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What 23 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mini Cooper S Hardtop

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (23)Crash / fire / injury (2)Electrical system (13)Engine (4)Fuel system (4)Body & structure (2)Airbags (1)Lights (1)Seat belts (1)Seats (1)Speed control (1)Transmission & drivetrain (1)

1 of 23 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 3, 2017Electrical systemFire

VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN 24 MILES AND PARKED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES WHEN ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE. MASTER MECHANIC DIAGNOSED IT ORIGINATED WITH THE COOLANT PUMP AND CAUSED A SHORT CIRCUIT WITH THE ELECTRONICS OF THE PUMP IGNITING A FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 10958534

Working with the data? Download all 23 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 27, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Mini Cooper S Hardtop verdict →