2007 MINI Cooper S

In a January 10, 2012 letter to NHTSA, BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in the electric auxiliary water pump in approximately 88,911 model year (MY) 2007-2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2006 through January 18, 2011 (Recall 12V-008).According to BMW, the auxiliary water pump on vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder turbocharged engines may overheat.Electro-migration can cause the pump electronic circuit board to overheat resulting in smoldering of the water pump. If smoldering occurs, it may lead to an engine compartment or vehicle fire.The pump supplier, Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH, redesigned the pump to address factors that may contribute to circuit board overheating.The redesigned pumps were completely implemented in production vehicles by January 2011.Recall 12V-008 was the third recall initiated by BMW to address electric auxiliary water pump fires in vehicles equipped with Pierburg pumps.In two October 20, 2011 letters to NHTSA, BMW submitted DIRs for similar auxiliary water pump defect conditions in approximately 32,084 MY 2008-2011 BMW 5-Series, 7-Series, X5 and X6 models equipped with 8- and 12-cylinder engines and manufactured from May 2008 through December 2010 (Recall 11V-521); and for approximately 589 MY 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from September 2009 through September 2010 (Recall 11V-522).In three separate April 5, 2012 letters to NHTSA, BMW submitted amendments to Recalls 11V-521, 11V-522 and 12V-008.The amendments all described a common defect condition related to a manufacturing process deviation in a certain production range of the redesigned Pierburg water pumps that could result in cracks in the pump housing, which may allow coolant to enter and contact the pump?s circuit board.BMW indicated that further analysis identified a specific machine process error at the sub-supplier that manufactures the water pump housing.Pump housing cracks may cause the circuit board to overheat and lead to smoldering of the water pump.Recall 12V-008 was, thus, amended to include approximately 1,457 MY 2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2011 through April 22, 2011, when pumps manufactured with the suspect manufacturing process may have been used in vehicle assembly.The amendment to Recall 11V-521 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V-161, and covered approximately 2,846 MY 2011-2012 BMW 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, X5, and X6 vehicles manufactured from April 1, 2011 through August 1, 2011.The amendment to Recall 11V-522 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V-166, and covered approximately 69 MY 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from April 7, 2011 through June 2, 2011.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by BMW as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 30 unique Mini Cooper reports indicating engine fire.In addition, BMW provided warranty data showing 493 claims for replacement of the subject component on Mini Cooper vehicles.Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a BMW dealer, who will replace the auxiliary water pump to prevent any incidents related to this issue.This preliminary evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.):10286597, 10286663, 10289793, 10310677, 10314796, 10342365, 10394808, 10394192, 10403982, 10418325, 10422646, 10429003.

BMW WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (08V-657) ON 28,450 MINI COOPER S VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 18, 2006 THROUGH JULY 8, 2008.DEALERS WILL INSTALL MODIFIED EXHAUST PIPE TIPS THAT DO NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE REAR BUMPER.THE TWO EXHAUST PIPE TIPS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES EXIT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AT THE CENTER OF THE VEHICLE AND EXTEND BEYOND THE REAR BUMPER.THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED BEING BURNED ON THEIR LEGS WHEN THEY INADVERTENTLY TOUCHED THE EXPOSED HOT EXHAUST PIPE TIPS WHILE REMOVING ITEMS OF CARGO FROM THE REAR OF THEIR VEHICLE VIA THE HATCH BACK DOOR.SOME COMPLAINANTS REPORTED BEING BURNED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION OR THAT OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WERE ALSO BURNED.THE 50 INJURIES REPORTED IN THIS INVESTIGATION INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT SECOND DEGREE BURNS CAUSING BLISTERED AND SCARED SKIN AND ONE INCIDENT RESULTED IN A THIRD DEGREE BURN.THIS INVESTIGATION ALSO RESULTED IN AN INITIAL DECISION OF A DEFECT.FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THE INITIAL DECISION AND DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION SEE DOCUMENTS, INRM-EA08020-31646.PDF (INITIAL DECISION LETTER) AND INIR-EA08020-31648.PDF (INITIAL DECISION REPORT), IN THE INVESTIGATION FILE.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON THREE CONSUMER REPORTS.THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED BEING BURNED ON THEIR LEGS BY THE HOT EXHAUST PIPE TIP WHILE THEY WERE REMOVING CARGO ITEMS FROM THE REAR HATCH AREA OF THEIR VEHICLES.THE MINI COOPER S MODEL HAS DUAL EXHAUST PIPE TIPS THAT ARE LOCATED AT THE CENTER LINE OF THE VEHICLEUNDER THE REAR BUMPER.THE EXHAUST PIPE TIPS EXTEND BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE BUMPER.ODI IS UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TO ENGINEERING ANALYSIS EA08-020 BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY BMW IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S PE08-031 INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER.

