2015 and 2016 Hard top Mini Coopers, Standard (F55) are prone to their environmental air catalyst sensor breaking, causing a check engine light and emissions issues. The remedy is replacing the entire radiator. This occurred on my vehicle at only 40,000 miles. MINI is aware of the issue, but only issued an extended warranty for "S" (or 4-cylinder) models, despite the 3-cylinder base model containing the same radiator sensors with the same defects. [XXX] This extended warranty should cover base models with the same parts. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11745527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My vehicle has active VANOS failure codes (131401 and 130304). These codes are preventing my car from passing the New York State safety and emissions inspection, rendering it legally unable to be used on the road. BMW/MINI Corporate is refusing to honor their national extended component warranty bulletin because they are conditioning the repair on a valid registration - which is a legal impossibility while the defect remains unaddressed.
NHTSA complaint #11740812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The malfunction indicator lamp light is on (MIL) with the following fault code stored in the DME: Fault code Control module Fault code text 1B8302 DME LIN bus, communication (EAC sensor): missing Problem verified. Don't know if car will quit on the highway. Mini recall for exact problem and extended warranty to solve the problem only on the "S" model with the exact same engine.
NHTSA complaint #11711458 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The motor mounts have been replaced twice in the last six years and per the dealer, This is normal which I find very hard to believe on a 2017 Mini Coop of convertible, with 90,000
NHTSA complaint #11677354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On Thursday I was driving my 2010 Mini Cooper S with 75,000 miles on it and there was a total and sudden power outage on the high way. I was able to get to the breakdown lane and had it towed. My mini certified garage ran the computer on it and the car started right up. It was due for an inspection so we did an oil and filter and put on some new tires. No issues were found and car was running well. We picked it up on Friday and Saturday morning after a short drive I was parking and smoke started pouring out from behind the steering wheel. I ran inside a coffee shop for help and they asked if there were flames. I went back out and opened the car door and there was loud noise and the hood was in flames. The entire dash was melted, the hood had a hole burned in it and with the fire rescue interventions the car was a total loss. No one was injured.
NHTSA complaint #11660568 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had to take my car in to get serviced. The engine was rumbling loud and shaking. When they inspected the car, they found that one of the lower motor mounts was loose. BMW/Mini Service center of Dallas informed me that the bolt mounting the mount was “not tightened to factory specifications.”
NHTSA complaint #11659864 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2017 mini coupe has 70,000 miles on it. I’ve had it 11 months… I was in a drive-through and it started making a hard knock sound no engine light or any other lights came on the vehicle. I had it towed to a shop where they informed me my engine was blown and it would cost $16,000 to replace the engine. My oil level was perfect. I reached out to Carvana. I missed my warranty by five days and they will not do anything about it. There is no reason why a car with 70,000 miles on it. The engine should be blown.
NHTSA complaint #11652692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lower Engine Support and Passenger Engine Mount damaged as per routine inspection by dealer in Feb2025. Never diagnosed before. Repair done by independent service center in Feb2025 and I have receipt of approximately 1K. Also, since 22feb2025, I am not able to add fuel to the tank because the pump stops constantly and causes spill of fuel. This can cause fire. Never happened before. Tried at least 4 different gas station and same result. Dealer charges over $200 to perform inspection/diagnostics. Not done yet. Repairs to fuel tank are in the thousands. No warning in the car dashboard for none of the issues. Car with less than 80k miles.
NHTSA complaint #11644422 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Oil filter housing failure. MINI issued a recall for this part in 2014 when the third generation MINI Cooper S/JCW first launched. Unfortunately they did not fix the part and now as time goes on, the issue is occurring with high frequency on every BMW/MINI and Toyota Supra with the BMW B46/B48 2.0L turbocharged engine. The plastic oil filter housings crack causing oil and coolant to leak. In my case oil poured down the front of the hot engine which could have caused a fire. BMW/MINI dealers charge nearly $2500 to repair this failure. The ODI should investigate this concern as it has been reported dozens of times on each model with this engine including the BMW X1 28i/M35, BMW X2 28i/M35, BMW X3 30i, BMW X4 30i, BMW 328i/330i, BMW 528i/530i, BMW 330e hybrid, BMW 530e hybrid, BMW Z4, Toyota Supra 2.0T, MINI Cooper S/JCW 3-door and 5-door, MINI Countryman, MINI Cooper S/JCW Convertible, etc. BMW is aware of this common failure. Thus far BMW has refused to issue a service campaign or recall for this problem which causes owners of these affected vehicles to be out of pocket thousands of dollars. If oil drips onto hot exhaust or into a wiring harness, it could easily cause a fire.
NHTSA complaint #11639876 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In an attempt to resolve persistent rough running engine issue, mechanic discovered that the timing chain guides failed (broke apart) and that plastic pieces of the guides migrated into the engine oil system.
NHTSA complaint #11638633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Drivetrain error occurred. I pulled codes and found P0015. I added oil, cleared code. The next day the drivetrain error popped back up. Pulled codes and found P0366. I took the vehicle to mechanic for diagnostics and to find the issue. They found faults: 130F11 and 120408. When replacing engine oil and filter, they found metal shavings in the oil; bearing material. They are recommending replacing the engine. Doing research, it appears this has been a common occurrence with these vehicles/engines. Is there a current recall on some of these engines, or a possibility for a discounted replacement due to the issues being widespread? The car has less than 74,000 miles, and the mechanic said it looks like it may have been going on a while. I purchased this car from a used dealership less than 3 months ago, and have already encountered so many unexpected issues. I really expected more from the Mini brand. Thanks.
