Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2010 record →
OIL LEVEL IS DECREASING RAPIDLY AFTER EACH OIL CHANGE. DEALER STATES IT IS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR TO BURN ONE QUART OF OIL EVERY 800 MILES. HOWEVER, I DISAGREE AND BELIEVE THIS IS DUE TO A DEFECT SINCE CARS SHOULD NOT BURN THIS MUCH OIL, ESPECIALLY WHEN NEW. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V008000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. TWO DAYS AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WHILE SITTING AT A TRAFFIC STOP. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF BUT THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO IGNITE INTO FLAMES. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED TO ASSIST AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS PENDING INVESTIGATION. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,000.
I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 1 YEAR AND THREE MONTHS. I DID NOT HAVE THE CHOICE OF SELECTING ANY OTHER TIRE. MINI COOPER( BMW) PUT RUN FLATS ON VEHICLE BECAUSE THERE IS NO WHERE FOR A SPARE TIRE. I KEEP THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE AT A CONDO IN FLORIDA WITH NO ACCESS TO ANYONE. I HAVE 4250 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD THREE FLATS. MINI RELATED THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY A TIRE AND SUSPENSION WARRANTY WHEN NEW FOR 800.00 PLUS DOLLARS. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I HAD ONE FLAT ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE. MY WIFE OR I HAVE USED THIS VEHICLE FOR LESS THAN 5 MONTHS AND THIS IS THE THIRD FLAT. MINI DENIES ANY DEFICIENCIES WITH THE TIRES BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THEM. THIS AVERAGES OUT TO A FLAT ABOUT EVERY 1400 MILES. MY FATHER GOT BETTER MILEAGE OUT OF RETREADS. STATISTICALLY IT SEEMS SIGNIFICANT AND THERE IS A DEFECT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND RESPOND. *TR
THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION WAS BEING TOWED BEHIND MY MOTOR HOME (WHICH I DO ALL THE TIME) WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER GOT MY ATTENTION TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM MY CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER GRABBED MY FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND LIFTED THE HOOD AND PUT OUT THE FIRE, BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. 6 FIREMEN WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OR WHERE IT STARTED. *TR
CAR DRIVEN TWO MILES TO MARKET AND RETURNED HOME TO HIGH RISE CONDO. PARKED IN GARAGE OF HIGH RISE. NO PROBLEMS NOTED DURING DRIVE, PARKING OR LOCKING. WITHIN 4-6 MINUTES, ANOTHER RESIDENT IN THE GARAGE REPORTED A CAR ON FIRE, HOOD/ENGINE AREA TO THE MANAGEMENT OFFICE. A 911 CALL SENT OUT, TOOK FIRE DEPARTMENT ~ 1 1/2 HOURS TO EXTINGUISH THE BLAZE. CAR HAS NO HISTORY OF ANY PROBLEMS. CAR IN FOR TIRE ROTATION, OIL CHANGE, GAS GAUGE FLOAT REPLACEMENT AND XM RADIO ANTENNA CHECK SIX WEEKS EARLIER. NEVER ANY PROBLEMS MECHANICALLY OR ELECTRICALLY. HAD MANUAL TRANSMISSION. NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEMS EVER NOTED. I WAS IN TOTAL DISBELIEF WHEN TOLD MY CAR HAD BURNED. SAW ALL THE FIRE EQUIPMENT FROM MY UNIT AND HAD NO IDEA IT WAS MY CAR, HAD JUST BEEN IN IT, AND PARKED IT AS I ALWAYS DO. MY INSURANCE COMPANY ADJUSTER AND MINI DEALERSHIP ALL SAID THERE WERE NO KNOW REPORTED FIRES STARTING SPONTANEOUSLY. FIRE AND POLICE DID NOT KNOW OF ANY MINI FIRES REPORTED. JUST PURCHASED ANOTHER, AM NOW CONCERNED. CAR WAS 23 MONTHS OLD AND HAD 26,000 MILES. MY CAR WAS A JOY TO DRIVE AND ALWAYS RELIABLE. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE. HOPE IT WILL HELP IN SOLVING, WHAT NOW APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM. *TR
BURNED MY LEFT LEG, JUST ABOVE THE ANKLE ON THE EXHAUST PIPE WHILE RETRIEVING PARCEL FROM THE BOOT OF THE VEHICLE. IT LEFT A NASTY SCAR ON MY LEG. *KB
COLD START PROBLEM, NO POWER, LOTS OF NOISE. TIMING CHAIN ON R56 MINI COOPER. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MOTOR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP! *LN
THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON WITH A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ON AT RANDOM INTERVALS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ONLY MINI DEALER IN COLORADO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE FAULT AND THAT THERE WASN'T A FAULT CODE IN THE COMPUTER. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NORMAL AND THAT MY 130 LB. WIFE DIDN'T WEIGH ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE SRS SYSTEM IN THE CAR. *TR
PARKING BRAKE ON 2010 MINI COOPER S DID NOT HOLD ON SLIGHT INCLINE. CAR ROLLED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. WITNESSES CONFIRM THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS FULLY ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. *TR
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2010 Mini Cooper S → · Every Cooper S year → · How the figures are calculated →