Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 MINI Cooper, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine14
- Fuel/propulsion system11
- Power train10
- Electrical system10
- Service brakes8
- Unknown or other4
- Suspension3
- Steering2
- Equipment2
- Vehicle speed control2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2015
99,599 new MINI Cooper cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2015; the largest markets were the United Kingdom (38,566), Germany (16,253), Italy (12,793).
- Average mass
- 1,279 kg
- Average power
- 95 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 54% · Petrol 46%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2015 MINI Cooper cars on Dutch roads are the 1.5 petrol (100 kW, 134 hp), 2.0 petrol (141 kW, 189 hp) and 1.6 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp), out of 7 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 petrol | 100 kW 134 hp | 2,795 |
| 2.0 petrol | 141 kW 189 hp | 794 |
| 1.6 petrol | 90 kW 121 hp | 588 |
| 1.6 petrol | 140 kW 188 hp | 280 |
| 1.6 petrol | 135 kW 181 hp | 88 |
| 1.5 diesel | 85 kW 114 hp | 79 |
| 2.0 diesel | 125 kW 168 hp | 53 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
4,773 first registered in 2015 are on Dutch roads; 36% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €31,668.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde3,058
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld1,253
- Band onvoldoende profiel1,149
- Band beschadigd758
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm712
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht628
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage287
- Bandenspanning op 1 as niet gelijk258
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
33,207 cars built in 2015 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 399 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 26,217 of these cars first registered in 2015 took their annual MOT test. 84% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2015 the figure was 75%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| Visibility | 4.0% | 3.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.7% | 7.7% |
| Brakes | 2.5% | 5.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.9% | 2.1% |
| Suspension | 0.9% | 6.4% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
119 of these cars first registered in 2015 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 132,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
166 2015 cars are on the New Zealand register; 96% arrived as used imports, 1% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Mini Cooper 2 DR FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 7.1–8.7 L/100 km (about 27–33 mpg US), CO₂ 163–200 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper 3 Door · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 8.1 | 5.9 | 7.1 |
| Cooper 5 Door · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 8.2 | 5.9 | 7.2 |
| Cooper 3 Door · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 8.5 | 6.3 | 7.5 |
| Cooper 5 Door · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 8.5 | 6.3 | 7.5 |
| Cooper Paceman · Compact · Premium gasoline | 8.4 | 6.4 | 7.5 |
| Cooper Paceman · Compact · Premium gasoline | 9.4 | 7.9 | 8.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2015 MINI Cooper.
| 2015306 14 Jul 2015 | Structure Certain vehicles may not comply with the side impact protection requirements of United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214, which is voluntarily-ad… |
| 2015024 23 Jan 2015 | Label Certain vehicles may not comply with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations. The compliance label may bear incorrect (lower than actual) rear Gross Axle Weig… |
| 2014561 11 Dec 2014 | Powertrain Certain vehicles may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 114 - Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention. During service appointment… |
| 2014506 6 Nov 2014 | Airbag On certain vehicles, a defect in the seatback adjustment mechanism of the front seats could allow seatback(s) to move out of position in a severe impact, increa… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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."
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."
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."
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."
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door vehicles manufactured August 12, 2014, to September 2, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the driver and front passenger seatback adjustment mechanism may not be fully engaged.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What MINI told its dealers about the 2015 MINI Cooper: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11006765 | For the eligible vehicles listed above, the limited warranty for the vehicles Selector Lever Magnetic Shift Interlock Mechanism (Gearshift lug assembly portion) has been extended to: 10 years/120,000 miles as determined by the vehicles original in-service date, When a gearshift lug repair kit (item # 2) installation procedure is required to be performed to address a displayed Check Control message (CCM) that states: "P not engaged - secure vehicle with parking brake against rolling away." |
| 10245428 | Cavity protection applied to underside of the hood is leaking out onto the wheel arch trim and grille. |
| 10244507 | MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. Breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can have various causes, most of which are not due to the battery itself. For this reason, a battery replacement will permanently eliminate the problem only in the rarest of cases. The energy diagnosis test module helps to localize these causes. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. Without performing the energy |
| 10242535 | ?The panoramic roof sunblind does not close, or jams while closing. |
| 10242534 | ?BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop: REPLACE CHARGE AIR LINE. |
| 10234353 | The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For this purpose, the SIM card must perform an IMS registration in the mobile communication network. Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, MINI Assistance and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice cont |
| 10234352 | The buttons on the gear selector switch (GWS) do not work, or the function indicator lighting has failed. |
| 10234351 | Oscillations in the electric drive can occur. As a result, the 12 V positive battery cable may rub against the battery box cover. |
| 10233170 | Ambient lighting changes color after the vehicle goes to sleep. |
| 10228447 | During the service life of the vehicle, the high-voltage battery may unexpectedly not provide power to the vehicle. |
| 10228445 | During a vehicle inspection and/or while addressing a customer's concern, the engine stabilizer bar/link appears to be worn. |
| 10216795 | HU-B: BLUETOOTH CONNECTION FAILS SPORADICALLY. INCORRECT SOFTWARE INSTALLED IN THE RADIO MINI VISUAL BOOST. |
| 10216787 | Service Action: Program Vehicle to Activate Speech Recognition |
| 10216784 | XM Satellite Radio Recekption - Audio, Navigation, Monitors, Alarms, SRS |
| 10216782 | Designates changes to this revision - The blower motor is faulty |
| 10216777 | The customer states that there is a grating or scraping noise when the steering wheel is turned. The noise comes from the area of the steering column switch center. |
| 10216771 | Service Action: Kprogram Control Units (DME) |
| 10216769 | The engine power is reduced and a check control message (CCM) "drive faulty: drive at moderate speed" is displayed. DME software error |
| 10216766 | B38, B46 and B48 Engines: Engine Replacement Procedures |
| 10214271 | The Check Control message "Door open" appears in the instrument cluster (Kombi) even though all vehicle doors are securely closed and locked. |
| 10212534 | Vehicles with total mileage below approx. 12,500 may experience premature wear of the left rear brakes. In some cases, there also may be visible damage due to thermal overload. |
| 10206757 | Any or all of the following CCM ID code 14/15/16/17 door open appear in the instrument cluster when the door is properly closed and locked. The locking operation of the door is not affected by the incorrect display. |
| 10206696 | New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models. The new wheel electronics are identified as Huf Generation 5. These new wheel electronics will need to be programmed using the new tool when replaced or when depressurized (0 psi) for more than 2 minutes. |
| 10206695 | When the vehicle is on a lift and wheels are manually spun, a clanking noise is heard from the transmission area. |
| 10204665 | The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT came in vehicles with option 609. This uses map North America NEXT. The Headunit High 2 (HU-H2), also called NBT-EVO, superseded the NBT HU and came in vehicles with option code 609. This uses map North America EVO. The ENTRY Media/Navigation (HU-B) is the low line business version of the navigation system and came in vehicles with option 6UM. This uses map North America ROUTE. The ENTRY NAV EVO (HU-B2) replaced Entry Media/Navigation as the low-line business version and came in vehicles with option code 609 or 6NP . This uses map North America WAY. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
BMW Safety Act Violations
International Autos, Inc. / Mini Recall
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation