2009 MINI Cooper S US Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 44%of 9 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 57,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the engine of the 2009 MINI Cooper S US, 44% of the 9 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 57,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving home from work on us 75 south (downtown dallas) and the vehicle (2009 Mini cooper s) just stopped, and all of the oil was leaking out from underneath the car. I recently found out the issue is with a Mini issue relating to the tensioners/timing chain.”
NHTSA complaint #10563181, filed 2014-02, 55,000 miles“Vehicle starting making a rattling noise in the left front timing chain area, took to local mechanic and he advised one of the timing tensioners had snapped, probably due to the timing chain having too much slack, I was advised that there may be a recall on these as it seems to be happening a lot. He advised me to replace the timing chain and tensioners in order to not risk the tensioner failing and causing catastophic engine failure, parts cost is about $900 and installation about $500. …”
NHTSA complaint #10730705, filed 2015-06, 51,000 miles“Thermostat housing design flaw. Spoke with part dept manager about the thermostat housing leaking coolant and was told that there seems to be a design flaw in that the heating element in the housing causes the part to split open where the 2 pieces were seamed together. This has been reported time and time again and currently that particular part is on back-order and thus not able to drive the car as it leaks all the coolant out before leaving the driveway.”
NHTSA complaint #10546267, filed 2013-09, 92,000 miles“The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper S Us. On several occasions, while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and the contact stated that they extended the warranty on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 59,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10986176, filed 2017-05, 59,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10171506Jan 1, 2020CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT: N14 HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HDP) SERVICE BENEFIT CLASS VEHICLES: The MINI vehicle may experience a sudden engine operational failure reduced or loss of…
- 10147700Mar 1, 2015"Engine Cranks, No Start and/or Engine Coolant Temperature Faults. 1 The engine either exhibits a crank, no start or a hard start (long crank), usually on a cold engine. No…
- 10147108Feb 1, 2015SI M11 01 12February 2015 EngineTechnical Service This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI M11 01 12 dated March 2014. designates changes to this revision SUBJECT N16 and…
- 10148441Nov 1, 2014N16 Engine: Oil Leak from Cylinder Head Sealing Plug. An oil leak can develop at a sealing plug located in the cylinder head, just below the vacuum pump. The sealing plug was not…
- 10148391Aug 1, 2014N16 Engine: Oil Leak from Cylinder Head Sealing Plug. An oil leak can develop at a sealing plug located in the cylinder head, just below the vacuum pump. CAUSE The sealing plug…
- 10148293Apr 1, 2014N16 and N18 Engine Oil Leak. The customer states that a small engine oil leak can be seen from the underside of the engine. CAUSE The internal sealing of the oil pump volume…
- 10147960Jan 1, 2014"N14 and N18 Engine: High-pressure Pump Repair Instruction. INFORMATION The current version of ISTA/D Repair Instruction 13 51 017, ""Removing and installing or replacing…
- 10147958Jan 1, 2014N16: Fault 274D Mixture Adaptation Is Stored in the DME. Certain low speed, light-load driving conditions at lower outside temperatures could cause the Service Engine Soon lamp…
- 10147957Jan 1, 2014Service Action: N14 Engine Check Timing Chain Tensioner and Timing Chain. The timing chain tensioner applies pre-tension to the timing chain guide rail mechanism. In some cases…
- 10147956Jan 1, 2014"N16 and N18 Engine Oil Leak. The customer states that a small engine oil leak can be seen from the underside of the engine. CAUSE The internal sealing of the oil pump volume…
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 | 20% |
| 2009 | 4 | 44% |
Other parts of the 2009 MINI Cooper S US
1 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsFuel system
1 complaintsSeat belts
1 complaintsTires
1 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2009 MINI Cooper S US
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology