Mini recalls 140,000 EVs over battery fire risk

The new model is not affected

MINI Cooper SE Resolute Edition

By: Roland Hildebrandt

Published by: Brian Potter

Sep 4, 2024 at 3:08am ET

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The BMW subsidiary Mini is recalling all first-generation electrically powered Cooper SEs worldwide due to a potential fire hazard. The insulation of the high-voltage battery in the vehicles could be defective. This has been reported by several media outlets.

Affected are examples of the Mini Cooper SE that were produced in Europe between November 2018 and January 2024. The new generation presented in 2023 is explicitly not affected. These vehicles, called Cooper Electric, are based on a different platform and are built by Mini in cooperation with the Chinese company Great Wall Motors in China.

Gallery: Mini Cooper SE Facelift (2021)

Mini Cooper SE Facelift (2021)

Around 150,000 units are affected worldwide, of which around 39,000 are in Germany. Mini quoted this figure to Auto, Motor und Sport. In the USA, the figure is 12,535 vehicles. In both Germany and the USA, one vehicle has already caught fire due to the fault, but there have been no personal injuries.

According to ADAC, the reason for the recall is related to problems with the high-voltage battery. Quality tests have shown that the housing of the high-voltage battery is leaking. This could allow moisture to penetrate the battery and possibly trigger an insulation fault.

If this is the case, the driver would be alerted to the problem by a message in the cockpit (error message: Continued journey possible. High-voltage system), but the battery could also switch off while driving and the vehicle would then coast to a halt. A vehicle fire cannot be ruled out, not even in a parked car.

Gallery: Mini Cooper SE Cabrio (2023) test

Mini Cooper SE convertible (2023) put to the test

Vehicle owners will be informed of the recall by the manufacturer or will receive a notice in their vehicle. They must then visit their Mini service partner immediately. Instead of a physical repair, BMW relies on a software update.

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The software contains a diagnostic function that reliably detects insulation faults in the high-voltage system and then discharges the battery to below 30 per cent, making a fire unlikely. If this occurs, the driver is asked to go to a branch or partner where the fault is investigated and, in the case of a leaking HV battery, repaired free of charge for the customer.