What 24 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Mini Cooper S Countryman

ON FEBRUARY 8, 2021 9:00AM DROVE MINI APPROXIMATELY 24 MILES, RETURNED HOME. PARKED CAR, TURNED OFF ENGINE, WENT INTO HOUSE AND LESS THAN 3 MINUTES LATER, NEIGHBOR SAYS MY ENGINE IS SMOKING FROM UNDER HOOD. WITHIN SECONDS IT WENT FROM HEAVY, WHITE SMOKE TO FIRE COMING FROM UNDER HOOD AND ENGULFED FRONT OF VEHICLE, BREAKING WINDSHIELD, MELTING TIRES. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS THAT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, NO SMELLS, NOTHING TO WARN OF IMPENDING FIRE. LUCKILY, THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE IN A PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF HOME RATHER THAN IN COVERED GARAGE. I KEPT A HOSE GOING ON HOOD AND SURROUNDING BUSHES TO KEEP FIRE FROM ESCALATING TO BUILDINGS OR HILLSIDE UNTIL FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE MINI WAS KEPT IN GOOD WORKING ORDER, ALL MAINTENANCE DONE ON TIME. SO LUCKY WE WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT OCCURRED. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS CONSIDERED UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11398268

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED 2016 MINI COOPER S. CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH, WITHOUT WARNING AN SMOKE APPEARED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT STATED HIS WIFE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EXITED THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE WHOLE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE LOT AND DEEMED A TOTALED LOST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND SENT A FIELD INSPECTOR WHOM COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER MOTOR CITY MINI (29929 TELEGRAPH RD. SOUTHFIELD, MI 48034) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT FIRE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER DID NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMANT 41,000.

NHTSA ODI 11322865

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MINI COOPER S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A HILL OF A DRIVEWAY, FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK AND ROLLED AWAY. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED THROUGH THE CONTACT'S GARAGE DOOR. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT FILED AND NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE APPLIED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11245046

OUR CAR WAS PARKED FOR APPROX. 10 MINUTES. THE CAR WAS OFF AND THE KEY WAS WITH MY WIFE. NO ONE WAS IN THE CAR, NOR WAS IT IN OPERATION ON ANY LEVEL. NO FLAMMABLE ITEMS WERE WITHIN THE CAR AND THE CAR WAS NOT PARKED ON ANYTHING FLAMMABLE. MY WIFE ALSO DOES NOT SMOKE. THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE NEAR THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE INCONCLUSIVE. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE FIRE WAS SO INTENSE THAT IT WOULD BE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE A CAUSE OF THE FIRE. BMW AND TWO OTHER INSURANCE COMPANIES THEN PERFORMED AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW AND ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE'S CAUSE WAS INCONCLUSIVE. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, OUR MODEL HAD A TURBO CHARGER WITH AN AUXILIARY WATER PUMP. THESE PUMPS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE A TECHNICAL PROBLEM IN WHICH THEY DON'T STOP RUNNING. OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, THE PUMP ITSELF CAN OVERHEAT AND IN OUR CASE, IGNITE OIL AND/OR FUEL WITHIN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MOST PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO SEE THE FIRE START AND EXTINGUISH IT QUICKLY BUT IN OUR CASE, WE WERE DID NOT SEE THE FIRE START. IN CONCLUSION, OUR CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE NOT IN MOTION OR OPERATION. NO ONE WAS IN OR NEAR THE CAR. THE KEY WAS ALSO NOT IN OR NEAR THE CAR. IT CAUGHT ON FIRE APPROX. 10 MINUTES AFTER BEING PARKED IN NORMAL CONDITIONS. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WERE PRESENT. NO MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN MISSED. IT HAD LESS THAN 30K MILES ON IT AND THE CAR ITSELF WAS ONLY ABOUT TWO YEARS OLD. VIDEOS CAN BE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST.

NHTSA ODI 11129198

ON MARCH 29,2018 MY DAUGHTER PARKED HER 2016 MINI COUNTRYMAN IN MY DRIVEWAY AND CAME IN TO VISIT. 10 MINUTES LATER MY WIFE WENT OUTSIDE AND SAW THE MINI ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ON FIRE. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED, THE MINI AND MY 2 CARS WERE ON FIRE. ALL 3 WERE TOTALED, MY DRIVEWAY WAS RUINED AND THE SIDING ON MY GARAGE WAS DAMAGED BY THE HEAT OF THE FIRE.. I REMEMBER MINI RECALLING THEIR VEHICLES WITH TURBOS IN 2012. THE RECALL STARTED BECAUSE MINIS WITH TURBOS WERE STARTING ON FIRE AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF AND PARKED.THE SYSTEM TO COOL THE TURBOS WASN'T WORKING AND THE TURBOS OVERHEATED. THE NAPERVILLE FIRE DEPT REPORT SAID THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE MINI BUT THAT THEY COULD NOT TELL HOW IT STARTED. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS TOTALLY BURNED TO ASHES. OUR STORY FITS THE SAME PATTERN OF THE STORIES I READ CONCERNING THE RECALL OF 2012.I WANT TO SOUND AN ALARM BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN BE INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT MAY BE THAT THE TURBO RECALL ISSUE WASN'T FIXED.

