2009 Mini Cooper Problems, Recalls & Reliability
344 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Mini Cooper, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 43/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 55,177 miles.
Below average
Where 2009 sits among all Cooper years
What owners report
“Timing chain tensioner broke causing timing chain to break and ruining valve train and pistons. Since it is an interference engine. Complete engine to be replaced, with only 25,000 orginial miles on vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cooper
“Passenger side air bag not activated when sit is occupied. Airbag warning light on all times.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cooper
“The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Cooper
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 282 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,818 and 83,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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,…
Fix: Dealers will inspect the sunroof drains, interior footwell area, and FRM and, depending upon the results of the inspection, certain components will be replaced. Owner notification letters were…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 12V008000.
Technical service bulletins
124 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2009 Mini Cooper. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 Cooper TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2009 Mini Cooper reliable?
The 2009 Mini Cooper drew 344 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 43/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 2009 Mini Cooper problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Mini Cooper are engine (130 complaints), airbags (88), and electrical (41).
At what mileage do 2009 Mini Cooper problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Mini Cooper problems around 60,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,818 and 83,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Mini Cooper have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2009 Mini Cooper. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.