33 of the
165 complaints filed about the Mini Cooper Countryman
are about the electrical system —
20% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2012.
My 2012 MINI Countryman (R60) experienced a complete electrical shutdown and engine failure while operating due to a severe manufacturing defect. Authorized dealership Jackie Cooper MINI of Edmond diagnosed the vehicle under RO# [XXX] and confirmed in writing that the "JBE electronic connectors are heavily corroded" and "The FRM has water/corrosion damage," providing a repair estimate of $4,700 (including a specific $1,055.84 charge to replace the FRM and clean the sunroof drains). Water entering the footwell area through defective, shrinking sunroof drainage structures is the exact identical failure mechanism, component (FRM3 Module), and extreme safety/fire hazard covered under mandatory safety recall NHTSA Campaign 23V-337. However, MINI has improperly excluded the R60 Countryman model from active coverage despite it utilizing the identical electrical infrastructure and drainage engineering layout. Releasing this vehicle into traffic presents a catastrophic risk of a highway vehicle fire or sudden total loss of vehicle control and lighting at high speeds. NHTSA must expand Recall 23V-337 to include the 2012 MINI Countryman to protect consumers from these documented structural water-ingress fires. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11745835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the driveway while both the contact and his wife were in another vehicle parked in the garage. The contact noticed white smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that upon opening the hood of the vehicle, the contact noticed an electrical burning smell and fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The contact then noticed that a blue plug had melted and was smoking. A police report was not filed. There was no injury sustained. Upon investigating the failure online, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V008000(Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that he would receive a call back. The failure mileage was 111,019.
NHTSA complaint #11686826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that there was a damp odor inside the vehicle after it rained. The contact stated that the vehicle started having electrical failures. The contact stated that the electrical system had stopped working on the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the windows were not rolling up or down and the doors were not locking as needed. Additionally, the turn signals and the driver's side headlight and taillights were inoperable. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that there was a recall associated with the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11664610 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that water was entering the cabin of the vehicle from the sunroof. The contact stated that water was dripping on and into other electrical systems, causing malfunctions of the brake light and lights on the instrument panel. The water caused sizzling sounds and burning odors from other electrical controls. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
NHTSA complaint #11647407 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2011 Mini Cooper had to go to my mechanic because I have no turn signals, no dash or interior lights and my front windows will not go up or down. My mechanic determined the problem to be the Footwell Control Module. My mechanic did not/can not repair because it has to be programmed at a Dealership. My dad also has a 2011 Mini Cooper and he has been notified that there is a recall for his VIN # for the Footwell Control Module. I don't understand why there is not a recall for my VIN #. I am at a standstill with a car that I am afraid to drive because I am unable to signal to other drivers that I am about to turn. And I am afraid of being in an accident because of the turn signals and then being trapped in the car because it wont unlock and the windows wont go down. And if I drive it at night I cannot see any of my dash gauges and indicators of problems. I called the nearest Dealership and was told that there will PROBABLY be a recall for my VIN# at some point and that I would be reimbursed for the work if I go ahead and have them do it. I called Mini Cooper and inquired about the possibility of a recall and was told that there may never be a recall. I don't know what to do because the Dealership told me that they will investigate the damage and do the repairs which could include new carpet and body work and and and...... I am sure that I can not afford all of that work to be done at a BMW/Mini Cooper dealership. So I am left with the decision to chance driving it or chance spending a large amount of $ that may never be reimbursed.
NHTSA complaint #11635814 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Copper Countryman. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence, the vehicle became flooded. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000.
NHTSA complaint #11616505 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled. The fuel tank was a third of the way full. The trunk was locking and unlocking continuously while driving or while the vehicle was parked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical system). The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was a short in the footwell module due to water intrusion. The drain was also clogged in the sunroof. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 161,818.
