MINI Cooper S Problems by Year
NHTSA has 1,782 owner complaints and 23 safety recalls on file for the MINI Cooper S, across 22 model years (2002–2025). The 2005 model year has the most complaints (314). The most reported problem area overall is steering.
MINI Cooper S years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Cooper S year: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2005 Cooper S: 314 complaints, 2 recalls
- 2007 Cooper S: 249 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2004 Cooper S: 247 complaints, 2 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2022 Cooper S: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2024 Cooper S: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2025 Cooper S: 4 complaints, 3 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common MINI Cooper S problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 669 | 12 | 22 |
| Engine problems | 339 | 18 | 2 |
| Air Bags problems | 260 | 15 | 13 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 186 | 11 | 3 |
| Electrical System problems | 172 | 18 | 5 |
| Power Train problems | 114 | 15 | 1 |
| Visibility | 67 | 9 | 0 |
| Seats | 40 | 11 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 36 | 13 | 0 |
| Structure | 28 | 10 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 26 | 13 | 3 |
| Seat Belts | 24 | 11 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 18 | 8 | 0 |
| Suspension | 18 | 6 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 | 5 | 2 |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 10 | 0 |
| Tires | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 9 | 1 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| Wheels | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| Equipment | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1 | 0 |
MINI Cooper S problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
All MINI Cooper S model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Cooper S | 4 | 3 | — | Electronic Stability Control (esc) | |
| 2024 Cooper S | 1 | 0 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | |
| 2022 Cooper S | 1 | 0 | — | Electrical System | |
| 2021 Cooper S | 0 | 2 | — | — | |
| 2020 Cooper S | 5 | 2 | — | Engine | |
| 2019 Cooper S | 5 | 1 | — | Electrical System | |
| 2017 Cooper S | 6 | 3 | — | Engine | |
| 2016 Cooper S | 9 | 3 | — | Engine | |
| 2015 Cooper S | 18 | 4 | — | Engine | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2014 Cooper S | 13 | 4 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2013 Cooper S | 24 | 1 | — | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2012 Cooper S | 23 | 2 | — | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2011 Cooper S | 31 | 3 | — | Electrical System | More complaints than other years |
| 2010 Cooper S | 59 | 4 | — | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2009 Cooper S | 119 | 3 | — | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2008 Cooper S | 168 | 4 | — | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2007 Cooper S | 249 | 4 | — | Engine | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Cooper S | 186 | 1 | — | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Cooper S | 314 | 2 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Cooper S | 247 | 2 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Cooper S | 217 | 2 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Cooper S | 83 | 1 | — | Steering | Far more complaints than other years |
More from MINI: all MINI models · MINI VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which MINI Cooper S years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2002 (83), 2003 (217), 2004 (247), 2005 (314), 2006 (186), 2007 (249), 2008 (168), 2009 (119), 2010 (59) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Cooper S year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the MINI Cooper S?
Steering, with 669 complaints across 12 model years.
How many recalls does the MINI Cooper S have?
23 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.