Problems · NHTSA complaints
2012 MINI Cooper Clubman problems
Owners filed 31 complaints about the 2012 MINI Cooper Clubman with NHTSA between Jan 2021 and Jul 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (25).
Complaints
31
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system25
- Air bags4
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Engine2
- Exterior lighting2
- Power train1
- Seats1
- Other / unknown4
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
1
10
12
3
4
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 10 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 | 4 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
25 reports1 fire1 related recall
“This vin waa not included in a recall however had recall issues it obtained water in the footwell which mini has a recall issue for this and the car was caught on fire it is at the dealership in [XXX]”
Air bags
4 reports
“Mini BMW is fully aware of an issue with their OC3 detection mat on the passengers side and offered a extended warranty of 10 years/ 100k miles. This is insufficient coverage for a crucial saftey part and has led to a grey market production of occupancy detection mats "emulators" which are being sold online as the only way to have your airbag system "functional".”
Fuel/propulsion system
3 reports
“WMWZG3C50CTY37438 Scan.pdf”
Engine
2 reports
“Rough car start & hiccups on commute to work after rain storm. Indicating multiple mis fires 300, 301, 302, 304,”
Exterior lighting
2 reports
“i bought the car in august 2023 from carmax they were aware of recall , my car has no headlight, brake lights, door states open when not , windows do not roll down, cannot use alarm, will not lock, smells hot , i spoke with mini cooper and there is no remedy this is my only car i transport my grandchildren to and from school , i lost house due to a fire a yr ago , and lost everything , and see that a fire is at risk. mini cooper says nothing they can do because no remedy, carmax should not of sold this car with a recall .”
Power train
1 report
“The clutch has been a problem. The clutch wears out prematurely, causing loss of acceleration, which caused loss of power trying to merge into freeway traffic, which nearly resulted in a collision with a semi. Looking up repair or replacement information, it appears this is a common problem that Mini has, some people were replacing the clutch 3 times before 50,000 miles, and also refusing to honor their warranty, claiming it’s the user fault. I got a quote from Mini Cooper in Tacoma, to replace the clutch, and I was quoted $3400. I paid $12,000 for my Mini Cooper. To change it myself is about impossible due to ‘special’ tools required. I think this is scam set up to get money. It is very unsafe to lose acceleration in places where it’s vital like freeway merging. If people cannot afford to get these these fixed then that’s another safety issue. I’m now stuck figuring out how to get this fixed. Please look into this.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.