MINI has put deliveries of its latest models on ice over a safety recall due to potentially defective parts.
Delays have occurred to orders of the new three and five-door Cooper and the Countryman SUV because of an impending brake system recall that has already affected the manufacturer’s parent company BMW.
Around 80,000 BMW and Rolls-Royce models worldwide have been called back for the same issue, which could see drivers lose control of their cars.
Mini UK confirmed to Autocar it had “partially” halted deliveries of Cooper and Countryman models due to the problem.
It is thought to be the same issue that has already sparked recalls in February for BMW’s latest 5 Series and 7 Series as well as the current generations of the X1, X3, X5, X6, X7 and XM SUVs.
Also affected are the electric i5 and i7 as well as Rolls-Royce’s first EV, the £330,000 Spectre.
The issue relates to the integrated braking system, which determines the level of feel and feedback given to the driver through the brake pedal.
ABS and stability control system defects were found to potentially cause power breaking assistance to fail in the BMW models which have already been recalled.
The problem could mean drivers lost control of their car.
The BMW Group said it is temporarily putting on hold deliveries of new Mini Coopers, including the Convertible, and Countrymans and is looking to extend the recall action “as additional cases outside the original scope of the recall have been identified”.
A spokesperson for Mini told Autocar: “Some new Mini vehicles, which are affected by the extension of the safety-related recall for the integrated braking system, are currently on hold and will be delivered to customers as soon as the respective parts have been exchanged.”
They added: “BMW Group UK is in discussions with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and will announce the intended remedy actions imminently.
“Where vehicles are recalled, affected customers in the UK will be informed via a letter to the registered keeper.”
Order books for new Minis are still open despite existing deliveries being on hold.
In February this year, Mini revealed the last Cooper model of its kind, with an overhauled new look, as it nears the end of its seven-decade production run.
The beloved motor can trace its roots back to 1961 and has become one of the UK’s most popular cars, with the original achieving icon status through its role in The Italian Job with Michael Caine.
After previously scrapping the manual version of the model altogether, parent company BMW has now announced that this will be the last generation of the Cooper with a combustion engine.
The Mini Cooper emerged in 1961 as the result of the friendship between the British Motor Corporation’s head designer, Sir Alec Issigonis, and John Cooper, the head of the Cooper Car Company.
Cooper, who was also a designer of F1 cars, felt that the original Mini, first produced in 1959, had the potential to be tuned up for the world of motorsport.
The car debuted under both the Austin and Morris brands and was a commercial hit, with over 80,000 Mk I versions sold.
The Cooper was considered an icon of ’60s Britain, particularly after they were used by Michael Caine and his band of bullion thieves in 1969’s The Italian Job.
The original was discontinued in 1971 before being revived in 1990 under the ownership of the Rover Group, following the collapse of British Leyland.
Mini was then purchased as a standalone brand by BMW Group in 2000 when Rover was liquidated and continues to produce the Cooper to this day.
The lineage is set to continue on beyond 2030 in the form of an electric supermini bearing the iconic Cooper nameplate.
The brand is set to make a switch to an all-electric lineup by 2030, with a Cooper EV already on sale.
This leaves no room for the petrol variant, which is set to die off by the end of the decade.
It comes after Mini discontinued another of its best-known models earlier this year.
The final Clubman rolled off production lines in February, marking the end of its 50-year history.
It too will see an EV replacement in the form of the Aceman, while the Countryman model will continue to represent the brand in the SUV market for the time being.
