528 of the
2,181 complaints filed about the Mini Cooper S
are about the engine —
24% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2007.
The contact owns a 2024 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that a brake pad failure message was illuminated on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the brake fluid service issue. The brake fluid flush was completed, and a complimentary oil change was provided. Two days after doing so, approximately two days later, the Oil Light illuminated, advising to add a quart of oil. The vehicle was returned and inspected. It was assumed the cap was not on tight enough. The air conditioner failed shortly after. The vehicle was returned, and it was diagnosed that the AC motor had failed. The motor was replaced, and 2 days later, the Oil Light advising for 1 quart of oil illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed an oil leak but had not identified where. They added 2 quarts of oil and advised returning to the dealer. The dealer confirmed an oil leak and provided the contact with a loaner. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the issues. The failure mileage was 12,625.
NHTSA complaint #11737574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was vibrating abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the passenger’s side engine mount needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the passenger’s side engine mount had been replaced five years ago, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
NHTSA complaint #11723036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Front passenger side motor mount failed pretty terribly, the rubber completely slipped off the engine side mount leaving a severe engine vibration. The mount is very under engineered. Ours failed at 27,0000 miles.
NHTSA complaint #11675501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was pulling into a parking spot slowly and all of the sudden the car took off and took off and I couldn’t stop and when I tried to sped hard on the break it wouldn’t work and I lost control and my car wouldn’t stop until it crashed into another vehicle that was sitting in another parking spot.
NHTSA complaint #11669081 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the fuel pump was defective, and the fuel pump was replaced. The contact stated that approximately a year later the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump had failed again and needed to be replaced. The fuel pump was replaced under warranty; however, the failure recently returned a third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
NHTSA complaint #11665052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact called on behalf of the owner of the 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side window was inoperative. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the body control module and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,137.
NHTSA complaint #11657794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11649587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car stalls while driving and will not start again. No codes thrown. Found relay K96 on Junction Box Electronics module to have cracked through-hole solder joints resulting in bad continuity. Relay K96 supplies power to the low pressure fuel pump in the tank, thus with bad continuity, the pump gets no power. Relay K96 P/N is NEC Philippines P/N EP2F-B3G1ST. This issue has happened to many other people with the same car that I know. I suspect heat cycles over time stressed and fatigued the solder joints, causing the joint to crack. Overall the circuit board layout needs a heat sink for the relay to alleviate the heat produced from operation. I am IPC certified and work with aircraft engine electronics regularly and have seen similar issues.
NHTSA complaint #11634691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There have been thousands upon thousands of failures of the oil cooler/oil filter housing on all BMW/MINI B46/B48 2.0T engines. This problem dates back to 2014 when BMW issued a stop sale order and recall on the 2014 MINI Cooper with both the 1.5L I3 (B38) and 2.0L I4 (B48) engines. Since 2014, the engine has been installed in over two million vehicles sold in the United States under the BMW, MINI, Karma, and Toyota brands. There is a defect with the oil cooler/oil filter housing that leads to coolant and oil leaks due to the plastic housing failing after being heat cycled a certain number of times. It has gotten so bad that numerous aftermarket metal replacement parts exist to try and prevent this issue from recurring. Due to the placement of the part on the engine, the repair costs up to $3000. Failures are occurring on vehicles with as little as 30,000 miles, but vast majority between 50,000-80,000 miles. Due to the loss of both oil and coolant, a fire risk exists. Coolant can come in contact with electrical components and cause a short, while the oil can begin to drip onto hot engine or exhaust parts. This is a dangerous hazard that should be recalled. BMW should refit affected engines with a more durable component. Below I have included a link to the original NHTSA stop-sale from 2014. [XXX] I’ve also included links to various forums and news articles about this issue. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] / [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11626962 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Yes my Mini Cooper 2013 I was just driving normal speed 35 to 40 miles per hour and all the sudden my engine has just quit and stopped running I was not in any danger or in a crash I was able to move my car off to the side of the road and unfortunately this was only the first time the second time was actually on the highway I was scared to death because I was actually came to a halt on the freeway but I was able to push my car off to the side and be out of Harm's Way my car is now parked in front of my house due to engine failure and I don't know what else to do but I saw this recall and I thought I would give you guys a shout and tell you what's wrong and the only thing I replace so far was a new fuel pump and unfortunately that was not the issue my car was still not run or start and now I noticed there is a broken seal in the air intake that looks like it needs to be replaced
