2015 MINI Cooper Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
60/100
#9 most-complained of 21 Cooper years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2015 MINI Cooper has 56 owner complaints and 6 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 60 out of 100 — #9 highest of 21 Cooper model years (verdict: Caution). The most reported problem area is engine (15 complaints, 27% of the total). Complaints report 3 crashes and 1 injury.
- Complaints
- 56
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes / fires
- 3 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 1 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 30.5
- 27 city / 35.5 hwy
Top 2015 MINI Cooper problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine15 (27%)
- Fuel System11 (20%)
- Electrical System10 (18%)
- Transmission & Powertrain10 (18%)
- Brakes8 (14%)
- Other6 (11%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires4 (7%)
- Visibility & Wipers4 (7%)
- Steering2 (4%)
- Airbags1 (2%)
2015 MINI Cooper recalls
6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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 .
- 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.
- 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.
2015 MINI Cooper fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 27 MPG
- Highway
- 35.5 MPG
- Combined
- 30.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,600
- 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.
2015 compared with other Cooper years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2015 MINI Cooper a reliable year?
- Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2015 MINI Cooper ranks #9 of 21 among Cooper model years (Complaint Index 60/100, verdict: Caution). It has 56 complaints and 6 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
- What are the most common problems with the 2015 MINI Cooper?
- The most reported problem areas are engine (15 complaints), fuel system (11 complaints), and electrical system (10 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 23,500 miles.
- Does the 2015 MINI Cooper have any recalls?
- Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2015 MINI Cooper, most recently reported 2015, covering structure & body, airbags, other, and transmission & powertrain.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2015 MINI Cooper?
- EPA rates the 2015 MINI Cooper at 30.5 MPG combined (27 city / 35.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,600. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.