2010 MINI Cooper S Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cooper S years
- Far more complaints than other years 9th of 22 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 59 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 MINI Cooper S. That ranks 9th out of 22 Cooper S model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (37 complaints, 63%), typically at around 65,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 5 fires, 3 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 59owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 MINI Cooper S problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 37 | 63% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 10% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 10% | 32,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 10% | 84,400 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 8% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 7% | 65,284 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 5% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% | 33,250 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 2% | 15,700 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 2% | 17,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | 119,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 2% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% | 1,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 MINI Cooper S recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system
Problem: 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, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. The electronic control module in the driver's side footwell area may short-circuit, due to corrosion from water and road salt.
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; engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger
Problem: 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 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.
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 recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger
Problem: Bmw is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 mini cooper s, 2008-2011 mini cooper s clubman, 2009-2011 mini cooper s convertible, 2009-2011 mini cooper jcw, 2009-2011 mini cooper jcw clubman, 2009-2011 cooper jcw convertible, and 2011 cooper s countryman passenger cars manufactured from november 14, 2006, through january 18, 2011. The electric auxiliary water pump that cools the turbocharger has an electronic circuit board that can malfunction and overheat.
Risk: The circuit board may smolder which could result in a vehicle fire.
Fix: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump free of charge. The safety recall beganduring february 2012. Owners may contact bmw at 1-866-275-6464.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Bmw is recalling certain model year 2010 mini cooper and cooper s vehicles for failing comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." the affected vehicles were equipped with 17 inch wheels, but their label states that they were equipped with 16 inch wheels. Also the tire pressure stated on the label for the cooper s is incorrect.
Risk: Erroneous tire information could lead to improper tire fitment and inflation which could affect the durability of the tire and the stability of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The recall began on march 4, 2010. Owners may contact bmw at 1-800-831-1117.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine compartment fire (PE11036) — opened Oct 11, 2011, closed Jun 11, 2012, led to recall 12V008000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2010 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the…
The passenger airbag sensor/passenger seatbelt sensor issue that has been reported and fixed in lots of other mini cooper model years is seemingly an issue with 2010 models too and needs to be corrected via recall. The sensor being faulty is a serious safety concern, and runs close to $1200 to…
The car completely quits running while you are driving it. Check engine light comes on but car has already died. Have to coast to a stop with no power steering since the engine has died. Car will not always restart. Sometimes it will crank but not turn over. Sometimes it will restart. Today it died…
Mi vehculo mini cooper s 2010, estando estacionado en el garage por ms de 12 horas y sin prender el motor en ningn momento comenz a incendiarse sin ningn motivo. Por fortuna haba personas que alertaran de lo ocurrido y pude apagar el fuego en el vehculo, aunque ya haba consumido partes elctrica, de…
High pressure fuel pump needs replaced @ 30,000 miles
Other MINI Cooper S years
← 2009 Cooper S · 2011 Cooper S →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Cooper S | 4 | 3 |
| 2024 Cooper S | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 Cooper S | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 Cooper S | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 Cooper S | 5 | 2 |
| 2019 Cooper S | 5 | 1 |
| 2017 Cooper S | 6 | 3 |
| 2016 Cooper S | 9 | 3 |
| 2015 Cooper S | 18 | 4 |
| 2014 Cooper S | 13 | 4 |
| 2013 Cooper S | 24 | 1 |
| 2012 Cooper S | 23 | 2 |
| 2011 Cooper S | 31 | 3 |
| 2010 | 59 | 4 |
| 2009 Cooper S | 119 | 3 |
| 2008 Cooper S | 168 | 4 |
| 2007 Cooper S | 249 | 4 |
| 2006 Cooper S | 186 | 1 |
| 2005 Cooper S | 314 | 2 |
| 2004 Cooper S | 247 | 2 |
| 2003 Cooper S | 217 | 2 |
| 2002 Cooper S | 83 | 1 |
See all MINI Cooper S problems by year, every MINI model, or the MINI VIN decoder.
Similar MINI models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2010 MINI Cooper S?
Owners most often report engine, air bags, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 37 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 MINI Cooper S?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 MINI Cooper S a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cooper S model years, the 2010 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.