2009 Mini Cooper S US

Routine

Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine4
000
Tires1
000
Fuel System, Gasoline1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Electrical System1
000
Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification › Front Passenger1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification › Front Passenger
Filed Dec 26, 201864,406 milesCA

THE SENSOR ON THE PASSENGER SEAT SEAMS FAULTY. THE LIGHTS FOR THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT KEEPS COMING ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ENTIRE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF ACCIDENT.

Engine
Filed May 17, 201759,000 milesNY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S US. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

Engine
Filed Jun 26, 201551,000 milesCA

VEHICLE STARTING MAKING A RATTLING NOISE IN THE LEFT FRONT TIMING CHAIN AREA, TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED ONE OF THE TIMING TENSIONERS HAD SNAPPED, PROBABLY DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN HAVING TOO MUCH SLACK, I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL ON THESE AS IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING A LOT. HE ADVISED ME TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONERS IN ORDER TO NOT RISK THE TENSIONER FAILING AND CAUSING CATASTOPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, PARTS COST IS ABOUT $900 AND INSTALLATION ABOUT $500. THIS SEEMS TO BE GOING ON A LOT AND THERE IS LOTS OF INFO ON THE INTERNET STATING IT IS AN ISSUE THAT CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH SHOULD THE VEHICLE BE INOPERABLE ON A HIGHWAY OR IN TRAFFIC.

Engine
Filed Feb 5, 201455,000 milesTX

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON US 75 SOUTH (DOWNTOWN DALLAS) AND THE VEHICLE (2009 MINI COOPER S) JUST STOPPED, AND ALL OF THE OIL WAS LEAKING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THE ISSUE IS WITH A MINI ISSUE RELATING TO THE TENSIONERS/TIMING CHAIN. *TR

Engine
Filed Sep 30, 201392,000 milesGA

THERMOSTAT HOUSING DESIGN FLAW. SPOKE WITH PART DEPT MANAGER ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING LEAKING COOLANT AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE HOUSING CAUSES THE PART TO SPLIT OPEN WHERE THE 2 PIECES WERE SEAMED TOGETHER. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND CURRENTLY THAT PARTICULAR PART IS ON BACK-ORDER AND THUS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT LEAKS ALL THE COOLANT OUT BEFORE LEAVING THE DRIVEWAY. *TR

Tires
Filed Apr 9, 201120,000 milesSC

I HAD A GOODYEAR RUNFLAT TIRE THAT WAS OEM AND LESS THAN 2 YRS. OLD W/ 20,000 MILES BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL. IT WAS REPLACED AT DISCOUNT TIRE. THE TIRE COST $257 ON A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE. TIRES ARE EXCELLENCE ROF AND NOT INTEGRITY SINCE YOUR SITE MISTAKENLY DOES NOT GIVE THE CORRECT OPTION. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 1, 2011CA

I HAVE A 2009 MINI COOPER S. BOUGHT NEW. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE ENGINE HAS A RATTLING NOISE WHEN ENGINE HAS STARTED ON A COLD DAY. THIS NOISE HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER EVERY WINTER. THE NOISE SUBSIDES AS THE ENGINE GETS WARM. HAVE TOLD MINI ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND NO ACTION. *TR

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Apr 29, 2009392 milesVA

ON 4/9 I PURCHASE A 2009 MINI COOPER. ON 4/14 I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THE CAR STARTED SURGING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE SERVICE ADVISER WHO SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE GAS CAP. I IGNORED HER RESPONSE BECAUSE IT ONLY CLICKS ONCE AND I KNOW THIS WAS COMPLETED PROPERLY AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. THERE FINDINGS WERE AS FOLLOWS; HOWEVER I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER POSTINGS ONLY FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. CAUSE: INTERROGATING FAULT MEMORY FOUND HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO LOW PERFORMED TEST PLANT ON DME CONTROL UNIT FOUND WORKING NORMAL, PERFORMED TEST WITH FUEL PRESSURE FAIL, WAS TO LOW OPEN HIGH PRESSURE PUMP, FOUND FUEL PRESSURE PUMP/SHAFT DEFECT, CRACK SPEND FREE. *TR

Electrical System
Filed Apr 29, 2009674 milesVA

AFTER PURCHASING A 2009 MINI COOPER THE OUTLET IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALERS EVALUATION WAS AS FOLLOWS: NEITHER THE FRONT OR THE REAR CIGARETTE OUTLETS ARE WORKING. CHECK AND ADVISE. CAUSE: CHECKED/FOUND 20 AMP FUSE BLOWN, INSPECTED OUTLETS, FOUND SOCKET/OUTLET IN CENTER CONSOLE SHORTED TO GROUND CORRECTION: R & R FRONT CENTER CONSOLE REPLACED SOCKET & ILLUMINATED RING. UPDATED IVOQ. 05/01/09. *TR

9 of 9 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2009
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20115010Routine
2009 — this page9000Routine

Compare every Cooper S US year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.