NHTSA complaint #11636617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
[XXX]. Mini Cooper 2007-2013: Recalls and TSB. My car is part of a recall under MINI Recall for Timing Chains. I understand now it was settled as part of a class action lawsuit that extended the warranty. I always take my car to a dealer and now after mileage they told me that they want me to pay out of my pocket. My car is a 2007 S. My mileage is 105,000K miles. The recall notice is for the year of my car and they are saying my car is too old and the mileage. This recall is for the year of my car so I am not understanding. Upon inspection by the dealer, it and needs to be replaced and cost $4,100.00. I don't have that kind of money. . My name is [XXX], [XXX]., [XXX], [XXX]. Phone #[XXX]. The dealership is Mini Cooper 1660 E.Spring Street, Long Beach Ca 90806. I never received this recall notice and knew of this only because I took my car to the dealer for something else related for the 3rd time.
NHTSA complaint #11627193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Engine stalling Oil pan leaks Caused the engine to shut down when slowing down or sitting in traffic on highway. No warning lights prior to incidents Only right after
NHTSA complaint #11623565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Had recurring engine warning light which will only reset for one ignition cycle. Took to dealer to read code and result was "LIN bus communication fault for environmental air catalyst sensor". This is the same problem drivers of the Mini Cooper S model have reported and received an extended warranty from Mini of North America (15 year / 150000 mi) with replacement of sensor and radiator. However, talking with Mini of North America, the extended warranty does not apply to the base model 5-door Cooper because not enough complaints have been recorded. If more people report this issue, it could be covered just as the S-model is being covered. In the meantime, the car will not pass an emissions inspection with the light on, and Mini dealer wants $2000 to replace radiator and sensor. Car currently has about 70,000 miles on it, but engine light as been on for approximately 15 months (emissions inspection is required every 24 months). I have a decent code reader, but it only provides "U019D generic code" which is why I took it to Mini dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11609588 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My Mini service adviser said the timing case cover is seeping and will continue to get worse until the seep becomes a leak and the oil starts dripping onto the manifold, potentially creating a fire. It is at the seepage stage now and therefore my extended warranty will not fix it. My Mini service adviser said she doesn’t think it is dangerous yet but I have to keep an eye on it as this is a common problem on Minis. They quoted me a price of $934 to replace the timing case cover itself. I researched the problem online and found this is a common problem and will need my attention to ensure it doesn’t get dangerous before I’m able to get it repaired.
NHTSA complaint #11600982 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
my vehicle only has 23000 how is it that vehicle with low miles and 5 yrs old and there telling me that engine mounts are cracked what mini cooper said was that the reason why is because there made out of plastic . how can this be legal what holds the engine in place made from plastic ? i think this need to be investigated and looked into is not safe and is not fair to the consumer to have to pay for this bad choice in design .
NHTSA complaint #11583487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The FRM module on my 2010 MINI Cooper S failed in 2022. I was unable to access multiple functions on the vehicle, including interior and exterior lighting, window controls, and other operations that worked randomly during this time. I needed my car fully operational for work commuting so I had to find a replacement FRM, which I did from an OEM MINI parts website, [XXX] . The new FRM I purchased was matched to my vehicle's VIN and installed and programmed by my local MINI shop, Detroit Tuned [XXX] ) , in Clawson, MI. The total bill for this was over $800 (I have receipts for the purchase and the install). The recall notice from MINI/BMW came in 2023, and according to their website there is still no fix, which makes no sense since I bought an OEM replacement that was fitted to my car in 2022, as I noted here. How can a part that when fails can potentially cause vehicle fires ("thermal incident", per their recall notes) NOT be replaced immediately by the manufacturer? And how can MINI/BMW say they can't get the part when an OEM version is available online? The delay in this fix is unacceptable. My OEM replacement FRM works perfectly, but I am out the $800+ I spent to get it since MINI didn't then and still doesn't have them available, "officially". So if they ever get the part and replace my fully operational replacement for free, I am still out the money I spent in 2020 to make my car operationally safe. What can I do to get a refund from MINI/BMW? Thanks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11582857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Mini Cooper. 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that she was unable to check for warning lights due to a previous failure of the instrument cluster. The contact was able to coast the vehicle over to the side of the road. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact stated that the stall was an intermittent failure and occurred at various speeds. Additionally, the contact stated that there were various other electrical failures with the power windows. Additionally, the sunroof was unable to open or close as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle was also intermittently not able to turn off after turning the ignition key to the off position and remained running until the vehicle turned off independently. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11577088 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Freeze plug randomly popped out while driving causing vehicle to stall in the middle of traffic almost causing a major accident and or death. Research indicates there has been numerous complaints by Mini Cooper owners experiencing the same issue of a premature unexplained failure with no action taken from Mini to mitigate this safety issue. I’m lucky to be alive.
NHTSA complaint #11574805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.