Model year record

2007 MINI Cooper S recalls & problems

The 2007 MINI Cooper S has 4 safety recalls and 249 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is engine (94 complaints).

Recalls4safety recalls

Complaints249filed by owners

Crashes · fires2 · 14reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths10 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Electrical systemMay 11, 2023

Electrical system

Recall 23V33700097,933 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 coolingApr 18, 2018

Engine › Gasoline › Turbo/supercharger

Recall 18V24800047,806 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.

Components: Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Turbo/supercharger; Engine and engine cooling › Engine

Engine and engine coolingJan 11, 2012

Engine › Gasoline › Turbo/supercharger

Recall 12V00800090,368 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

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.

Engine and engine coolingDec 12, 2008

Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe

Recall 08V65700028,450 vehiclesopened after NHTSA action (ODI)

Problem: BMW IS RECALLING 28,450 MY 2007-2008 MINI COOPER S VEHICLES. THE CENTRALLY LOCATED TAILPIPE EXTENSION PROTRUDES SLIGHTLY BEYOND THE REAR BUMPER. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR INADVERTENT CONTACT TO OCCUR WITH A PERSON'S LEG.
Risk: IF THE TAILPIPE EXTENSION IS HOT DURING INADVERTENT CONTACT, A BURN COULD OCCUR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TAILPIPE WITH A NEW SHORTER TAILPIPE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-866-275-6464.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

Cooper S

28mpg combined

City / highway	25 / 32 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

1.6 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,950/year to fuel

Cooper S

26mpg combined

City / highway	23 / 30 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

1.6 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,150/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Crashes	Fires	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Engine	94	0	6	0	65,000 mi
Engine and engine coolingEngine; Exhaust system	81	0	4	8	41,000 mi
Air bagsFrontal › Sensor/control module; Frontal	28	2	0	1	66,860 mi
Power trainManual transmission; Automatic transmission	26	0	1	0	35,464 mi
Electrical system	13	0	6	0	71,270 mi
Unknown or other	11	0	1	0	59,228 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	8	0	0	0	46,199 mi
Fuel system, gasoline	7	0	0	0	40,865 mi
SteeringHydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections	7	0	0	0	61,000 mi
StructureBody; Body › Hood	6	0	2	0	41,450 mi
Vehicle speed controlAccelerator pedal; Cruise control	4	0	0	1	37,183 mi
Seat belts	4	0	0	0	65,921 mi

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Electrical system
The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that water was entering the vehicle through the sunroof. The contact stated that the water was collecting inside the headliner and would overflow and leak down the driverâs and passengerâs side sun visors and into the electronics of the footwell. Additionally, the front driverâs and passengerâs seats, floorboards, and dashboard would become soaked from moisture. Due to the failure, the vehicle would fail to start or operate as needed. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. An independent mechanic was notified about the…
May 2, 2025 · 140,000 miles
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the sunroof was inoperative. The contact waited for several minutes for the sunroof to return to normal operation. The "Passenger Air Bag Disabled" message was displayed on the instrument panel; however, the passengerâs seat was occupied. The infotainment system was unintentionally turned on while the vehicle was turned off. The check engine and low tire pressure warning light were intermittently illuminated. The failures occurred on several…
Dec 30, 2022
Parking brake
The contact owns a 2007 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the parking brake engaged, and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact manually pulled the parking brake lever several times until the parking brake released. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Jun 1, 2023 · 48,000 miles
Structure › BodyFire
VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN MY DRIVEWAY, WAS NOT STARTED AND WAS UNATTENDED, HAD NOT BEEN STARTED IN OVER A WEEK AND KEYS WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY BURST INTO FLAMES WHICH BURNED THE ENGINE BAY AND FRONT END OF THE CAR BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH FOAM. THE CAR HAD BEEN SITTING UNSTARTED FOR OVER A WEEK. I AM UNSURE OF WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE AND BECAUSE OF THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE BAY I COULD NOT DETERMINE WERE THE FIRE ORIGINATED. PERHAPS A PROFESSIONAL FIRE EXAMINER COULD DETERMINE THAT. I AM BLESSED THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE PARKED IN MY GARAGE BUT WAS SCARY. I JUST WANT THIS INCIDENT ON RECORD SO THAT OTHERS WHICH OWN…
May 2, 2020 · 92,000 miles
Air bags
PASSENGER SEAT MAT OCCUPANCY SENSOR/PAD HAS GONE BAD AGAIN AFTER THE RECALL.*DT SAFETY RECALL REPORT XXX-XXX 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *JB
Aug 5, 2019 · 52,000 miles
Steering
I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MINI S 2007 FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WITH NO SERIOUS ISSUES OTHER THAN ONE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE, WHICH WAS RESOLVED SIMPLY BY A MECHANIC CHECK AT BMW SERVICE CENTER. ON SUNDAY EVENING MAY 26, 2019, AS I WAS PLANNING TO GO OUT, I OBSERVED THE STEERING ALERT SIGN ON. I TRIED RESTARTING AND SHUTTING OFF ENGINE MULTIPLE TIMES THINKING IT MAY BE AN ELECTRONIC ABERRATION WHICH MAY BE KICKED AWAY BY BRUTE FORCE OF RESTARTING THE IGNITION. AFTER 30-45 MINUTES OF THIS FRUITLESS EXERCISE, I TURNED MY ATTENTION ONLINE WHERE I FOUND NUMEROUS AUTO BLOGS OF STARTING THE CAR WITH JUMPERS BATTERY TO REPLACING POWER STEERING FLUID. SINCE MINI SERVICE WAS CLOSED, I HAD TO SEEK HELP FROM…
May 25, 2019 · 129,000 miles
EngineFire
THE TURBOCHARGER HAD TO BE REPLACED, NEW TURBO GOT HOT AND MELTED THE VALVE COVER. THEN THE TURBOCHARGER CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IN MOTION IN A RURAL NEIGHBORHOOD. ALL WITHIN 6 MONTHS.
Jan 18, 2019 · 153,368 miles
Engine
TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER BROKE AND MESSED UP THE ENGINE
Jul 22, 2018 · 100,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

