NHTSA Complaint #11234632 — 2018 MINI COUNTRYMAN

VEHICLE'S SWITCH CONTROLLING HEADLIGHTS WAS LEFT IN THE "PARKING LIGHTS ON" MODE INADVERTENTLY (IT OPENED TERMINAL 15 PER MINI). CAR WOULD NOT START LESS THAN 12 HOURS LATER. MINI REPORTS THAT THIS "DAMAGED THE BATTERY BEYOND REPAIR" AND SAID IT WAS NOT SUBJECT TO WARRANTY REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE USER HAD OPERATED THE SWITCH. IF THIS HAPPENED FOR MANY MINI OWNERS, PEOPLE WOULD BE STRANDED AND LEFT IN A DANGEROUS CONDITION. FURTHERMORE, THIS IS CLEARLY SOMETHING MINI IS CHOOSING TO IGNORE AND CLASSIFY AS USER ERROR WHEN IT IS A DEFECT. MINI CHARGED $600+ PLUS DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE BATTERY, REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE AND PHYSICALLY INSTALL THE NEW BATTERY. THE DEALER REP SAID HE HAS PERSONALLY SEEN 6 OTHER VEHICLES THIS YEAR ALONE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM.