2011 Mini Cooper S: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
40 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 40 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 2.67
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Failure of the Footwell Module failed due to corrosion by water intrusion as diagnosed by Mini Dealership. Windows, Turn signals and lights were inoperable as a result of failure. This matched the situation outlined in your recall notice Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-337. Car matched the model/years affected/listed in recall. However, Mini Dealer informed me my VIN was not listed in their recall. Subsequent res…
My mini after the shop installed a new battery, the power windows don't work( can not roll up or down) as well as the lightning. I saw there is a recall for the footwell module for model 2007-2014 but when I call Mini, the agent told me that my car is not covered. This is a very expensive and important part to replace so please help me the best that you can. Thanks
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper S. The contact recently replaced the 12-Volt battery; however, while attempting to roll down the windows, the windows failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the running lights and fog lights were inoperable. The contact stated that the battery was replaced at a tire and battery shop. The contact drove the vehicle back to the shop and was informed that the vehicle coul…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 12V008000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger | 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… |
| 23V337000 | Electrical System | BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2008-2014 MINI Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Clubman John Cooper Works, and 2007-2013 MINI Hardtop 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, and John Cooper Works vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,… |
| 18V248000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger | BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2011-2012 BMW 550i, 550i xDrive, 550i Gran Turismo, 550i Gran Turismo xDrive, 750i, 750Li, 750i xDrive, 750Li xDrive, 760Li, X5 xDrive50i, X5 M, X6 xDrive50i, X6 M, ActiveHybrid7, MINI Cooper S Convertible, John Cooper Works (JCW) Convertible, Cooper S Countryman, Cooper S Countryman ALL4, Cooper S, JCW,… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,750
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System20 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine17 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags4 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other3 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System3 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Engine And Engine Cooling2 complaints · typical job: Water pump, thermostat and coolant service (3.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,040
Other Mini Cooper S years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Mini Cooper S?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (20 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2011 Mini Cooper S a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 90/100, computed from 40 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Mini Cooper S's most common problem?
20 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Mini Cooper S sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2011 Mini Cooper S cost to run per year?
About $5,290 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $26,452 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2011 Mini Cooper S have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Mini Cooper S, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 11/01/2012. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2011 Mini Cooper S really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 40 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 40 NHTSA complaints on record (2.7/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (4.4/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality