Verdict
2014 Mini Cooper: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues
What the public record actually says about the 2014 Mini Cooper — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.
The read
Middle-of-the-pack complaint volume for hatchback.
Owners filed 47 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 58% of 2014 hatchbacks. Power Train leads the reports (30%). 7 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.
Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2014 hatchbacks, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.
Complaints filed
47
Reports to NHTSA, 2014
Safety recalls
7
NHTSA campaigns on record
NHTSA crash test
Not rated
Overall NCAP rating
Combined MPG
29
EPA estimate
Complaint volume vs. segment peers
More complaints than 58% of 2014 hatchbacks
The bar is this car's percentile among 2014 hatchbacks by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.
Known issues
Power Train issues lead owner complaints (30% of 47 reports), followed by electrical system (13%).
+ 4 more component categories with fewer reports.
Share of all 47 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11374754, ODI 11151538, ODI 11120569, ODI 11023971, ODI 10706147.
Recalls(7)
Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.
SeatsSep 2015 · 15V739000Details +Close −
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 door vehicles manufactured February 25, 2014, to May 16, 2015, 2014-2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 door vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to May 9, 2015, 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 door vehicles manufactured October 17, 2014, to June 2, 2015, and 2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 4 door vehicles manufactured November 24, 2014, to June 11, 2015. During a service appointment, the affected vehicles received replacement front passenger seat cushions (which contain integral Capacitive Interior Sensing (CIS) functions). The CIS functions may have been incorrectly calibrated, and if so, would cause impaired occupant classification and thus inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation.
Risk: Inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation can increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front passenger seat cushion, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 .
Air BagsJul 2015 · 15V628000Details +Close −
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper two-door vehicles, 2015-2016 MINI John Cooper Works and MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper four-door vehicles and 2014-2015 BMW i3 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.
Remedy: MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
TiresMar 2014 · 14V619000Details +Close −
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2-door vehicles manufactured January 7, 2014, to July 21, 2014. The spare wheel may have been attached under the car with a nut that is not self-locking.
Risk: Vibrations from driving may cause the nut to loosen, allowing the wheel to separate from the car. If the spare wheel separates from the vehicle, it could become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the spare wheel securing nut with a self-locking nut, free of charge. The recall began on November 20, 2014. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-275-6464.
Air Bags · 14V422000Details +Close −
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling a certain model year BMW i3 vehicle manufactured March 31, 2014, and certain 2014 MINI Cooper Hardtop vehicles manufactured February 2, 2014 to May 30, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with an air bag inflator that was not assembled correctly. This could cause the air bag to not deploy properly in the event of an accident.
Risk: If the air bag deploys improperly in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the air bags, the seat occupant may be at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Power Train · 14V789000Details +Close −
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, and Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door vehicles manufactured January 6, 2014, to October 17, 2014. During service appointments, dealers may have inadvertently reprogrammed the transmission control unit with software that may allow drivers to exit the vehicle when the transmission is not in Park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: If the driver exits the vehicle without the transmission being in Park, the vehicle could roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module with the correct software, free of charge. The recall February 4, 2015. Owners can contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Equipment · 15V034000Details +Close −
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop two door vehicles manufactured December 1, 2013, to December 14, 2014. The affected vehicles may have been manufactured with an incorrect maximum capacity weight stated on the Tire Information Placard. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims and Motor Home/Recreation Vehicle Trailer Load Carrying Capacity Information for Motor Vehicles with a GVWR of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less."
Risk: The maximum weight listed on the label is incorrect (too low) and therefore does not comply with Federal Regulations.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the incorrect labels with corrected labels, free of charge. Owners were mailed interim notification on March 18, 2015. The recall began on October 15, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Structure · 15V450000Details +Close −
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door vehicles and 2015 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop 2 Door vehicles. The affected vehicles do not meet the side impact performance requirements for the rear seat passengers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk: If the side impact performance requirements are not met, rear seat passengers may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will install additional energy absorption material between the rear interior side panels and the exterior vehicle body, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525. Note: this recall supersedes 14V-815.
A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.
Investigations
2 NHTSA investigations on record
Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.
In a Consent Order executed on December 17, 2015, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) admitted that it violated the Safety Act by: failing to conduct a timely recall for Recall No. 15V-450; failing to file certain quarterly recall reports in a timely manner; failing to timely notify vehicle owners of the existence of a defect or noncompliance; failing to promptly advise NHTSA of delays with the beginning or completion dates for mailing owner or dealer notifications; and failing to timely submit copies to NHTSA of communications relating to recalls.As part of the Consent Order, NHTSA imposed a total civil penalty of $40 million against BMW NA for its violations of the Safety Act.The civil penalty consists of a cash payment, monetary performance obligations, and stipulated penalties.BMW NA paid the $10 million cash penalty on February 12, 2016.Failure to comply with the terms of the Consent Order or the Safety Act will result in portions of the stipulated penalties coming due.The Consent Order required BMW NA to appoint an independent safety consultant to assist BMW NA in developing best practices for complying with the Safety Act and evaluating safety issues under consideration by BMW NA.BMW NA was also required to develop a program to train dealers on the importance of complying with the prohibition on selling unremedied vehicles under recall, improve dealers' access to information necessary to maximize completion of open recalls, and invest in a pilot program to determine whether BMW NA can use data analytics to detect emerging safety defect trends.The population listed in this closing resume is based on BMW NA's untimely recall and does not include other issues addressed by the Consent Order, which relate to BMW NA's safety processes.Based on the Consent Order, BMW NA's admissions that it violated the law, and its ongoing performance obligations, this audit query investigation, AQ15-004, is closed. Closure of this AQ has no bearing on the terms of the Consent Order, including BMW NA's ongoing performance obligations or legal obligations, and does not represent a determination by NHTSA as to BMW NA's performance under the Consent Order to date.
