2014 MINI Cooper S Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Dec 3, 2020 · 13 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Cooper S years
Far fewer complaints than other years 14th of 22 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 MINI Cooper S. That ranks 14th out of 22 Cooper S model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (6 complaints, 46%), typically at around 20,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 4 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 2014 MINI Cooper S problems

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

Power Train6 · ~20,500 mi
Engine3 · ~6,000 mi
Air Bags2 · ~36,500 mi
Unknown or Other2 · ~7,700 mi
Fuel/propulsion System1 · ~46,000 mi
Suspension1 · ~39,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control1 · ~35,000 mi
Visibility/wiper1 · ~48,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Power Train646%20,500——
Engine323%6,000——
Air Bags215%36,500——
Unknown or Other215%7,700——
Fuel/propulsion System18%46,000——
Suspension18%39,000——
Vehicle Speed Control18%35,000——
Visibility/wiper18%48,000——

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

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2018, with 4 complaints
2015: 3201532016: 1201612017: 2201722018: 4201842019: 1201912020: 220202

n = 13 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2014 MINI Cooper S recalls (4)

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

Seats; air bags:sensor:occupant classificationNov 9, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V739000 · 38 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 door vehicles manufactured February 25, 2014, to May 16, 2015, 2014-2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 door vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to May 9, 2015, 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 door vehicles manufactured October 17, 2014, to June 2, 2015, and 2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 4 door vehicles manufactured November 24, 2014, to June 11, 2015. During a service appointment, the affected vehicles received replacement front passenger seat cushions (which contain integral Capacitive Interior Sensing (CIS) functions). The CIS functions may have been incorrectly calibrated, and if so, would cause impaired occupant classification and thus inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation.

Risk: Inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation can increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a vehicle crash.

Fix: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front passenger seat cushion, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 .

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleOct 7, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V628000 · 6,073 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper two-door vehicles, 2015-2016 MINI John Cooper Works and MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper four-door vehicles and 2014-2015 BMW i3 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.

Fix: MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

Structure:bodyJul 17, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V450000 · 30,456 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door vehicles and 2015 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop 2 Door vehicles. The affected vehicles do not meet the side impact performance requirements for the rear seat passengers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection."

Risk: If the side impact performance requirements are not met, rear seat passengers may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.

Fix: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will install additional energy absorption material between the rear interior side panels and the exterior vehicle body, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525. Note: this recall supersedes 14V-815.

Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Dec 15, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V789000 · 1,928 vehicles

Problem: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, and Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door vehicles manufactured January 6, 2014, to October 17, 2014. During service appointments, dealers may have inadvertently reprogrammed the transmission control unit with software that may allow drivers to exit the vehicle when the transmission is not in Park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Risk: If the driver exits the vehicle without the transmission being in Park, the vehicle could roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Fix: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module with the correct software, free of charge. The recall February 4, 2015. Owners can contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

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

  • BMW Safety Act Violations (AQ15004) — opened Sep 24, 2015, closed Oct 2, 2017.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Passenger airbag sensor issue, i have seen this reported in other mini coopers that were recalled but my specific model was not. I want to be sure all applicable vehicles are included in the recall for the safety of myself and other mini owners. I have no airbag function right now and both my…

Air Bags · received Dec 3, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11377693

First gear pops out randomly, when it's beginning to move or after it started moving. It can go days without happening then it will happen multiple times in one day.

Power Train · received Nov 15, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11374754

Bad sending unit on fuel pump assembly; this caused the gas lights to stop working inside the vehicle while driving.

Fuel/propulsion System · received Feb 15, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11180415

I was driving, making a right turn when i hit a rock on the road with my front right tire. After this, i would hear a thumping sound while turning. Then we learned that the mounting kit of the front strut cracked; the service department at our dealership mentioned that it's a common issue among my…

Suspension · received Dec 24, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11163304

Drivetrain malfunction appear while driving on the freeway

Power Train · received Nov 14, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11151538

Other MINI Cooper S years

← 2013 Cooper S · 2015 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 2014 MINI Cooper S?

Owners most often report power train, engine, air bags problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 6 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2014 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 2014 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 2014 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.