Engine compartment fireClosedLed to recall 12V008000
In a January 10, 2012 letter to NHTSA, BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in the electric auxiliary water pump in approximately 88,911 model year (MY) 2007-2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2006 through January 18, 2011 (Recall 12V-008).According to BMW, the auxiliary water pump on vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder turbocharged engines may overheat.Electro-migration can cause the pump electronic circuit board to overheat resulting in smoldering of the water pump. If smoldering occurs, it may lead to an engine compartment or vehicle fire.The pump supplier, Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH, redesigned the pump to address factors that may contribute to circuit board overheating.The redesigned pumps were completely implemented in production vehicles by January 2011.Recall 12V-008 was the third recall…
PE11036 · opened Oct 11, 2011 · closed Jun 11, 2012
EXHAUST PIPE BURNSClosedLed to recall 08V657000
BMW WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (08V-657) ON 28,450 MINI COOPER S VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 18, 2006 THROUGH JULY 8, 2008.DEALERS WILL INSTALL MODIFIED EXHAUST PIPE TIPS THAT DO NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE REAR BUMPER.THE TWO EXHAUST PIPE TIPS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES EXIT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AT THE CENTER OF THE VEHICLE AND EXTEND BEYOND THE REAR BUMPER.THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED BEING BURNED ON THEIR LEGS WHEN THEY INADVERTENTLY TOUCHED THE EXPOSED HOT EXHAUST PIPE TIPS WHILE REMOVING ITEMS OF CARGO FROM THE REAR OF THEIR VEHICLE VIA THE HATCH BACK DOOR.SOME COMPLAINANTS REPORTED BEING BURNED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION OR THAT OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WERE ALSO BURNED.THE 50 INJURIES REPORTED IN THIS INVESTIGATION INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT SECOND DEGREE BURNS CAUSING BLISTERED AND SCARED SKIN AND ONE INCIDENT RESULTED IN A THIRD DEGREE BURN.THIS INVESTIGATION ALSO RESULTED IN AN…
EA08020 · opened Aug 29, 2008 · closed Jan 2, 2009
EXHAUST PIPE BURNSClosed
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON THREE CONSUMER REPORTS.THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED BEING BURNED ON THEIR LEGS BY THE HOT EXHAUST PIPE TIP WHILE THEY WERE REMOVING CARGO ITEMS FROM THE REAR HATCH AREA OF THEIR VEHICLES.THE MINI COOPER S MODEL HAS DUAL EXHAUST PIPE TIPS THAT ARE LOCATED AT THE CENTER LINE OF THE VEHICLEUNDER THE REAR BUMPER.THE EXHAUST PIPE TIPS EXTEND BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE BUMPER.ODI IS UPGRADING THIS INVESTIGATION TO ENGINEERING ANALYSIS EA08-020 BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY BMW IN RESPONSE TO ODI'S PE08-031 INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER.
PE08031 · opened Apr 28, 2008 · closed Aug 29, 2008