2020 Mini Cooper problems

mini logo

Mini Cooper may refer to:

  • Performance Cars of the original Mini series with uprated drive train and brakes, called the "Mini Cooper", made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors 1961–1971, and 1990–2000
  • Cars of the Mini (marque), including a number of different models produced by BMW since 2000 with the "Mini Cooper" title: MINI Hatch, introduced in early 2000, second generation from 2006, third from 2014

See also

  • Cooper Car Company
2020 Mini Cooper

Social links

Common 2020 Mini Cooper problems

The Mini Cooper, known for its unique design and speed, has been a popular choice for car enthusiasts. However, when considering purchasing a Mini Cooper, it's essential to be aware of some common problems that owners have reported.

One of the most common issues with the Mini Cooper is related to the front radiator support and coolant hose. Due to its lower ground clearance, the Mini Cooper is more prone to hitting curbs, which can lead to damage in the plastic radiator supports. This impact can also cause damage to the coolant hose, which can be expensive to repair.

Transmission failure is another significant issue that has affected the Mini Cooper, particularly in the first-generation models. BMW, the parent company of Mini Cooper, faced a lawsuit over this issue, and the manufacturer advised Mini owners to avoid changing the transmission fluid unless it's time for a transmission oil change.

The Mini Cooper has also been reported to have issues with the electric power steering, which can fail, especially in the 2006 models. This failure is often attributed to low power steering fluid and a failing electric cooling fan. BMW had to issue a recall to resolve this problem.

Premature clutch failure is another common problem that has affected the first three generations of the Mini Cooper, particularly those with manual transmissions. This issue is often caused by hard driving, but it can also be due to other factors.

Water pump failure is also a common issue in the Mini Cooper, particularly in the first two generations. This failure can lead to engine overheating if not replaced at 50,000 miles. Bad core plugs can also cause leakage.

In summary, the Mini Cooper has some common problems that owners should be aware of, including issues with the front radiator support and coolant hose, transmission failure, electric power steering, premature clutch failure, and water pump failure. These issues can be expensive to repair and may require regular maintenance to keep the vehicle in top condition.

2020 Mini Cooper engine

Is the 2020 Mini Cooper a reliable car?

The 2020 Mini Cooper has a predicted reliability score of 79 out of 100. A J.D. Power predicted reliability score of 91-100 is considered the Best, 81-90 is Great, 70-80 is Average, and 0-69 is Fair and considered below average.

What is a common problem for Mini Cooper?

Mini Coopers are known for their efficient and compact engine designs, but they can be prone to cooling system leaks. Leaking coolant can lead to overheating, engine damage, and costly repairs if not addressed promptly. Common culprits include worn gaskets, cracked hoses, and faulty water pumps.

What are the disadvantages of Mini Cooper?

Mini Cooper Cons

  • The car can be expensive because it uses premium fuel. ...
  • The engine runs quietly when you are gentle with the driving. ...
  • Mini dealerships are quite hard to find. ...
  • Well, it may not be a downside but you have to admit that Cooper is a small car.

Are Mini Coopers a lot of maintenance?

MINI Maintenance Costs

MINI models average around $8,155 for maintenance and repair costs during their first 10 years of service. This is more than the industry average for popular brands by $1,341. There is also a 18.43% chance that a MINI will require a major repair during that time.

2020 Mini Cooper car problems categorized by type of issue

After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Mini Cooper problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:

  • Electrical system problems
  • Air bags problems
  • Power train problems
  • Fuel/propulsion system problems
  • Steering problems

The graph below shows statistics for all 2020 Mini Cooper vehicle components and the number of complaints received.

2020 Mini Cooper complaints

The NHTSA has received 6 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2020 Mini Cooper.

2024-10-25

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2023-10-12
  • VIN: WMWXP3C04L2
  • Components: POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
  • Summary: Originally problem started with a about five warning messages, a brake system one, a chassis stabilization one, Collision warning one, pedestrian warning one, and a drive train message. They were would appear while drive at any speed but, would go away after the car was shut off and restarted. A couple of months later the car started to shut off and put itself in park while driving, this problem has occurred multiple times and at speeds around 30mph. I started trying to get this fixed by a dealership in December of 2023. It went in and out a couple of times before they were able to replicate the problem. First they replaced the EME module and that worked for about 2000 miles before it started acting up again. Took it back to the same dealership in April when it started acting up. They updated the EME software and replaced a high voltage connector that was corroded. This repair took them until July 2nd. I went to pick up the car and made it about 3 blocks from the dealership it shut itself off on me. Took it back right away. They have had the car since then. Lastly I informed them about the most recent recall back on august 29th and it still shows as incomplete.
2023-09-02

STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2023-08-29
  • VIN: WMWXU9C09L2
  • Components: STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
  • Summary: When I plugged my phone cord into the USB port on the Click and Drive while the car was on but stationary, the screen indicated that the stabilization system was resetting. I promptly unplugged the cord and notifications started popping up on the screen. There were 4: steering assist not working, drive with care; stability control not working, drive with care; front collision detector not working; I do not recall the fourth notice. I was parked at a Starbucks 2+ hours from home so decided to try driving around parking lot hoping to continue journey. The steering was inoperable and all I could do was pull straight out of parking space and go straight back in. Turned car off, waited about 5 minutes and turned car back on, no change, no steering. Waited 3 hours for AAA tow and finally impatient, tried turning car on again. All notices cleared and I drove car home without incident (150 miles). My local Mini dealer said it was a wiring issue and they fixed it. Salesman at same dealer, who sold me the car 9 days before the incident, admitted he had heard of similar incident with Click and Drive once before, about a year ago. If I had plugged the cord in while I was driving I would likely have been unable to control the car in motion.
2023-03-25

