There are 3 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2012 MINI Cooperin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
i bought the car in august 2023 from carmax they were aware of recall , my car has no headlight, brake lights, door states open when not , windows do not roll down, cannot use alarm, will not lock, smells hot , i spoke with mini cooper and there is no remedy this is my only car i transport my grandchildren to and from school , i lost house due to a fire a yr ago , and lost everything , and see that a fire is at risk. mini cooper says nothing they can do because no remedy, carmax should not of sold this car with a recall .
MY DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS MELTING. THE PLASTIC THE THE LIGHT BUILD SCREWS INTO IS ACTUALLY MELTING T THE BRAKE LIGHT BULB. I'VE PAID MINI TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE AND THE SAME ISSUES HAS SURFACED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LIGHT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL.
BRAKE LIGHT FAILED, BULB COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. DEALER SAID THE COMPLETE ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. UPON REMOVING THE ASSEMBLY, THE FIXTURE WAS REVIEWED TO FIND WHERE EXCESIVE HEAT HAD MELTED THE CONNECTION TO THE BULB (SAME ONES USED IN BMWS THAT MELTED THE WIRING HARNESS BACK IN 2003). I REPAIRD THE THE ASSEMBLY BY SOLDERING THE SOCKETS TO THE BOARD SUCH THAT IT DID NOT DEPEND ON A PIECE OF PLASTIC FOR PRESSURE CONTACT. IT WORKS, BUT WHEN A BULB TRUELY BURNS OUT, THE ASSEMBLY MUST BE REMOVED TO CHANGE THE BULB.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026