The contact owns a 2010 Mini Cooper Convertible. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V205000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and it was determined that the front passenger occupant detection sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.
The worst 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine4
- Airbags2
- Electrical1
- Steering1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine4
- Airbags2
- Electrical1
- Steering1
- Transmission1
Recalls 1
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 12V008000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible
Defect investigations
Engine compartment fire
In a January 10, 2012 letter to the federal safety agency, BMW of North America, LLC. (BMW) submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a defect in the electric auxiliary water pump in approximately 88,911 model year (MY) 2007-2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2006 through January 18, 2011 (Recall 12V‑008).According to BMW, the auxiliary water pump on vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder turbocharged engines may overheat.Electro-migration can cause the pump electronic circuit board to overheat resulting in smoldering of the water pump. If smoldering occurs, it may lead to an engine compartment or vehicle fire.The pump supplier, Pierburg Pump Technology GmbH, redesigned the pump to address factors that may contribute to circuit board overheating.The redesigned pumps were completely implemented in production vehicles by January 2011.Recall 12V‑008 was the third recall initiated by BMW to address electric auxiliary water pump fires in vehicles equipped with Pierburg pumps.In two October 20, 2011 letters to the federal safety agency, BMW submitted DIRs for similar auxiliary water pump defect conditions in approximately 32,084 MY 2008-2011 BMW 5-Series, 7-Series, X5 and X6 models equipped with 8- and 12-cylinder engines and manufactured from May 2008 through December 2010 (Recall 11V‑521); and for approximately 589 MY 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from September 2009 through September 2010 (Recall 11V‑522).In three separate April 5, 2012 letters to the federal safety agency, BMW submitted amendments to Recalls 11V‑521, 11V‑522 and 12V‑008.The amendments all described a common defect condition related to a manufacturing process deviation in a certain production range of the redesigned Pierburg water pumps that could result in cracks in the pump housing, which may allow coolant to enter and contact the pump?s circuit board.BMW indicated that further analysis identified a specific machine process error at the sub-supplier that manufactures the water pump housing.Pump housing cracks may cause the circuit board to overheat and lead to smoldering of the water pump.Recall 12V‑008 was, thus, amended to include approximately 1,457 MY 2011 Mini Cooper vehicles manufactured from March 31, 2011 through April 22, 2011, when pumps manufactured with the suspect manufacturing process may have been used in vehicle assembly.The amendment to Recall 11V‑521 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V‑161, and covered approximately 2,846 MY 2011-2012 BMW 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, X5, and X6 vehicles manufactured from April 1, 2011 through August 1, 2011.The amendment to Recall 11V‑522 was assigned a new recall number, Recall 12V‑166, and covered approximately 69 MY 2011 Rolls-Royce Ghost vehicles manufactured from April 7, 2011 through June 2, 2011.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) analyzed complaint data provided by BMW as well as complaints submitted to ODI from consumers. In total, there were 30 unique Mini Cooper reports indicating engine fire.In addition, BMW provided warranty data showing 493 claims for replacement of the subject component on Mini Cooper vehicles.Owners of the recalled vehicles are notified to take their vehicle to a BMW dealer, who will replace the auxiliary water pump to prevent any incidents related to this issue.This preliminary evaluation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.the federal safety agency.dot.gov/owners/Searchreference under the following identification numbers (ODI Nos.):10286597, 10286663, 10289793, 10310677, 10314796, 10342365, 10394808, 10394192, 10403982, 10418325, 10422646, 10429003.
PE11036
Technical service bulletins for the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible 124
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The Footwell Module (FRM) limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been...
- The Footwell Module (FRM) limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been...
- While performing a 12-Volt battery jump start, disconnect, or replacement, vehicle test, and/or...
- MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years
- New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models
- OC3 seat occupancy mat - limited warranty extension to 10 years/120,000 miles
- Class action settlement: N14 high-pressure fuel pump (HDP) service benefit class vehicles
- Cooper S with N14: Diagnosis for Misfire Faults
- Checking or Replacing the Door Sill Trim Strips
- Air Conditioning System Leak Testing
See all 124 bulletins for the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible
2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4‑cyl | FWD | 24-26 | 32-34 | 27-29 |
What 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The sound of the motor is very very noise, and shakes really bad after you start the car.
The vehicle is a standard model convertible, not an "s" model. Trunk latch malfunction while in motion: trunk latch opens/disengages spontaneously while the vehicle is in motion, with the key inserted and the motor running. This unpredictable fault can occur anywhere, including on a freeway. The trunk lid can drop to full open, exposing items stored in trunk as possible debris-threat to vehicles following. Driver of vehicle is presented with choice between risking stopping (for example, on the shoulder of a freeway) or risking incident involving following vehicles. Eventually, trunk latch will cease all function. Replacement cost is approximately $300 plus labor. Vehicle was purchased new. This 2010 model is driven 2 or 3 times per week for relatively short distances. It has been driven fewer than 30,000 miles on the odometer. This fault has occurred on numerous occasions while vehicle is in motion over the past 3 years. Items in trunk have spilled onto roadway. Driver has had to stop and slam the trunk closed. The incidents likely would have occurred many more times if the vehicle had been driven daily and for longer distances. Trunk latch system was replaced and the new latch system began malfunctioning in the same manner within 6 months of replacement. Date listed below is the most recent date upon which the incident occurred.
Latch on trunk unlocks and releases the trunk while driving. This can cause the contents of the trunk to fall on to the road endangering other drivers. This is a common complaint on the mini owner site
I was driving on I 280 east and newar exit 8b the engine suddenly stopped. There was loss of power steering and steering wheel became very tight. I almost got hit by a tractor. I got out of the exit (exit 7) and got myself towed. The mechanic thinks it is the timing belt that is broken.
Knocking, timing. Over 2 thousand signatures of owners having the same issue.
Engine noise due to timing chain and tensioner defect. If the chain or tensioner fail completely this could cause the vehicle to stall in moving traffic or create a roadside hazard.
The airbag "off" light comes on intermittently when a passenger is in the seat. Dealer says there is nothing wrong but problem persists.
Mini cooper s convertible 2006, less than 40k miles. I was driving for maybe 6 miles and while I was making a left hand turn I felt the steering wheel was not functioning correctly and the car was moving very oddly so I pull over immediately to check what's wrong with the car. Noticing the smoke form the hood before I got out the car and thought my car was over heated. I thought I would just call the roadside service to help. But what had took place next was something I can only imagine from a movie set ....smoke..heavy smoke...flame fire. Fire department came and they would not able to open the hood so instead they cut the hood open and was able to put off the fire. The car was total. I just had the service one month ago at the dealer (replace battery, wheel alignment, rotation tires and 32 point inspection)and like all the previous services was done at the dealer. I don't know what exactly had happen to the car, my insurance co claimed that there is no recall by bmw/mini on the car so they don't see the point to spend money and time to check into what had caused the fire...but I wanted to know as a car owner and a near death experience. I think I am entitle to and to prevent this happen to more mini owner. Please help!
Complete clutch failure with only 3700 miles on carl it was replaced by dealer but "not covered by warranty" dealer claims excessive wear and tear in car that is not abused.
Compare the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible
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Questions about the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible
Is the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible reliable?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible, close to a typical Cooper S Convertible model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible?
Engine and cooling, with 4 complaints. Next is airbags (2).
How many recalls does the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible have?
1 recall, covering engine and engine cooling.
Was there a recall on the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 12V008000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What gas mileage does the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible get?
Official estimates for the 2010 MINI Cooper S Convertible range from 27 to 29 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 24-26 city and 32-34 highway.
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