The rear windshield fell out of the top of my convertible. There was no accident or foul play involved. The glue that bonds the window to the top became unglued. This happened at 70,000 miles. The top is made of fabric and the window is made out of glass. Have to you replace the entire top to repair it. Not sure why this is not a recall. It is a well-known problem for the car.
The worst 2015 MINI Cooper S problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine3
- Fuel system3
- Lights3
- Airbags2
- Body2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine3
- Fuel system3
- Lights3
- Airbags2
- Body2
- Electrical2
- Brakes1
- Transmission1
Recalls 4
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
- What is wrong
- 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 .
Recall number 15V739000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 15V628000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 15V450000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door, and Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door vehicles manufactured January 6, 2014, to October 17, 2014. During service appointments, dealers may have inadvertently reprogrammed the transmission control unit with software that may allow drivers to exit the vehicle when the transmission is not in Park. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
- Risk
- If the driver exits the vehicle without the transmission being in Park, the vehicle could roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
- Remedy
- MINI will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the transmission control module with the correct software, free of charge. The recall February 4, 2015. Owners can contact MINI customer service at 1‑866‑825‑1525.
Recall number 14V789000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2015 MINI Cooper S
Defect investigations
BMW Safety Act Violations
In a Consent Order executed on December 17, 2015, BMW of North America, LLC (BMW NA) admitted that it violated the Safety Act by: failing to conduct a timely recall for Recall No. 15V‑450; failing to file certain quarterly recall reports in a timely manner; failing to timely notify vehicle owners of the existence of a defect or noncompliance; failing to promptly advise the federal safety agency of delays with the beginning or completion dates for mailing owner or dealer notifications; and failing to timely submit copies to the federal safety agency of communications relating to recalls.As part of the Consent Order, the federal safety agency imposed a total civil penalty of $40 million against BMW NA for its violations of the Safety Act.The civil penalty consists of a cash payment, monetary performance obligations, and stipulated penalties.BMW NA paid the $10 million cash penalty on February 12, 2016.Failure to comply with the terms of the Consent Order or the Safety Act will result in portions of the stipulated penalties coming due.The Consent Order required BMW NA to appoint an independent safety consultant to assist BMW NA in developing best practices for complying with the Safety Act and evaluating safety issues under consideration by BMW NA.BMW NA was also required to develop a program to train dealers on the importance of complying with the prohibition on selling unremedied vehicles under recall, improve dealers' access to information necessary to maximize completion of open recalls, and invest in a pilot program to determine whether BMW NA can use data analytics to detect emerging safety defect trends.The population listed in this closing resume is based on BMW NA's untimely recall and does not include other issues addressed by the Consent Order, which relate to BMW NA's safety processes.Based on the Consent Order, BMW NA's admissions that it violated the law, and its ongoing performance obligations, this audit query investigation, AQ15-004, is closed. Closure of this AQ has no bearing on the terms of the Consent Order, including BMW NA's ongoing performance obligations or legal obligations, and does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency as to BMW NA's performance under the Consent Order to date.
AQ15004
Technical service bulletins for the 2015 MINI Cooper S 376
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years
- ?BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop: REPLACE CHARGE AIR LINE.
- ?The panoramic roof sunblind does not close, or jams while closing.
- Oscillations in the electric drive can occur
- The buttons on the gear selector switch (GWS) do not work, or the function indicator lighting has failed.
- The 3G network in the US has been shut down
- Ambient lighting changes color after the vehicle goes to sleep.
- During a vehicle inspection and/or while addressing a customer's concern, the engine stabilizer bar/link...
- During the service life of the vehicle, the high-voltage battery may unexpectedly not provide power to the...
- The Check Control message "Door open" appears in the instrument cluster (Kombi) even though all vehicle...
2015 MINI Cooper S 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 | 25-26 | 31-34 | 28-29 |
| 1.6L 4‑cyl | AWD | 23-25 | 30 | 26-27 |
What 2015 MINI Cooper S owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The fuel filling nozzle turns off repeatedly (as if already full) while filling the fuel tank. About 1/4 to 1/3 of a gallon of fuel will go in before it turns off, backs up, and the gas overflows onto the outside of the car and onto the concrete. It happens regardless of the pump being used. It started happening occasionally a few months ago if the tank was refilled when a quarter full. It now happens consistently, no matter the fuel level. I had the car put on a lift and the system diagnosed today. The mechanic said the cause is a faulty service valve within the fuel tank assembly. They also said it is a known issue with F56 Mini Coopers.
The back window comes unglued to the convertible top when the car is parked outside in warm weather. Ive seen this in several other mini cooper roadsters within the past few weeks. This causes the car to have a hole in the convertible top and leaves the glass hanging from the sensor. To fix it you need to buy a whole new top. This HAS to be a design defect.
While driving in the rain (light rain) front right and rear left brakes locked up. No warning lights came on, it was a very dangerous situation. The car is currently at a repair shop getting looked at, I had to have it towed there because those wheels will not turn while in neutral even. Reading forums this is a common problem, very serious and dangerous especially with no warning.
Defect in passenger frontal airbag-The front passenger seat occupancy detection mat is not functioning correctly. This was recalled but not for my VIN and needs to be part of the recall.
The contact owns a 2015 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated stating that the air bag was turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat mat needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the request for assistance was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that the vehicle previously had the fuel carbon filter replaced; however, the failure recurred while attempting to refuel the vehicle. The fuel tank dispersed the gasoline outward, spilling on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Car started leaking oil everywhere out of nowhere while both moving and stationary. Two different mechanics said it was the oil filter housing and related parts. Replaced housing, oil pressure sensor and the bottom screw. Works again. Car had under 45,000 miles at time of incident. Similar problems with the oil housing have been reported for other and related minis, including some subject to recall.
Driver side rear brake light has a short/over heats and melts connector to the brake light housing. Notification prompts you that you have a brake light malfunction. The vehicle was in motion on a city street. The vehicle has 15k miles on it.
Fuel filling nozzle shuts off repeatedly while refueling. Upon gassing up, valve clicks immediately and pump shuts off like it's full no matter which gas station or pressure I exert. I saw a bulletin "si m16 01 15" which affected minis produced in 2014 but did not include my 2015 cooper s. A comment from the bulletin had a temporary solution which is to angle the pump to 45, then pump slowly at the magic speed, though this can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. This is dangerous on my part as I travel past midnight for several hours and spending more time at a gas station in the dark is worrisome. I do get spills occasionally which I have to keep wiping and is a station hazard. Replacing the fuel tank completely at an estimated $2k+ is too costly especially during this pandemic and is due to faulty manufacturing.
Compare the 2015 MINI Cooper S
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Questions about the 2015 MINI Cooper S
Is the 2015 MINI Cooper S reliable?
Owners have filed 18 complaints about the 2015 MINI Cooper S, fewer than a typical Cooper S model year.
What is the 2015 MINI Cooper S year score?
The 2015 MINI Cooper S scores 82 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the MINI Cooper S: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2015 MINI Cooper S?
Engine and cooling, with 3 complaints. Next is fuel system (3).
How many recalls does the 2015 MINI Cooper S have?
4 recalls, covering air bags, structure and power train.
What gas mileage does the 2015 MINI Cooper S get?
Official estimates for the 2015 MINI Cooper S range from 26 to 29 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.6L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 25-26 city and 31-34 highway.
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