NHTSA complaint #11619586 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the engine was running rough while idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would not exceed 65 MPH and 4,000 RPM while driving. The message "Reduced Engine Power" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #1 was misfiring because it was not receiving proper communication from the ECU. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic and was informed that the ECU was operating as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that he replaced the spark plugs and the coils; however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11536485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Nothing has failed yet, however, the oil stick is completely illegible. On a car that fails to have an electronic dipstick and likes to burn oil, as well as has a very small oil capacity (Around 5 liters or less) this design is going to cause the engine to run out of oil without the driver knowing. It is a seriously bad design, especially combined with BMW recommending a 10,000 mile oil change, the car will burn off all the oil it has and operator will have no idea due to the faulty design of the dipstick. I generally like BMWS engineering and designs, but this one is just atrocious and I have no idea how it got approved. Running a car out of oil usually causes the engine seize unless you shut it off at the right time, which, most people will not do. Imagine if your engine seizes on the highway? No it hasn't been inspected, I can send pictures of it, if you want? Or a video? I have not had this problem yet (knock on wood) but I have read the only warning sign, is the sound of an engine without oil and the oil pressure light comes on (which at that point you have maybe 3s to pull over and shut off the engine before it toasts the engine) I have also read about the engines consuming the entire oil capacity if you follow the BMW recommended schedule. It all just seems like a huge oversight for a company that usually has few issues.
NHTSA complaint #11514050 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper S. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V248000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11426543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE CAR COMPLETELY QUITS RUNNING WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING IT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON BUT CAR HAS ALREADY DIED. HAVE TO COAST TO A STOP WITH NO POWER STEERING SINCE THE ENGINE HAS DIED. CAR WILL NOT ALWAYS RESTART. SOMETIMES IT WILL CRANK BUT NOT TURN OVER. SOMETIMES IT WILL RESTART. TODAY IT DIED WHILE I WAS GOING 65MPH ON THE INTERSTATE A D I HAD TO DODGE ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. HAVE HAD THIS EXACT ISSUE BEFORE. 3 YRS AGO I REPLACED THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THIS WAS A $1500 REPAIR COST. MINI COOPER SAID THAT 2010 MINI COOPERS WERE NOT COVERED. ONLY MINIS UP TO TNE YEAR 2009 WERE COVERED IN THAT SAFETY RECALL SO I PAID OUT OF POCKET. HOWEVER, MINI COOPER USED THE SAME PART THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED ON MY 2010. IT FAILED IN 2017 AND THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS NOW FAILED AGAIN. MINI COOPER CALLED IT A "KNOWN" ISSUE, BUT WOULD NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT COST IN 2017. REPAIR ORDER NUMBER WITH MINI COOPER DEALER: 262724 AND PART NUMBER 13-51-7-588-879
NHTSA complaint #11373045 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THERE IS A COOLING SYSTEM FAILURE IN MY CAR THAT HAS CAUSED CYLINDER HEAD ISSUES AND HEAD GASKET ISSUES. EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS A 2009, IT ONLY HAS ABOUT 53,000 MILES. I PURCHASED THE CAR IN DECEMBER 2019 AND IN JANUARY 2020 THE CAR OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING AND THEN I NOTICED THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM THE CAR. I REPLACED THE HOSE AND THERMOSTAT. NOW IN AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 THE CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN AND THERE WAS ALSO LEAKING FROM THE COOLANT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THE ENGINE NEEDS MAJOR REPAIR WORK. I RECENTLY NOTICED RECALLS ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL REGARDING THE ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, HOWEVER BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CAR, I'M THINKING THIS MAY STILL BE AN ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. ADDITIONALLY, I REVIEWED THE CARFAX REPORT FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNERS AND THERE WAS NO INFORMATION ABOUT ANY RESOLVED RECALLS. HOWEVER, I SPOKE WITH THE BMW DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR HAD WORK DONE AT FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND THEY SAID THE RECALLS IN 2012 (AUXILIARY COOLANT PUMP) AND 2015 (HEAT SHIELD TURBO CHARGER) WERE RESOLVED. I ALSO CONFIRMED THIS WITH ANOTHER MINI COOPER DEALERSHIP. BASED ON THE CARFAX REPORT, THESE RECALLS MAY HAVE NEVER BEEN RESOLVED.
