A fleet of Mini Cooper cars have been recalled due to a brake light fault.
It’s not yet known exactly how many Mini Coopers could be recalled worldwide.
According to regulators, BMW is recalling 16,883 Mini Cooper Clubman, Mini Cooper S Clubman and Mini JCW Clubman cars to address the potential brake light malfunction.
The cars are in the 2016 and 2017 model years, and they’re arguably a road traffic accident waiting to happen!
Brake lamp malfunction
The issue is that when these cars brake with a turn signal on, the inner bumper-mounted brake light may go out. This means that when the driver is putting their brake light on to indicate a turning, the lights may not show as they would ordinarily on other cars.
This can cause alarm bells to ring – if brake lights don’t show, other drivers may not be alerted to the driver turning or braking at all; which consequently could cause accidents.
BMW has stated that, although part of the brake lamp remains illuminated, another part of the brake lamp may no longer be illuminated.
As regulators rightly pointed out:
“…if the brake light does not illuminate when a turn signal is activated, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.”
Recall fix
Mini Cooper dealers can use software to re-programme the cars to correct the brake light malfunction. BMW has agreed that the service will be free of charge for all affected vehicle owners. The recall started on 22nd May 2017 but it’s not known how many have had the recall fix completed.
All affected vehicle owners should’ve received a letter in April notifying them of the recall, and advising them to immediately schedule an appointment with an authorised dealer to have the vehicles re-programmed. BMW advises that if you haven’t received a letter regarding the recall, it’s probably best to wait for the notification before contacting the dealer.
Image Credit:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mini_Cooper_Facelift_rear.JPG
