2015 MINI Cooper S Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cooper S years
- Fewer complaints than other years 13th of 22 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 MINI Cooper S. That ranks 13th out of 22 Cooper S model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (3 complaints, 17%), typically at around 42,621 miles. Complaints mention 2 fires. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 18owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2015 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 | 3 | 17% | 42,621 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 17% | 15,250 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 17% | 22,125 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 11% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 11% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 11% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 6% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 6% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2015 MINI Cooper S recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification; seats
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 module
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:body
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)
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.
The rear windshield fell out of the top of my convertible. There was no accident or foul play involved. The glue that bonds the window to the top became unglued. This happened at 70,000 miles. The top is made of fabric and the window is made out of glass. Have to you replace the entire top to…
The fuel filling nozzle turns off repeatedly (as if already full) while filling the fuel tank. About 1/4 to 1/3 of a gallon of fuel will go in before it turns off, backs up, and the gas overflows onto the outside of the car and onto the concrete. It happens regardless of the pump being used. It…
The back window comes unglued to the convertible top when the car is parked outside in warm weather. Ive seen this in several other mini cooper roadsters within the past few weeks. This causes the car to have a hole in the convertible top and leaves the glass hanging from the sensor. To fix it you…
While driving in the rain (light rain) front right and rear left brakes locked up. No warning lights came on, it was a very dangerous situation. The car is currently at a repair shop getting looked at, I had to have it towed there because those wheels will not turn while in neutral even. Reading…
Defect in passenger frontal airbag-The front passenger seat occupancy detection mat is not functioning correctly. This was recalled but not for my VIN and needs to be part of the recall.
Other MINI Cooper S years
← 2014 Cooper S · 2016 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 | 18 | 4 |
| 2014 Cooper S | 13 | 4 |
| 2013 Cooper S | 24 | 1 |
| 2012 Cooper S | 23 | 2 |
| 2011 Cooper S | 31 | 3 |
| 2010 Cooper S | 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 2015 MINI Cooper S?
Owners most often report engine, exterior lighting, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2015 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 2015 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 2015 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.