ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2011 MINI Cooper S
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 31 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2011 MINI Cooper S, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and airbags categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 152 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2012 | 1 | 1 |
| Dec 2013 | 1 | 2 |
| Jan 2014 | 1 | 3 |
| Sep 2014 | 1 | 4 |
| May 2015 | 1 | 5 |
| Jan 2016 | 1 | 6 |
| Apr 2016 | 1 | 7 |
| Oct 2016 | 1 | 8 |
| Dec 2016 | 1 | 9 |
| Feb 2017 | 1 | 10 |
| May 2017 | 1 | 11 |
| Jun 2017 | 1 | 12 |
| Nov 2017 | 2 | 14 |
| Feb 2018 | 1 | 15 |
| Jul 2018 | 1 | 16 |
| Aug 2018 | 1 | 17 |
| Dec 2019 | 1 | 18 |
| May 2021 | 1 | 19 |
| Jul 2021 | 1 | 20 |
| Mar 2023 | 1 | 21 |
| Jul 2023 | 1 | 22 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 23 |
| Oct 2023 | 1 | 24 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 25 |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | 26 |
| Nov 2024 | 1 | 27 |
| Jan 2025 | 1 | 28 |
| Mar 2025 | 2 | 30 |
| Jul 2025 | 1 | 31 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine1741.5%
- Electrical1639.0%
- Airbags37.3%
- Fuel system24.9%
- Driver assistance12.4%
- Body & structure12.4%
- Exterior lighting12.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
3 campaigns cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Engine compartment fire
In a January 10, 2012 letter to NHTSA, BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in the electric auxiliary water pump in approximately 88,911 model year (MY) 2007-2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2006 through January 18, 2011 (Recall 12V-008).According to BMW, the auxiliary water pump on vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder turbocharged engines may overheat.Electro-migration can cause the pump electronic circuit board to overheat resulting in smoldering of the water pump. If smoldering occurs, it may lead to an engine compartment or vehicle fire.The pump supplier, Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH, redesigned the pump to address factors that may contribute to circuit board overheating.The redesigned pumps were completely implemented in production vehicles by January 2011.Recall 12V-008 was the third recall initiated by BMW to address electric auxiliary water pump fires in vehicles equipped with Pierburg pumps.In two October 20, 2011 letters to NHTSA, BMW submitted DIRs for similar auxiliary water pump defect conditions in approximately 32,084 MY 2008-2011 BMW 5-Series, 7-Series, X5 and X6 models equipped with 8- and 12-cylinder engines and manufactured from May 2008 through December 2010 (Recall 11V-521); and for approximately 589 MY 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from September 2009 through September 2010 (Recall 11V-522).In three separate April 5, 2012 letters to NHTSA, BMW submitted amendments to Recalls 11V-521, 11V-522 and 12V-008.The amendments all described a common defect condition related to a manufacturing process deviation in a certain production range of the redesigned Pierburg water pumps that could result in cracks in the pump housing, which may allow coolant to enter and contact the pump?s circuit board.BMW indicated that further analysis identified a specific machine process error at the sub-supplier that manufactures the water pump housing.Pump housing cracks may cause the circuit board to overheat and lead to smoldering of the water pump.Recall 12V-008 was, thus, amended to include approximately 1,457 MY 2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2011 through April 22, 2011, when pumps manufactured with the suspect manufacturing process may have been used in vehicle assembly.The amendment to Recall 11V-521 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V-161, and covered approximately 2,846 MY 2011-2012 BMW 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, X5, and X6 vehicles manufactured from April 1, 2011 through August 1, 2011.The amendment to Recall 11V-522 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V-166, and covered approximately 69 MY 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from April 7, 2011 through June 2, 2011.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by BMW as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 30 unique Mini Cooper reports indicating engine fire.In addition, BMW provided warranty data showing 493 claims for replacement of the subject component on Mini Cooper vehicles.Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a BMW dealer, who will replace the auxiliary water pump to prevent any incidents related to this issue.This preliminary evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.):10286597, 10286663, 10289793, 10310677, 10314796, 10342365, 10394808, 10394192, 10403982, 10418325, 10422646, 10429003.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
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.
- NHTSA ID
- 11675944
- Incident
- Jul 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper S. The contact recently replaced the 12-Volt battery; however, while attempting to roll down the windows, the windows failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the running lights and fog lights were inoperable. The contact stated that the battery was replaced at a tire and battery shop. The contact drove the vehicle back to the shop and was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired. The contact had researched online and related the vehicle failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred by the manufacturer to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 77,800.
- NHTSA ID
- 11649526
- Incident
- Mar 10, 2025
- Mileage
- 77,800 mi
My mini after the shop installed a new battery, the power windows don't work( can not roll up or down) as well as the lightning. I saw there is a recall for the footwell module for model 2007-2014 but when I call Mini, the agent told me that my car is not covered. This is a very expensive and important part to replace so please help me the best that you can. Thanks
- NHTSA ID
- 11649399
- Incident
- Mar 19, 2025
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 ID
- 11634691
- Incident
- Jan 1, 2025
The car was on BMW-MINI recall list and after I made a complaint of non-compliance with the recall, BMW removed my particular vehicle from the recall list without remedying the problem.
- NHTSA ID
- 11627182
- Incident
- Nov 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated erroneously. Additionally, the door locks were locking and unlocking independently. The contact also stated that the sunroof was opening or closing without driver and passenger input. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
- NHTSA ID
- 11610220
- Incident
- Jan 22, 2024
- Mileage
- 96,000 mi
The contact owns a 2011 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 local dealer was contacted. The contacts daughter called the dealer but could not identify which dealer was contacted. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- NHTSA ID
- 11563595
- Incident
- Jan 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electric 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- NHTSA ID
- 11552922
- Incident
- Oct 15, 2023
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
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.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER; EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
Air Conditioning System Leak Testing. The customer complains of poor or no air conditioning cooling. After further diagnosis, the system is found to be low or empty of a refrigerant charge, but when using an electronic leak detector, no leak can be found. CAUSE: In most cases, an electronic leak detector is not sufficient for identifying small leaks in the system. Electronic leak detectors can give false alarms and can lead to an improper diagnosis of small leaks. A leak cannot be located exactly if accessibility is impaired (in the case of the expansion valve, evaporator or condenser).
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
"Service Action: Retrofit of the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor. Internal corrosion could form in the engine coolant temperature sensor. This corrosion leads to internal bridging of the contacts, which can cause an inaccurate engine temperature reading. This false reading could lead to difficulty in the engine starting and/or a ""Service Engine Soon"" lamp being illuminated."
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.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2017 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 9 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 62.6 |
| 2014 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 51.8 |
| 2013 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 42.9 |
| 2012 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 46.3 |
| 2011Viewing | 31 | 3 | 1 | 57.8 |
| 2010 | 59 | 4 | 1 | 59.7 |
| 2009 | 119 | 3 | 1 | 52.3 |
| 2008 | 168 | 4 | 2 | 58.6 |
| 2007 | 249 | 4 | 3 | 61.8 |
| 2006 | 186 | 1 | 0 | 40.9 |
| 2005 | 314 | 2 | 2 | 55.6 |
| 2004 | 247 | 2 | 2 | 55.4 |
| 2003 | 217 | 2 | 5 | 62.0 |
| 2002 | 83 | 1 | 3 | 53.5 |
| 2001 | 0 | 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.