Recalls (2)
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2020 Mini Cooper S. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Air Bags May Not Deploy in Rollover
- 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.
Crash Pads Missing from Rear Side Trim Panels
- 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.
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (5)
5 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The engine is mentioned most often.
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2 | 40% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 20% |
| Service brakes | 1 | 20% |
| Steering | 1 | 20% |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 20% |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 20% |
| Wheels | 1 | 20% |
How 2020 compares with other Cooper S years
Best and worst Cooper S years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 24 | 1 |
| 2014 | 13 | 4 |
| 2015 | 18 | 4 |
| 2016 | 9 | 3 |
| 2017 | 6 | 3 |
| 2019 | 5 | 1 |
| 2020 | 5 | 2 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 | 3 |
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Looking at a 2020 Cooper S for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2020 Mini Cooper S FAQ
How many recalls does the 2020 Mini Cooper S have?
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns: 20V283000 (air bag), 19V634000 (structure). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2020 Mini Cooper S problems?
Owners filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. Engine (2), Electrical system (1), Service brakes (1) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
How does the 2020 Cooper S compare with other years?
Among the 2013–2020 Mini Cooper S model years at least five years old, the 2019 drew the fewest complaints (5) and the 2013 the most (24). The 2020 drew 5. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.