What 71 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman

The FRM module went bad. Lost signal lights, windows, headlights.

NHTSA ODI 11718034

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 ODI 11664610

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 ODI 11647407

Passenger occupancy sensor malfunctions all the time and there are hundreds of claims regarding this issue but was never addressed by the manufacturer The same issue prompted a recall in older models but has not been corrected in newer ones

NHTSA ODI 11621760

Blinkers stopped working and windows are no long rolling down

NHTSA ODI 11609881

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. 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 contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11595123

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 ODI 11592805

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 ODI 11584594

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11576036

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11575352

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper Hardtop. 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 contacted. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11571475

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 ODI 11568178

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. 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 while driving 20-30 MPH on a slight incline and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was sluggish and delayed while responding. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving on a slight incline. The contact stated that a service warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11564406

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the footwell control module had failed. 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 contacted and diagnosed that the footwell control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11563554

The footwell module that controls the lights, brake lights windows and dashboard is faulty on all mini cooper of this module. Every time I change my battery or disconnect it the module brakes and the dealership knows this problem and still want to charge 1300 dollars to fix it it is a safety and hazard issue.

NHTSA ODI 11562296

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 ODI 11548813

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper Convertible. The contact stated that the turn signal became inoperable, and the windows failed to roll up or down. The contact stated there was an unknown red warning light illuminated. The message to "Take Vehicle to BMW Dealer Immediately" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who stated that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the foot well control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 56,750.

NHTSA ODI 11542058

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11539835

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11538845

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. 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 contacted. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11538611

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11532263

The fuel pump relay circuit board has a failed point in the soldering, causing the car to intermittently stall and die on the road. My safety was at risk because my car died randomly with no warning on a busy road. Can not even limp car to side of road. The part is being replaced by dealer where car was purchased, but a quick internet search provides thousands of similar results. There were no warning lights or any kind of code stored in the computer. I only had the car for one day before the car died so I am not aware of any prior warning signs.

NHTSA ODI 11527183

Repeated experiences of sudden engine operational failure and reduced and/or complete loss of power while driving. The engine malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Car stalls and stops in traffic on the highway and on streets blocking traffic. Will not start again until powered off for periods between 5-15 minutes if at all. -First experienced the issue February 2020 and have intermittently experienced the same issue ever since. -Occurs when driving at a variety of speeds and a variety of fuel levels. -If diagnostics were able to reveal an issue both fuel pumps were noted as the cause on different occasions. The High Pressure Fuel Pump has been the most diagnosed and repaired issue. -Car has been diagnosed by the dealer and 3 independent service repair shops. Dealer stated no recall or existing issue that would cover this problem and have not received any notifications from the manufacture.

NHTSA ODI 11449140

MY CAR BEGAN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" LIGHT STAYING LITE WHETHER OR NOT A PASSENGER IS IN THE CAR. I PAID $110.00 TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE MY CAR AND THEY SAID THE PROBLEM IS THE SEAT MAT SENSOR, AND THEY WANT $1,500.00 TO REPLACE IT. I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM AND I FOUND THAT THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN TO COOPER OWNERS. WE HAVE NO KIDS AND NOBODY BUT MY WIFE AND/OR MYSELF USE THIS VEHICLE, SO THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT IN THE PAST THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM TO OLDER MINI COOPERS, SO I GUESS THE PROBLEM PERSISTS WITH NEWER VEHICLES. ADDITIONALLY I FOUND THAT THIS IS SUCH A COMMON FAILURE ON ALL MINI COPPERS THAT E-BAY AND OTHERS SELL WHAT THEY CALL A "SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT SENSOR BYPASS EMULATOR" AND WHAT THIS DOES IS SIMPLY SUBSTITUTE THE VEHICLE SENSORS SO THAT THE AIR BAG IS ALWAYS ARMED IN CASE THERE IS A ACCIDENT. OF COURSE THIS PREVENTS FROM PLACING CHILDREN OR CAR SEATS IN THE FROM SEAT. THIS EMULATOR ALSO ELIMINATES THE DREADED AIR BAG LIGHT AND/OR CODE FOR THE SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR. AFTER LOOKING AT THE AVAILABILITY OF ALL THESE AFTERMARKET EMULATORS AND PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE SENSORS, OTHERWISE THERE WOULD NOT BE AN AFTERMARKET PART TO PARTIALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I AM NOT WILLING TO RISK USING THIS AFTERMARKET PART.

NHTSA ODI 11102813

THE CUP HOLDER LEAKS IF THERE IS ANY FLUID SPILLED IN IT AND SHORTS OUT AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT CONTROLS THE GEAR SHIFT KNOB. EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF LIQUID CAN CAUSE THIS.

NHTSA ODI 10862049