MINI Cooper Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 280 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the MINI Cooper across 20 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (89). The words owners use most often: “cvt transmission” (16% of reports).
- 280power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $11,550typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- CVT transmission: mentioned in 44 of 280 complaints (16%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the MINI Cooper at $11,550, and half of them between $9,400 and $12,850.
Based on 61 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 235 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 280 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
MINI Cooper power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Cooper | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2020 Cooper | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2019 Cooper | 2 | 17% | 38 |
| 2017 Cooper | 6 | 21% | 10,000 |
| 2016 Cooper | 6 | 21% | — |
| 2015 Cooper | 10 | 18% | 25,000 |
| 2014 Cooper | 8 | 24% | 6,500 |
| 2013 Cooper | 3 | 6% | 49,000 |
| 2012 Cooper | 3 | 5% | 22,615 |
| 2011 Cooper | 9 | 11% | 11,022 |
| 2010 Cooper | 3 | 3% | 67,000 |
| 2009 Cooper | 5 | 3% | 77,500 |
| 2008 Cooper | 12 | 10% | 50,500 |
| 2007 Cooper | 5 | 4% | 50,000 |
| 2006 Cooper | 20 | 10% | 72,500 |
| 2005 Cooper | 25 | 7% | 58,969 |
| 2004 Cooper | 26 | 9% | 62,000 |
| 2003 Cooper | 89 | 28% | 70,000 |
| 2002 Cooper | 43 | 23% | 60,000 |
| 2001 Cooper | 3 | 50% | 73,062 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Model years: 2014, 2015
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.
Power train:manual transmission:floor shift assembly
Model years: 2002
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions, the transmission shift cable connects the gearshift lever in the vehicle interior to the shift linkage on the transmission. It is possible for the shift cable to detach from the transmission shift linkage while the driver is attempting to change gears. If the cable detaches from the shift linkage, gear changes will no longer be possible and the transmission will remain in the last gear selected.
Risk: If shift cable detachment occurs and the transmission remains in any forward gear, the vehicle can still be driven in that gear only. However, if the transmission moves into neutral and remains there, the ability to accelerate or maintain speed will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the shift cable and, if necessary, install a retaining clip over the end of the shift cable to prevent it from detaching from the transmission. Owner notification began august 6, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact bmw at 1-866-ask-mini (1-866-275-6464).
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My vehicle has active VANOS failure codes (131401 and 130304). These codes are preventing my car from passing the New York State safety and emissions inspection, rendering it legally unable to be used on the road. BMW/MINI Corporate is refusing to honor their national extended component warranty…
My Mini Cooper has been showing repeated warnings stating âStart-off assistance inactive. Caution: vehicle may roll back!â for some time. This issue appears to relate to an existing recall involving potential electrical and starter/rollaway defects. The vehicle also has a persistent front…
Selector lever wrongly not locked in park. Put up a code for transmission (egs). I believe it falls under the transmission control unit recall on mini coopers 2 door hardtop.
Drivetrain error occurred. I pulled codes and found P0015. I added oil, cleared code. The next day the drivetrain error popped back up. Pulled codes and found P0366. I took the vehicle to mechanic for diagnostics and to find the issue. They found faults: 130F11 and 120408. When replacing engine oil…
Originally problem started with a about five warning messages, a brake system one, a chassis stabilization one, Collision warning one, pedestrian warning one, and a drive train message. They were would appear while drive at any speed but, would go away after the car was shut off and restarted. A…
Frequently asked questions
Do all MINI Coopers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 280 owner complaints about power train for the MINI Cooper. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the MINI Cooper power train?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the MINI Cooper?
Owners report a typical cost of $11,550 (half paid between $9,400 and $12,850), from 61 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the MINI Cooper?
The most frequent phrase is “cvt transmission”, in 44 of 280 complaints.
Other MINI Cooper problems
- Steering problems (817)
- Air Bags problems (417)
- Electrical System problems (313)
- Engine problems (255)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (102)
See all MINI Cooper problems.