BMW MINI Hardtop 2 Door Cooper SE Battery Fire Risk

BMW of North America, LLC. will be contacting the owners of certain 2020-2024 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE) vehicles. These vehicles may have a significant issue in the high voltage battery system that could potentially increase the risk of a fire. Owners of these vehicles should expect to be contacted by BMW in the coming weeks with instructions on how to proceed.

BMW became aware of the problem in October 2023 when they received reports of a thermal event involving a MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE) in the United States. The incident prompted an engineering analysis to determine the root cause. A few months later, a similar incident was reported in Germany, further raising concerns. Detailed analyses of these vehicles revealed isolation faults within the high voltage battery, which could lead to dangerous malfunctions.

To better understand the situation, BMW and its parent company, BMW AG, reviewed field data and vehicle diagnostic information. This investigation aimed to identify any vehicles that might have experienced similar faults in their high voltage systems. Additionally, BMW scrutinized vehicle assembly records and supplier production processes to pinpoint the potentially affected vehicles.

On August 8, 2024, BMW decided to conduct a voluntary recall, identified as 24V-612, to address the identified risks. While only two customer complaints or field instances related to this issue have been reported, BMW is taking measures to ensure the safety of all MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE) owners.

To resolve the problem, BMW will be providing a software update to the affected vehicles. This update includes a diagnostic function that can detect malfunctions in the high voltage battery. In the event of a detected malfunction, the system will automatically discharge the battery to a safer level (below 30% State-of-Charge) by activating the high voltage battery emergency mode.

Owners of the affected MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE) vehicles will receive a notification via First Class mail. This notice will advise them to schedule an appointment with an authorized MINI dealer to have the software update applied. Owners are encouraged to respond promptly to the recall notice and ensure that the necessary software update is performed on their vehicles.