- The problem
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 BMW 540d xDrive vehicles. The crankshaft sensor may be equipped with incorrect firmware, preventing the sensor from properly processing input from the crankshaft reluctor ring, possibly resulting in a vehicle stall. On September 12, 2018, BMW expanded the recall to a total of 5,309 vehicles including certain 2018-2019 BMW 540d xDrive, 230i M240i, M240i xDrive, X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, 330i, 330i xDrive, 340i, 340i xDrive, 330i xDrive Gran Turismo, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, 530e, 530e xDrive, 640i xDrive Gran Turismo, 330e, 2019 430i Gran Coupe, 430i xDrive Gran Coupe, 440i Gran Coupe, 440i xDrive Gran Coupe, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, 740i, 740i xDrive, MINI Cooper, Cooper S, JCW, MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), and MINI Clubman (Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, JCW All4) vehicles.
- The risk
- A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began September 6, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
Vehicle safety record
2019 Mini Cooper S Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2019 Mini Cooper S with NHTSA, most often about the lights (1) and the steering (1). It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in July 2018 for the engine. For comparison, the 2020 has 5.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical Cooper S year, for its age
#261 most complained-about 2019 vehicle
- Complaints
- 4
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2019 Mini Cooper S problems
Share of all 4 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2019 Mini Cooper S recalls 1
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
What owners say
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4 complaints about the 2019 Mini Cooper S
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
The contact owns a 2019 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that a rock had hit the driver's side of the windshield due to construction work on a local highway. The contact stated that the passenger's side of the windshield was also hit by a rock while driving. The contact stated that the driver's side of the windshield sustained a minor fracture; however, the passenger's side of the windshield was severely damaged. An unknown dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,485. The VIN was not available.
Loss of power steering on startup or at stop light. A message pops up indicating that the Dynamic Stability Control is re-initializing and that steering may become difficult: Drive carefully. The warning message usually appears shortly after the failure. In fact, the steering gets so stiff, that my wife can barely turn corners. The problem comes and goes unexpectedly. This is my wife's car, and it has happened to her on several other occasions. Sometimes we can reset by restarting the car, but that isn't reliable....
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We put the car out of ECO mode into Sport mode, so that the engine does not stop at stop lights, but the engine sometimes stops anyway. When it happened at a stop light today, we tried several restarts, but the steering remained out. Steering is worse at low speeds. Today, we stopped at a light. My wife was driving. The engine stopped and restarted, and the error message appeared. She had difficulty steering into a parking lot where I swapped places with her. I drove her home. It was difficult for me to steer around corners after today's lock up, but I drove the car to a local BMW-Mini mechanic with whom I had discussed the problem, but it never appeared at his shop. Today, we tried starting at the shop and the difficult steering persisted without an error message. He ran a quick scan indicating that some modules in the steering column were not operating properly. He said the modules were not available for replacement, and that the entire steering column might need to be replaced. Unfortunately, he was booked up until Friday. I drove home and let the car sit in the garage for a couple of hours. I started it while writing this to try to more accurately reproduce the warning messages. However, no messages appeared and the car steered easily. Clearly, sudden loss of power steering poses a danger for my family and others on the road. I've looked on the internet and discovered that others have experienced similar problems with steering in Mini Coopers.
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Mini Cooper S Clubman. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she depressed the brake pedal, but the rear driver's side brake light failed to illuminate. The contact stated that he was driving behind his daughter when he noticed the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the rear driver's side brake light bulb was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for...
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assistance. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jumpstarted by AAA. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist unless NHTSA required that they do so. The failure mileage was unknown.
175 Miles on 2019 mini s countryman. Traveling at highway speed. Drivetrain malfunction indicator came on, car shuddered repeatedly and decelerated rapidly to approx. 20 Mph in 60 zone. Created instant hazard to myself as multiple lanes of faster moving traffic needed to be crossed to reach safety and no warning to tailing vehicle.
Mini Cooper S: every year compared
All Cooper S years2019 Mini Cooper S vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Mini Cooper S | 4 | 1 | C | |
| 2019 Mini Countryman | 11 | 2 | D | Compare |
| 2019 Mini Countryman SE | 11 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 2019 Mini Cooper | 10 | 2 | B | Compare |
| 2019 Mini Clubman | 6 | 1 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2019 Mini Cooper S
Does the 2019 Mini Cooper S have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2019 Mini Cooper S: engine (July 2018). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Mini Cooper S?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the lights (1), steering (1), transmission & drivetrain (1).
How many complaints has the 2019 Mini Cooper S had?
4 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 4, 2019 and the latest on August 7, 2025. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2019 Mini Cooper S a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 53 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Mini Cooper S year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Mini Cooper S years have the most complaints?
2004 (529), 2015 (71), 2010 (59). See every Mini Cooper S year compared.
What should I do if my 2019 Mini Cooper S has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data