2011 MINI Cooper S Engine Problems
Engine problems account for 18 of 31 complaints (58%) filed on the 2011 MINI Cooper S, with 5 fires and 2 injuries reported among them. A 2012 NHTSA recall (12V008000) covers water pump replacement on this model year, addressing a known failure point.
- Engine complaints
- 18
- 58% of 31 complaints
- All complaints this year
- 31
- Crashes reported
- 0
- Fires reported
- 5
- Injuries reported
- 2
- Median mileage
- 56,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical engine symptoms owners report
- Engine compartment fires reported both while parked and while driving, sometimes traced to a failed turbo cooling system or coolant reaching electrical components.
- Water pump and thermostat housing leaks that let coolant reach the oil or nearby sensors, in some cases recurring after a dealer repair.
- Overheating events accompanied by violent shaking or warning lights, with owners describing melted coolant manifolds and hosing.
- Timing chain tensioner wear that lets oil leak out, in one case dropping oil to under a quart and leading to chain fracture at 47,000 miles.
- High pressure fuel pump failures that trigger limp-home mode, reduced power, and check engine lights.
When 2011 MINI Cooper S engine complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 11, 2012, latest Jan 7, 2025.
Engine recalls for the 2011 MINI Cooper S
- NHTSA 18V248000Apr 18, 2018Engine47,806 vehicles
Engine and engine cooling:engine
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW, Cooper S Clubman, JCW Clubman, Cooper S Roadster, JCW Roadster, Cooper S Coupe, JCW Coupe and Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2011 BMW X6 Hybrid and 2012 BMW 650i Coupe, 650i xDrive Coupe, 650i Convertible and 650i xDrive Convertible vehicles. The electric auxiliary water pump may fail and cause the circuit board to overheat.
Risk: If the circuit board were to overheat, it can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric auxiliary water pump, free of charge. Depending on the model, there are currently limited parts available, however not all parts are available at this time. Owners will be notified of the recall beginning June 11, 2018, and will receive a second notification when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at BMW 1-800-525-7417, MINI at 1-866-825-1525, or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Note: BMW recommends that owners park their vehicle outdoors until the recall remedy has been performed.
- NHTSA 12V008000Jan 11, 2012Engine90,368 vehicles
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/supercharger
Bmw is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 mini cooper s, 2008-2011 mini cooper s clubman, 2009-2011 mini cooper s convertible, 2009-2011 mini cooper jcw, 2009-2011 mini cooper jcw clubman, 2009-2011 cooper jcw convertible, and 2011 cooper s countryman passenger cars manufactured from november 14, 2006, through january 18, 2011. The electric auxiliary water pump that cools the turbocharger has an electronic circuit board that can malfunction and overheat.
Risk: The circuit board may smolder which could result in a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Bmw will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump free of charge. The safety recall beganduring february 2012. Owners may contact bmw at 1-866-275-6464.
Engine complaints by Cooper S model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- Are engine problems common on the 2011 MINI Cooper S?
- Yes. NHTSA lists 18 engine-related complaints out of 31 total for this model year, making up 58% of all complaints filed.
- Is there a recall for the 2011 MINI Cooper S engine?
- Yes. Recall 12V008000, reported in January 2012, covers water pump replacement on 2007-2011 MINI Cooper S and related models, done free of charge by dealers.
- Do the engine problems cause fires?
- NHTSA complaint data shows 5 fires and 2 injuries linked to engine-area failures on the 2011 MINI Cooper S, several tied to coolant reaching the turbo or electrical system.
- At what mileage do these engine failures typically happen?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for engine-area complaints on this model year is 56,500 miles.
- Does the water pump recall fix the overheating issues owners describe?
- The recall replaces the water pump, which matches leak and overheating complaints in the data, though some owners reported the same leak recurring after dealer repair.