2013 MINI Countryman Complaint Log

The FRM module went bad. Lost signal lights, windows, headlights.

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that water was entering the cabin of the vehicle from the sunroof. The contact stated that water was dripping on and into other electrical systems, causing malfunctions of the brake light and lights on the instrument panel. The water caused sizzling sounds and burning odors from other electrical controls. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that there was a damp odor inside the vehicle after it rained. The contact stated that the vehicle started having electrical failures. The contact stated that the electrical system had stopped working on the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the windows were not rolling up or down and the doors were not locking as needed. Additionally, the turn signals and the driver's side headlight and taillights were inoperable. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that there was a recall associated with the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

2 weeks ago my niece borrowed my 2013 mini countryman to go upstate NY and have a flat tire, went to Mavis to fix, when she returned the car I noticed the tire installed is not to the specs. required for the Mini w/ no spare tire due to run flat tire for the car required. Mavis should have installed the specified tire for safe driving. So far nothing happen because I immediately replaced it with a correct tire the next day after I noticed the improper tire installed. Subject: Tire size: - 205/55R17 95V (1624), Load index: - 95, Speed Rating: - V No Marking found indicating a run flat tire which are shown on other 3 existing tires.

Battery module malfunction. No use of blinkers, windows, radio, or hazard lights. Alert comes up that says "Lighting System! Stop Vehicle!" And the vehicle periodically needs to be jumped.

The problem started with fog lights blinking on and off while the car was off. As I entered the vehicle I noticed a pool of water on the floor bed. The car has a sunroof which was closed at the time, as well as all of the windows - water came in from somewhere else. I proceeded to turn on the car to see what was happening and the car did not turn on. I thought maybe the battery is dead - tried to give it a boost and it did not work. I replaced the battery - it turned on the car but most lighting areas and power windows do not work. The two front windows are not working properly, they do not go up or down, only the back windows. I do not have control of the headlights - it just stays on one setting. The directional lights do not work. The console lights do not work. This puts myself and others at risk because I can’t aware other drivers when I making a turn or changing lanes. I can’t see the console panel at night, unaware of gas, speed, or radio functions. The car has been driven locally only during the day to avoid accidents and when I arrive at my destination - I notice smoke coming out of the hood. There is an active recall (23V-337) on the R55 & R56 models but not R60 models - which is my car. The exact description of defect (see below) is what is happening to my car and I’d like to have this model added to the recall. It is very dangerous to keep driving this car which I need for daily use. “This safety recall involves the Footwell Control Module (FRM), an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) which controls various lighting and power window functions, and is installed near the bottom of the driver's side A-pillar behind an interior trim panel. Due to several contributing factors (environmental, certain US States' wintertime road treatment, vehicle design configuration and age), over time, the FRM could become susceptible to corrosion. For vehicles equipped with a sunroof, after a multi-year period involving large temperature changes, multiple freeze/thaw cycles..”

Car was taken to shop for not wanting to start. And they said the junction box where the computer that runs the car had water damage due leak from windshield that was notified by mini visa tsb. I was told my car was not part of recall but showing the same signs. Please help.

I have 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman S and I was driving and I almost got rear ended because my turn signals were not working. There were no signals on the car indicating that the module failed. I took it to get inspected and It turns out that the footwell module failed and this is a known issue for Mini coopers, that has forced Mini to extend the warranty. [XXX] Apparently the footwell module is known to fail under very normal repair conditions when the battery is disconnected or jumped. Unfortunately, my car meets the warranty mileage limit but not the 10 year service data limit as the car's in service date was in January 2013. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FIRE STARTED AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BUT NOT BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED, INCIDENT NUMBER: 2019-006185. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S LOT. MINI OF WARWICK LOCATED AT 1515 BALD HILL RD A, WARWICK, RI 02886, (401) 229-4373, WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FIRE AS WELL AS THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67000. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT CALLED BRAMAN MOTORCARS AT 561-609-0130 (LOCATED AT 2901 OKEECHOBEE BLVD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33409) WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS RECOMMENDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,186.

WHILE IN MOTION, PASSENGER SEAT BELT ALARM WAS GOING OFF THIS AM WITH NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ALSO NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SIGNAL WAS NOT LIT.

