KnownCarProblems2009 Mini Cooper Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 151 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Mini Cooper, most often about the air bags (41% of complaints, typically around 65,500 miles). It is 6th of 26 Cooper model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2009 Mini Cooper problems
Air bags
62 complaints · 41%Half of these problems showed up before 65,500 miles. Parts named most often: sensor.
The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator had illuminated and remained illuminated. Due to the air bag warning indicator illuminating, the air bag warning chime was activated as well. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer…
At approximately 65,000, 2009 Mini Cooper r56 air bag sensor light would flicker on and off, but now stays on all the time. No idea if this means that air bags will fail.
Engine
50 complaints · 33%Half of these problems showed up before 65,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, a loud popping noise was heard from the engine before the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the timing belt had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
My vehicle experienced sudden loss of power without warning while on the interstate at full speed and was unable to be restarted. Luckily traffic was very light and I was able to guide my vehicle safely to the shoulder but the vehicle would not start. The temperature outside was around 15 degrees fahrenheit. It took…
Electrical
25 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles.
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 parking brake warning light and the tire pressure warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the…
We parked the car and 3 hours later is was on fire. It seems to have emanated from the power steering pump area but cannot tell with all the fire damage. The car is most likely a total loss.
Seat belts
8 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 71,000 miles.
While I was driving my car, the front passenger airbag got disconnected and the light came on. Now the lights indicating that the airbag is off remain on at all times. At the exact same time the light indicating that the passenger seat belt was not fasten came on as well and it remains on at all times while there is…
I went out of the country for 21 day and left my Mini parked in the garage. I am the only driver of my car and take pride in appearance and maintenance. I was extremely surprised when I returned the warning lights was on. The mileage is just under 60000. The seat belt and airbag warning light on out of the blue (stays…
Fuel system
6 complaints · 4%The fuel line leading to the injector rail was damaged by the heater hose support bracket. The abrasive edges of this plastic bracket rubbed a hole in the high pressure reinforced rubber hose and created a fuel leak in the engine compartment. This was discovered after the car was parked in the garage and gasoline…
The fuel line ruptured when driving my car under normal conditions. The car started to smell strongly of gasoline, so I had it towed to the dealer rather than re starting the car. Apparently, this is a common issue in Mini coopers due to a poor design per the authorized mechanic. The fuel line sits next to a heater…
Other or unspecified
6 complaints · 4%Car was bought brand new and taken to the dealership for service. Infact it was serviced just a few thousand miles before this happened. My mother was driving on the high way coming home from work then it spontaneously combusted and exploded. Had she not noticed the flames she would have died. This is not okay.
I was driving down hwy 16 (a straight a way 2 lane hwy) towards woodland when the display showed what appeared to be the water icon and I noticed white smoke from under my hood, so I pulled over and sat there thinking maybe my car was overheating. A truck coming behind me went by honking their horn and I looked in…
Transmission
5 complaints · 3%The timing tensioner on my Mini Cooper s backed out, resulting in a massive oil loss while at highway speeds. This is apparently a known issue by Mini, but no known recall has been issued at this point.
Noticed decreased acceleration performance and visibly noticed leaking oil from the top of the turbo system next to the heat shield after returning home after a drive on the freeway. Mini dealer identified the problem as a turbo oil feed line leak. Noticed on NHTSA forums that this is a common issue with Mini owners…
Steering
4 complaints · 3%The contact owns a 2009 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while reversing, the power steering warning light illuminated. The failure was experienced numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The failure was located at the power steering electrical column, which would need…
I noticed power steering fluid on my driver side floor mats. I checked underneath and noticed that is was dripping from my wiring harness. I called alexander Mini Cooper and they told me to take it to a mechanic to check out the problem and if they couldn't fix it to bring it in and have it diagnosed for $180.00. They…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2009 Mini Cooper recalls
Electrical: electrical system
Risk: An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
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 mailed may 13, 2024. Owners may contact bmw customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Full defect summary
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, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kansas, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, virginia, west virginia, washington d.c., and wisconsin. The electronic control module in the driver's side footwell area may short-circuit, due to corrosion from water and road salt.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2009 Mini Cooper
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 Mini Cooper?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (62 complaints, typically around 65,500 miles); engine (50 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles); electrical (25 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2009 Mini Cooper have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from May 11, 2023 (electrical). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2009 a bad year for the Mini Cooper?
- It is 6th of 26 Cooper model years by number of complaints, with 151 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.