2010 Mini COOPER S

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2010 Mini COOPER S has 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 1.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (55% of all complaints), specifically: cold start problem, no power, lots of noise. timing chain on r56 mini cooper. there is a service bulletin but there should be a recall. it sounded like the motor was going to blow up! *ln. ⚠️ 7 fire reports filed.

7 fire reports 1 crash report 1 injury

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

1.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

43 complaints

55%

• COLD START PROBLEM, NO POWER, LOTS OF NOISE. TIMING CHAIN ON R56 MINI COOPER. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MOTOR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP! *LN
• BURNED MY LEFT LEG, JUST ABOVE THE ANKLE ON THE EXHAUST PIPE WHILE RETRIEVING PARCEL FROM THE BOOT OF THE VEHICLE. IT LEFT A NASTY SCAR ON MY LEG. *KB
• CAR DRIVEN TWO MILES TO MARKET AND RETURNED HOME TO HIGH RISE CONDO. PARKED IN GARAGE OF HIGH RISE. NO PROBLEMS NOTED DURING DRIVE, PARKING OR LOCKING. WITHIN 4-6 MINUTES, ANOTHER RESIDENT IN THE GARAGE REPORTED A CAR ON FIRE, HOOD/ENGINE AREA TO THE MANAGEMENT OFFICE. A 911 CALL SEN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 5 fire reports

“COLD START PROBLEM, NO POWER, LOTS OF NOISE. TIMING CHAIN ON R56 MINI COOPER. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MOTOR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP! *LN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

9 complaints

12%

• THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON WITH A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ON AT RANDOM INTERVALS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ONLY MINI DEALER IN COLORADO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE FAULT AND THAT THERE WASN'T A FAULT CODE IN THE COMPUTER. I ASKED TO SPE
• THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON WITH A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ON AT RANDOM INTERVALS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ONLY MINI DEALER IN COLORADO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE FAULT AND THAT THERE WASN'T A FAULT CODE IN THE COMPUTER. I ASKED TO SPE
• THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON WITH A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ON AT RANDOM INTERVALS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ONLY MINI DEALER IN COLORADO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE FAULT AND THAT THERE WASN'T A FAULT CODE IN THE COMPUTER. I ASKED TO SPE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON WITH A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ON AT RANDOM INTERVALS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ONLY MINI DEALER IN COLORADO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE FAULT AND THAT THERE WASN'T A FAULT CODE IN THE COMPUTER. I ASKED TO SPE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

6 complaints

• PURCHASED CAR APRIL 2014 W 46,000 MILES. WARRANTY HISTORY SHOWED VALVE GASKET REPLACED. AT 64000 MILES DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. NOT TOLD AT PURCHASE - AT MINI DLR - THAT CAR CONSUMES A QUART OF OIL EVERY 700 MILES WHICH I WAS JUST TOLD BY LOCAL SERVICING DEALER THAT THEY CONSID
• JUST HAD TO HAVE A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP REPLACED IN MY MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE AND HAD . I UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THE FUEL PUMPS IN THIS YEAR MAKE OF CAR WERE RECALLED EXCEPT THE ONE ON THE CONVERTIBLE?? PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHY THE FUEL PUMP IS ANY DIFFERENT? IT ACTUALLY WENT OUT ON AN INTERSTAT
• GOT THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP ISSUE, THE CAR WILL NOT START AND STALL AND WILL NOT KEEP IN IDEAL UNTIL STEPPING ON THE GAS OVER 3000 RPM FOR OVER 1 MINS, IT STALLED ON LOCAL STREET COUPLE TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP SAID MINI COVER UP TO 7 YEARS ONLY.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“PURCHASED CAR APRIL 2014 W 46,000 MILES. WARRANTY HISTORY SHOWED VALVE GASKET REPLACED. AT 64000 MILES DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. NOT TOLD AT PURCHASE - AT MINI DLR - THAT CAR CONSUMES A QUART OF OIL EVERY 700 MILES WHICH I WAS JUST TOLD BY LOCAL SERVICING DEALER THAT THEY CONSID”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

5 complaints

• TIMING CHAIN MECHANISM FAILURE AT 70,000 MILES. KNOWN ISSUE AMONG AT LEAST 500,000 MINI COOPER GENERATION 2 MODELS
• MY DAUGHTER WAS IN TRAFFIC, DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME FROM AN OIL CHANGE, WHEN THE TIMING CHANGE BROKE CAUSING HER TO LOSE POWER. THE LOSS OF POWER CREATED A DANGEROUS AND HAZARDOUS SITUATION. FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE MAIN ROADS AND WE HAD IT TOWED BY AAA TO THE MINI DEALERSHIP. DU
• VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND MY WIFE HEARD A NOISE- CHOSE TO IGNORE NOISE. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I DISCOVERED THE TIMING CHAIN COULD CATASTROPHICALLY FAIL LEAVING MY WIFE ON MOUNTAIN ROADS WITH NO POWER AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING . ALTHOUGH BMW HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS THEY HAVE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TIMING CHAIN MECHANISM FAILURE AT 70,000 MILES. KNOWN ISSUE AMONG AT LEAST 500,000 MINI COOPER GENERATION 2 MODELS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

4 complaints

• PARKING BRAKE ON 2010 MINI COOPER S DID NOT HOLD ON SLIGHT INCLINE. CAR ROLLED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. WITNESSES CONFIRM THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS FULLY ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. *TR
• COLD START PROBLEM, NO POWER, LOTS OF NOISE. TIMING CHAIN ON R56 MINI COOPER. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MOTOR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP! *LN
• I HAVE MINI COOPER R56 S MODELS AND I HAVE SPENT ALMOST 5K IN JUST REPAIR THE TIMING CHAIN IS BROKE EVERY 2 OR 3 WEEKS THIS CAR IS PIECE OF CRACK EVERY 2 OR 3 WEEKS HAS SOMETHING NEW !! NEVER WOULD BUY AGAIN THIS PIECE OF CRACK AND WOULDN'T RECOMMEND TO ANYONE GET THIS PIECE OF CRACK!!

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“PARKING BRAKE ON 2010 MINI COOPER S DID NOT HOLD ON SLIGHT INCLINE. CAR ROLLED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. WITNESSES CONFIRM THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS FULLY ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENT. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 78 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: COLD START PROBLEM, NO POWER, LOTS OF NOISE. TIMING CHAIN ON R56 MINI COOPER. THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MOTOR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP! *LN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: THE PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT COMES ON WITH A PASSENGER IN THE CAR. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ON AT RANDOM INTERVALS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE ONLY MINI DEALER IN COLORADO AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE FAULT AND THAT THERE WASN'T A FAULT CODE IN THE COMPUTER. I ASKED TO SPE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: PURCHASED CAR APRIL 2014 W 46,000 MILES. WARRANTY HISTORY SHOWED VALVE GASKET REPLACED. AT 64000 MILES DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. NOT TOLD AT PURCHASE - AT MINI DLR - THAT CAR CONSUMES A QUART OF OIL EVERY 700 MILES WHICH I WAS JUST TOLD BY LOCAL SERVICING DEALER THAT THEY CONSID
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: TIMING CHAIN MECHANISM FAILURE AT 70,000 MILES. KNOWN ISSUE AMONG AT LEAST 500,000 MINI COOPER GENERATION 2 MODELS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)