EVEN AFTER AN OIL CHANGE,IN ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS, I HAVE TO ADD OIL TO MY CAR, USUALLY ABOUT 2 QUARTS. THE CHECK OIL SYMBOL ILLUMINATES OFTEN, MY OIL LEVEL IS ALMOST ALWAYS SHOWING EXTREMELY LOW ON THE DIP STICK. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT MY CAR DOES NOT HAVE ANY LEAKS AND THAT MINI COOPERS JUST BURN A LOT OF OIL AND THIS IS NORMAL. HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT HAVING TO ADD OIL TO MY CAR EVERY TWO OR 3 WEEKS IS NOT NORMAL.

THE PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR IS FAULTY. BMW RECALLED MANY BMWS AND MINI COOPERS FOR THIS ISSUE BUT NOT THE 2013 MINI COUNTRYMAN - BUT IT ALSO HAS THIS ISSUE. IT IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH VIDOES TEACHING YOU HOW TO TRY TO BYPASS IT. THE LIGHT COMES ON TELLING YOU THERE IS AN AIRBAG DEFECT AND SEATBELT LIGHT COMES ON FOR PASSENGER SIDE. IT ONLY MAKES THE SOUND WHEN SOMEONE IS IN THE SEAT MOVING AROUND. IF NO ONE IS IN THE SEAT, THE LIGHTS ARE STILL LIT BUT NO ALARM IS SOUNDED. YOU CAN SIMPLY GOOGLE THIS AND TONS OF COMPLAINTS COME UP. IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TURN ON THE CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN. AFTER PARKING AND TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS WOULD NOT UNLOCK AND THE DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED. AFTER MAKING SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO UNLOCK THE DOORS, THE CONTACT HAD TO CLIMB TO THE REAR SEATS TO EXIT THROUGH THE REAR DOOR. THE CONTACT REPLACED A FUSE THAT ENABLED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TO UNLOCK, BUT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR REMAINED LOCKED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

MY CAR BEGAN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF" LIGHT STAYING LITE WHETHER OR NOT A PASSENGER IS IN THE CAR. I PAID $110.00 TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE MY CAR AND THEY SAID THE PROBLEM IS THE SEAT MAT SENSOR, AND THEY WANT $1,500.00 TO REPLACE IT. I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM AND I FOUND THAT THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN TO COOPER OWNERS. WE HAVE NO KIDS AND NOBODY BUT MY WIFE AND/OR MYSELF USE THIS VEHICLE, SO THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT IN THE PAST THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM TO OLDER MINI COOPERS, SO I GUESS THE PROBLEM PERSISTS WITH NEWER VEHICLES. ADDITIONALLY I FOUND THAT THIS IS SUCH A COMMON FAILURE ON ALL MINI COPPERS THAT E-BAY AND OTHERS SELL WHAT THEY CALL A "SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT SENSOR BYPASS EMULATOR" AND WHAT THIS DOES IS SIMPLY SUBSTITUTE THE VEHICLE SENSORS SO THAT THE AIR BAG IS ALWAYS ARMED IN CASE THERE IS A ACCIDENT. OF COURSE THIS PREVENTS FROM PLACING CHILDREN OR CAR SEATS IN THE FROM SEAT. THIS EMULATOR ALSO ELIMINATES THE DREADED AIR BAG LIGHT AND/OR CODE FOR THE SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR. AFTER LOOKING AT THE AVAILABILITY OF ALL THESE AFTERMARKET EMULATORS AND PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THESE SENSORS, OTHERWISE THERE WOULD NOT BE AN AFTERMARKET PART TO PARTIALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I AM NOT WILLING TO RISK USING THIS AFTERMARKET PART.

I GET AN ERROR THAT THE SEAT BELT IS DEACTIVATED AND THE THE AIRBAG IS OFF. RAN DIAGNOSTIC AND GOT CODE 93BF. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THIS HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE MORNING AFTER TURNING ENGINE ON WHEN GOING TO WORK.

