RoadVitals

2001 MINI Cooper

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
6
Latest Jan 22, 2008
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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

Overview

Our database contains 6 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2001 MINI Cooper, most frequently naming the transmission, engine and interior & seats categories. 23 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Transmission233.3%
  • Engine116.7%
  • Interior & seats116.7%
  • Powertrain (other)116.7%
  • Suspension116.7%

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

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.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Transmission
Filed Jan 22, 2008

MY 2001 330I WITH 110,000 MILES ON IT ABRUPTLY STOPPED GOING IN REVERSE. ONE DAY IT WAS FINE AND RUNNING NORMALLY AND THE NEXT DAY WHEN I WENT TO BACK OUT OF MY GARAGE IT WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE. I RECENTLY SOLD MY OLD CAR AND BOUGHT A BMW FOR THE "RELIABILITY" AND TO GET A HIGH VALUE CAR, INSTEAD I HAVE A MONEY PIT THAT I CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX AND NOW NEEDS A $6,100 TRANSMISSION. WISH I HAD KEPT MY OLD CAR. *TR

NHTSA ID
10215605
Incident
Jan 10, 2008
Interior & seats
Filed Jan 14, 2008

2001 BMW X5- I'VE OWNED THE MENTIONED VEHICLE FOR 3 YRS. AND AM UNABLE TO DRIVE IT THE WINTER DUE TO DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE BECAUSE LATCHING MECH FREEZES AND WILL NOT CLOSE UNTIL DOOR THAWS OUT. IT'S BEEN TO BMW DEALERSHIP AND SAYS IT'S A FAULTY CARRIER ON THESE 2000-2001 BMW WILL NOT HONOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION MY DRIVING WITH THE DOOR OPEN AND HAVING TO HOLD IT SOMEWHAT CLOSED AFTER GETTING IN !! IT'S A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP. YOU MAY READ ABOUT THIS ON THE BMW WEBSITE -WWW.ROADFLY.COM AND SEARCH THE ARCHIVES OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY WANT CLOSE 800.00 TO FIX THIS PROPERLY WITH A NEW DESIGNED "CARRIER" . *TR

NHTSA ID
10214695
Incident
Jan 6, 2008
Mileage
75,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Apr 30, 2007

BMW 2001 325XI REAR COIL FAILURE. COIL FAILED ONE COIL UP FROM BOTTOM. EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE CRACK-SHINY AREA WITH DUCTILE AREA FROM FINAL LOAD FAILURE. EVIDENCE OF ADDITIONAL SMALL STARTING CRACK. EXTERNAL SURFACE COATING FAILED AT POINT OF CONTACT WITH LOWER SUPPORT RUSTED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10189296
Incident
Apr 28, 2007
Mileage
39,800 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 2, 2007

2001 BMW X5 4.4I WITH ONLY 66K MLS HAS TRANSMISSION OIL LEAK AT FRONT SHAFT SEAL TO TORQUE CONVERTER CAUSES CAR TO STALL OUT FROM LOSS OF TRANSMISSION POWER DUE TO LOSS OF LUBRICATION,EXCESSIVE HEAT AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHEN ACCELERATING

NHTSA ID
10186792
Incident
Feb 17, 2007
Mileage
66,123 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Mar 27, 2007

ON MARCH 16TH 2007 I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO EVALUATE A FAINT CLICKING NOISE THAT I DETERMINED TO BE A CLAMP ON THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL BOOT HITTING THE SUSPENSION FRAME. THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND INDICATED IT WAS PROBABLY TIRE NOISE. I PERSISTED THAT THE NOISE WAS NOT NORMAL AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD PUT THE CAR ON THE LIFT SO I COULD SHOW THEM THE PROBLEM. THE LEFT-HAND ENGINE SUPPORT BOLTS HAD APPARENTLY BEEN BACKING OUT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHIFT TO THE LEFT. THE THREADS OF THE BOLTS WERE NOT DAMAGED AND THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED. FURTHER IF I HAD NOT NOTICED THE NOISE AND INSISTED ON EVALUATION THE ONE REMAINING BOLT WOULD LIKELY HAVE BROKEN, AFFECTING THE ABILITY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND RESULTED IN A SERIOUS CRASH. AS OF MARCH 27TH THE DEALERS HAS DETERMINED THAT THEY CAN NOT SIMPLY RE-TIGHTEN THE BOLTS BECAUSE THEY MOST LIKELY UN-THREAD OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS. WITH PROLONGED DRIVING, THESE BOLTS BECAME LOOSE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND SUSPENSION. THIS 2001 BMW X5 IS A SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE, AND ALTHOUGH THIS ONE HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD, THIS POWER TRAIN PROBLEM REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RELATED DEFECT THAT COULD AFFECT A NUMBER OF VEHICLES IF THE BOLTS SUPPORTING THE ENGINE VIBRATE LOOSE DUE TO IMPROPER TIGHTENING OR TORQUE FORCE. THE DEALER INSISTS THAT THIS IS NOT SAFETY RELATED DEFECT; THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THE PROBLEM AND HAVE NO EXPLANATION HOW THIS COULD HAVE OCCURRED IN A VEHICLE THAT HAS NEITHER BEEN OFF ROAD NOR INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. HOWEVER A SIMILAR NHTSA CAMPAIGN (NUMBER 03V475000) WAS ISSUED ON NOV 03, 2003 FOR 2004 BMX X5 VEHICLES WITH IMPROPERLY TIGHTENED RIGHT SIDE ENGINE SUPPORT BOLTS AND FRONT DIFFERENTIAL BOLTS. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE LEFT SIDE IN A DIFFERENT MODEL YEAR. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE AND REMEDY THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY RELATED DEFECT. *JB

