10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
53,069 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #12

May 062019

Cooper

  • 141,342 miles
Car accident cause problems, having problems with clutch / flywheel was repaired one time drive slow won't move fast. Not steering, has leakage, damage dents on right side front end paint damages, not right color. Back bumper damage scratches, hatchback lock needs be replaced. Wheels damage lt rt. ABS symptom light on, airbag light on, front rear hood light on problems not closing. In motion street.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #11

Mar 062019

Cooper

  • 140,000 miles
Steering pump transmission weening not wanting to change gears right

- Wellington, AL, USA

problem #10

Jun 132018

Cooper

  • 53,000 miles
Upon starting my car, after being in a store, the passenger airbag light came on while a passenger was in the seat. The indicator stayed on after turning the car off and back on. I researched to see if there were any recalls for a faulty passenger airbag covering my year, make and model, and found NHTSA campaign number: 15V205000. I contacted my local MINIdealer and was told that there was no information pertaining to my car and that I needed to contact MINIusa directly. I did so and was told that they also could not find any information pertaining to my car and that they needed to open an investigation in order to determine the status of my vehicle. I was told that because my car was purchased through an overseas military program the systems were not the same and that a supervisor would have to try and find the information and manually add it to the MINIusa system. I was also asked, repeatedly, if my car was a Canadian spec vehicle. It was not ordered as such. After several weeks of waiting, I called MINIusa to inquire about the status of the investigation. I was told that I had already been notified that my car was not included on the recall for the airbag sensor issue. When I inquired as to why my vehicle was not covered for the exact problem for which the recall was issued, I was told that my case was now closed and if I had any other questions I needed to contact MINIcustomer service.

- Parker, CO, USA

problem #9

Mar 152013

Cooper

  • 30,000 miles
70K and on my third serpentine belt, battery light goes on and incredibly hard to steer left or right and car dies. When the belt shreds or breaks the car dies and only moves at below 5 mph, only warning is a battery light... people buying this car for teens dont ! had to replace transmission at 30 K... if you buy this car used with low mileage get the transmission checked. Note : transmission check requires the engine to be pulled out and will cost $500 oil pan constantly leaks. If VW is bad BMW /MINICooper is worse and getting away with highway robbery. Seat belts always getting twisted and require the need to pul off road to fix because they tighten and won't release tension. Look into driver and passenger leather seats falling apart... waiting for side impact air bag to go off because of poor material and textile use. If it's rubber it rots or rats eat it because they can enter car engine without issue. With the class action suits, service warnings, and recalls it looks like MINICooper needs a harder more intense investigation. In regards to exact dates I have repair bills, class action info. Regarding transmission...worthless as I have wrong year, also car is on a constant cycle of malfunction... brake lights and head lights constantly need bulb replacement. Please make MINICooper responsible.

- Sierra Madre, CA, USA

problem #8

Jun 012015

Cooper

  • 55,000 miles
I own a 2006 MINICooper S, which I purchased new in October 2006. About a year ago, I noticed that after slowing by stepping off / releasing the gas pedal, the car would jerk forward - at the time, I did not think it was serious because it happened a few time and it was not enough to cause an accident. After last MINIservice in March 2015 - lately, I noticed that in stop & go traffic, sometimes after braking or slowing, the car has a hard time getting up to speed - sometimes gradually stepping on gas pedal as usual to start off again, I hear the engine rev up pretty loud so I let up on the gas pedal, and then try to step on gradually again - sometimes, it would take a while for the car to get up to speed. Also, lately, after I brake and switch from drive to reverse to back into the driveway, the car jerks back when I am not stepping on the gas pedal at all. I told the MINIdealer about this last week when the car was towed to the dealership because it would not start - the dealer found that the car did not start due to faulty circuitry in a fuse box, which was replaced with a new fuse box. The dealer said that what I described sounded like a transmission problem, and after the new fuse box was put in, the dealer took the car on a test drive to see if anything else was wrong. The dealers diagnosis was to replace the transmission at a cost of $9,000. My car has around 55,000 miles and has been maintained well. It is unreasonable for the transmission to require replacement at such low mileage and in such a short period of time - the car was barely used in the first year - it was driven mostly within the last 7-8 years. As a result of this incident, I have been made aware that many MINIcooper owners have encountered this transmission issue, which has the potential to result in collisions since the car will not accelerate as expected.

- Temple City, CA, USA

problem #7

May 142015

Cooper

  • 71,056 miles
I was driving on the road my I turned the ac on and about 20min of me riding in the vehicle me and my infant son my my vehicle started smoking under the hood heavy white smoke under the hood of the 2006 MINICooper S. my car began to loose power while engine bay still heavily smoking I managed to get car in a nearby dealership get my son and I out of the car I put water on the side of the engine that was burning to keep the rest of the car from burning up.the rest of the car I had to call my insurance company the car wont do anything at all the electric system or the wires burnt under the hood.

- Temple Hills Md , MD, USA

problem #6

Jun 062012

Cooper 4-cyl

  • 82,000 miles
Loud and persistent whinning noise from power steering pump, intermittent power steering failure. Had past problems with the power steering fan (June 2011).

- Bridgeport, CT, USA

problem #5

Jul 152011

Cooper

  • 40,596 miles
While driving the airbag warning light came on and passenger air bag light turned off. At the same time the seat belt light came on. Had both checked and when car was returned both lights were out. Passenger seat bottom was replaced. I was told that this is common problem with the seat bottom. No problem noted for the seat belt light. 1/2 mile from dealer both warning lights again turned on and the passenger air bag light turned off. At this point I am not sure if the car is safe to drive or not.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #4

Jan 252007

(reported on)

Cooper

  • miles
Buzzing noise once car hits 90 miles per hour*

- Long Beach, MS, USA

problem #3

Oct 222006

Cooper 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 32 miles
A buzzing noise once I get to 90 miles per hour. I called the dealer and was told there was nothing they could do.

- Long Beach, MS, USA

problem #2

Nov 102006

Cooper 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 23,805 miles
The plastic gas tank of the 2006 MINIcooper was punctured by debris on rt 3 near chelmsford, Massachusetts. Several gallons of gasoline were lost due to the puncture.

- Ashaway, RI, USA

problem #1

Oct 022006

Cooper

  • miles
More of a comment rather than a complaint. You have omitted MINIcooper from your drop down menu selection of vehicle makes. These vehicles are manufactured by BMW, but I could not find MINIcooper listed under BMW and its not listed by itself as a separate vehicle make. Thanks for your consideration and attention to my comment.

- Hudson, FL, USA