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
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system25
  2. Air bags4
  3. Fuel/propulsion system3
  4. Engine2
  5. Exterior lighting2
  6. Power train1
  7. Seats1
  8. 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
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20211
20221
202310
202412
20253
20264

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.

03 —Owner reports

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]”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 16, 2026Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 11750905

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".”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 4, 2024Air bagsODI 11628890

Fuel/propulsion system

3 reports
“WMWZG3C50CTY37438 Scan.pdf”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 10, 2025Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11666189

Engine

2 reports
“Rough car start & hiccups on commute to work after rain storm. Indicating multiple mis fires 300, 301, 302, 304,”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 7, 2024Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11564055

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 .”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 26, 2024Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 11573969

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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 11, 2024Power trainODI 11588255
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.