2023 Mini Cooper SE

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2024 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE) vehicles. Faults may occur in the high voltage battery or high voltage system, resulting in a short circuit.

Risk. A short circuit increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy. Owners are advised that if a warning message is displayed in the vehicle, to park the vehicle outside and away from structures until the remedy has been completed. Dealers will provide a software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 14, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-866-ASK-MINI (1-866-275-6464).

Defect. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2024 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE) vehicles. The high voltage battery housing may not have been sealed properly, allowing water to enter the battery.

Risk. A high voltage battery with water damage can cause a fire or a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and leak test the high voltage battery, and repair the battery as necessary, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed June 28, 2024. Owner notification letters were mailed October 30, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

The vehicle's suspension system was improperly configured for its electric powertrain at the time of manufacture, resulting in an incorrect ride height that is incompatible with the vehicle's EV platform. This is not an isolated component failure but a fundamental design defect — the vehicle was delivered in a condition that was never properly suited to its own drivetrain. This defect has caused ongoing damage to the vehicle's undercarriage, compromised handling and dynamic stability, and produced accelerated and premature tire wear. BMW/MINI, as the manufacturer, knew or reasonably should have known at the time of sale that the suspension specification was incompatible with this vehicle's electric drivetrain configuration. The failure to disclose or remedy this condition prior to sale, and the failure to adequately repair it despite repeated attempts, reflects a willful disregard of its warranty obligations.

While driving in the rain, the car suddenly applied its brakes, all lights inside the car shut off, and the car came to a stop. The car behind hit it. The car was immediately taken to the service department at Dreyer & Reinbold MINI in Carmel, Indiana. They kept the car for 3 months and I was told the case went all the way to the manufacturer in Germany. When they were finished, they told us their tests could not "confirm" our report that the car came to a stop by itself, but their tests did show the brakes were applied and the car was hit from behind. They basically told us they did not believe my wife's account of the incident. I recently saw that this make and model of car was recalled about a year ago because the car could stall in the rain due to unsealed battery compartments, which is exactly what my wife experienced. I do not believe anyone looked inside the car at all, but merely relied on their computer analyses without interviewing my wife or any witnesses to confirm what happened.

The contact owns a 2023 Mini Cooper SE. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V302000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the parts to do the recall repair were 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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure; however, the vehicle was taken to be repaired for an initial unknown recall for reprogramming of the battery in September of 2024. The contact then received a second notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V302000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) the vehicle was taken to the dealer and had been there for six weeks and had not been repaired yet. The VIN was not available.

The safety recall campaign 24V-612 is a complete farce. It states that there is a safety defect with the high-voltage battery which could cause a fire, but the "solution" proposed by the manufacturer is a software change which discharges the battery, making the car essentially useless. This is not a "solution" and I can't believe you would accept it as such.

I started the car in the morning and the screen message came up “high voltage system fault, contact your dealer to get service, you can continue to drive”. My distance available to drive on a 100% Barrett charge dropped from 100 to 20. I had the car towed to the dealer. They have not been able to determine the cause for over a month