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FaultScore report

2015 Mini Cooper S problems

Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 2015 Mini Cooper S with NHTSA between 2015 and 2026. The largest single group is the engine & cooling. Across this model's run it ranks 12 of 15 worst.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Mini Cooper S All 2015 cars
B

FaultScore 35/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Mini Cooper S.

How this is worked out

The numbers

20

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

2

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

42,621 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

46%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 7 vs 50 Severity 52 vs 50 Early failure 79 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 7
Against the median year of the Mini Cooper S. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 52
10% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 79
46% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2015 compares with every other Mini Cooper S

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2015 Mini Cooper S

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Other & Unspecified 3 15.0%

Median failure at 22,125 miles

Fuel & Propulsion 3 15.0%

Median failure at 60,000 miles

Lights 3 15.0%

0 crashes, 1 fires · median 15,250 mi

Engine & Cooling 3 15.0%

0 crashes, 1 fires · median 42,621 mi

Body & Structure 2 10.0%
Airbags 2 10.0%

Median failure at 80,000 miles

Electrical System 2 10.0%

Median failure at 20,000 miles

Brakes 1 5.0%
Transmission & Drivetrain 1 5.0%

Median failure at 25,000 miles

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 2 15.4%
1,000 – 9,999 miles 1 7.7%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 2 15.4%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 4 30.8%
50,000 – 74,999 miles 3 23.1%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 1 7.7%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Jun 2015 peak 3 Jan 2026

NHTSA investigations into the 2015 Mini Cooper S

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

AQ15004 Opened 24 Sep 2015 Closed 2 Oct 2017 STRUCTURE

BMW Safety Act Violations

In a Consent Order executed on December 17, 2015, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) admitted that it violated the Safety Act by: failing to conduct a timely recall for Recall No. 15V-450; failing to file certain quarterly recall reports in a timely manner; failing to timely notify vehicle owners of the existence of a defect or noncompliance; failing to promptly advise NHTSA of delays with the beginning or completion dates for mailing owner or dealer notifications; and failing to timely submit copies to NHTSA of communications relating to recalls.As part of the Consent Order, NHTSA imposed a t...

Recalls on the 2015 Mini Cooper S

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 2015306 4,130 units in Canada

Structure

Certain vehicles may not comply with the side impact protection requirements of United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214, which is voluntarily-adopted in Canada. As a result, rear seat occupants could be at a higher risk of injury in a side-impact crash. Correction: Dealers will install additional energy absorption material between the rear interior side panels and the exterior vehicle body, as necessary. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 2014-584.

Recall 2014561 209 units in Canada

Powertrain

Certain vehicles may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 114 - Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention. During service appointments with dealers, the automatic transmission control unit may have been inadvertently programmed with software that does not conform to the standard. As a result, drivers could exit the vehicle and may not realize that the vehicle's transmission is not in the PARK position. If this were to occur without the parking brake applied, the vehicle could roll away, which could result in a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the automatic transmission control unit software.

Recall 2014506 282 units in Canada

Airbag

On certain vehicles, a defect in the seatback adjustment mechanism of the front seats could allow seatback(s) to move out of position in a severe impact, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant(s). Correction: Dealers will re-align and re-tighten the seatback mechanisms.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

at 53,000 miles Silver Spring, MD Fire

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 MINI COOPER S. WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A WATER HOSE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. FIRE REPORT NUMBER: 1900355515 WAS FILED. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY SCHEDULED A VEHICLE INSPECTION AT THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,000.

NHTSA complaint #11271653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 25 miles Atlanta, GA Fire

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FOUR TIMES, SINCE PURCHASED IN MAY 2015 FOR BURNS TO LIGHT BULB AND SOCKET MELTING INTO HOUSING. MALFUNCTIONING ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS WHILE DRIVING CAR ON HIGHWAYS AND STREETS. TAILLIGHT IS ON THE LEFT SIDE, NOT FAR FROM GAS TANK. CAR IS UNSAFE DUE TO OVERHEATING, BURNS AND MELTING OF TAILLIGHT COMPONENTS AND PROXIMITY TO GAS TANK.

NHTSA complaint #10916801 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

Cumming, GA

STRUCTURE:BODY

The rear windshield fell out of the top of my convertible. There was no accident or foul play involved. The glue that bonds the window to the top became unglued. This happened at 70,000 miles. The top is made of fabric and the window is made out of glass. Have to you replace the entire top to repair it. Not sure why this is not a recall. It is a well-known problem for the car.