The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a manufacturer notify its dealers of defects related to motor vehicle safety and non-compliances with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and, in turn, that a dealer not sell and deliver a new vehicle subject to a recall unless the recall remedy has been performed (49 U.S.C. ?? 30112(a), 30120(i)).NHTSA opened AQ15-003 to determine whether International Autos, Inc. of West Allis, Wisconsin complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 (Safety Act). NHTSA received information that International Autos sold and delivered at least one new model year (MY) 2015 Mini Cooper 2-door hardtop vehicle to a customer without having had all required safety recall repairs performed on that vehicle. NHTSA opened this investigation and then issued an information request (IR) to International Autos on August 20, 2015.A copy is of this request is in this investigation's file, together with a public copy of International Autos' response.A careful review of the information supplied confirm that International Autos sold and delivered at least eleven new vehicles with outstanding safety recalls on them. Under a Settlement Agreement dated April 26, 2016, International Autos committed to take concrete actions to improve its processes for verifying that prior to sale and delivery of any new vehicle International Autos has confirmed that the vehicle is not subject to an un-remedied recall. International Autos confirmed that it had engaged in these processes since June 25, 2015.International Autos also committed that it now also checks for open recalls on every customer vehicle brought in for service, and that it checks for open recalls on every used trade-in vehicle, regardless of make or model, and takes steps to have all used trade-in vehicles repaired prior to retail sale. International Autos admitted to violating the prohibition on sales of new vehicles with open recalls, and agreed to pay civil penalties in the amount of $40,000.This Audit Query is closed.
Crash-test ratings
No NHTSA crash test is on record for this year. Some vehicles and model years were not tested or do not have a published NCAP result.
Fuel economy by trim
| Trim | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Hwy | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper (3-doors) | 1.5L 3-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 29 | 39 | 33 |
| Cooper Coupe | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 29 | 36 | 32 |
| Cooper (3-doors) | 1.5L 3-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 28 | 37 | 31 |
| Cooper Roadster | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 27 | 34 | 30 |
| Cooper Paceman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 27 | 34 | 30 |
| Cooper Coupe | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 28 | 35 | 30 |
| Cooper Countryman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 27 | 34 | 30 |
| Cooper Convertible | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 27 | 34 | 30 |
| Cooper Clubvan | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 27 | 34 | 30 |
| Cooper Clubman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 27 | 34 | 30 |
| Cooper S Roadster | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S Roadster | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S Coupe | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S Coupe | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S Convertible | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S Convertible | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S Clubman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S Clubman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S (3-doors) | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper Roadster | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper Convertible | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper Clubvan | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper Clubman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 26 | 34 | 29 |
| Cooper S Paceman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 26 | 32 | 28 |
| Cooper S Paceman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 25 | 31 | 28 |
| Cooper S Countryman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 26 | 32 | 28 |
| Cooper S Countryman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 25 | 31 | 28 |
| Cooper S (3-doors) | 2.0L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 24 | 34 | 28 |
| Cooper S Paceman All4 | 1.6L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 25 | 30 | 27 |
| Cooper S Countryman All4 | 1.6L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 25 | 30 | 27 |
| Cooper Paceman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 25 | 29 | 27 |
| Cooper Countryman | 1.6L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 25 | 29 | 27 |
| Cooper S Paceman All4 | 1.6L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 23 | 30 | 26 |
| Cooper S Countryman All4 | 1.6L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 23 | 30 | 26 |
EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.
Before you buy
Useful next checks
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Compare model years
"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.
2014 Mini Cooper: frequently asked
What does the complaint record show for the 2014 Mini Cooper?
Owners filed 47 NHTSA complaints about the 2014 Mini Cooper — more complaints than 58% of comparable 2014 hatchbacks, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.
What are the most common problems on the 2014 Mini Cooper?
The most-reported problem areas are Power Train (30% of complaints) and electrical system (13%).
How many recalls does the 2014 Mini Cooper have?
7 recalls have been issued that affect the 2014 Mini Cooper, covering components such as seats. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.
What gas mileage does the 2014 Mini Cooper get?
The EPA rates the 2014 Mini Cooper between 26 and 33 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.