2009 MINI Cooper Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cooper years
- Far more complaints than other years 6th of 26 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 MINI Cooper. That ranks 6th out of 26 Cooper model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (62 complaints, 41%), typically at around 65,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 11 fires, 5 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 151owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2009 MINI Cooper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 62 | 41% | 65,500 | “air bag” (48%) | $1,500 |
| Engine | 46 | 30% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 25 | 17% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 5% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 6 | 4% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 3% | 79,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 3% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 3% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 3% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 3% | 68,794 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 11,900 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 2% | 18,794 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 2% | 61,050 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 134,750 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 79,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 41,818 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 77,100 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2009 MINI Cooper recalls (1)
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.
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.
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 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH at night, the exterior lights started flickering and started to become inoperable. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the vehicle, removed the battery terminals, and performed a…
The seatbelt and air bag warning light for the passenger front seat stays on.
The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the seat belt warning light illuminated even though there was no passenger seated in the passengerâs seat. The contact stated that the warning light remained illuminated with the passengerâs seat…
When it rains, my car seems to have a short circuit and all the electrical components start going crazy, mainly the windows, locks and indoor lights/dash. There is an active recall for the same problem and car model but mine doesn't seem to fit the recall I am not sure why.
My car has had an exterior lighting problem related to a bad FRM. This is causing my lights not to work. After seeking help, I saw that there was an actual recall on the FRM and I decided to take my car to International Mini dealership in Wisconsin. Once there, they proceeded to only fix the leak…
Other MINI Cooper years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Cooper | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 Cooper | 1 | 3 |
| 2024 Cooper | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 Cooper | 7 | 0 |
| 2022 Cooper | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 Cooper | 7 | 2 |
| 2020 Cooper | 7 | 2 |
| 2019 Cooper | 12 | 2 |
| 2018 Cooper | 8 | 0 |
| 2017 Cooper | 28 | 3 |
| 2016 Cooper | 28 | 1 |
| 2015 Cooper | 56 | 6 |
| 2014 Cooper | 34 | 7 |
| 2013 Cooper | 47 | 1 |
| 2012 Cooper | 66 | 1 |
| 2011 Cooper | 83 | 1 |
| 2010 Cooper | 92 | 2 |
| 2009 | 151 | 1 |
| 2008 Cooper | 116 | 1 |
| 2007 Cooper | 117 | 1 |
| 2006 Cooper | 200 | 1 |
| 2005 Cooper | 372 | 2 |
| 2004 Cooper | 282 | 2 |
| 2003 Cooper | 320 | 2 |
| 2002 Cooper | 187 | 3 |
| 2001 Cooper | 6 | 0 |
See all MINI Cooper 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 2009 MINI Cooper?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 62 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2009 MINI Cooper?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2009 MINI Cooper a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cooper model years, the 2009 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.