Avg. Price Paid:$9,931 - $14,453
Original MSRP: $18,050 - $25,400
MPG: 32 City / 40 Hwy

MINI Cooper Recalls & Reliability

These scores and this review are from when the car was new.

Scorecard

Overall: 2007 MINI Cooper U.S. News Best Cars 8.2
Critics' Rating: 8.4
Performance: 8.4
Interior: 6.5
Safety: 8.4
Reliability: N/A
How we calculate scores
Research analyzed for this review

Pros & Cons

  • Zippy handling
  • Unique, retro style
  • Good fuel economy for a sporty car
  • Very little cargo and rear seat room
  • Complicated cockpit controls
  • Options can quickly raise sticker price

Research Other Years

Review Last Updated: 7/30/08

Recalls

There have been 3 safety recalls issued from NHTSA.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPERecall Date: 12/12/2008
  • Consequence: IF THE TAILPIPE EXTENSION IS HOT DURING INADVERTENT CONTACT, A BURN COULD OCCUR.
  • NHTSA Campaign ID: 08V657000
  • Potential Number of Units Affected: 28450
  • Summary: BMW IS RECALLING 28,450 MY 2007-2008 MINI COOPER S VEHICLES. THE CENTRALLY LOCATED TAILPIPE EXTENSION PROTRUDES SLIGHTLY BEYOND THE REAR BUMPER. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR INADVERTENT CONTACT TO OCCUR WITH A PERSON'S LEG.
  • Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TAILPIPE WITH A NEW SHORTER ONE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JANUARY 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.
  • Notes: CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTSRecall Date: 08/12/2008
  • Consequence: DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
  • NHTSA Campaign ID: 08E053000
  • Potential Number of Units Affected: 404546
  • Summary: EAGLE EYES IS RECALLING 404,546 HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE HEADLAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
  • Remedy: EAGLE EYES WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER CONPLIANT REPLACEMENT HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT EAGLE EYES AT 1-800-568-1098.
  • Notes: THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER. IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF YOUR AFTERMARKET HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY IS AFFECTED BY THIS NONCOMPLIANCE, PLEASE REVIEW THE LIST OF MODEL NUMBERS PROVIDED TO US BY EAGLE EYES. THE LIST CAN BE FOUND UNDER "DOCUMENT SEARCH" LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN. CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELSRecall Date: 11/06/2007
  • Consequence: INCORRECT TIRE PRESSURE CAN CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR AND TIRE DAMAGE WHICH COULD LEAD TO UNFAVORABLE DRIVING CONDITIONS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
  • NHTSA Campaign ID: 07V533000
  • Potential Number of Units Affected: 320
  • Summary: CERTAIN CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, 'TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS.' THE STANDARD REQUIRES THAT THE TIRE SIZE AND CORRESPONDING TIRE PRESSURE BE INDICATED ON THE LABEL AND THE LABEL DOES NOT CORRESPOND TO THE ACTUAL TIRES MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE.
  • Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH NEW TIRE INFORMATION PLACARDS AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. AT THE CUSTOMER'S OPTION, A DEALER CAN INSTALL THE LABEL FOR THEM. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MINI COOPER AT 1-866-275-6464.
  • Notes: CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

Reliability

Our reliability score is based on the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) rating or, if unavailable, the J.D. Power Predicted Reliability rating.

Dependability Ratings1 2007
Overall Dependability
Powertrain Dependability
Feature & Accessory Dependability
Body & Interior Dependability

1These scores come from consumer ratings of their vehicles after three years of ownership.

  • Key:
  • Among The Best
  • Better Than Most
  • About Average
  • The Rest

J.D. Power and Associates Power Circle Ratings do not include all information used to determine J.D. Power and Associates awards. See JDPower.com for more information on Power Circle Ratings. Your experience may vary.

All information provided by J.D. Power and Associates is proprietary information owned by J.D. Power and Associates and is protected by U.S. and international copyright law and conventions. Reproduction of this information, in whole or in part, by any means is prohibited without the express written consent of J.D. Power and Associates, other than printing copies of the J.D. Power and Associates content by site visitors for their personal use. J.D. Power and Associates® is a registered trademark of J.D. Power and Associates.

Warranty

The MINI comes with a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and full maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles.

The 2007 MINI Cooper receives praise for its satisfied-owner ratings and high resale value. Despite the MINI's rave customer reviews, auto writers are quick to note that reliability is questionable. "There's one big doubt about the MINI," Business Week says. "... Owners love it, even if it has some quality glitches." Similarly, TechnoRide reports, "One knock against the MINI Cooper has been its reliability. Consumer Reports said reliability was below average or poor for three of MINI's first five years, but it improved to average by 2006."

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