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MINI · NHTSA safety record

2012 MINI Cooper

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

66

Complaints

1

Crashes

7

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2012 MINI Cooper have filed 66 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2012 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 28 of them (42%). The typical failure was reported at 53,500 miles, the median across the 38 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

23V337000 · May 11, 2023

The defect
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2014 MINI Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Clubman John Cooper Works, and 2007-2013 MINI Hardtop 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. The electronic control module in the driver's side footwell area may short-circuit, due to corrosion from water and road salt.
The risk
An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the sunroof drains, interior footwell area, and FRM and, depending upon the results of the inspection, certain components will be replaced. Owner notification letters were mailed May 13, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

BMW of North America, LLC · up to 97,933 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 66.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 28 42%
ENGINE 17 26%
AIR BAGS 12 18%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 12%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5 8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 6%
SEATS 4 6%
POWER TRAIN 3 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 5%
SEAT BELTS 2 3%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 2%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2016 at 11.

2012 2016 2026
2012 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · towed · 43,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG ABRUPTLY DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE NECK, BACK, AND ARMS, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. PRIOR TO THE DEPLOYMENT, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONCLUDED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WAS NOT CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE

NHTSA complaint 10863369, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire · crash · 66,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 MINI COOPER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE AFTER IT STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED INTO A PARKING LOT, WHERE THE CONTACT NOTICED SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND SMOKE APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD AS A FIRE STARTED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA complaint 10744546. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 56,000 miles

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AND AFTER GOING OVER SEVERAL POT HOLES THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED AND AN ENGINE FAILURE LIGHT ALSO APPEARED. THIS IS WHEN I PULLED OVER INTO THE OFF RAMP AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A SPUTTERING STOP. I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED IT TO THE DIRT SIDE LANE OF THE OFF RAMP. I OPENED THE HOOD, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I COULD SEE BURNT CIRCUITS, BURNT PLASTIC, AND COOLANT LEAKING ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND EXPOSED WIRING. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR IMMEDIATELY EXITING ONTO THE OFF-RAMP, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING.

NHTSA complaint 11119998. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 56,000 miles

VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A HIGHWAY AND, AFTER GOING OVER SEVERAL POT HOLES, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED, AND THE ENGINE FAILURE LIGHT ALSO APPEARED. THIS IS WHEN I PULLED OVER INTO THE OFF RAMP, AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A SPUTTERING STOP. I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED IT TO THE DIRT SIDE LANE OF THE OFF RAMP. I OPENED THE HOOD, SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I COULD SEE BURNT CIRCUITS, BURNT PLASTIC, AND COOLANT LEAKING ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND EXPOSED WIRING. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR IMMEDIATELY EXITING ONTO THE OFF RAMP, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING. I COULD

NHTSA complaint 11120057, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This vin waa not included in a recall however had recall issues it obtained water in the footwell which mini has a recall issue for this and the car was caught on fire it is at the dealership in [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint 11750905. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRIC SHORT CIRCUIT. The electronic module in the driver side footwell area may short circuit. when I unlock the car or try to start, I hear loud electrical SHORT CIRCUIT noises coming out of the seating area. I am afraid to even unlock the car, and fear car might catch fire.

NHTSA complaint 11739897. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The electronic control module in the driver’s side footwell short-circuit, battery and electrical in the car are being drained and car does not work properly and completely drains battery.

NHTSA complaint 11715494. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2012 mini cooper has a Footwell Module recall and I took it to the dealer and they refused to replace it but they said i could pay to have it replaced even though it was a recall

NHTSA complaint 11645836. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
Mini BMW is fully aware of an issue with their OC3 detection mat on the passengers side and offered a extended warranty of 10 years/ 100k miles. This is insufficient coverage for a crucial saftey part and has led to a grey market production of occupancy detection mats "emulators" which are being sold online as the only way to have your airbag system "functional".

NHTSA complaint 11628890. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I went to have my 2012 mini coopers footwell control module replaced because it was recalled. They did not replace it because they said they found no corrosion and then marked my vehicle as the recall being fixed. When I left the dealership my blinkers or highbeans would not turn on as well as my four way flashers either. And that is dangerous. When I got home I took the cover off the footwell control module and found corrosion on the plug for it. There was also 9 codes for that when I scanned the vehicle and now is trying to charge me for a recalled part that they did not replace!

NHTSA complaint 11610271. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the MINI Cooper

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2019 12 2 —
2017 28 3 —
2016 28 4 —
2015 56 6 —
2014 34 7 —
2013 47 1 —
2011 83 1 —
2010 92 2 —

Other 2012 MINI models

Cooper Countryman 53 Cooper S Countryman 26 Cooper S 23

Every MINI on this site — 29 vehicles, 45 recall campaigns and 0 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst