Engine & cooling

2012 Mini Cooper S Hardtop Engine problems

Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2012 Mini Cooper S Hardtop's engine & cooling with NHTSA - 17% of all its complaints, most recently on June 5, 2025. Stalling, loss of power, oil consumption, overheating, head gaskets, timing chains and engine failure.

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Complaints: 4
Recalls: 0
Crashes: 0
Fires: 0
Injuries: 0
Deaths: 0

Engine complaints

Fuel systemEngine & cooling

The contact owns a 2012 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the fuel pump was defective, and the fuel pump was replaced. The contact stated that approximately a year later the failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump had failed again and needed to be replaced. The...

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fuel pump was replaced under warranty; however, the failure recently returned a third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

Engine & cooling

Nothing has failed yet, however, the oil stick is completely illegible. On a car that fails to have an electronic dipstick and likes to burn oil, as well as has a very small oil capacity (Around 5 liters or less) this design is going to cause the engine to run out of oil without the driver knowing. It is a seriously bad design, especially combined with BMW recommending a 10,000 mile oil change, the car will burn off all the oil it has and operator will have no idea due to the faulty design of the dipstick. I...

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generally like BMWS engineering and designs, but this one is just atrocious and I have no idea how it got approved. Running a car out of oil usually causes the engine seize unless you shut it off at the right time, which, most people will not do. Imagine if your engine seizes on the highway? No it hasn't been inspected, I can send pictures of it, if you want? Or a video? I have not had this problem yet (knock on wood) but I have read the only warning sign, is the sound of an engine without oil and the oil pressure light comes on (which at that point you have maybe 3s to pull over and shut off the engine before it toasts the engine) I have also read about the engines consuming the entire oil capacity if you follow the BMW recommended schedule. It all just seems like a huge oversight for a company that usually has few issues.

Electrical systemEngine & coolingFuel system

The car stalled while driving on freeway once and high pressure fuel pump was replaced by mini cooper and again second time on inner roads driving at 20 miles an hour....Without any warning

Engine & cooling

Engine rattling noise (timing chain and tensioner) at all times, vehicle has only 50,000 miles

Mini Cooper S Hardtop engine complaints by year

2011 42012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Cooper S Hardtop engine problems, every year

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked 2 days ago. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

2012 Mini Cooper S Hardtop Engine problems

Engine complaints

Mini Cooper S Hardtop engine complaints by year

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