car from the insurance company ran out. I contacted customer care but was not able to receive a date nor assistance about my part and lost of vehicle. After conversation with liberty mutual, auto shop and dealership, we were told that the vehicle was safe to drive without a passenger in the seat. No resolution has been made, many individuals ( consumer, insurance company and auto shop) involved in the situation stated it was not safe nor could loss be guaranteed. As of the 4/18/2016, the part has been put on indefinite back order. Currently there is no known time frame return of vehicle. I am without transportation and i will need to purchase another car. Additionally i have heard from other repair facilities, mini's passenger seat occupancy sensor affects far more model years than those for which bmw has already announced recalls. I am also aware that more than 60 mini owners are waiting on this part as well.

The driver side headed seat only heats up in one spot and burned my leg. I have had to discontinue use of the heated seat as i am afraid of it catching on fire or burning through the seat into my leg. *tr

Airbag passenger mat seat sensor . This has been a ongoing problem from the 2003 to present. Seat sensor turns airbag light on and can disable air bag on passenger side and according to mini dealership, not on factory recall but they say get hundreds a year and charge to replace sensor at 1000.00. Safety issue! Someone really needs to have them fix a known issue at all dealerships and put peoples lives in danger. *tr

Driving to work in the am. I smell something in the car. When i look at my passenger side seat i saw smoke. Pull over and got a better look at it. I have a holes in my car seat and the two vest that i place on the seat. It appears the heated seat had a electrical failure. Took car to mini dealer. They said it real odd this happen. They also nice to say i would have to paid to fix it. Look at many site on internet and seen bmw/mini and other company have issues with heated seats. It do not seem to odd to me. I did not even had the heated seat on because no one was seating there. *tr

The passenger side heated seat malfunctioned and burned a hole into the leatherette upholstery and my wifes sweater. She was sitting on the passenger side when it occurred. This could have caused a major fire a definite safety hazard. *tr

When i left my home i turned on the heated seats. As i traveled approximately a half mile i felt like bottom seat was exceptionally hot and turned the bottom off . Shortly thereafter i smelled smoke and found that a hole had burned through the seat behind my back. There was smoke, a hole about the size of a silver dollar and my coat had been burned . My coat did not catch fire but has a permanent black burn mark. *tr

Passenger seat occupancy sensor failure. This is a very common fault in the R56 series Mini Cooper. The manufacture has not initiated a recall. There are vendors selling "bypass" kits which will cause unsafe air bag deployment in an infant is in the seat.