This vin waa not included in a recall however had recall issues it obtained water in the footwell which mini has a recall issue for this and the car was caught on fire it is at the dealership in [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2012 MINI Cooper: fire, smoke or burning smell
6 of the 66 complaints about the 2012 MINI Cooper describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 9%
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 26 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
The car just randomly caught on fire while off in my driveway. Noticed a weird sound outside looked out and noticed the windshield wipers were going even though the car was off and I hadn't driven it. Opened the door to bellows of smoke coming out. fire department was called and had to rip it apart to get to the fire which was under the steering wheel in the left side
While driving for about 30 minutes on the highway, my mini cooper shut off completely, I was able to pull onto the shoulder and that is when smoke started coming from the engine, within 6 minutes my whole engine was engulfed in flames, car totaled. Insurence inspectors couldn't figure out a cause. One of the fire fighters said it looks like it started near the water pump. There are recalls on other models for this problem, but not mine. My mini hasn't been worked on since last year when I got new tires, I also keep up with every oil change.
Vehicle was in motion on a highway and, after going over several pot holes, the engine temperature warning light came on. The engine power was reduced, and the engine failure light also appeared. This is when I pulled over into the off ramp, and the vehicle came to a sputtering stop. I placed the car in neutral and pushed it to the dirt side lane of the off ramp. I opened the hood, smelled something burning, and saw smoke coming from the engine. I could see burnt circuits, burnt plastic, and coolant leaking all over the engine and exposed wiring. Had it not been for immediately exiting onto the off ramp, the vehicle would have stopped in the middle of the highway without warning. I could have almost died because of the fire; this faulty engineering by bmw/mini has already taken the life of a driver in south korea. Bmw issued a recall of the 2012 mini cooper s roadster, but when I had the car towed to one of their service centers, the technicians were unaware of this manufacturing defect and stated that the repair parts are unavailable. I see that my vehicle has been recalled, but when I type in my VIN, no recall is attached to my vehicle. Bmw/mini is taking no action; they are harming and killing drivers of its vehicles.
Vehicle was in motion on a highway and, after going over several pot holes, the engine temperature warning light came on. The engine power was reduced, and the engine failure light also appeared. This is when I pulled over into the off ramp, and the vehicle came to a sputtering stop. I placed the car in neutral and pushed it to the dirt side lane of the off ramp. I opened the hood, smelled something burning, and saw smoke coming from the engine. I could see burnt circuits, burnt plastic, and coolant leaking all over the engine and exposed wiring. Had it not been for immediately exiting onto the off ramp, the vehicle would have stopped in the middle of the highway without warning. I could have almost died because of the fire; this faulty engineering by bmw/mini has already taken the life of a driver in south korea. Bmw issued a recall of the 2012 mini cooper s roadster in south korea, but when I had the car towed to one of their service centers, the technicians were unaware of this manufacturing defect and stated that the repair parts are unavailable. I see that my vehicle has been recalled, but when I type in my VIN, no recall is attached to my vehicle. Bmw/mini is taking no action; they are harming and killing drivers of its vehicles.
Vehicle was in motion on a highway and after going over several pot holes the engine temperature warning light came on. The engine power was reduced and an engine failure light also appeared. This is when I pulled over into the off ramp and the vehicle came to a sputtering stop. I placed the car in neutral and pushed it to the dirt side lane of the off ramp. I opened the hood, smelled something burning, and saw smoke coming from the engine. I could see burnt circuits, burnt plastic, and coolant leaking all over the engine and exposed wiring. Had it not been for immediately exiting onto the off-ramp, the vehicle would have stopped in the middle of the highway without warning.
Service bulletins that may apply
- The Footwell Module (FRM) limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been...
- While performing a 12-Volt battery jump start, disconnect, or replacement, vehicle test, and/or...
- While performing a 12-Volt battery jump start, disconnect, or replacement, vehicle test, and/or...
- MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years
- Class action settlement: N14 high-pressure fuel pump (hdp) service benefit class vehicles
- Navigation system has missing or incorrect road map data
- ?OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT: LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES. This Service Information...
- Footwell module: limited warranty extension to 8 years/125,000 miles.
Related recalls
Electrical system
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2014 MINI Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Clubman John Cooper Works, and 2007-2013 MINI Hardtop 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. The electronic control module in the driver's side footwell area may short-circuit, due to corrosion from water and road salt.
- Risk
- An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the sunroof drains, interior footwell area, and FRM and, depending upon the results of the inspection, certain components will be replaced. Owner notification letters were mailed May 13, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1‑866‑825‑1525.
Recall number 23V337000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2012 MINI Cooper fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2012 MINI Cooper?
6 of 66 owner complaints about the 2012 MINI Cooper (9%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2003.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2012 MINI Cooper?
There is 1 recall and 26 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2012 MINI Cooper
VIN decoder
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