Mini Cooper S
Owners filed 1,783 complaints across 22 model years of the Mini Cooper S. The 2005 drew the most (314).
Which Mini Cooper S years should you avoid?
No Mini Cooper S year stands out. Across the 10 model years old enough to judge, none drew twice the complaints of a typical year (about 177), and none shows an unusual share of fires, crashes or deaths for its age.
Too new to judge: 2025. Complaints take a few years to arrive, so a new model year looks better than it is.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every Mini Cooper S model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Too new | 4 | 3 | — | — | Electronic Stability Control (esc) | Routine | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Routine | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | — | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2021 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2020 | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 | — | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2017 | 6 | 3 | — | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2016 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2015 | 18 | 4 | 2 | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2014 | 13 | 4 | — | 1 | Power Train | Routine | |
| 2013 | 24 | 1 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2012 | 23 | 2 | 2 | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2011 | 31 | 3 | 5 | — | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2010 | 59 | 4 | 5 | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2009 | 119 | 3 | 4 | 2 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2008 | 168 | 4 | 10 | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2007 | 249 | 4 | 14 | 2 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2006 | 186 | 1 | 9 | 4 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2005 | 314 | 2 | 17 | 6 | Steering | Fatalities reported | |
| 2004 | 247 | 2 | 5 | 7 | Steering | Above average | |
| 2003 | 217 | 2 | 21 | 11 | Steering | Fatalities reported | |
| 2002 | 83 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Steering | Routine |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.