Exterior Lighting Problems of Mini Cooper - part 1

The rear brake lights and rear signal indicator lights keep going in and out arbitrarily. It's dangerous because it will work fine and then just randomly stop working and then work again. People can't tell if I'm stopping or turning when this randomly occurs. This is currently not a recall on my Mini, however, I saw that it is a recall on other Minis and it seems mine is having the same issue so it's possible they all have similar or the same faulty wiring/electrical for the brake lights and signal indicator lights.

See all problems of the 2016 Mini Cooper 🔎.

The passenger airbag with seat belt icon is always indicating no one is in the seat or not buckled. The alert icon for the lighting is also on and we have replaced bulbs and still won’t work and the windows at times just randomly stops would have to unplug battery for it to reset for the windows only. I just bought this car and have registered since. Was told there was several recalls with the same issue I am experiencing. Please include my car for the proper recalls so I can have a safe reliable vehicle for my family.

See all problems of the 2010 Mini Cooper 🔎.

My car has had an exterior lighting problem related to a bad frm. This is causing my lights not to work. After seeking help, I saw that there was an actual recall on the frm and I decided to take my car to International Mini dealership in wisconsin. Once there, they proceeded to only fix the leak on sunroof. I then went back and explained that the leak had caused actual damage to the frm and connectors and they told me to leave the car for another night. Next day I went to pick it up and they gave me the paperwork stating that they had replaced and reprogrammed the frm but the problem persist. The connector on the frm are also water corroded and they just refuse to do anything else to the car. I can’t drive my car due to the safety hazard of not having any exterior lights working.

See all problems of the 2009 Mini Cooper 🔎.

Blinkers stopped working and windows are no long rolling down.

See all problems of the 2013 Mini Cooper 🔎.

Rear passenger tail light casing/bucket had burnt connections. Replaced casing/bucket and bulb. Worked for short time, tail light failed a second time. Casing/bucket & bulb replaced, again worked for short time and then went out. Took vehicle to another mechanic after passenger side headlight failed. New mechanic checked casings/bucket - connections looked okay, however both wiring harnesses were severely burnt. Headlight harness was all bare wires. Mechanic unable to determine cause of the severe heat that would lead to both the headlight & taillight wiring harnesses becoming burnt so severely. Mechanic was concerned of the potential for this issue to cause vehicle fire. Suggested to follow up with dealership to have lights & wiring harnesses on driver side checked after research online regarding this year/make/model - I have found numerous other reports of other owners experiencing the same issues with burned wiring harnesses causing both front and rear light failure with no known causes.

The car showed a check vehicle light. Looks like a car being lifted up (red light). The windows do not move up or down, light switches do not work and the blinkers do not work. I was told by my mechanic it was the footwell module. I read there was a recall for this but my VIN wasn't on the list. Is it possible to check to see if it should have been on the list for the recall?.

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.

See all problems of the 2007 Mini Cooper 🔎.

On Dec 17, 2019, mileage was 47,744 I took Mini for service, and told them that the front right headlight didn't work, they replaced the light bulb and they found out that the headlight was still inoperable, and internally shorted. They didn't want to include it in the extended warranty. The Mini has electrical issues (frm). The headlight wires are damaged inside the light housing and are bare-striped even if you change the light bulb when you hit a bump the wires touch the bulb short out. So my car was under the extended warranty when I took it to braman mitors miami for service but they failed to correct the problem. BMW of north America extended the warranty for 10 years /156,000 miles whichever occurs first, as determined by your vehicle's service date (original service date is 3/16/2010) extending the limited warranty for the footwell module (frm) this problem is a known problem by BMW / Mini they currently have open recalls on the model, series, production date, and year. But since hardly anyone files complaints to NHTSA in fla, this problem is ongoing. May 11, 2023, under violation of federal law (the safety act) dealers can't sell, lease, or deliver any vehicle until recall repairs have been performed. But they overlook the problem at the dealership when the car is in the shop for service. I was given a multi-point inspection it passed 28 of them lol, but the first one (operation of all light and signals, (passed). . . Lol so how can this test pass? when I picked up the Mini nothing was working turn signals, the front right headlight, windows, hazard lights, fog lights. However, the dealer overlooks the safety recall and wants to charge the client an additional charge to diagnose the frm. They gave me an estimate for $1,985. 38 if I had approved the work that they said the Mini needed, but nothing to do with the recall (frm) is this how BMW handles this safety recall? they don't care to solve the problem at any level dealer or manufacturer.

