2014 Mini Cooper: problems, recalls and reliability
7 recalls and 34 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (21% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Nov 2015
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Engine motor mount sheared, allowing motor to interact with and bounce directly on the frame, and stressing the other connections and components. Dealer indicated this is a very common problem for this car model and is likely a design issue, and even had another example of a sheared mount on display in order to show others with the same issue.”Owner report · Suspension · Sep 2022
“The contact owns a 2014 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, there was smoke detected from the vehicle. The vehicle caught fire without warning. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or crash. The fire department distinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to a lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,700.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jul 2022
“Turbo charger has systematically failed over the last year, with worsening effects. This causes the car to automatically go into "limp mode" and cuts power. This is dangerous for driving on the highway. This is a common complaint with mini coopers with many, but not all years recalled.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2019
Show 7 more owner reports
“Thermostat housing fault code came on while driving. 2014 mini cooper hardtop models have a recall. My VIN # does not. Please investigate this and initiate a recall for my VIN.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2019
“For the past year, all external light wiring has melted. First instance 5/24/18 both license plate bulbs shorted, second instance 10/26/18 drivers side headlight bulb connector inside light melted, third instance 5/21/19 passenger side headlight bulb wiring harness melted, fourth instance and current 5/30/19 right taillight bulb wiring melted.”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2018
“Two tires that came with my mini cooper 2014 went flat in less than 7,500 miles, one on nov 7, 2015 and the other on jan 3, 2016. The tires are very expensive (about $200 per tire) and of very low quality. As a customer I feel being cheated on.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Nov 2015
“I was driving on an interstate and a warning reading "drivetrain malfunction. Drive moderately" came on. Power was low (couldn't get the car over about 60 mph, not safe on an interstate with steady traffic) and car was somewhat chuggy. This car has three times in under 8000 miles told me the oil was low and it was critically necessary for me to add a quart, which seems related. After stopping and calling mini (who told me they would send a tow truck if the light had been red, rather than yellow) and starting the car back up some 20ish minutes later, no warning. Unsure when the next warning in this new car will come up, but mini says there is an issue with oil filter housings.”Owner report · Power Train · Jun 2015
“While driving in the highway, the car suddenly started shaking and having loud clunking rattling noise. The exhaust was spewing heavy white smoke. The car suddenly slowed and then stopped with " drivetrain malfunction." we also got into an accident! *tr”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 2014 mini cooper. While driving at a low speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. A "vehicle not in park, please put in park and restart" message was displayed across the message board. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2015
“My car would make a noise at the rear of the car when I drove on a bumpy street, I took the car to the dealer and after there inspection , they said the rear sway bar links had to be replaced. I am concerned that if the original parts were defective, maybe the new parts will also be defective... The car is under warranty, the dealer is making the repairs...updated 10/15/15 *bf the dealer stated the rear sway bar link was not the problem causing the noise. Updated 10/20/15 *jb”Owner report · Suspension · Feb 2015
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 7 campaigns
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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."
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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."
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.
How other years compare
Check your exact Cooper by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2014 Mini Cooper reliable?
NHTSA has 34 owner complaints and 7 recall campaigns on record for the 2014 Mini Cooper. The most complained-about area is electrical system (21% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2014 Mini Cooper problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 9,100 miles or less.
Does the 2014 Mini Cooper have open recalls?
7 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.