The 2012 MINI Cooper S has 2 safety recalls and 23 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is electrical system (13 complaints).
Recalls2safety recalls
Complaints23filed by owners
Crashes · fires0 · 2reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths0 · 0reported in complaints
Safety recalls
Electrical system
NHTSA recall 23V337000 · May 11, 2023 · 97,933 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 cooling › Engine › Gasoline › Turbo/supercharger
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
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.
Crash test ratings
2012 Mini Cooper S Hardtop 3 HB FWD
Overall
Not Rated
Frontal crash
Not Rated
Side crash
Not Rated
Rollover
★★★★★
Rollover risk
10.1%
2012 Mini Cooper S Roadster C FWD
Overall
Not Rated
Frontal crash
Not Rated
Side crash
Not Rated
Rollover
Not Rated
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
Fuel economy
Cooper S Coupe
30mpg combined
City / highway
26 / 34 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,750/year to fuel
Cooper S Roadster
30mpg combined
City / highway
26 / 34 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,750/year to fuel
Cooper S
30mpg combined
City / highway
26 / 34 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,750/year to fuel
Cooper S Coupe
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 33 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,950/year to fuel
Cooper S Roadster
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 33 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,950/year to fuel
Cooper S
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 33 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,950/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*
Electrical system
13
0
1
0
116,000 mi
Engine
4
0
0
0
—
Fuel/propulsion system
3
0
0
0
—
Structure Body › Door
2
0
0
0
—
Seats
1
0
1
0
—
Wheels Rim
1
0
0
0
—
Power train
1
0
0
0
—
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
—
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
—
Air bags
1
0
0
0
—
Seat belts
1
0
0
0
—
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
—
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Feb 1, 2023 · 87,000 milesFuel system, gasoline The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the fuel pump was defective, and the fuel pump was replaced. The contact stated that approximately a year later the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump had failed again and needed to be replaced. The fuel pump was replaced under warranty; however, the failure recently returned a third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The…
May 12, 2023Electrical system My vehicle has an outstanding recall (NHTSA Recall #23V337) from over a year and a half ago. There is still no update on when this will be remedied. The recall states there is potential for a "thermal event", which to me is a fancy way of saying fire. For an incident where my vehicle can catch fire, I expect a bit quicker of a response from BMW/Mini.
Apr 1, 2024Electrical system The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that the headlights, turn signals, windows, and the radio were inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was contacted, and it was diagnosed that there was no water leaking into the vehicle from the roof. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a claim for the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Jun 30, 2023 · 116,000 milesElectrical system The contact owns a 2012 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 while driving 50-55 MPH on the highway, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle after 15 minutes and continued driving; however, the failure recurred after exiting the highway. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump plausibility pressure was significantly low…
Apr 4, 2024 · 121,000 milesElectrical system The contact owns a 2012 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while merging onto a highway at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was an electrical failure. The battery…
Feb 8, 2024 · 155,000 milesElectrical system The contact owns a 2012 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 the windows failed to roll down. Additionally, the contact stated that the headlights, the hazard lights, and the turn signals were inoperable. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated and the message "Light Malfunction, Contact Dealer" was displayed. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the…
Aug 15, 2023 · 140,000 milesElectrical system The contact owns a 2012 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the turn signals were inoperable. The contact stated that the power switches to unlock or lock the doors were inoperable, and the power window switches were also inoperable. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the…
Oct 5, 2023Electrical system The contact owns a 2012 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.