I bought the car in August 2023 from carmax they were aware of recall , my car has no headlight, brake lights, door states open when not , windows do not roll down, cannot use alarm, will not lock, smells hot , I spoke with Mini Cooper and there is no remedy this is my only car I transport my grandchildren to and from school , I lost house due to a fire a yr ago , and lost everything , and see that a fire is at risk. Mini Cooper says nothing they can do because no remedy, carmax should not of sold this car with a recall .

See all problems of the 2012 Mini Cooper 🔎.

* component/ system that has malfunctioned and failed - the driver side tail light circuit board and pig tail malfunctioned. The connector has corroded and the plastic plug housing looks melted on the earth / brown wire. This in return damages the the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal the reverse light and the brake light inoperable on the effected side. Yes, my vehicle is available for inspection at any time. *a driver behind an affected vehicle could be confused which could increase the risk of a crash. Vehicle has been inspected by a licensed Mini dealership. They failed to report two of the three nonworking rear lights that have failed due to the connector becoming corroded. The corroded plastic plug housing becomes melted on the earth / brown wire. This in return damages the the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal and brake light inoperable on the effected side. In this case it is the rear driver side. *there was/ is no warning until long after the first second and/ or third rear light(s) were not operable. Intermittently (sometimes) a warning will popup when turning on the vehicle. The vehicle will not warn the driver about and and / or all three lights each and every time the vehicle is turned on. Also while the vehicle is in drive or in reverse , the driver will not have any warning what so ever that the three lights 1. The driver side rear break light 2. The driver side rear reverse light 3. The driver side rear turn signal are not working due to a malfunction. * note that there is a very strong burnt/melted smell that comes from the connector as well. I could smell it on my fingers after removing the connector so I could check the rear bulbs for replacement. Please note the 1st photo-this is how the dealership left my connector after their assessment. Additional photos are of the connector/ pig tail/ circuit board corrosion. Intermittent warrnings for some of the nonworking lights.

There is a design issue resulting in failure of the connector for the rear tail light assembly. The connector corrodes and the plastic plug housing melts. This damages the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal and brake light inoperable on the effected side. This has happened on the right rear of our Mini Cooper jcw hardtop. Searching on the web shows this to be a common problem for the f55, f56 & f57 Minis. As this failure makes the car brake light system non-compliant with fmvss lighting requirements, there should be a recall to address this issue.

Driverside headlight assembly flickers everytime when you turn the key to position 1 with selector on off or auto. Flickers multiple times but doesn'tturn on unless I cycle the key on off until headlight does. This annoyance would reoccur the very next morning. Passenger headlight assembly doesn't have any issues.

See all problems of the 2002 Mini Cooper 🔎.

The footwell module that controls the lights, brake lights windows and dashboard is faulty on all Mini Cooper of this module. Every time I change my battery or disconnect it the module brakes and the dealership knows this problem and still want to charge 1300 dollars to fix it it is a safety and hazard issue.

My car is affected by this recall and I have no turn signals, dash lights, high beams, working windows, security system, or backup sensors. There are also codes thrown which prevents me from renewing my registration due to deq test failure. The dealership can’t do anything and BMW north America has done nothing to remedy things.

Headlights, blinker, windows, power steering,not working!!!.

See all problems of the 2011 Mini Cooper 🔎.

Can't use turn signals and can't lower windows to use hand signals, almost got rear ended.

The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the turn signal, interior lights, hazard lights, fog lights, brake lights, windows, and exterior lights were inoperable. The service now warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v337000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Rear tail lights have a bulb socket and a 6-pin connector that have a tendency to burn at the brown ground wire where the connector and bulb socket meet. Requiring replacement of both parts and disabling the rear tail light (brake, turn, and reverse lights). It requires rewiring the 6-pin connector and replacing the bulb socket. About $60 in parts. When this occurs it an alert comes on the dash of a malfunction to all three rear lighting functions. One or all three of the lights can be affected. However, due to the complexity of the parts and labor required, it can be burdensome for people to diagnose and then afford to repair, if they don’t know how to repair themselves. Web searches helped me diagnose the issue and find the burnt connections on our vehicle, with folks commenting of a known issue on Minis and bmws for this type of connection, surprised it hasn’t been part of a recall. . Read more...

While driving, my turn signals, power windows and lights stopped working. I believe this is due to the footwell module recall, but the dealer will not replace the module because there isn't a remedy for the recall. It's been 5 months now.

Tail light assembly including brake light and turn signal failed due to burnt electrical socket and connector. This is caused by a faulty grounding point that is very clearly a manufacturing issue but wasn't considered as a recall for some odd reason. This issue is prominent in several BMW 3,4, and 5 series models.

The contact owns a 2017 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while that vehicle was parked, the vehicle was turned on that there was a message on the instrument panel stating that there was a taillight malfunction. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the driver’s side rear taillight had not illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the driver’s side taillight housing and connector needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

See all problems of the 2017 Mini Cooper 🔎.

