RoadVitals

2009 MINI Cooper S US Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Dec 26, 2018
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Apr 29, 2009

What this page shows

Our database holds 9 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2009 MINI Cooper S US. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–9 of 9

AirbagsSeat belts
Filed Dec 26, 2018

THE SENSOR ON THE PASSENGER SEAT SEAMS FAULTY. THE LIGHTS FOR THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT KEEPS COMING ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ENTIRE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID
11163507
Incident
Aug 24, 2018
Mileage
64,406 mi
Engine
Filed May 17, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S US. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

NHTSA ID
10986176
Incident
May 10, 2017
Mileage
59,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jun 26, 2015

VEHICLE STARTING MAKING A RATTLING NOISE IN THE LEFT FRONT TIMING CHAIN AREA, TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED ONE OF THE TIMING TENSIONERS HAD SNAPPED, PROBABLY DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN HAVING TOO MUCH SLACK, I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL ON THESE AS IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING A LOT. HE ADVISED ME TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONERS IN ORDER TO NOT RISK THE TENSIONER FAILING AND CAUSING CATASTOPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, PARTS COST IS ABOUT $900 AND INSTALLATION ABOUT $500. THIS SEEMS TO BE GOING ON A LOT AND THERE IS LOTS OF INFO ON THE INTERNET STATING IT IS AN ISSUE THAT CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH SHOULD THE VEHICLE BE INOPERABLE ON A HIGHWAY OR IN TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ID
10730705
Incident
Jun 24, 2015
Mileage
51,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 5, 2014

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON US 75 SOUTH (DOWNTOWN DALLAS) AND THE VEHICLE (2009 MINI COOPER S) JUST STOPPED, AND ALL OF THE OIL WAS LEAKING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THE ISSUE IS WITH A MINI ISSUE RELATING TO THE TENSIONERS/TIMING CHAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10563181
Incident
Feb 3, 2014
Mileage
55,000 mi
Engine
Filed Sep 30, 2013

THERMOSTAT HOUSING DESIGN FLAW. SPOKE WITH PART DEPT MANAGER ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING LEAKING COOLANT AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE HOUSING CAUSES THE PART TO SPLIT OPEN WHERE THE 2 PIECES WERE SEAMED TOGETHER. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND CURRENTLY THAT PARTICULAR PART IS ON BACK-ORDER AND THUS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT LEAKS ALL THE COOLANT OUT BEFORE LEAVING THE DRIVEWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10546267
Incident
Sep 30, 2013
Mileage
92,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Apr 9, 2011

I HAD A GOODYEAR RUNFLAT TIRE THAT WAS OEM AND LESS THAN 2 YRS. OLD W/ 20,000 MILES BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL. IT WAS REPLACED AT DISCOUNT TIRE. THE TIRE COST $257 ON A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE. TIRES ARE EXCELLENCE ROF AND NOT INTEGRITY SINCE YOUR SITE MISTAKENLY DOES NOT GIVE THE CORRECT OPTION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10395329
Incident
Apr 6, 2011
Mileage
20,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 1, 2011

I HAVE A 2009 MINI COOPER S. BOUGHT NEW. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE ENGINE HAS A RATTLING NOISE WHEN ENGINE HAS STARTED ON A COLD DAY. THIS NOISE HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER EVERY WINTER. THE NOISE SUBSIDES AS THE ENGINE GETS WARM. HAVE TOLD MINI ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND NO ACTION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10384862
Incident
Jan 3, 2009
Electrical
Filed Apr 29, 2009

AFTER PURCHASING A 2009 MINI COOPER THE OUTLET IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALERS EVALUATION WAS AS FOLLOWS: NEITHER THE FRONT OR THE REAR CIGARETTE OUTLETS ARE WORKING. CHECK AND ADVISE. CAUSE: CHECKED/FOUND 20 AMP FUSE BLOWN, INSPECTED OUTLETS, FOUND SOCKET/OUTLET IN CENTER CONSOLE SHORTED TO GROUND CORRECTION: R & R FRONT CENTER CONSOLE REPLACED SOCKET & ILLUMINATED RING. UPDATED IVOQ. 05/01/09. *TR

NHTSA ID
10267197
Incident
Apr 24, 2009
Mileage
674 mi
Fuel system
Filed Apr 29, 2009

ON 4/9 I PURCHASE A 2009 MINI COOPER. ON 4/14 I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THE CAR STARTED SURGING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE SERVICE ADVISER WHO SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE GAS CAP. I IGNORED HER RESPONSE BECAUSE IT ONLY CLICKS ONCE AND I KNOW THIS WAS COMPLETED PROPERLY AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. THERE FINDINGS WERE AS FOLLOWS; HOWEVER I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER POSTINGS ONLY FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. CAUSE: INTERROGATING FAULT MEMORY FOUND HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO LOW PERFORMED TEST PLANT ON DME CONTROL UNIT FOUND WORKING NORMAL, PERFORMED TEST WITH FUEL PRESSURE FAIL, WAS TO LOW OPEN HIGH PRESSURE PUMP, FOUND FUEL PRESSURE PUMP/SHAFT DEFECT, CRACK SPEND FREE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10267194
Incident
Apr 14, 2009
Mileage
392 mi

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .