Major Problems with MINI Cooper Derived from Complaints & Recalls

Learn about the common problems with a used MINI Cooper to avoid purchasing a bad year of the model.

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Best and Worst Years for MINI Cooper

Explore the chart showing how many complaints have been filed for each year of MINI Cooper.

Model Year	Complaints
2012 Cooper	38
2011 Cooper	32
2010 Cooper	48
2009 Cooper	116
2008 Cooper	96
2007 Cooper	89
2006 Cooper	190
2005 Cooper	363
2004 Cooper	280
2003 Cooper	311
2002 Cooper	183

Worst 3 MINI Cooper complaints

2002 MINI Cooper AIR BAGS Victims: 3 Mileage: 46000 miles

2002 MINI Cooper AIR BAGS Victims: 2 Mileage: 200350 miles

2008 MINI Cooper AIR BAGS Victims: 2 Mileage: 103300 miles

Browse MINI Cooper complaints by category

Problems with STEERING, AIR BAGS and ENGINE are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from MINI Cooper owners.

Problem Category	Number of Problems
STEERING when driving 2 months ago was driving with my mom 9/13/1015 all 4 milestar tires busted dealer replaced them with...	740 ~ 75339 miles
AIR BAGS both front wheel bearings failing at 23 000 miles... ridiculous....	310 ~ 55732 miles
ENGINE purchased a certified pre-owned mini next 2012 clubman 6-speed with 6 498 miles on it 08/2013. * 10/14/2013 around 9k...	178 ~ 63809 miles
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM purchased a certified pre-owned mini next 2012 clubman 6-speed with 6 498 miles on it 08/2013. * 10/14/2013 around 9k...	126 ~ 61984 miles
POWER TRAIN electronic fuel pump failed twice within a year. manual transmission - clutch does not engage gears properly. friction point is...	103 ~ 68701 miles
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN tl*the contact owns a 2008 bmw mini cooper. while driving approximately 35 mph the transmission monitor light illuminated on the...	93 ~ 60127 miles
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING tl* the contact owns a 2012 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the turbo charger was not properly shielded...	59 ~ 38771 miles
WINDSHIELD > VISIBILITY 2010 minicooper. consumer writes regarding a stress crack that developed on the windshield unrelated to any impact *tgw the consumer	46 ~ 14586 miles
SEATS passenger seatbelt element sensor malfunctioned. we had to replace the entire passenger seat cushion with new sensor for a cost...	43 ~ 64898 miles
UNKNOWN OR OTHER both front wheel bearings failing at 23 000 miles... ridiculous....	43 ~ 61233 miles
PUMP > HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST > STEERING absolutely no unusual noises or any other symptoms leading up to the failure. car has about 53 000 miles on...	28 ~ 69105 miles
MANUAL TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated that the vehicle clutch was defective. the vehicle was...	24 ~ 62519 miles
SEAT BELTS right and left seatbelt a jammed. will not release. this was repaired and this happened again on may 14 2014.	20 ~ 61944 miles
ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2011 mini cooper. consumer states vehicle broke down while traveling *tgw the consumer stated the engine failed which caused oil...	19 ~ 9941 miles
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL the new mini cooper that i leased started to have acceleration problems around 6500 miles. what happens is a hesitation...	17 ~ 59690 miles
HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM > STEERING dt: the consumer stated that power steering stopped functioning and turning the car was difficult or near impossible. this happened...	15 ~ 49144 miles
EXTERIOR LIGHTING brake light failed bulb could not be removed from inside the vehicle. dealer said the complete assembly would need to...	14 ~ 65931 miles
SERVICE BRAKES tl*the contact owns a 2012 mini cooper. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed there was a...	14 ~ 74362 miles
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM tl* the contact owns na 2012 mini cooper s countryman. the contact stated that while driving 65mph the vehicle stalled...	14 ~ 62891 miles
BODY > STRUCTURE while driving down the highway on a winter day the rear panel of the panoramic sunroof literally expanded upward and...	12 ~ 92816 miles
ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM > STEERING tl*the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. while parked outside of a retirement center the contact was informed that his...	12 ~ 62290 miles
EQUIPMENT we took our 2008 mini cooper to a mini dealer because of a warning light and it was diagnosed with...	10 ~ 28925 miles
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL dsc and brake light turned appeared on tachometer display in yellow and does not go out. dsc button if pressed...	10 ~ 79940 miles
POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS > VISIBILITY passenger side electric window ceased operation in the 'up' position. due to the vehicle design the top of the window...	10 ~ 36040 miles
MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE > EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING letter from senator flake on behalf of constituent re 2011 mini cooper. (please respond by fax or electronic mail: [email protected])....	9 ~ 17715 miles
WHEELS when driving 2 months ago was driving with my mom 9/13/1015 all 4 milestar tires busted dealer replaced them with...	9 ~ 71631 miles
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES tl* the contact owns a 2010 mini cooper. the contact stated that the door locks on the driver and passenger...	8 ~ 32770 miles
OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION > SENSOR > AIR BAGS the passenger seat air bag light came on one day when starting the car. i took it into a mini...	7 ~ 67714 miles
