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What 69 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 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 (69)Crash / fire / injury (3)Electrical system (28)Airbags (15)Engine (11)Fuel system (6)Transmission & drivetrain (5)Lights (4)Seat belts (4)Seats (3)Visibility & wipers (3)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (2)

28 of 69 complaints match · Electrical system · clear filters · page 2 of 2

Apr 28, 2016Electrical system

THE CUP HOLDER LEAKS IF THERE IS ANY FLUID SPILLED IN IT AND SHORTS OUT AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT CONTROLS THE GEAR SHIFT KNOB. EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF LIQUID CAN CAUSE THIS.

NHTSA ODI 10862049

Sep 15, 2014Electrical system

FROM INITIAL DELIVERY THE SPEEDOMETER INDICATES A SPEED THAT IS 8% OVER ACTUAL. I HAVE FILED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH MINI TO GET THIS CORRECTED. THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE 2010 MODEL. IN ORDER TO ACCURATELY MONITOR MY SPEED, I USE AN APP ON MY IPHONE THAT USES GPS TO DISPLAY ACTUAL SPEED. WHEN USING THE IPHONE FOR THIS PURPOSE, I PLACE IT ON THE DASH. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE IPHONE CAN BE A DISTRACTION AND THUS A SAFETY HAZARD. I SUSPECT OTHER DRIVERS ARE USING THIS OR OTHER METHODS TO MONITOR THEIR ACTUAL SPEED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10633394

Aug 6, 2013Electrical systemVisibility & wipers

THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE STOPPED WORKING. IT IS AN AUTOMATIC WINDOW WITH A ONE-TOUCH FEATURE. AT FIRST, THE ONE-TOUCH FEATURE STOPPED WORKING. THEN NOTHING WORKED TO GET THE WINDOW TO GO UP OR DOWN. UPON PRESSING THE BUTTON THAT CONTROLS THIS WINDOW, THE WINDOW DID NOTHING AND A FAINT CLICKING SOUND COULD BE HEARD COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S DOOR/FOOTWELL AREA. I TOOK THIS CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY KEPT IT FOR 3 BUSINESS DAYS. THE WINDOW WORKED WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR AND CONTINUED TO WORK FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF. THEN THE WINDOW STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP ON JULY 16, 2013. THE DEALERSHIP STILL HAS MY CAR, AND THE WINDOW HAS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10533811

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Working with the data? Download all 69 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 2013 Mini Cooper S Hardtop verdict →