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Research · Subcompact Cars · 4 NHTSA variants

2014 MINI Cooper SRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 46 owner complaints for the 2014 MINI Cooper S. Most complaints involve power train (14) and engine (11). The EPA rates it 28–29 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
28–29mpg
EPA · 6 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
4campaigns
Latest Nov 2015
Owner complaints
46
Top: power train
Fuel cost / yr
$2,750est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

4 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Seats

Free remedy

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.

SeatsReported Nov 9, 2015NHTSA 15V739000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

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."

Air bagsReported Oct 7, 2015NHTSA 15V628000

Structure: body

Free remedy

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."

StructureReported Jul 17, 2015NHTSA 15V450000
See all 4 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 28, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

46 complaints filed with NHTSA · Jun 2014 – Feb 2025
  1. Power train14
  2. Engine11
  3. Electrical system8
  4. Air bags4
  5. Structure4
  6. Suspension3
  7. Fuel/propulsion system3
  8. Engine and engine cooling2
  9. Steering2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Cooper S model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2004529
200636
200816
200936
201059
201140
201226
201369
201446
201571
20169
20174
20194
20205
20221
20241
20254
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
2
Injuries reported
2
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Power train

14 reports
“Engine motor mount sheared, allowing motor to interact with and bounce directly on the frame, and stressing the other connections and components. Dealer indicated this is a very common problem for this car model and is likely a design issue, and even had another example of a sheared mount on display in order to show others with the same issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 10, 2023Suspension, Power trainODI 11549149

Engine

11 reports
“The fuse box JBE module has a Quality Assurance problem with a solder connection to the NEC low pressure fuel relay. This is a known issue with BMW/Mini. The car suddenly stalls without warning. If the driver is not keen or if traffic patterns do not allow, the car can be left in very dangerous situations on the highway or in the middle of intersection. The repair for this problem is widely distributed online via blogs and YouTube, but replacement modules are $1500 (part only) and these modules are not available until at least October 2023. There are no warning lights or other warnings prior to the incident. While I am not aware of any serious injuries, it is only a matter of time before someone is t-boned at an intersections. This part MUST be immediately recalled due to the safety risk. The images below show the JBE fuse box housing as well as the PCB where the cold solder joint can be seen. I have circled the cold solder joint in the close up picture.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 8, 2023Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11537267

Electrical system

8 reports1 fire
“The contact owns a 2014 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the front driver's side and passenger’s side doors and windows failed to properly close. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the failure was caused by a faulty foot well module which caused the electrical power windows to malfunction and the doors to not properly close. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 80,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 26, 2025Electrical systemODI 11645104
All 2014 Cooper S problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

6 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Subcompact Cars, Minicompact Cars, Two Seaters
Engines
2.0L 4-cyl turbo · 1.6L 4-cyl turbo
Transmissions
Automatic (S6) · Manual 6-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Premium Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 28, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Cooper S (3-doors)
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
263429$2,750304
Cooper S Convertible
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
263429$2,750315
Cooper S Convertible
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
263429$2,750305
Cooper S Coupe
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
263429$2,750315
Cooper S Coupe
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
263429$2,750305
Cooper S (3-doors)
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo · Front-Wheel Drive
243428$2,850320
  • Cooper S (3-doors)
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo
    26 city · 34 hwy · $2,750/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Cooper S Convertible
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo
    26 city · 34 hwy · $2,750/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Cooper S Convertible
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo
    26 city · 34 hwy · $2,750/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Cooper S Coupe
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo
    26 city · 34 hwy · $2,750/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Cooper S Coupe
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo
    26 city · 34 hwy · $2,750/yr
    29
    mpg comb.
  • Cooper S (3-doors)
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo
    24 city · 34 hwy · $2,850/yr
    28
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Oct 28, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

3 tested variants
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2014 MINI Cooper S as of Oct 28, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Oct 28, 2026Vehicle 8176Vehicle 8735Vehicle 8746
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2014 Cooper S questions

How many recalls does the 2014 MINI Cooper S have?

4 safety recalls as of Oct 28, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2014 MINI Cooper S problems?

Owners filed 46 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are power train (14), engine (11), electrical system (8). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2014 MINI Cooper S get?

The EPA rates the 2014 MINI Cooper S at 28–29 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (6 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Oct 28, 2026