SUSPENSION when driving 2 months ago was driving with my mom 9/13/1015 all 4 milestar tires busted dealer replaced them with...	7 ~ 81430 miles
STRUCTURE tl* the contact owns a 2011 mini cooper. the contact stated that the gear link became stuck as the contact...	7 ~ 22355 miles
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE our countryman unexpectedly ran out of gas when the digital fuel level display still had two bars illuminated and the...	7 ~ 57299 miles
CLUTCH ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. the contact stated while driving 50 mph and attempting to shift into...	6 ~ 55812 miles
FRONT PASSENGER > OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION > SENSOR the passenger seat air bag light came on one day when starting the car. i took it into a mini...	5 ~ 73200 miles
EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING the tailpipe of the subject vehicle extends beyond the rear bumper. my lower leg inadvertently made contact with the exhaust...	5 ~ 14480 miles
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC tl* the contact owns a 2010 mini cooper. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph when pressure was applied to...	5 ~ 39625 miles
SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE > FRONTAL > AIR BAGS tl*the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. while driving approximately 35 mph the front passenger air bag light illuminated although...	5 ~ 41240 miles
TIRES yesterday my 23-year daughter experienced a dangerous incident with bursting of the right front wheel tire while driving on the...	5 ~ 25732 miles
VISIBILITY/WIPER while traveling on i90 at approximately 72mph i heard a very loud pop and part of my panoramic sunroof had...	4 ~ 86750 miles
SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY > VISIBILITY while driving down the highway on a winter day the rear panel of the panoramic sunroof literally expanded upward and...	4 ~ 56947 miles
LATCH > DOORS > LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES tl* the contact owns a 2005 mini cooper. the contact stated that the interior driver side door handle would become...	4 ~ 34625 miles
MECHANICAL > EQUIPMENT a 2009 mini cooper clutch was defective was replaced in may of 2010 and in august of 2010 the clutch...	4 ~ 48750 miles
COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1/10/2010 i my heater was blowing cold air and my engine temp indicator was jumping around. i called mini of...	4 ~ 44434 miles
REAR > SUSPENSION tl*the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. the contact heard a loud noise while driving 10 mph out of the...	4 ~ 44000 miles
FRONTAL > AIR BAGS passenger airbag disabled light illuminates with fullgrown adult (weighing more than 160 pounds) properly seated while wearing seatbelt. car has...	4 ~ 32752 miles
VISIBILITY passenger side window on my 2004 mini cooper will not come down. *tr...	4 ~ 128250 miles
FRONT > SUSPENSION 2004 mini cooper had several problem with front excel hydoroplates and dangerous car to drive. *tr...	4 ~ 40750 miles
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY dear nhtsa i nearly lost my life 3wks back my car is filled with aftermarket prdt. my cars computer is...	3 ~ 73333 miles
HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS > DELIVERY > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2007 mini cooper. consumer states problem with fuel line *tgw the consumer stated she noticed a very strong smell of...	3
FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY > MANUAL TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN the shift linkage came disconnected from the transmission. i has unable to change gears. i looked on the nhtsa site...	3 ~ 45850 miles
INFLATOR MODULE > PASSENGER SIDE > FRONTAL we took our 2008 mini cooper to a mini dealer because of a warning light and it was diagnosed with...	2 ~ 105000 miles
RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. > ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT radio not working first the cd player stopped working approximately one month previously. then the radio started to go in...	2 ~ 22538 miles
SIDE/WINDOW > AIR BAGS i was driving on a houston tx freeway going 60 mph when the car to the left of me suddenly...	2 ~ 14850 miles
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM my 2008 mini cooper speedometer is off by approximately 6 miles an hour. so that if i am actually driving...	2 ~ 33172 miles
FAN > COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING vent fan in motor compartment spontaneously caught fire causing damage to various electrical components and smoke damage. *tr...	2 ~ 62000 miles
WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM my car was brought into the dealership for an oil change and rear brake repair on tuesday (june 26 2007)....	2 ~ 63263 miles
DIFFERENTIAL UNIT > DRIVELINE > POWER TRAIN front wheel rubbing noises at low speed when turning hard left or hard right. mini dealer told me that the	2 ~ 42350 miles
ACCELERATOR PEDAL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL dt*: the contact stated under normal conditions the accelerator broke from the stock and flopped about loosely. although the pedal...	2 ~ 12390 miles
PARKING BRAKE dt: consumer's wife parked the car on a slight incline in the driveway about 3-5 minutes later she heard a...	2 ~ 33250 miles
DOOR > BODY > STRUCTURE tl* the contact owns a 2010 mini cooper. the contact stated while driving 65 mph the rear hatch door became...	1 ~ 51000 miles
LATCH > HOOD > LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES i had this car serviced about 4 times during the 4 yr warranty period. just after the warranty period the...	1 ~ 49025 miles
