2007 MINI Cooper: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Aug 18, 2026 · Electrical, Fuel system · NC · fire

What happened: Vehicle has experienced failure of the Footwell Control Module (FRM) and associated wiring harness in the driver footwell area, consistent with the federal safety agency Recall 23V‑337. Symptoms: • Exterior lights (headlights / taillights) remain illuminated far longer than normal after vehicle shutoff, sometimes not turning off at all. • Inspection revealed melted wiring, melted connector plugs and receptacles for headlight/taillight circuits. • Water was found in driver side footwell in the past / under carpet padding. Carpet pad is saturated. This is the same failure mode described in Recall 23V‑337: "Due to a number of contributing factors, over time, the FRM could become susceptible to corrosion. Eventually, the corrosion could potentially result in a short circuit, resulting in a potential thermal event which could increase the risk of a fire or injury." Safety risk: Melted wiring and connectors create short circuit and thermal event risk, including fire risk while vehicle is parked and unattended. Lights failing to shut off creates dead battery / loss of exterior lighting control. I am concerned about vehicle fire. My vehicle shows evidence of having caught fire at the headlight and receptacle point. Recall history: Vehicle is included in the federal safety agency Campaign 23V-337000 (MINI Recall 23V‑337 - Footwell Module Moisture/Water Intrusion). I was told remedy is still being developed / parts unavailable, or that additional wiring harness damage beyond the FRM itself is not fully covered. Dealer has inspected the vehicle and has completely disregarded the recall, which was the reason why I brought it in and have quoted me customer pay estimates for repairs covered under the recall. I am filing this to document that Recall 23V‑337 failure has resulted in melted wiring harness components beyond just the FRM module, and to request the federal safety agency evaluate whether the current recall remedy fully addresses wiring harness damage caused by prolonged FRM corrosion / lights staying on.

Filed Aug 11, 2024 · Electrical · KY

The open recall for this vehicle has been open for 15 months now. Meanwhile my wife's car remains broken down with a bad footwell module due to the exact reason the recall is being issued. I contacted mini and they said I'd have to pay for repairs out of pocket and apply for reimbursement after they come up with a remedy. I have issues with this for a few reasons. First, the repair is costly. Second, it's already been over a year since the recall has been issued, and still no remedy so who knows when they'll actually have one. Third, they said that even if I pay for repairs out of pocket there's no guarantee I'd get reimbursed for them. In my opinion, for something as serious as this recall, the manufacturer should be on the clock to determine the remedy and repair customers cars. It would be nice if BMW/Mini would get some pressure to get this resolved so the my wife and the thousands of other people affected by this can enjoy the vehicles they spent their hard earned money on without worry that it might spontaneously burst into flames.

Filed Sep 7, 2016 · Brakes, Electrical · 130,000 miles · NE · fire

Car started of fire as I was driving on the interstate. Fire started in the engine compartment on the passenger side. The brakes failed as I was trying to stop the car. Had to pull the e-brake to stop and by this time the car was engulfed in flames. Passenger had to crawl out the drivers side because of the flames on that side. Luck to have gotten out as the car was completely destroyed in 10 mins

Filed Jan 7, 2015 · Engine · 59,000 miles · CT

I bought a car from new country mini in hartford on january 2, 2015. At first the car worked great, however the friction point of the clutch was pretty far towards the end range. Because it's a hydraulic clutch, I thought this was adjustable. However I started noticing the next day that there was a grinding noise coming out of first and in reverse. I emailed the person at new country mini from whom I bought it from explaining what I was hearing/feeling and was concerned about the clutch going. He replied that it probably just needed to be oiled and it would be fine. He did not ask any other qualifying questions, or offer to look at it. As of january 5, the clutch has become exponentially worse. The car now shutters while engaging the clutch, and continues to shutter after the clutch has been engaged. Additionally there is a burning smell coming from the car. Also, this is not my first car I've had that was a manual transmission. I learned how to drive one when I was 16, so I don't believe this is driver error; especially how quick the clutch diminished. I am inclined to think that new country mini new about the problem prior to selling it, but didn't do anything about it. Moreover, there is a clunk that happens when accelerating from 2nd gear to 3rd gear. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

Filed Aug 10, 2013 · Electrical · 127,000 miles · FL · fire

I have been a mini cooper owner since 2007 and loved my mini. It was a 6 speed automatic and even though it had approx. 127k miles, it drove great and I had never experienced any problems with it in the six years I owned it. In july 2013, I was driving down a highway at 65mph and heard a very faint percolating sound coming from inside the dash. The car was running fine and there were no warning lights so I kept driving because I was in a deserted area at night. Approximately two minutes later, I saw a flame outside my right passenger side window. I immediately stopped the car and saw there were flames coming from behind the passenger tire of the vehicle and from under the hood. I called 911 but within minutes, the entire hood and front seats of the car were in flames. By the time the fire department arrived, the car was a completely engulfed by the fire. Nothing from inside the vehicle could be recovered. Other than the faint percolating sound and a slight odor immediately before I saw the flames, there was no warning. The fire department ruled the fire an undetermined mechanical cause and said it started on the right passenger side of the engine compartment.

Filed Aug 10, 2011 · Electrical · 56,000 miles · MN · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2007 mini cooper. The contact stated that while parked, the vehicle engulfed in flames. The fire department reported to the scene and a report was filed. The fire department stated that the fire was caused by an electrical failure. There were three vehicles parked in close proximity to the contacts vehicle that sustained damage. The parking garage where the vehicle was parked also sustained damage. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.