NHTSA complaint #11708598 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bainbridge Island, WA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

The fuel filling nozzle turns off repeatedly (as if already full) while filling the fuel tank. About 1/4 to 1/3 of a gallon of fuel will go in before it turns off, backs up, and the gas overflows onto the outside of the car and onto the concrete. It happens regardless of the pump being used. It started happening occasionally a few months ago if the tank was refilled when a quarter full. It now happens consistently, no matter the fuel level. I had the car put on a lift and the system diagnosed today. The mechanic said the cause is a faulty service valve within the fuel tank assembly. They also said it is a known issue with F56 Mini Coopers.

NHTSA complaint #11692422 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cumming, GA

STRUCTURE:BODY

The back window comes unglued to the convertible top when the car is parked outside in warm weather. Ive seen this in several other mini cooper roadsters within the past few weeks. This causes the car to have a hole in the convertible top and leaves the glass hanging from the sensor. To fix it you need to buy a whole new top. This HAS to be a design defect.

NHTSA complaint #11677078 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stewartsville, MO

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving in the rain (light rain) front right and rear left brakes locked up. No warning lights came on, it was a very dangerous situation. The car is currently at a repair shop getting looked at, I had to have it towed there because those wheels will not turn while in neutral even. Reading forums this is a common problem, very serious and dangerous especially with no warning.

NHTSA complaint #11638047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Stewartsville, MO

SERVICE BRAKES

While driving in the rain (light rain) front right and rear left brakes locked up. No warning lights came on, it was a very dangerous situation. The car is currently at a repair shop getting looked at, I had to have it towed there because those wheels will not turn while in neutral even. Reading forums this is a common problem, very serious and dangerous especially with no warning.

NHTSA complaint #11638047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Montgomery, TX

AIR BAGS

Defect in passenger frontal airbag-The front passenger seat occupancy detection mat is not functioning correctly. This was recalled but not for my VIN and needs to be part of the recall.

NHTSA complaint #11637797 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 80,000 miles Bronx, NY

AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2015 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated stating that the air bag was turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat mat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the request for assistance was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA complaint #11549827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 67,000 miles Simi Valley, CA

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact owns a 2015 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that the vehicle previously had the fuel carbon filter replaced; however, the failure recurred while attempting to refuel the vehicle. The fuel tank dispersed the gasoline outward, spilling on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

NHTSA complaint #11477351 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 44,000 miles Tampa, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

CAR STARTED LEAKING OIL EVERYWHERE OUT OF NOWHERE WHILE BOTH MOVING AND STATIONARY. TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS SAID IT WAS THE OIL FILTER HOUSING AND RELATED PARTS. REPLACED HOUSING, OIL PRESSURE SENSOR AND THE BOTTOM SCREW. WORKS AGAIN. CAR HAD UNDER 45,000 MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT. SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE OIL HOUSING HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR OTHER AND RELATED MINIS, INCLUDING SOME SUBJECT TO RECALL.

NHTSA complaint #11413435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 15,250 miles Saint Petersburg, FL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

DRIVER SIDE REAR BRAKE LIGHT HAS A SHORT/OVER HEATS AND MELTS CONNECTOR TO THE BRAKE LIGHT HOUSING. NOTIFICATION PROMPTS YOU THAT YOU HAVE A BRAKE LIGHT MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. THE VEHICLE HAS 15K MILES ON IT.

NHTSA complaint #11383053 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 53,000 miles Apopka, FL

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL FILLING NOZZLE SHUTS OFF REPEATEDLY WHILE REFUELING. UPON GASSING UP, VALVE CLICKS IMMEDIATELY AND PUMP SHUTS OFF LIKE IT'S FULL NO MATTER WHICH GAS STATION OR PRESSURE I EXERT. I SAW A BULLETIN "SI M16 01 15" WHICH AFFECTED MINIS PRODUCED IN 2014 BUT DID NOT INCLUDE MY 2015 COOPER S. A COMMENT FROM THE BULLETIN HAD A TEMPORARY SOLUTION WHICH IS TO ANGLE THE PUMP TO 45, THEN PUMP SLOWLY AT THE MAGIC SPEED, THOUGH THIS CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 30 MINUTES. THIS IS DANGEROUS ON MY PART AS I TRAVEL PAST MIDNIGHT FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND SPENDING MORE TIME AT A GAS STATION IN THE DARK IS WORRISOME. I DO GET SPILLS OCCASIONALLY WHICH I HAVE TO KEEP WIPING AND IS A STATION HAZARD. REPLACING THE FUEL TANK COMPLETELY AT AN ESTIMATED $2K+ IS TOO COSTLY ESPECIALLY DURING THIS PANDEMIC AND IS DUE TO FAULTY MANUFACTURING.

