MINI Cooper Complaints

4,588 consumer complaints on file.

#11708468January 2, 2026
AIR BAGS
THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN SET OFF FOR MANY YEARS AND COMES BACK EVEN AFTER A COMPUTER REPLACEMENT. THIS IS THE LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER BAG. THERE WAS A RECALL OF 2005 TO 2008 MINI FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. FOR SOME REASON MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. WHAT SHOULD I DO? THE AIRBAG OR SENSOR WAS NEVER "FIXED".
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708471January 2, 2026
AIR BAGS
AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN LIT SINCE AROUND 2014. FOR SOME REASON MY 2008 MINI VIN IS NOT PART OF THE 2005-2008 MINI AIRBAG RECALL. WHAT SHOULD I DO, AS THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE PART OF THE RECALL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698274November 7, 2025
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS, SEATS
The seatbelt and air bag warning light for the passenger front seat stays on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694605October 20, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact, who was an independent mechanic, researched and diagnosed the failure with water damage to the junction box electronics. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall that had a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693871October 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, SUSPENSION
I purchased a vehicle 2013 mini Cooper hardtop S r56 from Chevy Nissan of Walla Walla on [XXX]. During the transaction, I was misled and not provided truthful information regarding the vehicle’s condition and terms of sale. 1. I was charged for services and items I explicitly did not want or agree to. When I first was looking at the car before purchasing, the salesman, Coby, informed me that the tires were filled with nitrogen. I had no clue what that meant and I asked him if I was required to keep that in the tires do I ?” Coby told me no I was relieved since I knew nothing of nitrogen in tires nor do I know where to get it. Despite my objections, a $299 membership charge was added and activated fraudulently, and I was not properly informed beforehand. This charge was for a one year membership to Nitrofil. No one spoke to me regarding a yearly membership costing $299. It was snuck in on the entire paperwork and charged to me as well simeone activating the membership without my knowledge as well so therefore it could not be canceled. The only place in town that has nitrogen for tires is this dealership, Chevy Nissan of Walla Walla.2. “Failure to Repair Under Implied Warranty:** Within 30 days of purchase, (actually 2 1/2 weeks of me purchasing the vehicle, it developed issues to the back driver‘s tail light and reverse light sockets, not the bulbs. Both were malfunctioning and showing up on my car’s computer/ dash. Neither worked. This was considered be a safety issue with the car. Seems how no one would be able to see a malfunctioning light if it was not lighting up and possibly causing an accident . Replacing of this part would have been covered under the implied warranty (per the Lemon Law). Chevy Nissan of Walla Walla was contacted multiple times to repair these issues, but they failed to do so within the legal timeframe. As a result, I had to purchase two replacement sockets and pay a mechanic $50 each time to replace them .and the dealership h INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692411October 9, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My Mini Cooper has been showing repeated warnings stating “Start-off assistance inactive. Caution: vehicle may roll back!” for some time. This issue appears to relate to an existing recall involving potential electrical and starter/rollaway defects. The vehicle also has a persistent front parking light malfunction and intermittent electrical issues with the windows, which stop mid-way and roll back down automatically when the car shifts gears or moves slightly. In addition, the battery repeatedly dies, even though it was replaced with a brand-new one a few months ago. This suggests an underlying electrical drain or short, which could increase the risk of electrical fire or vehicle failure while driving. These malfunctions create significant safety concerns, as the vehicle may roll backward when stopped on an incline and could pose a fire risk due to the known recall. The car has not been safe to drive. The closest Mini dealership (Flow Mini of Raleigh - about 2 hours away) confirmed that the recall is open but refused to provide or authorize a tow, even after I explained that the vehicle could not be safely driven to their location about 2 hours away. The problem has been ongoing for several years, worsening over time. Warning messages appear intermittently but frequently, especially during start-up or when stopped on slopes. Mini USA has not inspected or repaired the vehicle, and their representatives have stated they will not assist with transport to the dealership despite the known recall risk. I called MINI USA directly, and recorded the whole ordeal. I was forwarded to 5 different departments, and the last person stated that because my car is out of warranty that there’s nothing they can do to help me - that any tow I opt for would have to be out-of-pocket. I was in the middle of explaining to her that my car has these very specific warnings and issues associated with this recall that is solely the fault of Mini, and she hung up on me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692422October 9, 2025
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691302October 3, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Selector lever wrongly not locked in park. Put up a code for transmission (egs). I believe it falls under the transmission control unit recall on mini coopers 2 door hardtop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688267September 19, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I’ve been experiencing headaches, dizziness, and sudden tearing episodes while driving and the tearing only happens while driving my MINI. A few of these episodes have occurred on the highway, the painful eye irritation and crazy tearing made it very difficult to keep my eyes open, which has been super dangerous. I forced myself to keep at least one eye open to pull over, and fortunately I'm still alive. I recently found that these symptoms are probably linked to the premature failure (at 10k miles) of the AC system and exposure to the refrigerant leaked from the vent. I noticed AC hissing noise a few days after my warranty expired at only 10k miles, the dealer found super low refrigerant but could not find any leak. They recharged it and said my car was good, but noise came back after 3 months. They were still not able to find the leak, and asked me to replace one part at a time until it's fixed. I called MINI, MINI