2013 MINI Cooper S problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 MINI Cooper S, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 9 | 38% |
| Engine | 7 | 29% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 17% |
| Unknown OR Other | 4 | 17% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 4% |
| Seats | 1 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 4% |
| Suspension | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Oct 16, 2025
“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…”
Electrical System · filed May 7, 2025
“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…”
Engine · filed Apr 30, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
140 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 MINI Cooper S. The 10 most recent:
MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. Breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can…
M610607 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2023
New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models. The new wheel electronics are identified as Huf Generation 5. These new wheel electronics will need to be programmed using the new tool…
M360119 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2021
OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT - LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES: Component-Specific Limited Warranty Extension For the above-referenced vehicles, MINI USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC (MINI…
M011116 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2020
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT: N14 HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HDP) SERVICE BENEFIT CLASS VEHICLES: The MINI vehicle may experience a sudden engine operational failure reduced or loss of power while driving and the malfunction…
M010419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2020
Air Conditioning System Leak Testing. The customer complains of poor or no air conditioning cooling. After further diagnosis, the system is found to be low or empty of a refrigerant charge, but when using an electronic…
M640108 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2019
Service Action: Checking or Replacing the Door Sill Trim Strips. The door sill trim strips are deformed and/or peeling up at the corners. CAUSE: Insufficient surface preparation of the door sill.
M510912 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2019
"Service Action: Retrofit of the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor. Internal corrosion could form in the engine coolant temperature sensor. This corrosion leads to internal bridging of the contacts, which can cause an…
M170912 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2019
N18 thermostat with thermostat housing: limited warranty extension to 10 years/ this service information bulletin supersedes si m01 02 18 dated may 2018.
M010218 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2019
N18 thermostat with thermostat housing: limited warrantyextension to 10 years/ this service information bulletin supersedes si m01 02 18 dated may 2018.
M010218 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2019
Oc3 seat occupancy mat: limited warranty extension to 10 years/120.
M011116 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 MINI Cooper S has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 MINI Cooper S?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.