Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2012 Mini Cooper S Roadster — assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its 17-character VIN to decode that exact car — its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment — alongside these records. Free, no account.
Run a VIN →Recalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Mini Cooper S Roadster year.
Rated configuration: 2012 Mini Cooper S Roadster C FWD
The parts named most often across 23 owner complaintsfiled with NHTSA for this make, model and year — the closest free answer to “what is likely to go wrong?”
1 fire
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so treat this as where to look, not a defect rate.
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 failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
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.
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.
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 due to footwell control module failure. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 and the main fuse box were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 121,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the turn signals were engaged but failed to respond. Additionally, the contact stated that warning lights indicated that the gas cap and trunk were opened, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact also stated that the windows failed to roll down, and the headlights and the fog lights were inoperable. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. An unknown local dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed to determine whether the failure was related to the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Nothing has failed yet, however, the oil stick is completely illegible. On a car that fails to have an electronic dipstick and likes to burn oil, as well as has a very small oil capacity (Around 5 liters or less) this design is going to cause the engine to run out of oil without the driver knowing. It is a seriously bad design, especially combined with BMW recommending a 10,000 mile oil change, the car will burn off all the oil it has and operator will have no idea due to the faulty design of the dipstick. I generally like BMWS engineering and designs, but this one is just atrocious and I have no idea how it got approved. Running a car out of oil usually causes the engine seize unless you shut it off at the right time, which, most people will not do. Imagine if your engine seizes on the highway? No it hasn't been inspected, I can send pictures of it, if you want? Or a video? I have not had this problem yet (knock on wood) but I have read the only warning sign, is the sound of an engine without oil and the oil pressure light comes on (which at that point you have maybe 3s to pull over and shut off the engine before it toasts the engine) I have also read about the engines consuming the entire oil capacity if you follow the BMW recommended schedule. It all just seems like a huge oversight for a company that usually has few issues.
OUR VEHICLE HAS THE AIRBAG LIGHT ON AND I AM AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF OUR FAMILY. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, THERE ARE MANY MINI OWNERS THAT ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS DEEPER THAN AN ISOLATED ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUES THAT WAS CONVERTED INTO A RECALL FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE. MINI SHOULD CONSIDERED DOING AN INVESTIGATION AND EXTENDING THE RECALL TO OTHER YEAR MODELS INCLUDING MY 2012.
I LOVE MY MINI COOPER S. BUT THERE IS A ISSUE. TODAY I STARTED UP THE CAR AND IT STARTS SMOKING. TWICE THIS HAS HAPPENED IN TWO WEEKS. WHEN I BOUGHT IT 2 YEARS AGO I NOTICED ON THE INSIDE OF MY HOOD OF THE CAR IT'S A BLACK BURNT MARK. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIXED. LAST WEEK I TOOK IT TO A OIL SHOP AND THEY SAID MY TURBO IS BURNING MY CAR AND WOULD CATCH FIRE SOON. I'M IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A NEW TURBO BUT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM CAUSE NOW IT'S SMOKING ONLY WHEN IN IDLE OR STARTED UP.BUT THE HOOD IS SUPER HOT AFTER A SHORT DRIVE. I HOPE YOUR CREW CAN LOOK INTO THIS PART AND SAVE SOMEONE THE TERROR OF A CAR ON FIRE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
Showing 12 of 23 complaints.
Over 5 years this costs $2,500 more in fuel than an average new vehicle.
HTTP 400 Bad Request