NHTSA Complaint #11526299 — 2023 MINI COOPER

I am writing about the air recirculation system in the Mini Cooper SE (and possibly other Minis). From Mini (by email) they state that "To prevent window condensation, recirculated-air mode for your MINI switches off automatically after a certain amount of time, depending on the outside temperature. There is no setting to keep recirculated-air mode on indefinitely." I found this to be a mild inconvenience when bad smells occur (following a garbage truck) or when the pollen count was high. However, given the recent instance of the Wild Fires in Canada causing unsafe breathing conditions outside - this "feature," as they state it, is actually a major safety hazard. Without the ability to stop outside air from coming into the compartment, it becomes hard to breathe and is unsafe to drive in events where the air quality is compromised. I would like to file a formal complaint about the safety issue this creates: without the ability of the driver to keep the air recirculation button engaged, it can be unsafe in certain situations. And the alternative, which they claim to be correcting for (trying to prevent condensation on the window) can easily be handled by the driver. Thank you for your time reviewing this issue. Kurt