What 12 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Mini Cooper S Clubman

When I bought the car, John, a sales representative, promised me that he would have the car inspected by a mechanic before finalizing the paperwork, addressing issues with the tire pressure monitor, tail light sensor, and license plate light. However, the mechanic couldn't fix these issues, and Mike, the owner, directed me to his “personal mechanic” in San Bruno. After multiple reschedules from Mike, the car began to display an engine malfunction error. I informed Mike, and he advised me to mention the issue to the mechanic when I brought the car in. When I finally took the car to his mechanic, I was told that there were no errors, but the error lights needed to be reset at a different shop, as the mechanic didn’t have the required equipment. Despite this, the engine malfunction light remained on, and the car started to shake noticeably while driving. A few weeks later, while driving, the car began emitting white smoke from the hood. I texted Mike, asking why the issues weren’t fixed, and I had to tow the car to my house. He did not respond, so I called him days later. He told me to call back after New Year's to have the car fixed, even offering to tow it to his mechanic. After New Year's, I followed up, but Mike forgot about the original arrangement and told me to call back in a week. I reminded him of our previous conversation, and he said he would check with his mechanic and call me back. He never did and ignored my follow-up text. On 01/21/2025, I had a mobile mechanic inspect the car, as it had not been operable since December 2024. The mechanic confirmed that the car had never been tuned, the spark plugs weren’t replaced, and it was not roadworthy at the time of sale. On 01/22/2025, I shared my experience in reviews on Yelp and Google. Later that night, Mike called me, but I returned his call on 01/23/2025. He said that if I removed my reviews, dropped my complaints with the DMV, BAR, and Attorney General, he would fix the car at his expense.

NHTSA ODI 11638064

MINI/BMW ISSUED RECALL INFORMATION MAY OF 2023 FOR THE FRM ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT, AS OF 12/30/2024 THEY ARE STILL UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, TOYOTA WEBSITE SAYS THEY ARE STILL WORKING ON A RESOLUTION. DEALERS OFFER NO SOLUTION TO PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN A YEAR SINCE RECALL WAS ISSUED. NHTSA Recall Number - 23V337

NHTSA ODI 11633027

The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper S Clubman. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11580147

The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper S Clubman. The contact stated that water was entering the motherboard and fuse box. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11534408

THE PASSENGERS SEAT OCCUPANCY DETECTOR IS NOT FUNCTIONING AND IT WON'T ALLOW ANY AIRBAG TO ACTIVATE. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON AND IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS, AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED.

NHTSA ODI 11395359

I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN GOING ON A 35MPH STREET AND MY CAR DID NOT TURN RIGHT WHEN I TRIED TO GO INTO A STREET AND IT WENT STRAIGHT INTO A TREE AND MY CAR WAS ALMOST OR MAY BE TOTALED BECAUSE OF THIS. I BELIEVE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS FAULTY. I COULD HAVE HIT A CONCRETE WALL BUT THE TREE I RAN INTO SAVED MY LIFE. I AM NOT SURE IF THERE HAS BEEN OTHER REPORTS FOR THIS LATELY BUT I WANT TO BE SAFE AND IF THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT FUNCTION RIGHT THEN I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS.

NHTSA ODI 11104507

ONLY HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 6 MONTHS. ON THE WAY TO THE MINI OF SAN DIEGO DEALERSHIP TO GET AN OIL CHANGE, THE CAR SHUTS DOWN AS I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. I WAS STILL IN MOTION AND ON THE STREET. I WAS COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY. I TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THERE WERE OVERHEATING LIGHTS AND SMOKE A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE SO DISCONTINUED DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL MY APPOINTMENT WITH MINI OF SAN DIEGO. THE DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT, THERE WAS NO INDICATION LIGHT OF OVERHEATING. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ONLY 15 MINS AWAY FROM MY HOME. I ALSO FOUND THAT THE MODEL OF MY VEHICLE WAS RECALLED FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT MY CAR IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP FOR CURRENTLY. MINI OF SAN DIEGO IS TELLING ME THERE'S NO RECALL ON MY CAR BASED OFF THE VIN NUMBER. BUT BASED OFF THE YEARS AND MODEL, MY CAR FITS INTO THE RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11061437

4 FAULTY IGNITION COILS WITHIN 3 MONTHS: CYLINDERS #1 & # 2 HAD TO BE REPLACED ON 4/7/17 CYLINDERS #3 & #4 ON 7/4/17. FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND RESULTED IN COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE CHANGING LANES, AGAIN COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND NEARLY CAUSED ME TO BE HIT BY A SEMI-TRUCK. I NARROWLY ESCAPED AN ACCIDENT IN FIRST INCIDENT AS WELL. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CHILDREN IN THIS CAR ANY LONGER. EACH TIME THE PARTS AND LABOR COST MORE THAN $300, NOT TO MENTION THE AGGRAVATION OF BEING WITHOUT A CAR FOR WORK AND FAMILY TRANSPORTATION FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED FROM A QUALITY AUTOMOBILE MADE BY BMW. DOCUMENTATION/INVOICES CAN BE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST.

NHTSA ODI 11002796

MY MINI COOPER WAS REAR ENDED, AND I WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE VIOLENTLY. NOT A SINGLE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, MY SEAT FULLY RECLINED DURING THE IMPACT, AND MY HEAD REST BROKE OUT OF ITS BASE. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE IMPACT, AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 10986254

I'VE HAD MY 2011 MINI CLUBMAN S FOR THREE YEARS NOW AND HAD SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ALREADY. I'VE REPLACED THE WATER PUMP, DSC LIGHTS, AND OTHER THINGS. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS SEEM TO COME ON ALL THE TIME AND THE MECHANICS DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE IDEA ON WHAT'S CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ODI 10895739

MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR, AFTER DRIVING IT FOR THREE MILES IN THE RAIN. THE ENGINE SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10664381

I PARKED MY MINI CLUBMAN S AND WENT INSIDE A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT FOR ONLY 10 MINUTES, WHEN I RETURNED TO MY MINI, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I RELEASED THE HOOD LATCH AND TRIED WITHOUT SUCCESS TO OPEN THE HOOD. A NEARBY WITNESS CALLED OUT TO ME AS HE RAN TO ASSIST WITH AN EXTINGUISHER REALIZING MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 AND STOOD HELPLESSLY WATCHING AS MY 4-MONTH OLD CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES WITHIN MINUTES. THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS WARNINGS DISPLAYED...IF MY DOG, WHO TRAVELS WITH ME QUITE OFTEN HAD BEEN IN THE CAR AS I WENT INSIDE, I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW I WOULD BE FEELING RIGHT NOW...LOSING THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT, AND NOW, I REALIZE HOW FORTUNATE I WAS NOT TO LOSE MORE, CONSIDERING THE FACT I PARKED THE MINI IN MY GARAGE EVERY NIGHT AS I RETURNED HOME FROM WORK. THE FIRE IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION, SO I CANNOT NAME THE FAILED COMPONENTS AS REQUESTED ABOVE, BUT I WILL UPDATE THIS INFORMATION ONCE THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10443236