2013 MINI COOPER Complaints

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.

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.

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.

The passenger side air bag seat sensor has failed. I don't know if that means the passenger air bag will not work or if it will activate incorrectly injuring a passenger due to air bag detonation. This sensor failure is common. Yes this vehicle can be inspected. The air bag warning light periodically turns on and off. I contacted mini cooper customer relations and they informed me that there was a time that they would repair this issue if reported to a dealer free of charge but that offer expired when the car turns 10 years old. Our mini is a little over 10 years old. Mini has been aware of this problem for many years and claims to have sent notification of warranty extension to all owners. I am unable to find any correspondence regarding this issue. Our vehicle has not been inspected by mini or anyone else. Mini knew what I was talking about without a question as they are familiar with this issue. The air bag warning light started coming on maybe a year ago and has become more common in the past approximately 6 months. We are not exactly sure the first time the wanrng light illuminated as it wil turn off after a while. This issue is not speed dependent, It seems to be activated when someone is sitting on the seat but not 100% sure that is the only time.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.