YearToAvoid

2014 MINI Cooper S Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2014 MINI Cooper S has a complaint index of 33 and ranks 13th worst out of 19 model years, earning a Good verdict. Owners reported transmission and engine issues most often, with 4 recalls covering structure, airbags, and transmission software.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
33/100
#13 of 19 Cooper S years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
13
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
1
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Transmission & Powertrain
Best nearby year
2019
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
28
25.5 city / 32 hwy
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2014 MINI Cooper S problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain6 (46%)
  2. Engine3 (23%)
  3. Airbags2 (15%)
  4. Other2 (15%)
  5. Fuel System1 (8%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (8%)
  7. Visibility & Wipers1 (8%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Transmission jumps out of first gear unexpectedly when accelerating from a stop or while moving.
  • Engine loses all oil due to a faulty oil filter housing, sometimes followed by smoke and towing.
  • Vanos system failure reported shortly after an oil filter housing repair.
  • Drivetrain malfunction warning appears without notice and reduces engine power.
  • Front strut mounting kit cracks after hitting road debris, causing a thumping noise while turning.
  • Passenger airbag sensor issue leaves both airbag warning lights on with no airbag function.
2014 MINI Cooper S complaints: complaints filed per month1Jan 2015Apr 2015Feb 2017Jun 2018Nov 2018Feb 2019Dec 2020
13 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2015 to Dec 2020; peak Jan 2015 (1).

2014 MINI Cooper S recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V739000Nov 9, 2015Structure & Body38 vehicles

    Seats

    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.

    Risk: Inappropriate air bag activation/deactivation can increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a vehicle crash.

    Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front passenger seat cushion, free of charge. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 .

  2. NHTSA 15V628000Oct 7, 2015Airbags6,073 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    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."

    Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.

    Remedy: MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

  3. NHTSA 15V450000Jul 17, 2015Structure & Body30,456 vehicles

    Structure:body

    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."

    Risk: If the side impact performance requirements are not met, rear seat passengers may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.

    Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will install additional energy absorption material between the rear interior side panels and the exterior vehicle body, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525. Note: this recall supersedes 14V-815.

See all 4 recalls for the 2014 MINI Cooper S →

2014 MINI Cooper S fuel economy and fuel cost

City
25.5 MPG
Highway
32 MPG
Combined
28 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,850
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Premium
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2014 compared with other Cooper S years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’19’20’21’22’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2012Caution5623228
2013Caution6124128
2014Good3313428
2015Caution5018428
2016Good399327.5

All MINI Cooper S years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 MINI Cooper S reliable?
It ranks 13th worst out of 19 MINI Cooper S model years with a complaint index of 33, giving it a Good verdict relative to other years. NHTSA lists 13 complaints and 4 recalls for this year.
What are the most common problems with the 2014 MINI Cooper S?
Transmission and powertrain issues make up 46% of complaints, followed by engine problems at 23% and airbag issues at 15%. The median mileage at failure for transmission complaints was 20,500 miles.
Does the 2014 MINI Cooper S have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2014 MINI Cooper S covering structure and body issues, airbag module replacement, and a transmission control module software reprogram. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2014 MINI Cooper S compare to other years?
With a complaint index of 33, the 2014 model is far lower than earlier years like 2007 (index 100, Avoid) but higher than newer years like 2019 (index 17, Best verdict).
What is the fuel economy of the 2014 MINI Cooper S?
The 2014 MINI Cooper S gets 28 mpg combined (25.5 city / 32 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,850 according to EPA data.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.