2015 MINI Cooper recalls & complaints
Source: NHTSA, updated daily. Last checked 2026-10-18. Recalls apply to specific VINs — run your VIN to confirm.
6 safety recalls, most serious first
1. Seats
What's wrong, in plain English: Seat frames, adjusters or child-seat anchors. 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,…
What could happen: Inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation can increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
The fix: 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 .
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2015 COOPER.
- Book a repair at any authorized MINI dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V739000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-825-1525.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SEATS
Summary: 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.
Consequence: Inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation can increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
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 .
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
2. Body / structure
What's wrong, in plain English: Body panels, frame, doors, hood, trunk or latches. 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."
What could happen: If the side impact performance requirements are not met, rear seat passengers may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2015 COOPER.
- Book a repair at any authorized MINI dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V450000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-825-1525.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY
Summary: 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."
Consequence: If the side impact performance requirements are not met, rear seat passengers may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
3. Airbags
What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. 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."
What could happen: In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2015 COOPER.
- Book a repair at any authorized MINI dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V628000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-825-1525.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Summary: 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."
Consequence: In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
4. Equipment
What's wrong, in plain English: A part or accessory supplied with the vehicle. 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."
What could happen: The maximum weight listed on the label is incorrect (too low) and therefore does not comply with Federal Regulations.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2015 COOPER.
- Book a repair at any authorized MINI dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V034000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-825-1525.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Summary: 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."
Consequence: The maximum weight listed on the label is incorrect (too low) and therefore does not comply with Federal Regulations.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
5. Seats
What's wrong, in plain English: Seat frames, adjusters or child-seat anchors. In the affected vehicles, the driver and front passenger seatback adjustment mechanism may not be fully engaged.
What could happen: If the seatback adjustment mechanism is not fully engaged, the seatback may fold during a rear impact collision, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
The fix: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will re-align and re-tighten the seatback adjustment mechanisms, free of charge. The recall began December 29, 2014. Owners can contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2015 COOPER.
- Book a repair at any authorized MINI dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 14V721000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-825-1525.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: SEATS
Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door vehicles manufactured August 12, 2014, to September 2, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the driver and front passenger seatback adjustment mechanism may not be fully engaged.
Consequence: If the seatback adjustment mechanism is not fully engaged, the seatback may fold during a rear impact collision, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will re-align and re-tighten the seatback adjustment mechanisms, free of charge. The recall began December 29, 2014. Owners can contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
6. Transmission / drivetrain
What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. 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."
What could happen: If the driver exits the vehicle without the transmission being in Park, the vehicle could roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
The fix: 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.
What to do
- Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2015 COOPER.
- Book a repair at any authorized MINI dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 14V789000.
- The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
- Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-825-1525.
- Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.
Official wording from NHTSA
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Summary: 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."
Consequence: If the driver exits the vehicle without the transmission being in Park, the vehicle could roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
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.
Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Useful for owners
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Most complained-about parts: Engine (15), Fuel system (11), Electrical system (10), Transmission / drivetrain (10), Brakes (9).
Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.
Read recent complaints (8)
08/13/2026 · Unknown Or Other
Anytime the wipers are on and the speed is above 50 mph, this car periodically applies the brakes to keep the rotors dry. It's an automated system that BMW's and Mini's have. However, for some reason, the vehicle now pulls hard to the right, which veers the car into the other lane. The brake pads and rotors are all new. The tires are new and the alignme…
07/11/2026 · Electrical system
On my 2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 4 Door (VIN: [XXX]), the driver's side halogen headlight suddenly stopped working. When I attempted to replace the bulb, I discovered that the headlight connector/pig tail had melted on one side, one of the electrical wires had burned completely through, and there was a strong odor coming from the rear of the headlight assembl…
10/03/2025 · Transmission / drivetrain
Selector lever wrongly not locked in park. Put up a code for transmission (egs). I believe it falls under the transmission control unit recall on mini coopers 2 door hardtop.
02/23/2025 · Engine
Lower Engine Support and Passenger Engine Mount damaged as per routine inspection by dealer in Feb2025. Never diagnosed before. Repair done by independent service center in Feb2025 and I have receipt of approximately 1K. Also, since 22feb2025, I am not able to add fuel to the tank because the pump stops constantly and causes spill of fuel. This can cause f…
08/06/2024 · Visibility (wipers / glass)
While driving the rear view mirror suddenly tilted downward (drooped). What happened, was that the tension ring popped off. As it turns out, this is a known issue per internet Mini Cooper pages. On hot days the ring loosens and, since the design does not include anything to prevent the ring from sliding off, it does slide off, resulting in the rear view m…
06/17/2024 · Visibility (wipers / glass)
The contact owns a 2015 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear convertible glass suddenly separated from the convertible compartment and fell on the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. The contact stated that while searching online, he became aware that…
02/02/2024 · Electrical system
The sensors do not work. The car does not tell me when oil is needed, when my tires are low. No sensors work in the car. The dealer, Mini Of Edison, states FOUND INTERNAL HARDWARE FAULTS. But are stating its costs 2300.00 to fix. This is a huge safety issue.Ive been having to guess when my oil is low and when my tires are low. This has been going on si…
10/31/2023 · Fuel system
The fuel filling nozzle turns off repeatedly while trying to fill the fuel tank and spills out causing a safety and environmental hazard, regardless of the pump being used. As a result, no fuel goes into the gas tank, instead it goes all over the car and the ground.