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2013 Mini Roadster problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 Mini Roadster has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 73owner complaints
- 2crash reports
- 0fire reports
- 23%fail the UK MOT
73 complaints, against an average of 69 for the other 3 Mini Roadster model years.
Every Mini Roadster model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2013 Mini Roadster?
The components named most often in the 73 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2013 Mini Roadster owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 73 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- Why is the airbag light on in my 2013 Mini Roadster?9 owners · 12.3%
- Why is the check engine light on in my 2013 Mini Roadster?4 owners · 5.5%
- What causes clunking or suspension noise in the 2013 Mini Roadster?4 owners · 5.5%
- Why do the headlights or taillights fail on my 2013 Mini Roadster?4 owners · 5.5%
- Why does my 2013 Mini Roadster stall, lose power or shut off while driving?3 owners · 4.1%
Has the 2013 Mini Roadster been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2013 Mini Roadster as of October 25, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
How often does the 2013 Mini Roadster fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2013, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2013 Mini Roadster owners report?
12 of the 73 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Water apparantly was going thru the sunroof and clogging the drains-- No water seeped into the car or from the roof-- It went through the interior of the car nor did it ever get into the vehicle floor so no way to even be aware of car accumlating water- This interior water damage nd destroyed the electronic system of the vehicle- Insured driver - my daughter was driving when car alarm and back door released while driving-- Windshield wipers stopped working and beeping noises continuelly came on! Damage to car 8K-- The same two door model and same year was in fact recalled for the same issue…
The contact called on behalf of the owner of the 2013 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side window was inoperative. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the body control module and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,137.
Water leakage from the sunroof drains corroded the FRM module. Car is not driveable as the doors will not latch, lighting issues, windows don't function etc.. There is a recall for this but not for this vin #?
Passenger occupancy sensor malfunctions all the time and there are hundreds of claims regarding this issue but was never addressed by the manufacturer The same issue prompted a recall in older models but has not been corrected in newer ones
Yes my Mini Cooper 2013 I was just driving normal speed 35 to 40 miles per hour and all the sudden my engine has just quit and stopped running I was not in any danger or in a crash I was able to move my car off to the side of the road and unfortunately this was only the first time the second time was actually on the highway I was scared to death because I was actually came to a halt on the freeway but I was able to push my car off to the side and be out of Harm's Way my car is now parked in front of my house due to engine failure and I don't know what else to do but I saw this recall and I…
As per NHTSA there was a recall the replace OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT but I never received recall notice and just passed 10 years with 40K millage and started getting air bag light, dealer is not replacing it under warranty, if they was a recall they should have replaced my seat earlier so that I would not have this issue today. is there a way to extend warranty to longer time or recall all the cars and replace them so that we do not have to spend 2k to replace it? "01 11 16_OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT: LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120,000 MILES"
Blinkers stopped working and windows are no long rolling down
Freeze plug randomly popped out while driving causing vehicle to stall in the middle of traffic almost causing a major accident and or death. Research indicates there has been numerous complaints by Mini Cooper owners experiencing the same issue of a premature unexplained failure with no action taken from Mini to mitigate this safety issue. I’m lucky to be alive.
The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the passenger's side seat occupancy sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 106,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Mini Cooper S. 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 engine was running rough while idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would not exceed 65 MPH and 4,000 RPM while driving. The message "Reduced Engine Power" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that cylinder #1 was misfiring because it was not receiving proper communication from the ECU. The vehicle was…
The passenger side air bag seat sensor has failed. I don't know if that means the passenger air bag will not work or if it will activate incorrectly injuring a passenger due to air bag detonation. This sensor failure is common. Yes this vehicle can be inspected. The air bag warning light periodically turns on and off. I contacted mini cooper customer relations and they informed me that there was a time that they would repair this issue if reported to a dealer free of charge but that offer expired when the car turns 10 years old. Our mini is a little over 10 years old. Mini has been aware of…
The fuel pump relay circuit board has a failed point in the soldering, causing the car to intermittently stall and die on the road. My safety was at risk because my car died randomly with no warning on a busy road. Can not even limp car to side of road. The part is being replaced by dealer where car was purchased, but a quick internet search provides thousands of similar results. There were no warning lights or any kind of code stored in the computer. I only had the car for one day before the car died so I am not aware of any prior warning signs.
2013 Mini Roadster: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 Mini Roadster reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 73 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Mini Roadster; the most common categories were electrical system (28, 38.4%), air bags (17, 23.3%), engine (11, 15.1%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 2 complaints mention a crash, 3 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Mini Roadster?
Across 73 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are electrical system (38.4% of complaints), air bags (23.3% of complaints), engine (15.1% of complaints), fuel/propulsion system (8.2% of complaints), exterior lighting (6.8% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 Mini Roadster have any recalls?
As of October 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2013 Mini Roadster. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the airbag light on in my 2013 Mini Roadster?
9 of the 73 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Mini Roadster (12.3%) describe airbag warning lights or airbag faults. One owner wrote: "As per NHTSA there was a recall the replace OC3 SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT but I never received recall notice and just passed 10 years with 40K millage and started getting air bag light, dealer is not replacing it under warranty, if they was a recall they should have…" (NHTSA complaint 11617003, September 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why is the check engine light on in my 2013 Mini Roadster?
4 of the 73 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Mini Roadster (5.5%) describe the check engine light coming on. One owner wrote: "I have a 2013 mini cooper only 59k miles on it and the engine light came on. i tried using the obd machine to turn it off but it won't turn off. i have p052b and p013c codes.check engine light comes on and off randomly." (NHTSA complaint 11191139, March 2019). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
What causes clunking or suspension noise in the 2013 Mini Roadster?
4 of the 73 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Mini Roadster (5.5%) describe suspension clunks, worn parts or air suspension failures. One owner wrote: "The passenger side air bag seat sensor has failed rendering the air bags in the car inoperable. This is a common complaint that many Mini Cooper and BMW owners are having." (NHTSA complaint 11547654, October 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why do the headlights or taillights fail on my 2013 Mini Roadster?
4 of the 73 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Mini Roadster (5.5%) describe headlights, taillights or brake lights failing or condensation in the lamps. One owner wrote: "Airbag light is showing that passenger airbag is off even though my 100 lbs daughter is sitting in the front seat. i've actually had a 2009 mini cooper s, 2011 mini cooper s and now my current 2013 mini john cooper works with the same exact tail light issue." (NHTSA complaint 11102850, June 2018). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2013 Mini Roadster stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
3 of the 73 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 Mini Roadster (4.1%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "Freeze plug randomly popped out while driving causing vehicle to stall in the middle of traffic almost causing a major accident and or death." (NHTSA complaint 11574805, March 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Roadster
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2013 only; combines NHTSA's entries for COOPER ROADSTER, COOPER S ROADSTER and JCW ROADSTER.