MINI COOPER S · model year

2013 MINI COOPER S

32 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013MINICOOPER S carries 32 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 COOPER S is electrical system with 8 filings, followed by engine (7) and air bags (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2013 COOPER S. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

32
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

32 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM8
ENGINE7
AIR BAGS4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4
POWER TRAIN2
WHEELS1
SERVICE BRAKES1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1
SEATS1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM1
SUSPENSION1

Recalls (1)

23V33700011/05/2023

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2014 MINI Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Clubman John Cooper Works, and 2007-2013 MINI Hardtop 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana,

Recent Complaints

20251016UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I purchased a vehicle 2013 mini Cooper hardtop S r56 from Chevy Nissan of Walla Walla on [XXX]. During the transaction, I was misled and not provided truthful information regarding the vehicle’s condition and terms of sale. 1. I was charged for services and items I explicitly did not want or agree to. When I first was looking at the car before purchasing, the salesman, Coby, informed me that the tires were filled with nitrogen. I had no clue what that meant and I asked him if I was required to keep that in the tires do I ?” Coby told me no I was relieved since I knew nothing of nitrogen in tires nor do I know where to get it. Despite my objections, a $299 membership charge was added and activated fraudulently, and I was not properly informed beforehand. This charge was for a one year membership to Nitrofil. No one spoke to me regarding a yearly membership costing $299. It was snuck in on the entire paperwork and charged to me as well simeone activating the membership without my k

20251016SUSPENSION

I purchased a vehicle 2013 mini Cooper hardtop S r56 from Chevy Nissan of Walla Walla on [XXX]. During the transaction, I was misled and not provided truthful information regarding the vehicle’s condition and terms of sale. 1. I was charged for services and items I explicitly did not want or agree to. When I first was looking at the car before purchasing, the salesman, Coby, informed me that the tires were filled with nitrogen. I had no clue what that meant and I asked him if I was required to keep that in the tires do I ?” Coby told me no I was relieved since I knew nothing of nitrogen in tires nor do I know where to get it. Despite my objections, a $299 membership charge was added and activated fraudulently, and I was not properly informed beforehand. This charge was for a one year membership to Nitrofil. No one spoke to me regarding a yearly membership costing $299. It was snuck in on the entire paperwork and charged to me as well simeone activating the membership without my k

20250507ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Water apparantly was going thru the sunroof and clogging the drains-- No water seeped into the car or from the roof-- It went through the interior of the car nor did it ever get into the vehicle floor so no way to even be aware of car accumlating water- This interior water damage nd destroyed the electronic system of the vehicle- Insured driver - my daughter was driving when car alarm and back door released while driving-- Windshield wipers stopped working and beeping noises continuelly came on! Damage to car 8K-- The same two door model and same year was in fact recalled for the same issue this year-

20250507UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Water apparantly was going thru the sunroof and clogging the drains-- No water seeped into the car or from the roof-- It went through the interior of the car nor did it ever get into the vehicle floor so no way to even be aware of car accumlating water- This interior water damage nd destroyed the electronic system of the vehicle- Insured driver - my daughter was driving when car alarm and back door released while driving-- Windshield wipers stopped working and beeping noises continuelly came on! Damage to car 8K-- The same two door model and same year was in fact recalled for the same issue this year-

20250430ENGINE

The contact called on behalf of the owner of the 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side window was inoperative. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the body control module and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,137.

Mileage: 62,137

20250430ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM

The contact called on behalf of the owner of the 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side window was inoperative. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the body control module and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,137.

Mileage: 62,137

20250423ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Water leakage from the sunroof drains corroded the FRM module. Car is not driveable as the doors will not latch, lighting issues, windows don't function etc.. There is a recall for this but not for this vin #?

20250106ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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. Parts distribution disconnect.