NHTSA complaint #11349356 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chicago, IL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE HORN NO LONGER WORKS UNLESS YOU PRESS IT REALLY HARD AND IN CENTER OF STEERING WHEEL.

NHTSA complaint #11286361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 53,000 miles Silver Spring, MD Fire

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 MINI COOPER S. WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH A WATER HOSE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. FIRE REPORT NUMBER: 1900355515 WAS FILED. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY SCHEDULED A VEHICLE INSPECTION AT THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DEEMED THE VEHICLE TOTALED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,000.

NHTSA complaint #11271653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 42,621 miles Fort Pierce, FL

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND THE 'MALFUNCTION REAR LIGHT CLUSTER' MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BRAMAN MOTORCARS (561-465-8293, LOCATED AT 2901 OKEECHOBEE BLVD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33409) WHERE THE REAR BRAKE CLUSTER AND THE TURN SIGNALS WERE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE ENGINE MOUNT DUE TO AN OIL LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,621.

NHTSA complaint #11240552 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 42,621 miles Fort Pierce, FL

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND THE 'MALFUNCTION REAR LIGHT CLUSTER' MESSAGE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BRAMAN MOTORCARS (561-465-8293, LOCATED AT 2901 OKEECHOBEE BLVD, WEST PALM BEACH, FL 33409) WHERE THE REAR BRAKE CLUSTER AND THE TURN SIGNALS WERE REPLACED. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE ENGINE MOUNT DUE TO AN OIL LEAK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,621.

NHTSA complaint #11240552 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 25,000 miles Belmont, NC

POWER TRAIN

THE CARS TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF 1ST GEAR WHEN TURNING ONTO A CITY STREET OR ACCELERATING FROM A STOPLIGHT ON A CITY STREET. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED 3 TIMES THIS WEEK AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES THIS PAST WEEK AND IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THE 2015 MINI COOPER S MANUAL. MY CAR ONLY HAS 25,400 MILES ON IT. THE WARRANTY JUST EXPIRED ON 05/18/2019 (OUT BY DATE) THIS MONTH AND THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY. IF THIS IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM, WHY DOESN'T THE DEALER TAKE THE STEPS TO FIX IT PROPERLY?

NHTSA complaint #11218600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 20,000 miles Tallassee, AL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE HORN CONTACTS ARE CORRODED AND THE HORN WILL NOT WORK CONSISTENTLY. IT MAY TAKE 5 OR 6 TIMES PUSHING THE HORN TO GET IT TO ACTIVATE, OR HOLD IT DOWN FOR A LONG TIME AND TRY TO MOVE IT AROUND TO SCRAPE THE CORROSION OFF THE CONTACTS TO GET ACTIVATION. IT OCCURS WHETHER DRIVING OR STATIONARY. MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM ON A MINI COOPER FORUM. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 20,000 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA complaint #11101416 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 25 miles Atlanta, GA Fire

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FOUR TIMES, SINCE PURCHASED IN MAY 2015 FOR BURNS TO LIGHT BULB AND SOCKET MELTING INTO HOUSING. MALFUNCTIONING ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS WHILE DRIVING CAR ON HIGHWAYS AND STREETS. TAILLIGHT IS ON THE LEFT SIDE, NOT FAR FROM GAS TANK. CAR IS UNSAFE DUE TO OVERHEATING, BURNS AND MELTING OF TAILLIGHT COMPONENTS AND PROXIMITY TO GAS TANK.

NHTSA complaint #10916801 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 8,000 miles Ashland, AL

ENGINE

WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR ITS FIRST SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A RECALL. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE ANY SUCH RECALL. I HAVE FOUND THIS ENTIRE EXPERIENCE TO BE VERY UNUSUAL.

NHTSA complaint #10910541 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 250 miles Houston, TX

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

AIR CONDITION EMITS STRONG ODORS

NHTSA complaint #10724862 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.