NHTSA complaint #11609036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The problem started with fog lights blinking on and off while the car was off. As I entered the vehicle I noticed a pool of water on the floor bed. The car has a sunroof which was closed at the time, as well as all of the windows - water came in from somewhere else. I proceeded to turn on the car to see what was happening and the car did not turn on. I thought maybe the battery is dead - tried to give it a boost and it did not work. I replaced the battery - it turned on the car but most lighting areas and power windows do not work. The two front windows are not working properly, they do not go up or down, only the back windows. I do not have control of the headlights - it just stays on one setting. The directional lights do not work. The console lights do not work. This puts myself and others at risk because I can’t aware other drivers when I making a turn or changing lanes. I can’t see the console panel at night, unaware of gas, speed, or radio functions. The car has been driven locally only during the day to avoid accidents and when I arrive at my destination - I notice smoke coming out of the hood. There is an active recall (23V-337) on the R55 & R56 models but not R60 models - which is my car. The exact description of defect (see below) is what is happening to my car and I’d like to have this model added to the recall. It is very dangerous to keep driving this car which I need for daily use. “This safety recall involves the Footwell Control Module (FRM), an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) which controls various lighting and power window functions, and is installed near the bottom of the driver's side A-pillar behind an interior trim panel. Due to several contributing factors (environmental, certain US States' wintertime road treatment, vehicle design configuration and age), over time, the FRM could become susceptible to corrosion. For vehicles equipped with a sunroof, after a multi-year period involving large temperature changes, multiple freeze/thaw cycles..”
NHTSA complaint #11592805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Battery module malfunction. No use of blinkers, windows, radio, or hazard lights. Alert comes up that says "Lighting System! Stop Vehicle!" And the vehicle periodically needs to be jumped.
NHTSA complaint #11584594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On the evening of [XXX] at approximately [XXX] my 2012 Mini Cooper S all 4 burst into flames. The car was parked in front of my building for 6 days (we don't use the car very much) in front of my building when the all of a sudden the head lights started flashing followed by the car cabin filling with grey smoke then followed by black smoke then there was a flash (spark?) and the entire cabin the became engulfed in flames. All of this has been captured by our building security camera. I reported the incident the following day to Mini/BMW customer care. I've been sharing emails with Thomas Lula who is investigating the "thermal event" INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11577096 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is a recall existing for my car, by VIN mine is not included, however I have the exact same problem. Water in the driver side foot well electrical panel which has caused a fault in the lighting, hazard lights, and battery issue. The car cannot be driven because the hazard lights and daytime running lights will not turn off even with the key out. Running out the battery in the process. The mechanic found water and corrosion inside the electrical housing.
NHTSA complaint #11576223 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts but had not started since. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11574533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car was taken to shop for not wanting to start. And they said the junction box where the computer that runs the car had water damage due leak from windshield that was notified by mini visa tsb. I was told my car was not part of recall but showing the same signs. Please help.
NHTSA complaint #11568178 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman S and I was driving and I almost got rear ended because my turn signals were not working. There were no signals on the car indicating that the module failed. I took it to get inspected and It turns out that the footwell module failed and this is a known issue for Mini coopers, that has forced Mini to extend the warranty. [XXX] Apparently the footwell module is known to fail under very normal repair conditions when the battery is disconnected or jumped. Unfortunately, my car meets the warranty mileage limit but not the 10 year service data limit as the car's in service date was in January 2013. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11548813 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The footwell control module has failed in my Mini which was discovered when it went in for service due to a multitude of dash lights coming on at start up and issues with getting the car to start. I was getting dash lights for to warn that the headlight control motors were off and then the headlights began to flicker around and then shut themselves off, the ABS brake system was off, traction control was off, the AC temperature was not holding a temperature and instead would swing constantly, and I would get a clicking noise in the passenger dash area when it failed to start. When it went in for service, they found that footwell control module was corroded due to water infiltration at some point. Previous to this, I had had an issue with water getting into the floorboards after heavy rains, contacting my local Mini dealership, I was informed to check the drain lines on the sunroofs of my car as this can become clogged and cause water to come into the interior of the car. These drain lines are known to introduce water to the location of the footwell control module to the point that other models of this same year have already had a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11544322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When the vehicle computer detects low voltage all turn signals, lights and instrument cluster immediately fail and do not turn back on. The Foot Well Module (FWM) or Foot Rest Module (FRM) computer becomes corrupt and deletes data from the module. This becomes a major safety hazard as a nighttime failure occurred causing several near accidents due to inability to signal to other vehicles. This is a known issue with Mini and they released an extended service bulletin knowing the factory footrest modules were manufactured incorrectly. Vehicles falling outside the initial warranty period are prone to safety risks when this occurs.