The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that water was entering the vehicle through the sunroof. The contact stated that the water was collecting inside the headliner and would overflow and leak down the driver’s and passenger’s side sun visors and into the electronics of the footwell. Additionally, the front driver’s and passenger’s seats, floorboards, and dashboard would become soaked from moisture. Due to the failure, the vehicle would fail to start or operate as needed. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. An independent mechanic was notified about the failure and the contact was advised to park the vehicle outside as the failure could cause the vehicle to catch on fire. The manufacturer was then notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11658879

Incident

May 2, 2025

Mileage

140,000 mi

The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the sunroof was inoperative. The contact waited for several minutes for the sunroof to return to normal operation. The "Passenger Air Bag Disabled" message was displayed on the instrument panel; however, the passenger’s seat was occupied. The infotainment system was unintentionally turned on while the vehicle was turned off. The check engine and low tire pressure warning light were intermittently illuminated. The failures occurred on several different occasions. The contact stated that there was no local dealer; a 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 not made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11633249

Incident

Dec 30, 2022

The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the parking brake engaged, and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact manually pulled the parking brake lever several times until the parking brake released. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

NHTSA ID

11524779

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

Mileage

48,000 mi

VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY, WAS NOT STARTED AND WAS UNATTENDED, HAD NOT BEEN STARTED IN OVER A WEEK AND KEYS WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY BURST INTO FLAMES WHICH BURNED THE ENGINE BAY AND FRONT END OF THE CAR BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH FOAM. THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING UNSTARTED FOR OVER A WEEK. I AM UNSURE OF WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE AND BECAUSE OF THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE BAY I COULD NOT DETERMINE WERE THE FIRE ORIGINATED. PERHAPS A PROFESSIONAL FIRE EXAMINER COULD DETERMINE THAT. I AM BLESSED THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE PARKED IN MY GARAGE BUT WAS SCARY. I JUST WANT THIS INCIDENT ON RECORD SO THAT OTHERS WHICH OWN THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF VEHICLE CAN BE WARNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DANGERS. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE NEW AND HAD A COUPLE OF UPDATES DONE PER BMW SUCH AS THE TAILPIPES AND TIMING CHAIN IN THE ENGINE. I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY ADDITIONAL RECALLS OR UPDATES BUT APPARENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INCIDENCES OF FIRES SUCH AS MINE WHICH I LEARNED ABOUT AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET TO SEE IF SIMILAR ISSUES HAD BEEN DOCUMENTED. I WILL ATTACH A FEW PICTURES FOR YOU TO HELP WITH YOUR ASSESSMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. I HOPE THIS INFORMATION WILL BE SOME HELP TO OTHERS IN PREVENTING A SIMILAR SITUATION. I THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED OR PROPERTY DAMAGED OTHER THAN MY CAR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MADE A REPORT BUT IT DID NOT INCLUDE INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE JUST A RESPONSE TO A FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

11323318

Incident

May 2, 2020

Mileage

92,000 mi

PASSENGER SEAT MAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR/PAD HAS GONE BAD AGAIN AFTER THE RECALL.*DT SAFETY RECALL REPORT XXX-XXX 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB

