Mini Recalls 140,000 EVs Over Battery Fire Risk

The recall includes 12,535 EVs in the US.

By: Anthony Alaniz

Sep 3, 2024 at 4:27pm ET

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Mini has recalled over 140,000 EVs over a fire risk involving a battery issue.
More than 12,000 of the cars recalled are located in the United States.
There have been a handful of incidents related to the problem, but no injuries.

More than 12,000 Mini Cooper SE electric vehicles are being recalled in the United States. It’s part of a global recall effort that affects over 140,000 Mini EVs that could have an issue with their batteries.

The recall affects 12,535 2020-2024 Mini Cooper SEs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Safety Recall Report, the high-voltage battery may not have been produced according to the automaker’s specifications. The document didn’t specify a direct cause, stating, “Faults may occur in the high voltage battery or high voltage system, which could be caused by various reasons.”

A fault could lead to a short circuit, overheating the battery and causing a "thermal event," i.e., a fire. It can even happen when the EV isn’t even in operation, but a warning message will appear to the driver.

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BMW North America said it’s not aware of any injuries or accidents related to the issue. It began investigating a Mini that suffered a thermal event in October 2023 before learning in January 2024 of a second incident occurring in Germany.

Mini will update the potentially affected vehicles with new software that includes a diagnostic function that can detect malfunctions in the high-voltage battery and discharge it below 30 percent. The update is free, and the automaker will begin notifying owners on October 7.