MINI Cooper S under investigation in U.S. over fires

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the MINI Cooper S over reports of fires in 2007-2008 cars.

The MINI has been a big success in the US, and an even bigger success when you consider the American penchant for cars the size of a small aircraft carrier.

And one of the favourite MINIs in the US is the hottest version of the MINI – the Cooper S.

But following a spate of reports about the MINI Cooper S catching fire, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has set up an investigation to try and see if there’s a common problem.

The investigation is looking at the 36,000 MINI Coopers registered in 2007 and 2008 after 12 reports of the cars catching fire. Which doesn’t seem a lot of cars out of the 36,000 cars registered.

But it seems the reports of the fires in the Cooper are increasing, with most of the complaints received in the last year, so the authorities want to make sure the cause is coincidental, and not as a result of component deterioration.

It seems that of the 12 complaints received – and you can bet your boots that number will rise now the investigation has been announced – 8 fires have started when the MINI was turned off and parked.

As it’s Sunday we don’t expect a response from BMW/MINI in the UK as to whether they will be looking at cars on this side of the Pond, but if we get feedback we’ll update this report.

Still, if it’s good enough for the 458 Italia…