MODELYEARINDEX

Mini Cooper

288 complaints across 8 scored model years and 15 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Mini Cooper Full report
F
Grade 2010–2020
2015 vs model median 1.8×
Model median3× median
Engine 10
Electrical 7
Brakes 6
Avoid

2014 · 2015

Best

2013 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
1.86× 42 D
2011
1.01× 31 B
2012
0.98× 29 B
2013
0.55× 18 B
2014
1.51× 43 D
2015
1.81× 45 F
2017
0.99× 18 C
2020
0.46× 11 B

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

Combined MPG29.5
City / Highway26.5 / 34.5
Engine1.6L, 4 cyl
DriveFront-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost$2,575

Recalls

15 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
23V337000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2010–2013 97,933
15V450000 STRUCTURE:BODY 2014, 2015 30,456
17V222000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS 2017 16,883
16V747000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR 2017 15,455
15V034000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2014, 2015 13,130
15V628000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2014, 2015 6,073
14V619000 TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE 2014 5,805
16V914000 AIR BAGS 2017 3,506

+ 7 further campaigns

Others in Subcompact Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Model Years to avoid Grade
Chevrolet Aveo
none flagged
B
Chevrolet Sonic
20122013
C
Chevrolet Spark
20132014
B
Fiat 500
20122014
C
Fiat 500L
2014
C
Ford Fiesta
20112013
C
Honda FIT
20132015
C
Hyundai Accent
20122013
C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2015 Cooper
Complaints in window
45
Severity-weighted
79.5
Model median (weighted)
44
vs model median
1.81×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
6
Open investigations
0
Score 39.8 F