Mini Countryman: more than 300 diesel models recalled locally

Affecting 329 R60 Mini Cooper D Countryman models built between August 1, 2010 and March 18, 2013, the recall stems from the possibility of moisture penetrating an adapter cable on the cars’ electric power steering (EPS) unit.

According to the official recall notice on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) product safety recalls website, moisture penetrating the plug-in connection of the EPS’s adapter cable could cause electro-corrosion on the contacts.

“In unfavourable cases, high moisture ingress may lead to the vehicle catching fire," the notice says.

Mini product communications manager Scott Croaker told CarAdvice, the replacement of the potentially defective cable should take just over an hour to complete, and will take place at no cost to owners of the affected vehicles.

Croaker said the manufacturer is contacting owners by mail and has had no reports of any injuries relating to the defect inside Australia.

The Mini Cooper D is available from $37,100 with a six-speed manual transmission tied to an 82kW/270Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel or from $39,450 with a six-speed automatic partnered to a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel unit with identical outputs.

The recall from Mini, a brand owned by BMW, is unrelated to the recent recall of 1143 diesel-powered BMW vehicles.