2012 MINI Cooper Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 3about this part
- Share
- 5%of 66 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 22,615miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2012 MINI Cooper, 5% of the 66 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 22,615 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.
“Electronic fuel pump failed twice within a year. Manual transmission - clutch does not engage gears properly. Friction point is vague and unengaging. Gear slips. Requires exceedingly high rev. Counts/gas to engage in gear properly. Car stalls more than normal/often. Overall fuel injection/ecu mapping/clutch issues are evidently and repeats to be problem areas despite parts replacement and adjustment (ecu re-map). …”
NHTSA complaint #10556456, filed 2013-12, 16,000 miles“2012 Mini Cooper countryman manual transmission. Live in a mountainous region in colorado. Noticed a peculiar smell coming from the car after being stuck in heavy traffic. Had the car serviced and they said everything was good to go. Few days later when on vacation driving through nevada, the clutch completely gave out & left us stranded from 8:30 at night until 2:30 in the morning before the tow truck could get to us. Dealer verified that the clutch was inoperable and replaced the clutch disk, flywheel, and pressure plate under warranty. …”
NHTSA complaint #10565652, filed 2014-02, 29,230 miles“The clutch has been a problem. The clutch wears out prematurely, causing loss of acceleration, which caused loss of power trying to merge into freeway traffic, which nearly resulted in a collision with a semi. Looking up repair or replacement information, it appears this is a common problem that Mini has, some people were replacing the clutch 3 times before 50,000 miles, and also refusing to honor their warranty, claiming it’s the user fault. I got a quote from Mini Cooper in Tacoma, to replace the clutch, and I was quoted $3400. I paid $12,000 for my Mini Cooper. …”
NHTSA complaint #11588255, filed 2024-05Related service bulletins
- 10152680Nov 1, 2018"MANUAL TRANSMISSION - STIFF DIAGONAL GEARSHIFT LEVER MOVEMENT. The customer may complain of a ""stiff diagonal shift"" (e.g., N-R, R-N, 2-3/3-2 or 4-5/5-4). Also, in some cases…
- 10134994Feb 1, 2018Aisin automatic transmisison: right side output shaft seal replacement
- 10146924Oct 1, 2016"ENGINE POWER REDUCTION WITH "CLUTCH DAMAGED"" FAULTS STORED This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI M12 06 15 dated July 2015. A drivetrain malfunction check control…
- 10148206Dec 1, 2014Dual Mass Flywheel: Diagnosis and Inspection. INFORMATION The following three criteria must to be checked, evaluated and the resulting findings documented on the repair order…
- 10046920Jan 1, 2013Mini: internal bridging of contacts by internal corrosion forming on engine coolant temperature sensor, could give inaccurate engine temperature reading leading to difficulty in…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 17% |
| 2020 | 1 | 14% |
| 2019 | 2 | 17% |
| 2017 | 6 | 21% |
| 2016 | 6 | 21% |
| 2015 | 10 | 18% |
| 2014 | 8 | 24% |
| 2013 | 3 | 6% |
| 2012 | 3 | 5% |
| 2011 | 9 | 11% |
| 2010 | 3 | 3% |
| 2009 | 5 | 3% |
| 2008 | 12 | 10% |
| 2007 | 5 | 4% |
| 2006 | 20 | 10% |
| 2005 | 25 | 7% |
| 2004 | 26 | 9% |
| 2003 | 89 | 28% |
| 2002 | 43 | 23% |
| 2001 | 3 | 50% |
Other parts of the 2012 MINI Cooper
28 complaintsEngine
17 complaintsAir bags
12 complaintsOther or unknown
8 complaintsExterior lighting
5 complaintsFuel system
4 complaintsSeats
4 complaintsBrakes
3 complaintsSeat belts
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2012 MINI Cooper
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