NHTSA complaint #11355550 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WAS DRIVING CAR ON 18 JULY 2020 AND POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING AND MADE STEERING DIFFICULT, ALSO COOLANT FAN,LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED STOPPED WORKING SAME TIME AS POWER STEERING QUIT. THE ASC LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WILL NOT TURN OFF. NO BLOWN FUSES IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR BY DRIVERS KICK PANEL. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A STATE ROAD WHEN THIS OCCURRED.
NHTSA complaint #11340300 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DURING A RAIN SHOWER, DROVE AT ABOUT 15MPH INTO ROUGHLY 4" OF WATER GATHERED ON THE SHOULDER OF AN ACCESS ROAD ADJACENT TO THE HIGHWAY AND THE ENGINE STALLED. WOULD NOT RESTART. PUDDLE OF WATER WAS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO BREACH THE CABIN - RUNNING BOARDS WERE STILL ABOVE WATER AND THE CURB ADJACENT TO THE STREET WAS NOT SUBMERGED. CAR WOULD NOT START AND TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. BMW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CONTACTED AND ADVISED NOT TO START; TOW TRUCK HAD DIFFICULTY LOADING ONTO THE FLATBED BECAUSE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAD MALFUNCTIONED IN THE ELECTRIC CONVERTIBLE TOP AND WAS OVERRIDING THE ABILITY TO PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL.
NHTSA complaint #11330340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY, WAS NOT STARTED AND WAS UNATTENDED, HAD NOT BEEN STARTED IN OVER A WEEK AND KEYS WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY BURST INTO FLAMES WHICH BURNED THE ENGINE BAY AND FRONT END OF THE CAR BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH FOAM. THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING UNSTARTED FOR OVER A WEEK. I AM UNSURE OF WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE AND BECAUSE OF THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE BAY I COULD NOT DETERMINE WERE THE FIRE ORIGINATED. PERHAPS A PROFESSIONAL FIRE EXAMINER COULD DETERMINE THAT. I AM BLESSED THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE PARKED IN MY GARAGE BUT WAS SCARY. I JUST WANT THIS INCIDENT ON RECORD SO THAT OTHERS WHICH OWN THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF VEHICLE CAN BE WARNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DANGERS. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE NEW AND HAD A COUPLE OF UPDATES DONE PER BMW SUCH AS THE TAILPIPES AND TIMING CHAIN IN THE ENGINE. I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY ADDITIONAL RECALLS OR UPDATES BUT APPARENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INCIDENCES OF FIRES SUCH AS MINE WHICH I LEARNED ABOUT AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET TO SEE IF SIMILAR ISSUES HAD BEEN DOCUMENTED. I WILL ATTACH A FEW PICTURES FOR YOU TO HELP WITH YOUR ASSESSMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. I HOPE THIS INFORMATION WILL BE SOME HELP TO OTHERS IN PREVENTING A SIMILAR SITUATION. I THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED OR PROPERTY DAMAGED OTHER THAN MY CAR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MADE A REPORT BUT IT DID NOT INCLUDE INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE JUST A RESPONSE TO A FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #11323318 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.