2012 Mini Cooper S problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Electrical System (10) · Fuel/Propulsion System (2) · Engine (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mini Cooper S model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Electrical System 2023-05-11 · campaign 23V337000 · 97,933 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2014 MINI Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Clubman John Cooper Works, and 2007-2013 MINI Hardtop 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Uta
Risk: An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the sunroof drains, interior footwell area, and FRM and, depending upon the results of the inspection, certain components will be replaced. Owner notification letters were mailed May 13, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/Supercharger 2018-04-18 · campaign 18V248000 · 47,806 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012
Risk: If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump, free of charge. Depending on the model, there are currently limited parts available, however not all parts are available at this time. Owners will be notified of the recall beginning June 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, MINI at 1-866-825-1525, or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Note: BMW recommen
Service bulletins (152)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Electrical System 2023-10-25 · M610607 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 rea
Wheels 2021-12-01 · M360119 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 2020-08-01 · M011116 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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
Fuel System, Gasoline 2020-01-01 · M010419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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
Equipment:electrical 2019-07-12 · M640108 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 d
Structure:body:door 2019-07-12 · M510912 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service action: checking or replacing the door sill trim strips. the door sill trim strips are deformed and/or peeling up at the corners. cause: insufficient surface preparation of the door sill.
Showing the 6 most recent of 152 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-06-05 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 87,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 mini cooper s. the contact stated that while driving, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 mph, with the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the fuel pump was defective, and the fuel pump was replaced. the contact stated that approximately a year la…”
2024-12-30 · Electrical System“my vehicle has an outstanding recall (nhtsa recall #23v337) from over a year and a half ago. there is still no update on when this will be remedied. the recall states there is potential for a "thermal event", which to me is a fancy way of saying fire. for an incident where my vehicle can catch fire, i expect a bit quicker of a response from bmw/m…”
2024-08-05 · Electrical System“the contact owns a 2012 mini cooper s. the contact stated that the headlights, turn signals, windows, and the radio were inoperable. there were no warning lights illuminated. the contact stated that the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 23v337000 (electrical system) however, the vin was not included. the local dealer was contacted, and …”
2024-04-18 · Electrical System · 116,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 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 contact stated while driving 50-55 mph on the highway, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. the contact was able to pull to the side of the road. the con…”
2024-04-15 · Electrical System · 121,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. t…”
2024-04-08 · Electrical System · 155,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 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 contact stated that the windows failed to roll down. additionally, the contact stated that the headlights, the hazard lights, and the turn signals were …”
2023-10-19 · Electrical System · 140,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the contact stated that while driving at an undiscl…”
2023-10-05 · Electrical System“the contact owns a 2012 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 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 confirme…”
2023-10-02 · Electrical System · 70,000 mi“the contact owns a 2012 mini cooper s. the contact stated while driving 70 mph, the turn signals were engaged but failed to respond. additionally, the contact stated that warning lights indicated that the gas cap and trunk were opened, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. the contact also stated that the windows failed to roll down, a…”
2023-03-27 · Engine“nothing has failed yet, however, the oil stick is completely illegible. on a car that fails to have an electronic dipstick and likes to burn oil, as well as has a very small oil capacity (around 5 liters or less) this design is going to cause the engine to run out of oil without the driver knowing. it is a seriously bad design, especially combined …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.