IllustrationTHE SENSOR ON THE PASSENGER SEAT SEAMS FAULTY. THE LIGHTS FOR THE AIR BAG AND SEAT BELT KEEPS COMING ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ENTIRE SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY IN THE CASE OF ACCIDENT.
2009 Mini Cooper S Us
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cooper S Us years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 8 of 9 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
9 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S US. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT STAT…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 MINI COOPER S US. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.
VEHICLE STARTING MAKING A RATTLING NOISE IN THE LEFT FRONT TIMING CHAIN AREA, TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED ONE OF THE TIMING TENSIONERS HAD SNAPPED, PROBABLY DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN HAVING TOO MUCH SLACK, I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL ON THESE AS IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING A LOT. HE ADVISED ME TO REPLACE THE TI…
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VEHICLE STARTING MAKING A RATTLING NOISE IN THE LEFT FRONT TIMING CHAIN AREA, TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED ONE OF THE TIMING TENSIONERS HAD SNAPPED, PROBABLY DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN HAVING TOO MUCH SLACK, I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE MAY BE A RECALL ON THESE AS IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING A LOT. HE ADVISED ME TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND TENSIONERS IN ORDER TO NOT RISK THE TENSIONER FAILING AND CAUSING CATASTOPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, PARTS COST IS ABOUT $900 AND INSTALLATION ABOUT $500. THIS SEEMS TO BE GOING ON A LOT AND THERE IS LOTS OF INFO ON THE INTERNET STATING IT IS AN ISSUE THAT CAN CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH SHOULD THE VEHICLE BE INOPERABLE ON A HIGHWAY OR IN TRAFFIC.
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON US 75 SOUTH (DOWNTOWN DALLAS) AND THE VEHICLE (2009 MINI COOPER S) JUST STOPPED, AND ALL OF THE OIL WAS LEAKING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THE ISSUE IS WITH A MINI ISSUE RELATING TO THE TENSIONERS/TIMING CHAIN. *TR
THERMOSTAT HOUSING DESIGN FLAW. SPOKE WITH PART DEPT MANAGER ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING LEAKING COOLANT AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE HOUSING CAUSES THE PART TO SPLIT OPEN WHERE THE 2 PIECES WERE SEAMED TOGETHER. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND CURRENTLY T…
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THERMOSTAT HOUSING DESIGN FLAW. SPOKE WITH PART DEPT MANAGER ABOUT THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING LEAKING COOLANT AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW IN THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE HOUSING CAUSES THE PART TO SPLIT OPEN WHERE THE 2 PIECES WERE SEAMED TOGETHER. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND CURRENTLY THAT PARTICULAR PART IS ON BACK-ORDER AND THUS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT LEAKS ALL THE COOLANT OUT BEFORE LEAVING THE DRIVEWAY. *TR
I HAD A GOODYEAR RUNFLAT TIRE THAT WAS OEM AND LESS THAN 2 YRS. OLD W/ 20,000 MILES BUBBLE ON THE SIDEWALL. IT WAS REPLACED AT DISCOUNT TIRE. THE TIRE COST $257 ON A 2009 MINI COOPER S. THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE. TIRES ARE EXCELLENCE ROF AND NOT INTEGRITY SINCE YOUR SITE MISTAKENLY DOES NOT GIVE THE CORRECT OPTION. *TR
I HAVE A 2009 MINI COOPER S. BOUGHT NEW. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. THE ENGINE HAS A RATTLING NOISE WHEN ENGINE HAS STARTED ON A COLD DAY. THIS NOISE HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER EVERY WINTER. THE NOISE SUBSIDES AS THE ENGINE GETS WARM. HAVE TOLD MINI ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND NO ACTION. *TR
AFTER PURCHASING A 2009 MINI COOPER THE OUTLET IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALERS EVALUATION WAS AS FOLLOWS: NEITHER THE FRONT OR THE REAR CIGARETTE OUTLETS ARE WORKING. CHECK AND ADVISE. CAUSE: CHECKED/FOUND 20 AMP FUSE BLOWN, INSPECTED OUTLETS, FOUND SOCKET/OUTLET IN CENTER CONSOLE SHORTED TO…
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AFTER PURCHASING A 2009 MINI COOPER THE OUTLET IN BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALERS EVALUATION WAS AS FOLLOWS: NEITHER THE FRONT OR THE REAR CIGARETTE OUTLETS ARE WORKING. CHECK AND ADVISE. CAUSE: CHECKED/FOUND 20 AMP FUSE BLOWN, INSPECTED OUTLETS, FOUND SOCKET/OUTLET IN CENTER CONSOLE SHORTED TO GROUND CORRECTION: R & R FRONT CENTER CONSOLE REPLACED SOCKET & ILLUMINATED RING. UPDATED IVOQ. 05/01/09. *TR
ON 4/9 I PURCHASE A 2009 MINI COOPER. ON 4/14 I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THE CAR STARTED SURGING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE SERVICE ADVISER WHO SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE GAS CAP. I IGNORED HER RESPONSE BECAUSE IT ONLY CLICKS ONCE AND I KNOW THIS WAS COMPLETED PROPERLY AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. THERE…
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ON 4/9 I PURCHASE A 2009 MINI COOPER. ON 4/14 I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THE CAR STARTED SURGING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE SERVICE ADVISER WHO SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE GAS CAP. I IGNORED HER RESPONSE BECAUSE IT ONLY CLICKS ONCE AND I KNOW THIS WAS COMPLETED PROPERLY AND IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. THERE FINDINGS WERE AS FOLLOWS; HOWEVER I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER POSTINGS ONLY FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS. CAUSE: INTERROGATING FAULT MEMORY FOUND HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TO LOW PERFORMED TEST PLANT ON DME CONTROL UNIT FOUND WORKING NORMAL, PERFORMED TEST WITH FUEL PRESSURE FAIL, WAS TO LOW OPEN HIGH PRESSURE PUMP, FOUND FUEL PRESSURE PUMP/SHAFT DEFECT, CRACK SPEND FREE. *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.