NHTSA ID
10186331
Incident
Mar 16, 2007
Mileage
80,000 mi
Engine
Filed Feb 25, 2007

THERE WAS A "TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN" ISSUED ON MY BMW REGARDING A BROKEN OR LEAKING VALVE WHICH COULD BREAK IN LOW TEMPERATURE WEATHER CONDITIONS. I DID BREAK DOWN, FINDING MYSELF IN A SMOKING CAR, BOTH INSIDE AND OUT IN 6 DEGREE WEATHER. IT HAS BEEN THREE WEEKS AND MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID I HAVE A CRACKED VALVE COVER. "ALL" OF THE PARTS ORDERED ARE NOT IN YET AS OF THIS PAST FRIDAY. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE LAST PART, A DIP STICK. A "VOR" ORDER WAS PLACED 3 WEEKS AGO AND I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR HERE, THAT IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER ELSE, THE DIP STICK BROKE. THEY ARE NOT CHARGING ME FOR THE REPAIR, WHICH THEY SAY IS $2000. I FIND THIS CURIOUS. I ALSO HAD TO BRING MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER IN DEC. BECAUSE IT WAS STALLING IN ADDITION TO A FEW OTHER PROBLEMS, THEY DID NOT CHARGE ME THERE EITHER, AGAIN, CURIOUS. MY CAR, A 2001 3 SERIES, HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT AND JUST HAD IT CHECKED OUT IN NOVEMBER WHEN I HAD AN OIL CHANGE. ALSO LAST YEAR, I HAD OVER $1000 OF REPAIRS DONE ON IT. I HAVE BEEN RENTING A CAR FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS FOR $60 A DAY. I WONDER WHY THEY DID NOT GIVE ME A LOANER AND I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A RENTAL. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN WARNED, OR AT LEAST BEEN GIVEN A CHOICE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED BEFORE IT HAPPENED. I WAS LUCKY THAT I BROKE DOWN IN A SAFE AREA. I WONDER, HOW MANY SERVICE BULLETINS ARE OUT THERE ON CARS THAT WE ARE NOT ADVISED OF AND COULD RESULT IN PUTTING US IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. AT THE VERY LEAST I THINK THAT THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A LOANER OR SHOULD PAY FOR MY CAR RENTAL. SINCE THEY ARE NOT CHARGING ME FOR THE REPAIR, DOESN'T THAT MEAN THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAMAGE? SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL, WHICH IS NOT UP TO $1260? LOSS WHEN IT COMES TO THE CAR I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. CAN YOU HELP, ME AND OTHER CONSUMERS OUT THERE?*JB

NHTSA ID
10183427
Incident
Feb 1, 2007

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

M061525

Adhesive Film Return

M511616

STRUCTURE

Cavity protection applied to underside of the hood is leaking out onto the wheel arch trim and grille.

12 06 15

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

MINI: BECAUSE OF THE DME SOFTWARE, AND A DAMAGED CLUTCH, THE DRIVETRAIN MALFUNCTION CHECK MESSAGE APPEAR. *MA

12 09 15

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

MINI: FAULTY SOFTWARE FOR THE TANK VENTILATION CONTROL DISPLAYS ENGINE THROTTLE REACTION WHEN TEMPERATURE IS HIGH OUTSIDE, AND MORE OBVIOUS IF THE TANK IS ONLY PARTLY FILLED. *MA

11 06 15

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

MINI: DIFFERENT FAULTS ACTIVATES ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND OIL WARNING. *MA

11 02 15

ENGINE

MINI: A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND DME SOFTWARE ERROR OF THE VANOS ACTUATORS CAUSE THE ENGINE TO RUN ROUGH WHICH ACTIVATES THE MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT. *MA

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

MINI Cooper by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026210
2025130
2024100
2023700
2022600
2021720
2020720
2019122045.5
2018800
2017283055.1
2016281047.9
2015556256.9
2014347262.9
2013471034.0
2012661048.0
2011831043.0
2010922053.6
20091511044.9
20081151044.5
20071151044.5
20062001042.1
20053724257.0
20042824258.2
20033204560.9
20021875559.3
2001Viewing600

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.