20241014ENGINE

Yes my Mini Cooper 2013 I was just driving normal speed 35 to 40 miles per hour and all the sudden my engine has just quit and stopped running I was not in any danger or in a crash I was able to move my car off to the side of the road and unfortunately this was only the first time the second time was actually on the highway I was scared to death because I was actually came to a halt on the freeway but I was able to push my car off to the side and be out of Harm's Way my car is now parked in front of my house due to engine failure and I don't know what else to do but I saw this recall and I thought I would give you guys a shout and tell you what's wrong and the only thing I replace so far was a new fuel pump and unfortunately that was not the issue my car was still not run or start and now I noticed there is a broken seal in the air intake that looks like it needs to be replaced

20241014FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Yes my Mini Cooper 2013 I was just driving normal speed 35 to 40 miles per hour and all the sudden my engine has just quit and stopped running I was not in any danger or in a crash I was able to move my car off to the side of the road and unfortunately this was only the first time the second time was actually on the highway I was scared to death because I was actually came to a halt on the freeway but I was able to push my car off to the side and be out of Harm's Way my car is now parked in front of my house due to engine failure and I don't know what else to do but I saw this recall and I thought I would give you guys a shout and tell you what's wrong and the only thing I replace so far was a new fuel pump and unfortunately that was not the issue my car was still not run or start and now I noticed there is a broken seal in the air intake that looks like it needs to be replaced

20241008ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Body control module (footwell module) controls the windows and blinkers. Recall was issued May 12, 2023 have filed with NHTSA several weeks ago with no response. This part has stopped working can't put windows down or use blinkers.

20240405ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20240209ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there were no high beam headlights or fog lights, and the power windows were inoperable. The due for service symbol was displayed. 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 made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Mileage: 100,000

20231106AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag and the seat belt warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken the BMW dealer and diagnosed with failed front driver's side door air bag sensor and a failed passenger occupancy sensor. The contact was informed that the front driver's side door air bag sensor and the passenger's occupancy sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure reoccurred with the driver's side door air bag sensor. The vehicle was taken back to the BMW dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a faulty front driver's side door air bag sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a Mini dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a Mini dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 61,180. The consumer stated that during the last diagnostic check on at the last dealership, it was f

Mileage: 61,180

20230804ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the engine was running rough while idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would not exceed 65 MPH and 4,000 RPM while driving. The message "Reduced Engine Power" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #1 was misfiring because it was not receiving proper communication from the ECU. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic and was informed that the ECU was operating as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that he replaced the spark plugs and the coils; however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall

Mileage: 30,000

20230804ENGINE

The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the engine was running rough while idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would not exceed 65 MPH and 4,000 RPM while driving. The message "Reduced Engine Power" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #1 was misfiring because it was not receiving proper communication from the ECU. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic and was informed that the ECU was operating as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that he replaced the spark plugs and the coils; however, the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall

Mileage: 30,000

20210326SEATS

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANT SENSOR IS FAILING. THE DASH LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTINGLY WHEN A PASSENGER IS SEATED AND THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. THE PROBLEM STARTED 03/19/2021. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG(S) MAY NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. MINI HAD A RECALL IN 2015 FOR 2005-2008 CARS. THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.*DT*JB

Mileage: 45,125

20200729UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY CAR HAS PROTRUDING TAILPIPES, IT CAUSED ME AND MY HUSBAND 3RD-DEGREE BURNS AFTER A SHORT DRIVE TO COSTCO.

Mileage: 45,000

20200726EXTERIOR LIGHTING

REAR DRIVER SIDE TAIL LIGHT HOUSING MELTED. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN TAIL LIGHT OUT INDICATOR TURNED ON.

Mileage: 78,642

20190521ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND THE SERVICE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TURBO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED CLASSIC MINI COOPER AT 440-585-9910 (LOCATED AT 2573 SOM CENTER RD, WILLOUGHBY HILLS, OH 44094) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,320.

Mileage: 93,320

Compare 2013MINICOOPER S to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 MINI COOPER S have?
The 2013 MINI COOPER S has 32 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2013 MINI COOPER S?
Yes, the 2013 MINI COOPER S has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 MINI COOPER S?
The most-complained component for the 2013 MINI COOPER S is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2013 MINI COOPER S safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.