AIR BAGS PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2023-03-08
  • Crash: 1
  • VIN: WMWXR3C01L2
  • Components: AIR BAGS
  • Summary: Run out of lane over raised median hit 2 road signs head on they flew over the car into opposite side of traffic and into a ditch at 45mph. Airbags did not deploy despite broken frame, collapsed suspension, all 4 no flat tires were flat and front end damage.
2023-01-07

SERVICE BRAKES PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2023-01-07
  • VIN: WMWXR3C01L2
  • Components: SERVICE BRAKES
  • Summary: At 15,000 miles, front brake pads and rotors were badly worn and rear brake pads. Replaced brake pads front and rear.
2022-04-23

AIR BAGS PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2021-11-02
  • Number Of Injuries: 1
  • Crash: 1
  • VIN: WMWXU9C0XL2
  • Components: AIR BAGS
  • Summary: I was stopped at a red light. A Buick SUV traveling at an admitted 65mph rear ended me and pushed my car into the car in front of me. My seatbelt was on. My head hit the steering wheel resulting in a massive brain bleed. I have ruptured and herniated disks and severe whiplash as well as a fractured skull. My airbag did not deploy although My car was announcing a loud message over the speakers “we have alerted emergency services”. I can’t find a lawyer to take the case because there hasn’t been a recall on this year yet. It was a 2020 Mini Cooper S.
2020-06-09

VISIBILITY PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2020-06-09
  • Components: VISIBILITY
  • Summary: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 MINI COOPER. THE CONTACT STATED THE WHILE DRIVING AT 55 TO 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUNROOF GLASS EXPLODED WITHOUT IMPACT. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE INSPECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

2020 Mini Cooper recalls

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 2 recalls for different components of the 2020 Mini Cooper.

2020-05-20
  • Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
  • Components: AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
  • Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X1 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i and X2 sDrive28i, 2020 MINI Clubman Cooper S All4, 2021 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and Cooper S E) and MINI Hardtop 4 Door (Cooper and Cooper S) vehicles. Due to a problem with the rollover sensor within the air bag control unit, in the event of a rollover crash, the head air bag, seat belt pretensioners and other safety systems, may not activate.
  • Consequence: If the safety systems do not deploy as intended in a roll over crash, it may increase the risk of injury.
  • Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
2019-08-28
  • Manufacturer: BMW of North America, LLC
  • Components: STRUCTURE
  • Summary: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 MINI Hardtop 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, and JCW vehicles. The rear side trim panels may have been assembled without a crash pad. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
  • Consequence: Without a crash pad, rear seat passengers would have an increased risk of injury in the event of a side impact crash.
  • Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and MINI dealers will install crash pads, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2019. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Leave your review of 2020 Mini Cooper

Additional sources

More sources of information about 2020 Mini Cooper problems:

Mini Cooper S Reliability on newer and newest models (2019-2021 ...
Mini Cooper S Reliability on newer and newest models (2019-2021 ...
https://www.minif56.com/threads/mini-cooper-s-reliability-on-newer-and-newest-models-2019-2021-and-2022.90193/

May 16, 2021 ... Common issues are the top motor mount, for this a new one was released late last year ( my 10/20 build has the new one. Also front control arms ...

Honest Opinions on Mini + Reliability : r/MINI
Honest Opinions on Mini + Reliability : r/MINI
https://www.reddit.com/r/MINI/comments/oo3nj7/honest_opinions_on_mini_reliability/

Jul 20, 2021 ... I am just a normal driver who doesn't really gun it anywhere, but I love the looks of the Mini Cooper and how they drive. (I test drove my ...

2020 MINI Countryman Problems | Kelley Blue Book
2020 MINI Countryman Problems | Kelley Blue Book
https://www.kbb.com/mini/countryman/2020/common-problems/

How reliable is the 2020 MINI Countryman? See the most common repairs performed and learn if your vehicle is at risk for major repairs in the next 12 ...

Common issues: 2016 Mini Hardtop 4 door HB S - North American ...
Common issues: 2016 Mini Hardtop 4 door HB S - North American ...
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/f55-f56-f57-stock-problems-issues/349040-common-issues-2016-mini-hardtop-4-door-hb-s.html

Jun 14, 2020 ... ... Cooper S, manual transmission with 48k miles ... Dano H , 06-13-2020 07:38 PM ... Related Topics. FS:: LEASE TAKEOVER: 2016 Mini Cooper S Hardtop 4 ...

2020 Mini Cooper Countryman Repair: Service and Maintenance Cost
2020 Mini Cooper Countryman Repair: Service and Maintenance Cost
https://repairpal.com/cars/mini/cooper-countryman/2020

2020 Mini Cooper Countryman vehicles have 2 known recalls. The most common recall is: Hybrid Battery Short Circuits Causing Fire Hazard. Hybrid Battery Short ...

Other years of Mini Cooper

mini cooper 2021 photo
Cooper 2021
Mini

0

2

0

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
mini cooper 2022 photo
Cooper 2022
Mini

5

0

0

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
mini cooper 2023 photo
Cooper 2023
Mini

7

0

0

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
mini cooper 2001 photo
Cooper 2001
Mini

6

0

0

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
mini cooper 2002 photo
Cooper 2002
Mini

265

5

25

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
mini cooper 2003 photo
Cooper 2003
Mini

536

4

30

  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1

Are you having problems with your 2020 Mini Cooper?

Add car complaint
2020 Mini Cooper photo