- Mini is recalling 12,535 Cooper EVs due to a fire risk.
- Impacted models were built between March 21, 2019 and January 25, 2024.
- A simple software update can solve the problem.
More than 12,500 Mini Cooper SE EVs are being recalled because they have high-voltage batteries that could short circuit and catch fire. Clearly, this is not a recall that owners should ignore.
The car manufacturer says that faults in the high-voltage battery or high-voltage system can trigger a short circuit, which may lead to overheating and a fire, even if the vehicle is not in operation. Curiously, there doesn’t appear to be a common issue as documents said faults in the battery “could be caused by several reasons.”
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A total of 12,535 Mini Cooper SE 2 Door Hardtops from the 2020-2024 model years are impacted by the recall. These vehicles were manufactured between March 21, 2019 and January 25, 2024.
BMW was first alerted to a potential problem in October 2023, when a Cooper SE caught fire in the United States. In January of this year, another model burst into flames in Germany, and an engineering analysis identified isolation faults within the battery. Investigations continued between April and July, before the decision to go ahead with a recall was made on August 8. No reports of accidents or injuries related to the issue have been shared with BMW.
Owners will be informed about the recall starting in October. Fortunately, a mechanical fix is not needed as the problem can be resolved with a software update. This will include a diagnostic function, which detects malfunctions in the high-voltage battery and can automatically discharge the battery to below 30% state-of-charge.