POWER STEERING FLUID > HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST > STEERING i own a 2004 mini cooper the power steering pump completely stopped working without prior warning. we were on our...	1
MACPHERSON STRUT > FRONT > SUSPENSION tl*the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. the driver was driving at an unknown speed when the steering wheel became...	1 ~ 60000 miles
HOOD > BODY > STRUCTURE tl* the contact owns a 2010 mini cooper. the contact stated that the vehicle hood scoop was designed with defective...	1 ~ 12500 miles
HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE > BODY > STRUCTURE the upper right hinge on the rear hatchdoor of my 2003 mini sheared in half causing the door to spring...	1 ~ 53000 miles
STABILIZER BAR > FRONT > SUSPENSION tl* the contact owns a 2007 mini cooper. the contact stated when traveling at any speed there was an unusual...	1 ~ 31000 miles
HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS > HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST > STEERING tl* the contact owns a 2004 mini cooper. he contact noticed an unknown fluid leak on the ground under the...	1 ~ 54000 miles
RECLINER > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEATS tl* the contact owns a 2006 mini cooper. he stated that while driving at 45 mph when he leaned forward...	1 ~ 54000 miles
PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS > TIRES 2004 mini cooper with motor mount electrical flat tire sensors issues. cvt transmission replacement recommended. *tgw one day while driving...	1
ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT 1. the malfunction happens spontaneously 2. the power steering pump malfunctions and causes the steering wheel to be stiff placing...	1 ~ 70000 miles
CALIPER > DISC > SERVICE BRAKES, AIR i have a 2002 mini cooper with 52k miles the transmission has went out twice in the past 2 years...	1 ~ 56344 miles
COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY > MANUAL TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN 2002 mini cooper with <55 000 miles (same owner) the shift cable detached from the transmission shift linkage while i...	1
ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC constant grinding noise coming front my front brakes. had sensors replaced front and rear brakes replaced and the master cylinder	1 ~ 110000 miles
ABS WARNING LIGHT > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC tl*the contact owns a 2003 mini cooper. in april of 2007 the abs light illuminated twice and has remained lit...	1 ~ 72500 miles
MOTOR > WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER > VISIBILITY windshield wipers failed while driving in rain. the dealer diagnosed problem as wiper motor failure. i noticed that the wiper...	1 ~ 56800 miles
COLUMN > STEERING owner noticed change in steering resulting in hard turning and no return of steering wheel without assistance after turning vehicle....	1 ~ 64482 miles
LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS > WHEELS (1) events: driving long distance after approximately 4 hours i noticed that the left front wheel was making clunking noises....	1 ~ 2000 miles
RIM > WHEELS (1) events: driving long distance after approximately 4 hours i noticed that the left front wheel was making clunking noises....	1 ~ 2000 miles
RACK > RACK AND PINION > STEERING failure of steering gear assembly resulting in replacement of assembly 3x. failure resulted in more difficulty turning steering wheel and...	1 ~ 59112 miles
BRAKE LIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING dt: consumer was driving home when people starting honking and waving at consumer. brake lights were not working. consumer had...	1 ~ 79 miles
GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) > EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM dt: caller burned very badly her leg because the tail pipe stuck out too far. tail pipe did not have...	1 ~ 18000 miles
DELIVERY > FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER purchased car new 10/2004. in february 2005 it began to act as if it was going to die at low...	1 ~ 6000 miles
INTERIOR/UNDER DASH > WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM while driving 10 mph a fire started in the dashboard. consumer managed to pull over and put out the fire	1 ~ 73000 miles
TANK ASSEMBLY > STORAGE > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE while driving at highway speed fuel tank exploded without warning. as a result engine failed. *ak...	1 ~ 20000 miles
INFLATOR MODULE > DRIVER SIDE > FRONTAL the airbag light came on i took car in and took the car to mini dealer. the side airbag harness	1 ~ 8000 miles
AIR CONDITIONER > APPLIANCE > EQUIPMENT when the air conditioning is on car stalls or stumbles while starting movement in first gear. this causes merges left	1 ~ 5950 miles
CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) > AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN car almost stalls when trying to accelerate from a complete stop. acceleration rates vary and sometimes are dangerously slow car	1 ~ 5125 miles
INTERIOR LIGHTING the interior lights flashed intermittently. *jb...	1
FLOOR SHIFT > LEVER AND LINKAGE > AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION while driving on the highway between 50-55 mph put vehicle in neutral gear to coast before slowing down went to...	1 ~ 9000 miles

FAQ

What year MINI Cooper is the most reliable?

Speaking of the models produced in the last 11 years, MINI Cooper models of 2011, 2012, 2010 year of manufacture have had the least number of complaints.

What year was a bad year for MINI Cooper?

MINI Cooper models of 2005 and 2003 are probably the years to be avoided like the plague due to a higher than an average number of issues reported.

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