NHTSA ODI 11102958

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 MINI COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED BY HIS WIFE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES WHILE PARKED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S LOT WHERE IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. *TT THE CONSUMER STATED BMW PAID THE DEDUCTIBLE FOR HIS DAUGHTER'S VEHICLE BUT NOT THE OTHER CAR OR HOUSE. * FD REPORT CONCLUSION: UNDERTERMINED- DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE INVESTIGATORS WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE PROBABLITY EXISTS THAT DUE TO THE BEADED BATTERY CABLE FOUND THAT A SHORT ENSURED THUS CAUSING THE FIRE. THERE IS ALSO A PROBABILITY THAT A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION/ FAILURE ENSUED, BUT INVESTIGATORS WERE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE IF THIS WAS A CAUSE, DUE TO THE OWNER STATEMENTS RECORDED IN NYPD INTERVIEWS THAT SHE DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 9/25/18*JP

NHTSA ODI 11101782

I WAS ON A CITY STREET GOING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH WHEN A PICKUP TRUCK IN THE LANE TO MY RIGHT TRIED TO TURN INTO A DRIVEWAY I WAS APPROACHING TO MY LEFT- HIS CAR HIT MINE AND MY CAR ROLLED OVER ONTO THE ROOF AND THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY.

NHTSA ODI 11085110

I PURCHASED THIS MINI COOPER S ON MARCH 16, 2016 AND IT HAD 47,282 MILES ON IT. I ALSO BOUGHT A LIMITED 90 DAY WARRANTY OFFERED BY BUDDY'S AUTO SALES OF SPRINGFIELD, MO. I TRAILERED THE CAR TO PHOENIX WHERE MY SON WAS TO ATTEND A MOTORCYCLE MECHANIC SCHOOL IN OCTOBER. ON OCTOBER 07, 2016 WE UNLOADED IT FROM THE TRAILER AND PARKED IT AT A HOTEL. THE NEXT MORNING MY SON (A CERTIFIED MECHANIC) WENT OUTSIDE TO CHECK ON THE CAR AND THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON. ASSUMING SOMEONE WAS IN THE CAR, HE RAN TO IT AND FOUND THAT IT WAS FULL OF SMOKE AND SMELLED OF MELTING WIRES/METAL. HE GOT A PAIR OF PLIERS FROM THE HOTEL AND UNHOOKED THE BATTERY BEFORE THE CAR COULD BURN ITSELF TO THE GROUND. AS SOON AS WE COULD GET A DEALERSHIP ON THE PHONE, WE HAD IT TOWED THERE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A LARGE RECALL ON BMW POWER STEERING PUMPS AND THEY LOOKED IT UP TO SEE IF MINE WOULD BE COVERED. IT WASN'T. IT COST $3,823.22 TO GET THE CAR BACK AND THEY HAD THE VEHICLE UNTIL OCTOBER 14, 2016, CAUSING ME TO MISS MY FLIGHT HOME. IF THIS IS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM, WHY WASN'T MY MINI COVERED? AFTER HAVING THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED ON MY MINI COOPER S AND FINALLY RECEIVING THE CAR BACK AFTER A WEEK, I DROVE IT FROM TEMPE TO PHOENIX WHERE I WAS STAYING AND HEARD A LOUD POP NOISE AS SOON AS I GOT IT HOME. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND THE CAR WOULDN'T STEER. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD JUST HAD IT REPAIRED AND THEY SAID THAT I WOULD ONCE AGAIN HAVE TO PAY THE TOW BILL TO GET IT BACK TO THEM BUT THAT IF THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS THEIR FAULT FOR NOT FIXING SOMETHING, THEY WOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE TOW BILL. AFTER RECEIVING THE CAR FOR THE SECOND TIME, THEY CLAIMED THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE WAS AN UNRELATED PROBLEM TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I HAD TO PAY THE TOW BILL AS WELL AS THE REPAIR BILL.

NHTSA ODI 10985774