2007 Mini Cooper

I recently purchased a used MINI Cooper with incomplete NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-337 involving the Footwell Control Module (FRM). The previous owner did not complete the recall remedy. The vehicle's turn signals and brake lights are currently inoperative. The FRM controls various vehicle lighting functions and is the component involved in Recall 23V-337. Because I purchased the vehicle with these conditions already present, I do not know what warning lamps, messages, or symptoms occurred before the failures. The loss of both turn signals and brake lights creates a significant safety risk because other motorists cannot be properly notified when the vehicle is turning, changing lanes, slowing, or stopping. Additionally, Recall 23V-337 states that corrosion of the FRM can potentially result in a short circuit and, in rare cases, a thermal event that could increase the risk of injury. The vehicle has not yet been inspected to determine whether the current lighting failures are directly caused by the recalled FRM, but the recall remains incomplete and the vehicle is available for inspection. I contacted BMW/MINI seeking completion of the recall. I was informed that it must be performed by an authorized MINI dealer. There is no authorized MINI dealer in Montana, and the nearest facility is approximately 500 miles away. BMW/MINI declined transportation assistance, mobile repair, or authorization for a closer BMW dealer or qualified repair facility. Although the vehicle can move under its own power, driving approximately 500 miles without brake lights or turn signals, while it also has an outstanding recall involving a potential electrical short circuit and thermal event, presents a serious safety concern. I am actively attempting to complete the recall and am requesting NHTSA review the safety issue and BMW/MINI's lack of a practical means for safely accessing the recall remedy.

What happened: Vehicle has experienced failure of the Footwell Control Module (FRM) and associated wiring harness in the driver footwell area, consistent with NHTSA 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 NHTSA 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 NHTSA evaluate whether the current recall remedy fully addresses wiring harness damage caused by prolonged FRM corrosion / lights staying on.

The authorized dealer performed a non-compliant remedy for Safety Recall 23V-337. The initial repair resulted in melted wires and a charred connector due to high resistance. The dealer's subsequent re-repair utilized an un-staggered cluster of approximately 8 inline crimp connectors in a single tight bundle.This directly violates BMW Factory Repair Standard ISTA/AIR 61 13, which explicitly mandates: 'Arrange individual interfaces in an offset manner when repairing multiple cables. The wiring harness thus does not become too thick at the repaired point.' By failing to offset the splices, the dealership created a thick, bunched thermal mass that traps heat and strains the circuits, leaving an active passenger cabin fire hazard intact. Delivery has been officially refused

The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact, who was an independent mechanic, researched and diagnosed the failure with water damage to the junction box electronics. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall that had a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

The airbag warning light randomly remains on. From what I understand this is a known issue as there has been previous recalls by Mini. This could potentially mean the airbag system is faulty and non-operational. Based on online searches, it seems like a lot of there problem are wiring problems though, bad connections. The previous recalls should be extended further, as there are other cars with the same problem, like mine.

The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated the key fob failed to lock and unlock the vehicle, causing the contact to manually lock and unlock the vehicle. The contact also stated that the radio would change stations or power off independently. The vehicle had been taken to an electrician who referred the contact to the dealer. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 153,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

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.

The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine, ABS, and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) warning lights remained illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the foot well control module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.

The vehicle has been presenting issues with breaks, electrical issues, turning off while driving, misfires, air bags don't work, ADAS sometimes don't work, the vehicle chokes and has difficulty running at times, among other issues. There has been a recall since last year and I've tried contacting the manufacturer multiple times, but the issue has not been fixed yet. All of these problems are a great safety hazard for me and my family while on the road.

My Mini Cooper was rendered unsafe to drive as most of the exterior lights (i.e., headlights, brake lights, turn signals) stopped working--all at once. A local mechanic verified that the electrical short resulted from a severely corroded Footwell Control Module, which is the subject of the recall (Recall No. 23V-337, July 2023) for which a "Remedy is Unavailable." When contacted, a case management specialist of BMW of North America could tell me only that a remedy is not yet available. Again, the car is unsafe to drive as it lacks exterior lighting. As such, I am forced to purchase another vehicle as the Mini Cooper sits unusable.