Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 13% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 14% | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 17% | 0 miles |
| 2017 | 6 | 21% | 10,000 miles |
| 2016 | 7 | 17% | 13,000 miles |
| 2015 | 10 | 18% | 25,000 miles |
| 2014 | 8 | 24% | 7,000 miles |
| 2013 | 3 | 6% | 64,000 miles |
| 2012 | 3 | 4% | 29,000 miles |
| 2011 | 9 | 11% | 16,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 3% | 83,000 miles |
| 2009 | 6 | 4% | 78,000 miles |
| 2008 | 14 | 11% | 55,000 miles |
| 2007 | 6 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 2006 | 23 | 10% | 78,000 miles |
| 2005 | 31 | 7% | 62,000 miles |
| 2004 | 26 | 9% | 62,000 miles |
| 2003 | 89 | 28% | 70,000 miles |
| 2002 | 43 | 23% | 60,000 miles |
| 2001 | 3 | 50% | 80,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2017 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle rolled backwards. The contact applied the parking brake. There was an abnormal scraping noise detected while starting the vehicle. The roll back warning light was illuminated. There was a message stating "Transmission, Not Secure" was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 43,198.
My vehicle has active VANOS failure codes (131401 and 130304). These codes are preventing my car from passing the New York State safety and emissions inspection, rendering it legally unable to be used on the road. BMW/MINI Corporate is refusing to honor their national extended component warranty bulletin because they are conditioning the repair on a valid registration - which is a legal impossibility while the defect remains unaddressed.
Drivetrain error occurred. I pulled codes and found P0015. I added oil, cleared code. The next day the drivetrain error popped back up. Pulled codes and found P0366. I took the vehicle to mechanic for diagnostics and to find the issue. They found faults: 130F11 and 120408. When replacing engine oil and filter, they found metal shavings in the oil; bearing material. They are recommending replacing the engine. Doing research, it appears this has been a common occurrence with these vehicles/engines. Is there a current recall on some of these engines, or a possibility for a discounted replacement due to the issues being widespread? The car has less than 74,000 miles, and the mechanic said it looks like it may have been going on a while. I purchased this car from a used dealership less than 3 months ago, and have already encountered so many unexpected issues. …
The harmonic balancer aka crank damper went on my 2016 4dr hardtop 1.5L Mini Cooper. Has 73,000 miles on it. It has been sitting at a garage now for almost a month waiting for bmw to have the part in stock (tentative date avail. Sept.20, making it 2months wait time) tried every possible 3rd party parts dealer & not 1 harmonic balancer is to be found. I was told this part had already needed to be upgraded & modified making it a faulty part to begin with. Was told by garage it's a common part to go on these cars. 1st my warning light came on saying the battery wasn't holding a charge. Beings that I was 2 blocks from my house I drove there & as I was getting to my house another warning came on saying "carefully pull over & let engine cool" so I parked it & had it towed to garage to avoid any other issues.
When refueling, nozzle kept shutting off, a gallon was pumped after nine attempts, also fuel erupted as the fill tube was filled with gas. reluctant to drive this car not knowing how much gas is in the tank. The needle shows less than 1/4 and miles remaining fluctuates between 80 and 110 miles. We are told that this problem exists in many mini automobiles, dealer has replacement gas tanks, but same problem exists Parking our Mini, indication of "roll back" is possible when car is parked. Shifter unit was replaced due to torsion spring.
On display I am getting warning " secure vehicle with parking brake when stationary" whereas my car is in park position with hand brake applied. The warning still shows up. The gearbox works fine the car drives fine. Its the warning that doesn't seem to go away. On diagnostics is shows code "420106" . DEFECTIVE GEAR SHIFT LEVER SPRING
Engine motor mount sheared, allowing motor to interact with and bounce directly on the frame, and stressing the other connections and components. Dealer indicated this is a very common problem for this car model and is likely a design issue, and even had another example of a sheared mount on display in order to show others with the same issue.
Hello, I am the original owner of a 2014 Mini Cooper countryman purchased new from irvine Mini, irvine california, on my way home to san diego from the purchase the rear passenger window stopped working, I pulled over called the dealership and was told to go in the next day for repair, it was repaired the next day, electrical failure. 2014, next was the engine would stay on when the key was removed, dealership x 3 but they could find nothing, 2nd year was driving uphill city streets and car lost power, starting smoking, pulled over after resting car was drivable, dealerships could find nothing wrong, we never received any notice from our dealership informing us of faulty transmission. My check engine light never came on but car started losing power a few weeks ago. …
Related recalls (2)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
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.
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.
Power train › Manual transmission › Floor shift assembly
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions, the transmission shift cable connects the gearshift lever in the vehicle interior to the shift linkage on the transmission. It is possible for the shift cable to detach from the transmission shift linkage while the driver is attempting to change gears.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the shift cable and, if necessary, install a retaining clip over the end of the shift cable to prevent it from detaching from the transmission. Owner notification began August 6, 2002.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mini Cooper years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (89), 2002 (43), 2005 (31), 2004 (26) and 2006 (23) model years. Transmission complaints make up 28% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Mini Cooper transmission problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 14V-789 (control module (tcm/pcm/tecm), Dec 15, 2014); 02V-201 (floor shift assembly, Jul 25, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Mini Cooper transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles; 32% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (98 mentions), followed by the manual transmission (25).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.