AI DamageMini Cooper Roadster: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Mini Cooper Roadster across 2 model years: 5 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
| Year | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) | YouTube repair videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 60% of all complaints
- 2 Seats 40% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 20% of all complaints
- Air bags: 3 complaints (60% of all).
- Seats: 2 complaints (40% of all).
- Seat belts: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.6 L · petrol · 4 cyl 2012–2015
- automatic, 6-speed 2012–2015
- manual, 6-speed 2012–2015
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The airbag turns off when a passenger of sufficient weight is seated; a warning light comes on intermittently. This happens often, posing a safety risk to the passenger.
The passenger side air bag seat sensor has failed rendering the air bags in the car inoperable. This is a common complaint that many Mini Cooper and BMW owners are having. This problem has been known about by the manufacturer for many years and at one point they were repairing this issue at no charge for most models.
The air bag warning light periodically turns on and off. I contacted mini cooper customer relations and they informed me that there was a time that they would repair this issue if reported to a dealer free of charge but that offer expired when the car turns 10 years old. Our mini is a little over 10 years old.
The passenger side seat mat sensor, that triggers the airbag in an accident (I understand), has failed. Mini of charleston sc (close to where I live) inform me that it will take 3-6 months to get a replacement.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.