2011 MINI Cooper S Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jul 24, 2025 · 31 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Cooper S years
More complaints than other years 10th of 22 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 MINI Cooper S. That ranks 10th out of 22 Cooper S model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (16 complaints, 52%), typically at around 60,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 fires, 2 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2011 MINI Cooper S problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Electrical System16 · ~60,000 mi
Engine16 · ~60,000 mi
Air Bags3 · ~54,949 mi
Unknown or Other3 · ~70,000 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling1
Exterior Lighting1
Fuel/propulsion System1 · ~30,000 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline1 · ~6,500 mi
Structure1 · ~70,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control1 · ~6,500 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System1652%60,000——
Engine1652%60,000——
Air Bags310%54,949——
Unknown or Other310%70,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling13%———
Exterior Lighting13%———
Fuel/propulsion System13%30,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline13%6,500——
Structure13%70,000——
Vehicle Speed Control13%6,500——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 5 complaints
2012: 1201212013: 1201312014: 2201422015: 1201512016: 4201642017: 5201752018: 3201832019: 1201912021: 2202122023: 4202342024: 3202432025: 420254

n = 31 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2011 MINI Cooper S recalls (3)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Electrical systemMay 11, 2023 · NHTSA campaign 23V337000 · 97,933 vehicles

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/superchargerApr 18, 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V248000 · 47,806 vehicles

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/superchargerJan 11, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V008000 · 90,368 vehicles

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.

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.

Failure of the Footwell Module failed due to corrosion by water intrusion as diagnosed by Mini Dealership. Windows, Turn signals and lights were inoperable as a result of failure. This matched the situation outlined in your recall notice Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-337. Car matched the…

Electrical System · received Jul 24, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11675944

My mini after the shop installed a new battery, the power windows don't work( can not roll up or down) as well as the lightning. I saw there is a recall for the footwell module for model 2007-2014 but when I call Mini, the agent told me that my car is not covered. This is a very expensive and…

Electrical System · received Mar 20, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11649399

The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper S. The contact recently replaced the 12-Volt battery; however, while attempting to roll down the windows, the windows failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the running lights and fog lights were inoperable. The contact stated that the battery was…

Electrical System · received Mar 20, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11649526

Car stalls while driving and will not start again. No codes thrown. Found relay K96 on Junction Box Electronics module to have cracked through-hole solder joints resulting in bad continuity. Relay K96 supplies power to the low pressure fuel pump in the tank, thus with bad continuity, the pump gets…

Electrical System · received Jan 7, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11634691

The car was on BMW-MINI recall list and after I made a complaint of non-compliance with the recall, BMW removed my particular vehicle from the recall list without remedying the problem.

Electrical System · received Nov 25, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11627182

Other MINI Cooper S years

← 2010 Cooper S · 2012 Cooper S →

See all MINI Cooper S problems by year, every MINI model, or the MINI VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2011 MINI Cooper S?

Owners most often report electrical system, engine, air bags problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 16 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2011 MINI Cooper S?

Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2011 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 2011 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.