2014 MINI Cooper problems
NHTSA has received 45 complaints about the 2014 MINI Cooper, and 22% of them involve engine. Next are drivetrain & axles (18%) and electrical system (18%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 45 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 22% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 1 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 9,000 miles 34 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 | 25 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 3 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 3 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 34 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 8,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 1 complaint mentions a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2014 ranks 10th most-complained-about out of 16 model years of the MINI Cooper with enough data (36 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
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.
Driving to shopping center, I had my heated seat turned to the highest setting. It seemed as though the seat was unusually warm so I turned the seat down to the medium setting and continued driving. The seat continued to feel uncomfortable as I drove, so I turned it down to low, but it still did not cool down. It became alarmingly hot so I turned it off completely but it did not cool down. At this point I would have exited the car, but I was in heavy traffic in front of the mall.
Youtube link: [link removed] mini cooper s roadster 6 speed manual while driving smelled odor of rubber burning, then about 10 seconds later saw smoke coming from the defroster vents and then some sort of warning light came on and I immediately turned off the engine and coasted to a stop believing the engine had overheated. I got out of the car and the smoke got worse and when the plastic in the dashboard had melted away I saw flames and called 911.
The contact owns a 2014 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, there was smoke detected from the vehicle. The vehicle caught fire without warning. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or crash. The fire department distinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to a lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
Driving on the freeway, car lost oil pressure suddenly, oil poured out of vehicle, smoking as warning lights indicated "drive train malfunction" and then, "loss of oil pressure: stop vehicle". Diagnosed as a failure of a welding on the oil pump housing. Mini replaced part and returned car to me. Within 1 mile, "drive train malfunction" ignited again. A week later, they reported that there were metal shavings in the oil and the engine needed to be replace. I sold it back to mini as a lemon.
Turbo charger has systematically failed over the last year, with worsening effects. This causes the car to automatically go into "limp mode" and cuts power. This is dangerous for driving on the highway. This is a common complaint with mini coopers with many, but not all years recalled.