Rear tail light malfunction due to defective ground, melting connectors to rear break lights and indicators. Lack of break lights and indicators is a risk to motorist safety as a whole.

The frm module on my 2010 Mini Cooper s failed in 2022. I was unable to access multiple functions on the vehicle, including interior and exterior lighting, window controls, and other operations that worked randomly during this time. . Read more...

Left side headlight has needed to be replaced three different times at a cost of $1400 each time.

1. (lighting) the front lights of the car kept turning off and on. We would always go to the repair shop every time the lights began to malfunction. (engine) the oil was sticky which was not normal and the water entered inside. (brakes) when you turned on the car, noises came from the brakes which were concerning and risky to drive in. 2. This car was risky to drive due to the problems with the oil and brakes. 3. Yes, this problem has already been confirmed by a dealer. 4. No. 5. No.

The contact owns a 2008 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the headlights and taillights failed to illuminate as needed. The contact was able to drive safely to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with footwell (frm) module failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

See all problems of the 2008 Mini Cooper 🔎.

Entire driver side tail lamp assembly stopped working (includes running light, brake light, reverse light, and blinker). Dash board did display warning (while driving) of lights malfunction, but nevertheless stopped working while driving. Upon further inspection, found a “short” / melted pig tail (electrical connector) connecting to the rear of the lamp assembly. (both the connector and pig tail showed signs of melted plastic/fire hazard). After further investigation, I realized this is not an isolated incident as I found multiple threads/posts on the Mini Cooper (f56) internet forums, in which multiple owners complained of the same issue (many posting pictures as I have), which dates back many years, link to forum attached. . Read more...

See all problems of the 2019 Mini Cooper 🔎.

The lighting and small system computer or frm module. This module controls any features including safety features on the car. Also known as the footwell module. After having aaa install a new battery within days the widows would not go down my turn signals, hazard lights, dash lights, courtesy lights, tail lights, horn, high beam headlights and possibly airbags don’t work. Mini will fix the problem if the car is ten years old or less, but any car that is older doesn’t qualify. Mini goes by manufacturing date of the car. My but it was not sold into service until 2011. They refuse to fix it and the repair cost was $1828. 24. I have had other problems as well. Mini needs to acknowledge this problem issue a recall and refund those of us that have been victimized by not making this a recall issue. Mini must be confronted by NHTSA put on notice, considering these are major safety issues that could result in injury or death. Part number= fp 61-35-6-827-072.

While driving home one night the following items failed to work: head lights; turn signals, front windows (so no hand signals); hazard lights; interior lights; and speedometer dash light. This occurred shortly after a battery change. I am not sure if tail of brake lights function at this time. Driving the vehicle in this condition presents a unacceptable safety concern. During daily light hours I had already noticed the turn signal issue and just thought maybe a relay was bad and had not had time to investigate. Investigation revealed the failed part is the footwell module, and that this is a known issue by Mini Cooper. Rather than issue a recall and fix the parts, they offered an extended warranty that lasted 10 years (which expired 13 months ago for my car). As a safety issue, this should have been a recall for all vehicles, not a wait til people have a fail to fix. This issue affects newer models as well.

Some how from one day to another the signal doesn’t works for any dirección, horn, high lighting doesn’t work, only works the posición light but doesn’t respond if I use the control to turn off or change the option.

Tl the contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while parked, the contact attempted to pull down the front driver side sun visor and the clip fractured causing the interior light to remain illuminated. The vehicle was taken to braman motorcars (2801 okeechobee blvd, west palm beach, FL 33409) however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,462.

The lighting and small system computer or frm module. This module controls any features including safety features on the car. My turn signals, hazard lights, dash lights, courtesy lights, tail lights, windows, horn, high beam headlights and possibly airbags don’t work. Mini will fix the problem if the car is ten years old or less, but any car that is older doesn’t qualify. My car is a 2011 but I bought it new in 2012. They refuse to fix it and the repair cost is around $2000. I have had so many other problems with my car that have cost me several thousands of dollars and I feel like Mini should fix this problem considering these are safety features that could result in injury or death.

Rear light connector over heating, melting and shorting.

Car malfunctioned to include, high beams, blinkers and window mechanisms. Mini service department acknowledged that this is a known issue.

Driving off-ramp at 35 mph power steering stopped functioning and steering became really hard, lights went off, ac stopped working, and lots of engine lights came up, almost crashed when turning a corner and engine started failing. . . . . Got home and shut off car, when tried to turn on again, it failed to start. . . . . . .

See all problems of the 2004 Mini Cooper 🔎.