NHTSA complaint #11542960 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2012 Mini Countryman has had failed signal lighting. My dealer has diagnosed the issue as a failed FRM module which I have been informed that NHTSA issued in conjunction with Mini USA a warranty extension to service this module's failure. While as an owner of this car for the past 9 years, I received not notice from Mini. I recently appealed for warranty coverage of this part. Mini USA has denied coverage of my failed FRM module stating the warranty was only good for 10 years from in-service date. My vehicle went in-service 8/12/2012, or ten years and ten months. Mini is adamantly denying good will to replace this part and my car is off the road do to no working turn signals.
NHTSA complaint #11531545 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mini coopers have faulty transmission problems, and well mine today it's transmission went out when I had my AC on, the car stalled in the middle of the highway in the middle of the road with oncoming traffic and refused to budge, like seriously this is highly dangerous on the interstate
NHTSA complaint #11526625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BROUGHT 2012 MINI COUNTRYMAN S ALL4 W/50,033 MILES TO MINI SERVICE CENTER FOR COOLANT LEAK JUNE 2017. THEY REPLACED THERMOSTAT HOUSING, THERMOSTAT ADAPTER, COOLANT HOSE, AND WATER PUMP. 8000 MILES LATER LEAK IS BACK. WHILE TECHNICIAN WAS WORKING ON VEHICLE, HE STATED, 'OIL LEAKING FROM OIL PUMP SOLENOID VALVE. OIL LEAKING THROUGH OIL PUMP SOLENOID WIRING HARNESS.' HE ALSO STATED, 'THE LEAK IS INTERNAL AND NOT VISIBLE. THE OIL IS LEAKING THROUGH THE WIRING SHEATH AND MIGRATING TOWARD THE COMPUTER. IF THE OIL REACHES THE COMPUTER, THE COMPUTER WILL SHORT, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE.' TECHNICIAN REPLACED OIL PUMP SOLENOID AND REPAIRED ENGINE WIRING HARNESS.' DURING THE DAYS PERIOD OF TIME THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT, I DID SOME QUICK RESEARCH. I COULD NOT FIND AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE/ITEM; HOWEVER, THE NHTSA PUBLISHED A SERVICE INFORMATION BULLETIN CONCERNING THIS ISSUE (SB-10044680-8464) LOCATED AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2014/SB-10044680-8464.PDF APPARENTLY, THIS ISSUE WITH THE SOLENOID IS NOT NEW AND HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH PREVIOUS MINI MODELS AS WELL. INFORMATION/COMPLAINTS PERTAINING TO PREVIOUS MINI MODELS CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NORTHAMERICANMOTORING.COM/FORUMS/R60-COUNTRYMAN-TALK-2010-2015/237021-OIL-PUMP-SOLENOID-LEAK.HTML INFORMATION/COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE WITH THE SOLENOID FOR CURRENT MINI MODELS CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS: HTTPS://WWW.MINI2.COM/FORUM/SECOND-GENERATION-FAULTS-FIXES/250393-ISSUE-HIGH-PRESSURE-PUMP-OIL-PUMP-SOLENOID-LEAKING.HTML WHEN THE SERVICE/REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE, I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE CENTER MANAGER CONCERNING THE SOLENOID. HE AGREED WITH MY FINDINGS THAT MINIS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE FOR A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS. I ASKED IF IT WAS A RECALL ITEM AND HE RESPONDED NEGATIVELY. IS THIS ON THE NHTSA RADAR FOR POTENTIAL RECALL STATUS?
NHTSA complaint #11142342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.