Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 MINI Cooper Coupe, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and airbags categories. 126 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2012 | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 2015 | 1 | 2 |
| Feb 2016 | 1 | 3 |
| Jun 2019 | 1 | 4 |
| Sep 2024 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 2024 | 1 | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | 1 | 7 |
| Oct 2026 | 1 | 8 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
I was driving and went to brake, but the car wouldn't respond. To avoid hitting another car, I swerved sharply and went up onto the curb. The car started smoking and caught fire.
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper Coupe. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. While inspecting under the hood, the contact discovered that cylinder #4 coil was charred, melted, and smoking, and the ECU was damaged. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who determined that the failure was caused by an inoperable electronic auxiliary water pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V248000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 55,000.
Seatbelt restraint has been inspected by a mechanic and a computer was connected for electronic fault codes. No codes were discovered, yet the car displaces a seatbelt restraint malfunction and request it be inspected at the nearest dealership. It also displays the seatbelt connection alert and sounds the alert buzzer. Mechanics find no issues or default codes I have personally inspected the components and had them replaced with not result
On Sunday, [XXX] I drove my car 34 miles to [XXX] . I parked right around 9:30am. Around 3:30pm we were getting ready to leave the track and we noticed smoke coming from my car. A friend told me to pop the hood but when I reached down to pull the release the area was in flames. Safety teams and the fire department were able to get the fire out before it got completely out of control. The car was towed to the Mini dealer in Madison, WI and the insurance adjuster said it was an electrical defect not covered by insurance. As I did more checking on things, I found that my make and model car had a recall for the same issue, only in Canada. I really don't understand how it could be recalled there, but not here (especially in WI where the road/weather conditions are basically the same as in Canada). I now have a dead car with an estimate for $30K worth of work that the insurance company, nor Mini will do anything about. I have owned the car since it was brand new and have kept it in great condition, making sure to follow the service and maintenance schedules. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
IT'S SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM AND WITH ALOT OF STUFF WITH THIS CAR I GET ONE THING FIX IN TWO MORE THINGS GO WRONG WITH IT JUST HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE.
TRACTION CONTROL AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS COME ON AT START UP AND DO NOT TURN OFF. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AT THIS TIME. DEALER REPORTS THAT IT IS THE SZL MODULE (STEERING ANGLE SENSOR) IS FAILING. BMW ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE 2006 5 AND 6 SERIES FOR THIS SAME SENSOR. READING THE MINI FORUMS THIS SEEMS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. CAR HAS 17,800 MILES
IN WEATHER BELOW ZERO F WHEN THE CAR IS LEFT OUTSIDE FOR OVER 8 HOURS THE ENGINE SOMETIMES STARTS IN "LIMP" MODE AND DOES NOT ALLOW FULL POWER UNTIL FULLY WARMED UP. THIS CAN TAKE OVER 10 MILES OF DRIVING, IDLING ALONE DOES NOT WARM UP THE ENGINE VERY QUICKLY IN BELOW ZERO WEATHER AND LIMP MODE. THE DANGER IS THAT LIMP MODE IS VERY LIMITED TO ENGINE POWER AND ONE BECOMES A HAZARD TO OTHERS WHEN SHARING THE ROAD. IN THE CLIMATE I LIVE IN THIS OCCURS A FEW TIMES A WINTER. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. MY 2007 MODEL WAS RETRO FITTED WITH A REVISED INTAKE AND THAT RESOLVED THE ISSUE, BUT NO SUCH FIX HAS BEEN OFFERED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS OCCUPIED BY A PASSENGER THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS IF THERE WERE NO PASSENGER PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Footwell Module (FRM) limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been supplementarily increased to 15 years / 186,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; STRUCTURE:BODY
The Footwell Module (FRM) limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been supplementarily increased to 15 years / 240,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. Breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can have various causes, most of which are not due to the battery itself. For this reason, a battery replacement will permanently eliminate the problem only in the rarest of cases. The energy diagnosis test module helps to localize these causes. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle âÂÂdischarged batteryâ complaints. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root cause of a discharged battery cannot be identified. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time, it is very important that the diagnostic test plan is performed to completion; with all results taken into consideration.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT; WHEELS
New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models. The new wheel electronics are identified as Huf Generation 5. These new wheel electronics will need to be programmed using the new tool when replaced or when depressurized (0 psi) for more than 2 minutes.
SEATS
OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT - LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES: Component-Specific Limited Warranty Extension For the above-referenced vehicles, MINI USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC (MINI USA) is extending the limited warranty for the front passenger's OC3 seat occupancy mat (shown) to: 10 years/120,000 miles as determined by the vehicle's original in-service date.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE; FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT: N14 HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HDP) SERVICE BENEFIT CLASS VEHICLES: The MINI vehicle may experience a sudden engine operational failure reduced or loss of power while driving and the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) may be illuminated along with high-pressure fuel pumprelated faults stored in the Engine Control Module (DME). PROCEDURE Perform the corresponding diagnosis/vehicle test and run the test plans to completion as applicable.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012Viewing | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.