OUR 2013 MINICOOPER COUNTRYMAN S ALL 4 WITH 30,400 MILES ON, WAS CAUGHT ON FIRE ON NOVERBER-11-2017 IN DEDHAM MA. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE WHILE THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. CAR DID NOT INDICATE ANY WARNINGS AND WE DIDN'T OBSERVE ANYTHING OUT OF ORDINARY. FIRE WAS PUT IN CHECK BY SPRINKLERS IN THE GARAGE AND DEDHAM CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO PUT THE GARAGE ON LOCK DOWN UNTIL THEY TURN OFF THE FIRE AND THE GARAGE WAS SAFE TO ENTER. THE 3 STORIED OFFICE BUILDING WAS GIVEN A HOLIDAY AS THEY COULDN'T STAY IN THE BUILDING DUE TO SMOKE SMELL. WE HAVE OUR BABY CAR SEAT AND FEW OTHER BELONGINGS IN THE CAR, BUT ALL OF THEM WERE DAMAGED IN THE FIRE. WE HAVE INFORMED THE CAR DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD THIS CAR TO US AND THE MINI CUSTOMER RELATIONS DEPARTMENT, BUT BOTH OF THEM DIDN'T SHARE OUR CONCERN FOR SAFETY. WE WISH THE NHTSA WOULD CONSIDER THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY AS IT COULD HAPPEN TO OTHER MINIS. THANK YOU

ENGINE LOST ALL POWER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF 3 AND ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST WHILE GOING 60MPH. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER OVER TO THE SHOULDER THROUGH TRAFFIC WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT WAS PRETTY SCARY. ENGINE WARNING SIGNS WERE FLASHING AND WAS TOLD TO SHUT OFF ENGINE IMMEDIATELY OR ELSE POSSIBLE ENGINE DAMAGE WOULD OCCUR.

VEHICLE DISPLAYS LOSS OF ACCELERATION FROM STOP TO TAKE OFF. THIS LOSS OF POWER CAN LAST UP TO SECONDS. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THE VEHICLE COULD BE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE THE LOSS OF POWER OCCURS. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO MINI 3 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THE COILS AND PLUGS WERE REPLACED. SECOND TIME THE ISSUE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THIRD TIME THE VEHICLE WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE CAR IS STILL DISPLAYING THE SAME ISSUE AND IS INTERMITTENT. AS OF THIS DATE, 6/18/2016, THE CAR LAST DISPLAYED THIS ISSUE ON 6/17/2016. I'VE CONTACTED MINI USA AND I AM AWAITING THERE REPLY.

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 13 MONTHS THE REAR SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING FOR NO REASON. WE WERE DRIVING AROUND 45MPH AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. THE SCREEN WAS CLOSED BUT GLASS SHARDS FELL THROUGH THE SCREEN ALL OVER OUR DOG AND THE BACK SEAT.

WE WERE DRIVING AROUND 70 MPH IN THE HOV LANE OF OUR HIGHWAY WITH OUR DOG IN THE BACK SEAT. A SUDDEN EXPLOSIVE NOISE (SOUNDED LIKE GUNFIRE) AND THE REAR SUNROOF EXPLODED ALL OVER OUR DOG AND REAR SEAT. *TR

OUR BRAND NEW, 2014 MINI COUNTRYMAN WITH 100 MILES DEVELOPED A FRACTURE IN ITS WINDSHIELD WITH NO APPARENT OR OBSERVED CAUSE. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS DUE TO A DESIGN OR ENGINEERING DEFECT. THE FRACTURE IS LOCATED IN THE BOTTOM CORNER OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVER-SIDE. IT IS APPROXIMATELY 8 INCHES LONG AND REACHES THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD. *TR

CPSC: I1420055A. 2013 MINI COOPER. CONSUMER STATED THE CONTINENTAL TIRES ARE FAULTY AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *LN THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TWO TIRE FAILURES, WITHIN MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING, AND THE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED AS SHE WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, WHEN THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. WHEN SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE, SHE DISCOVERED A BUSTED SEAM ON BOTH FRONT TIRES, AND THREE GIANT BUBBLES ON THREE OF THE TIRES. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD RUN OUT OF FUEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THERE WAS ADEQUATE FUEL IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE FUEL PUMP. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF THE PART WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,500. THE DEALER REMOVED AND REPLACED THE FUEL SENDING UNIT, WHICH WAS DEFECTIVE. UPDATED 01/14/14

MINI NATIONAL AND THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT A LUG WRENCH IS NOT INCLUDED IN CARS MOUNTED WITH RUN-FLAT TIRES. THAT PUTS THE OWNER AT THE MERCY OF MINI'S ROAD-SIDE ASSISTANCE, WHICH DEPENDS ON CELLULAR SERVICE. IF THE OWNER CAN'T CONNECT WITH ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THERE IS NO WAY TO REMOVE TIRES TO TAKE FOR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. *TR