helped the dealer to find leak from compressor and replaced it. I mentioned a weird odor every time I start my car but they didn't investigate further. The noise came back again after 5 months (at 12k miles). I brought it to another dealer (since I moved) and two independent mechanics (as the previous dealer has been very incompetent), all diagnosed leak from evaporator because of the odor and that the cabin air filter has refrigerant dye all over it upon checking. The previous dealer didn't check the filter at all according to my dash camera, and because of the same odor, the timeline of the repeated failures, I believe the evaporator leak also happened at 10k miles. And one of the independent mechanics who specializes in BMW and MINI mentioned he had seen quite a few such cases in 2018 and 2019 MINIs. I think failure of two major AC components at such low mileage isn't normal, and the unexpected headache, dizziness, and strong eye irritation while driving are super dangerous. The repair cost for the defects should not be customers' responsibility.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686826September 12, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the driveway while both the contact and his wife were in another vehicle parked in the garage. The contact noticed white smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that upon opening the hood of the vehicle, the contact noticed an electrical burning smell and fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The contact then noticed that a blue plug had melted and was smoking. A police report was not filed. There was no injury sustained. Upon investigating the failure online, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V008000(Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that he would receive a call back. The failure mileage was 111,019.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685677September 8, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FRM Footwell module failed leaving car stranded Problem identified by certified mechanic. Similar models (R55 & R56) in the same age range of my vehicle have been issued a recall, but the convertible model, in the same year, (R57) is not covered. All electric switches in the vehicle failed. Symptoms began with the ABS and parking brake warning lights lighting. Other warning light was a service light.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684570September 2, 2025
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the seat belt warning light illuminated even though there was no passenger seated in the passenger’s seat. The contact stated that the warning light remained illuminated with the passenger’s seat occupied and the seat belt properly fastened. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682949August 25, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving in the rain, the car suddenly applied its brakes, all lights inside the car shut off, and the car came to a stop. The car behind hit it. The car was immediately taken to the service department at Dreyer & Reinbold MINI in Carmel, Indiana. They kept the car for 3 months and I was told the case went all the way to the manufacturer in Germany. When they were finished, they told us their tests could not "confirm" our report that the car came to a stop by itself, but their tests did show the brakes were applied and the car was hit from behind. They basically told us they did not believe my wife's account of the incident. I recently saw that this make and model of car was recalled about a year ago because the car could stall in the rain due to unsealed battery compartments, which is exactly what my wife experienced. I do not believe anyone looked inside the car at all, but merely relied on their computer analyses without interviewing my wife or any witnesses to confirm what happened.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679180August 7, 2025
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
The contact owns a 2019 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that a rock had hit the driver's side of the windshield due to construction work on a local highway. The contact stated that the passenger's side of the windshield was also hit by a rock while driving. The contact stated that the driver's side of the windshield sustained a minor fracture; however, the passenger's side of the windshield was severely damaged. An unknown dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,485. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678331August 4, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The rear brake lights and rear signal indicator lights keep going in and out arbitrarily. It's dangerous because it will work fine and then just randomly stop working and then work again. People can't tell if I'm stopping or turning when this randomly occurs. This is currently not a recall on my Mini, however, I saw that it is a recall on other Minis and it seems mine is having the same issue so it's possible they all have similar or the same faulty wiring/electrical for the brake lights and signal indicator lights.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677585July 31, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When it rains, my car seems to have a short circuit and all the electrical components start going crazy, mainly the windows, locks and indoor lights/dash. There is an active recall for the same problem and car model but mine doesn't seem to fit the recall I am not sure why.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677155July 30, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper Clubman. 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 check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677354July 30, 2025
ENGINE
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
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677078July 29, 2025
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.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675944July 24, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Failure of the Footwell Module failed due to corrosion by water intrusion as diagnosed by Mini Dealership. Windows, Turn signals and lights were inoperable as a result of failure. This matched the situation outlined in your recall notice Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-337. Car matched the model/years affected/listed in recall. However, Mini Dealer informed me my VIN was not listed in their recall. Subsequent research indicated that NHTSA/Mini limited the recall to cars purchased cars sold or registered in specific states (not part of the Safety recall report). Ref NEF-107DM dated 5/19/2023. I drove car in those states but did not buy or register the vehicle in them. I encourage you to have Mini extend it's recall/warranty to all vehicles which exhibit the safety failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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