So there I was, stuck on Sheikh Zayed Road in bumper-to-bumper traffic with the temperature gauge creeping up and the AC starting to blow warm air – honestly one of the worst feelings ever, especially when you're watching the needle get closer to the red zone and there's nowhere to pull over. I managed to get off the highway and let it cool down, but now I'm paranoid about driving it anywhere until I figure out what's going on. The coolant level seemed fine, so I'm guessing it could be the thermostat or maybe the water pump, which I've read is a common headache on these models once they hit a certain mileage. I've been looking into places that actually specialize in European cars because I don't trust just anyone to poke around under the bonnet, and I came across alzaabiautocare.com/brands/mini-cooper while searching for experienced workshops in Abu Dhabi. Has anyone dealt with a similar overheating scare and found it was something simple, or am I bracing myself for an expensive fix? Really hoping it's not as bad as my brain is making it out to be.