NHTSA ID

11246321

Incident

Aug 5, 2019

Mileage

52,000 mi

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MINI S 2007 FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WITH NO SERIOUS ISSUES OTHER THAN ONE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE, WHICH WAS RESOLVED SIMPLY BY A MECHANIC CHECK AT BMW SERVICE CENTER. ON SUNDAY EVENING MAY 26, 2019, AS I WAS PLANNING TO GO OUT, I OBSERVED THE STEERING ALERT SIGN ON. I TRIED RESTARTING AND SHUTTING OFF ENGINE MULTIPLE TIMES THINKING IT MAY BE AN ELECTRONIC ABERRATION WHICH MAY BE KICKED AWAY BY BRUTE FORCE OF RESTARTING THE IGNITION. AFTER 30-45 MINUTES OF THIS FRUITLESS EXERCISE, I TURNED MY ATTENTION ONLINE WHERE I FOUND NUMEROUS AUTO BLOGS OF STARTING THE CAR WITH JUMPERS BATTERY TO REPLACING POWER STEERING FLUID. SINCE MINI SERVICE WAS CLOSED, I HAD TO SEEK HELP FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY SENT A PERSON AFTER TWO HOURS TO USE JUMPERS, BUT THAT DID NOT HELP EITHER. WE WERE ABLE TO CHECK THE POWER STEERING FLUID , AND THAT WAS ALSO FULL TO THE MARK. ON FURTHER RESEARCH ONLINE, I DISCOVERED TO MY UTTER DISAPPOINTMENT THAT MINI COOPERS HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH POWER STEERING ISSUES DUE TO INHERENT FLAW OF PLACEMENT AND DESIGN OF POWER STEERING PUMP. IT IS VERY WELL DOCUMENTED ACROSS REPUTED CAR JOURNALS/MAGAZINES THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILURE WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN IN MINI COOPERS, AND THE ONLY VARIABLE IS THE TIME. I WAS THOROUGHLY CRESTFALLEN GIVEN I HAD PLACED SO MUCH TRUST IN THE BRAND AND THE QUALITY OF MINI COOPER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMPLAINT IS TWO PRONGED- ONE IS OBVIOUSLY TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROBLEM ONCE AGAIN AND MAKING SURE MINI ENGINEERS SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESSES. SECOND- IS TO REQUEST TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING ISSUE FIXED IN MY CAR BY MINI. GIVEN THAT THE ISSUE HAS BASIS IN THE INHERENT FLAW OF THE DESIGN, I BELIEVE MINI COOPER WILL WAIVE OFF THE COST OF SERVICES AND PARTS TO GET THIS ISSUE FIXED. THIS IS NOT USUAL WEAR AND TEAR WHOSE COSTS SHOULD BE BORNE BY THE CUSTOMER.

NHTSA ID

11210203

Incident

May 25, 2019

Mileage

129,000 mi

THE TURBOCHARGER HAD TO BE REPLACED, NEW TURBO GOT HOT AND MELTED THE VALVE COVER. THEN THE TURBOCHARGER CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IN MOTION IN A RURAL NEIGHBORHOOD. ALL WITHIN 6 MONTHS.

NHTSA ID

11182392

Incident

Jan 18, 2019

Mileage

153,368 mi

TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BROKE AND MESSED UP THE ENGINE

NHTSA ID

11153691

Incident

Jul 22, 2018

Mileage

100,000 mi

MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. Breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can have various causes, most of which are not due to the battery itself. For this reason, a battery replacement will permanently eliminate the problem only in the rarest of cases. The energy diagnosis test module helps to localize these causes. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle “discharged battery” complaints. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root cause of a discharged battery cannot be identified. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time, it is very important that the diagnostic test plan is performed to completion; with all results taken into consideration.

New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models. The new wheel electronics are identified as Huf Generation 5. These new wheel electronics will need to be programmed using the new tool when replaced or when depressurized (0 psi) for more than 2 minutes.

OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT - LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES: Component-Specific Limited Warranty Extension For the above-referenced vehicles, MINI USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC (MINI USA) is extending the limited warranty for the front passenger's OC3 seat occupancy mat (shown) to: 10 years/120,000 miles as determined by the vehicle's original in-service date.

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT: N14 HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HDP) SERVICE BENEFIT CLASS VEHICLES: The MINI vehicle may experience a sudden engine operational failure reduced or loss of power while driving and the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) may be illuminated along with high-pressure fuel pumprelated faults stored in the Engine Control Module (DME). PROCEDURE Perform the corresponding diagnosis/vehicle test and run the test plans to completion as applicable.

Service Action: Checking or Replacing the Door Sill Trim Strips. The door sill trim strips are deformed and/or peeling up at the corners. CAUSE: Insufficient surface preparation of the door sill.

"Cooper S with N14: Diagnosis for Misfire Faults. The Service Engine Soon (MIL) lamp is illuminated and/or the customer complains that the engine runs rough (engine cold or warm) with any of the following misfire faults stored in the DME: * 2771, 2772, 2773, 2775, 2776, 2777, 2779, 277A, 277B, 277D, 277E, 277F - "Combustion misfire, cylinder 1..4", sometimes together with: * 2781, 2782, 2783 - "Combustion misfire, multiple cylinders." On rare occasions, the Service Engine Soon lamp may not be illuminated (with misfire faults still stored in the DME) when the vehicle is brought to the workshop. Multiple causes related to electrical and mechanical engine components, or poor fuel quality in combination with unfavorable driving behavior (low loads and short driving distances). This condition may lead to possible clogging of the injector tips, causing a disturbance of the fuel spraying pattern or excessive carbon deposits on the intake valves/ports, resulting in reduced air flow into the combustion chambers."