What 94 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Mini Cooper S Countryman

I wrote to you before. My complaint number is/was:11559619. I never received a response from you. I explained in my previous complaint that I purchased a used car from Carvana in August of 2022. I bought a 2013 Mini Cooper S. This car comes standard with run-flat tires. When I took possession of the car there were 4 brand new tires on it. I drove the car for a year or so, and got a flat tire one night. There is no spare in this car because there is no room for a spare. I was stranded on the side of a busy highway with NON-run-flat tires and no spare because Carvana replaced the standard run-flats with non-run-flat tires. I had no way of knowing this until I got a flat and found myself stranded on the side of the road, alone, at night. Carvana never informed me that the tires they put on the car were not run flat tires, and they did not provide me with any type of flat tire pump or anything like that. They sold me an unsafe car! I am STILL driving a car with no spare and non-run-flat tires all because Carvana wanted to save a few bucks and figured I wouldn't find out until the 7-day or 30-day warranty had long ago expired. Carvana is guilty of selling an unsafe car. They know that the Mini Cooper comes with run flat tires and that there is no spare in the car, yet they didn't care and replaced the tires with cheaper non-run-flat tires. I have contacted Carvana multiple times but they just tell me that since I didn't report this issue within the 7-day return window I'm out of luck. How would I have known the tires they put on the car before selling it were not standard tires until I had a flat tire! I am not able to schedule my flat tire so that it happens within their short warranty window. I have contact the States Attorney General's office, the BBB, Consumer Affairs and eveyone tells me that they don't handle these types of complaints. I need you to help me get Carvana to replace the unsafe equip they put on the car with safe tires! PLEASE!!

NHTSA ODI 11567151

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

BMW/MINI have known about a faulty airbag sensor in the seats, yet never did a recall. The passenger side airbag does not operate when someone sits in the seat due to a faulty sensor on the seat cushion. BMW was around $1600 to replace this. Big safety concern if a crash happens and air bag does not go off. Should be a factory recall.

NHTSA ODI 11562952

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 purchased a used car from Carvana. It had brand new tires on the car when I took possession of it. The make and model of my car comes standard with run-flat tires because my car does not have a spare tire. Before Carvana sold the car they replaced the tires with non run-flat tires but did not inform me of this. One year after I took possession of the car, I had a flat tire and was stranded on the side of a busy highway for hours because I had no spare and the tires Carvana put on the car were not run flat tires. I think Carvana put my safety at risk just to save a few bucks. I have contacted them multiple times and they won't help me. I think they should replace the tires on my car with run flat tires since I'm still driving an unsafe car. They knew the car comes standard with run flats and they knowingly replaced the tires with non run flats. Can you help me?

NHTSA ODI 11559619

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag and the seat belt warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken the BMW dealer and diagnosed with failed front driver's side door air bag sensor and a failed passenger occupancy sensor. The contact was informed that the front driver's side door air bag sensor and the passenger's occupancy sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred with the driver's side door air bag sensor. The vehicle was taken back to the BMW dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a faulty front driver's side door air bag sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a Mini dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a Mini dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 61,180. The consumer stated that during the last diagnostic check on at the last dealership, it was found that the vehicle had a leaking valve cover gasket, coolant was leaking, as well was the thermostat needed to be replaced. The contact took the vehicle to Mini who contacted silver rock for approval of gasket and coolant repairs, but the items were not covered under the warranty contract.

NHTSA ODI 11553773

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

In July 2023, a recall letter I received from MINI states a defective Footwell Control Module “could potentially result in a short circuit, resulting in a potential thermal event which could increase the risk of a fire or injury.” It also states “a remedy is currently being developed.” I called the local MINI dealer service department, and that department had never heard of the defect or the recall, sending me in to MINI Customer Relations. The gentlemen I spoke with said he thought the car was safe to drive (nowhere mentioned in the letter), and he could not offer anything in writing to back-up his claim. When I said what if there is a fire in the car, he suggested I “evacuate the vehicle.” I asked for a loaner since I was and still am concerned the car is not in fact safe to drive without an official written confirmation from MINI explaining why and how MINI knows my affected car is safe to drive in light of “increased risk of a fire or injury” identified in the recall letter. He could not answer and sent me on to MINI’s “Executive Office.” I received a call from Alyssa in that office who confirmed that no loaner or alternative transportation would be provided and who offered no other solution beyond another assurance the car was safe to drive despite the specific reference to increased “risk of fire or injury” in the recall letter. Again, no supporting information was provided for that claim, so I remain uncertain as to the safety of my vehicle and will not drive it without a remedy. I offered to have MINI buy back the car if they are so sure it is safe since I will not try to sell the car to anyone else under the circumstances. Since then, nothing whatsoever has happened and my car just sits idle. Surely there is some remedy available for this sort of callous disregard of customer safety and lack of any remedy about a safety issue that MINI itself has acknowledged. I am hoping your office can help me get this resolved quickly.

NHTSA ODI 11538090

The contact owns a 2013 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 the engine was running rough while idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would not exceed 65 MPH and 4,000 RPM while driving. The message "Reduced Engine Power" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #1 was misfiring because it was not receiving proper communication from the ECU. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic and was informed that the ECU was operating as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that he replaced the spark plugs and the coils; however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was notified of the failure. 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 and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11536485

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

There have been at least 7 write-ups about air bag failure on this model reported to you. When a passenger sits in the seat of my car, with the seat belt on, 01 the airbag light and seat belt light come on. If I have an accident the airbag on the passenger side will not deploy, leading to death or injury to the passenger. This has been reported to a MINI dealership. They will inspect it at my cost to see if it rates as a safety item. It is available for inspection as I can't drive it with a passenger and I can't leave my disabled wife alone at home. The car has 92323 miles on it. [XXX]--- [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11505013

When passenger is seated with safety belt on the seat belt light comes on along with a message that the passenger seat air bag will not deploy.

NHTSA ODI 11494448

The vehicle has a faulty seat sensor that causes the vehicle to default to having a non-occupied seat with warning lights. In this situation, a passenger will not have an air bag deploy even if they’re heavy enough to otherwise trigger the weight sensor. This is happening on my vehicle and, based on internet research, most other R56 models to the point of a market existing for electronic bypass modules. Mini will not repair for a reasonable cost.

NHTSA ODI 11457950

The passenger seat OC3 Occupancy Sensor has malfunctioned, leading to the ECU to believe the seatbelt is unbuckled and disabling the passenger airbag while the car is in motion. This is a frequent occurrence which can be seen across all of the Mini/BMW forums for an untold number of owners of this build.

NHTSA ODI 11451191

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

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR IS FAILING. THE DASH LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTINGLY WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED AND THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. THE PROBLEM STARTED 03/19/2021. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG(S) MAY NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. MINI HAD A RECALL IN 2015 FOR 2005-2008 CARS. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.*DT*JB

NHTSA ODI 11405023

MY CAR HAS PROTRUDING TAILPIPES, IT CAUSED ME AND MY HUSBAND 3RD-DEGREE BURNS AFTER A SHORT DRIVE TO COSTCO.

NHTSA ODI 11342154

REAR DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING MELTED. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN TAIL LIGHT OUT INDICATOR TURNED ON.

NHTSA ODI 11341505

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FIRE STARTED AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BUT NOT BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED, INCIDENT NUMBER: 2019-006185. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S LOT. MINI OF WARWICK LOCATED AT 1515 BALD HILL RD A, WARWICK, RI 02886, (401) 229-4373, WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FIRE AS WELL AS THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67000. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED.

NHTSA ODI 11297410