Investigations
Engine compartment fire
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE11036 — closed, opened 2011-10-11 and involving the MINI COOPER.
NHTSA investigation PE11036 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2011-10-11 and currently closed. The subject of record is MINI COOPER, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for MINI. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2012-06-12 — NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE11036 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "In a January 10, 2012 letter to NHTSA, BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in the electric auxiliary water pump in approximately 88,911 model year (MY) 2007-2..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related MINI files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
In a January 10, 2012 letter to NHTSA, BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in the electric auxiliary water pump in approximately 88,911 model year (MY) 2007-2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2006 through January 18, 2011 (Recall 12V-008). According to BMW, the auxiliary water pump on vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder turbocharged engines may overheat. Electro-migration can cause the pump electronic circuit board to overheat resulting in smoldering of the water pump. If smoldering occurs, it may lead to an engine compartment or vehicle fire. The pump supplier, Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH, redesigned the pump to address factors that may contribute to circuit board overheating. The redesigned pumps were completely implemented in production vehicles by January 2011. Recall 12V-008 was the third recall initiated by BMW to address electric auxiliary water pump fires in vehicles equipped with Pierburg pumps. In two October 20, 2011 letters to NHTSA, BMW submitted DIRs for similar auxiliary water pump defect conditions in approximately 32,084 MY 2008-2011 BMW 5-Series, 7-Series, X5 and X6 models equipped with 8- and 12-cylinder engines and manufactured from May 2008 through December 2010 (Recall 11V-521); and for approximately 589 MY 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from September 2009 through September 2010 (Recall 11V-522). In three separate April 5, 2012 letters to NHTSA, BMW submitted amendments to Recalls 11V-521, 11V-522 and 12V-008. The amendments all described a common defect condition related to a manufacturing process deviation in a certain production range of the redesigned Pierburg water pumps that could result in cracks in the pump housing, which may allow coolant to enter and contact the pump’s circuit board. BMW indicated that further analysis identified a specific machine process error at the sub-supplier that manufactures the water pump housing. Pump housing c
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Other MINI Investigations
Loss of power steering assist
EXHAUST PIPE BURNS
EXHAUST PIPE BURNS
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATION
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.