Over 235.000 MINI modeller bliver nu tilbagekaldt på verdensplan, grundet en potential brandfare forsaget af en defekt elektrisk vandpumpe. Tilbagekaldelsen som indbefatter biler i Danmark, inkluderer Cooper S i alle former, bygget mellem marts 2006 og januar 2011.Tilbagekaldelsen kommer efter, at undersøgelser viste at varme afgivet i ledningsnettet kunne skabe gløder i motorrummet. Der er indtil videre konstateret 4 brande i MINI modeller på verdensplan.
En talsperson fra MINI kommenterede:
We are not aware of any accidents or injuries connected with this. The important thing is that when people receive the letter, they simply go to their dealer and get a new water pump fitted if there is a problem.
Dette er ikke første gang at Mini er sat i forbindelser med brændende biler. Servopumpen monteret i benzin-drevne Minier produceret mellem 2001 og august 2003 rygtedes også at være brandfarlige, selvom BMW insisterede på at problemet udelukkende kunne skabe overophedning og glødning – ikke en decideret brand.
Den officielle pressemeddelelse er som følger:
The turbocharged engine of the Cooper S and John Cooper Works engines is equipped with an additional water pump which draws residual heat out of the turbocharger after the engine has been switched off, to prevent carbon build-up of the oil in the bearing. Under high operating temperatures an electro-migration can occur at the circuit board installed in the additional water pump. The electro-migration is caused by plastic additives in conjunction with high temperatures and can lead to a failure of the additional water pump. This can lead to a failure of the additional water pump or smouldering and in extremely rare cases the possibility of a fire cannot be excluded.