2012 MINI Cooper problems
NHTSA has received 98 complaints about the 2012 MINI Cooper, and 29% of them involve electrical system. Next are engine (18%) and air bags (16%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 98 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 29% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 1 and 16
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 54,000 miles 57 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 6 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 8 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 26 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 6 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 57 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 54,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 59,000 miles (11 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 1 complaint mentions a crash; 16 complaints mention a fire; 1 injury reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2012 ranks 11th most-complained-about out of 16 model years of the MINI Cooper with enough data (35 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 mini cooper. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the contact crashed into the preceding vehicle after it stopped without warning. The vehicle was merged into a parking lot, where the contact noticed some minor damage to the front of the vehicle and smoke appeared under the hood as a fire started. The fire department extinguished the fire. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 mini cooper. The contact stated that the front driver side air bag abruptly deployed while driving 40 MPH. The failure occurred without warning or impact. The contact suffered injuries to the neck, back, and arms, which required medical attention. A police report was not filed. Prior to the deployment, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer stated that it was safe to drive the vehicle with the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired.
Vehicle was in motion on a highway and after going over several pot holes the engine temperature warning light came on. The engine power was reduced and an engine failure light also appeared. This is when I pulled over into the off ramp and the vehicle came to a sputtering stop. I placed the car in neutral and pushed it to the dirt side lane of the off ramp. I opened the hood, smelled something burning, and saw smoke coming from the engine.
Electronic fuel pump failed twice within a year. Manual transmission - clutch does not engage gears properly. Friction point is vague and unengaging. Gear slips. Requires exceedingly high rev. Counts/gas to engage in gear properly. Car stalls more than normal/often. Overall fuel injection/ecu mapping/clutch issues are evidently and repeats to be problem areas despite parts replacement and adjustment (ECU re-map).
Started car, red service icon on dash alternating with driver door open icon. This was a loss of interior lights, signal lights, brake lights, hazard lights, window up/down controls, and door lock functions. Car otherwise operated normally. This malfunction requires dealer only repair.