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MINI · Compact Hatchback

2018 MINI Cooper

Gas
Subcompact Cars
12 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
A
Safety Signal
100 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 0
Complaints3 crash · 3 injured reported 8
Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 32 mpg
202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016

The 2018 MINI Cooper is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact hatchback with 12 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Cooper Convertible, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 8 complaints, most often about the air bags.

2018 MINI Cooper

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Cooper ConvertibleGasFWD1.5L 3-cyl turbo283732$2,550
Cooper Hardtop 2 doorGasFWD1.5L 3-cyl turbo283832$2,550
Cooper Hardtop 4 doorGasFWD1.5L 3-cyl turbo283732$2,550
Cooper ConvertibleGasFWD1.5L 3-cyl turbo273530$2,750
Cooper Hardtop 2 doorGasFWD1.5L 3-cyl turbo273530$2,750
Cooper Hardtop 4 doorGasFWD1.5L 3-cyl turbo273530$2,750
Cooper S ConvertibleGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo253328$2,950
Cooper S Hardtop 2 doorGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo253228$2,950
Cooper S Hardtop 4 doorGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo253228$2,950
Cooper S ConvertibleGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo233226$3,150
Cooper S Hardtop 2 doorGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo233226$3,150
Cooper S Hardtop 4 doorGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo233226$3,150

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39108, 39124, 39125, 39032, 39035, 39036, 39109, 39126, 39128, 39110.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
Cooper Convertible, Cooper Hardtop 2 door, Cooper Hardtop 4 door7 / 10Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay
Cooper Hardtop 2 door, Cooper Hardtop 4 door7 / 10California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standardsSmartWay
Cooper S Convertible, Cooper S Hardtop 2 door, Cooper S Hardtop 4 door7 / 10California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body styleConvertible/Cabriolet
Doors2
GVWR classClass 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders4
Displacement2 L

Engine Output

Horsepower189 hp

Fuel Economy

FuelGasoline

Seating

Seat rows2
Seating capacity4 seats

Transmission

DrivetrainFWD/Front-Wheel Drive
TransmissionManual/Standard
Transmission speeds6

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control

Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Automatic emergency braking, Forward collision warning, Parking assist

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE ALL4). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada
Length151.2–157.9 in
Width (body, without mirrors)68.1 in
Height55.5–56.3 in
Wheelbase98.4–101.2 in
Track, front58.7–59.1 in
Track, rear58.7–59.1 in
Curb weight2,606–2,895 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear60/40 to 63/37

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 3 Door Hatch FWD, 3 Door S Hatch FWD, 5 Door Hatch FWD, 5 Door S Hatch FWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Factory warranty running out?

The 2018 MINI Cooper is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.

What to check before you buy →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (0)

Source: NHTSA recall database

No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2018 MINI Cooper. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 MINI Cooper, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2018 MINI Cooper

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this Cooper →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
8complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported

3.3 per 10,000 built · MINI reported 24,423 Cooper built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 1

Most-cited components

Air Bags 2
Unspecified 2
Electrical System 2
Structure 1
Service Brakes 1
Engine 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

UNKNOWN Driver side tail light socket. All lights stopped working. Took out the socket and the wiring harness connector burned up
Electrical System Jan 14, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11501799
Tire size 205/45 r17 pirelli ginturato We were driving from an appt and the low tire air light came on. We got to car x and found the side wall and tread belt on the inside of the tire had came off.
Tires Jan 2, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11563195
Took car into mini dealer for clunking noise problem. Dealer indicated motor mounts were cracked and needed to be replaced. Another customer at dealer was also having motor mounts replaced. His car was also 4 yrs old with 32K miles on it.
Engine Nov 14, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11440369
February 21, 2019 I was pulling into a parking space and the brakes temporarily failed. When I pumped them a second time they came to a stop, however by then the car and I had gone over a hedge and side swiped a tree.
Service Brakes at 9,500 miles Apr 9, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11195306
My 2018 Mini Cooper countryman s was involved in a front end collision with another driver who was traveling at approximately 50-60mph. We were traveling approximately 13 MPH at time of impact and the front, knee or side air bag(s) did not deploy. I have a video of the accident as a dash cam was in place at the time of the accident
Air Bags at 3,500 miles Nov 7, 2018 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11149854
Driving at low speed piercing loud noises came from speakers, buzzing and whining. Noise stayed on with ignition on or off and radio on or off. This occurred two more times on way home. Am waiting for dealer appointment. Have not driven vehicle since
Electrical System Dec 7, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11496400

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by MINI itself: 3 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 3 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 12 per 100,000 built. Every Cooper model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file 2 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every BMW warranty extension (46) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 200
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-07-10
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 196 service bulletins, 3 warranty extensions, 1 service campaign

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Structure, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility.

  • M840226 Service campaign
    2026-07-10 · Electrical System
  • Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a MINI Data Services trigger for Remote Services(remote engine start, lock/unlock/climate conditioning) will not be able to reactivate the TCB2. Due to this issue, Remote Services will not function in the vehicle when parked and locked.
  • M010324 Warranty extension
    2026-04-27 · Fuel/Propulsion System
  • EVAP PURGE (VENT) VALVE EXT LTD WTY (ELW) 15 YRS/150,000 MLS
  • M010424 Warranty extension
    2024-08-12 · Power Train
  • For the eligible vehicles listed above, the limited warranty for the vehicle’s Selector Lever Magnetic Shift Interlock Mechanism (Gearshift lug assembly portion) has been extended to: 10 years/120,000 miles as determined by the vehicle’s original in-service date, When a gearshift lug repair kit (item # 2) installation procedure is required to be performed to address a displayed Check Control messa
  • M310424 Service bulletin
    2024-03-04 · Suspension
  • During inspection and/or diagnosis there is noticeable dirt/grease buildup on the axles near the inner and/or outer CV boots.
  • M511616 Service bulletin
    2023-11-02 · Structure
  • Cavity protection applied to underside of the hood is leaking out onto the wheel arch trim and grille.
  • M610607 Service bulletin
    2023-10-25 · Electrical System
  • MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. Breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can have various causes, most of which are not due to the battery itself. For this reason, a battery replacement will permanently eliminate the problem only in the rarest of cases. The
  • M540123 Service bulletin
    2023-08-01 · Structure — Body — Roof And Pillars
  • ?The panoramic roof sunblind does not close, or jams while closing.
  • M110323 Service bulletin
    2023-08-01 · Communication — Manufacturer Telematics
  • ?BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop: REPLACE CHARGE AIR LINE.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

CodeWhat it meansMost often filed underWhere it appears
C0526Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.Steering1 bulletin

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 MINI Cooper failed the emissions check on 2.8% of first inspections — close to the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.3% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%).

New York inspections 2.8%

failed emissions

538 initial inspections of 524 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2018 CooperEvery 2018 vehicleBehind it
Failed the emissions check2.8%3.0%538
Failed the safety inspection1.3%1.9%538
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.56%0.22%538
Miles driven a year7,14810,002odometer at inspection
Average odometer59,24382,833odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Common questions about the 2018 Cooper

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 MINI Cooper have any recalls?

No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2018 MINI Cooper. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.

How safe is the 2018 MINI Cooper?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2018 MINI Cooper yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (100/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 MINI Cooper?

Across the 12 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 MINI Cooper, the best EPA combined figure is 32 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 MINI Cooper?

Transport Canada measured it at 151.2–157.9 in long, 68.1 in wide (body, without mirrors), 55.5–56.3 in tall, on a 98.4–101.2 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 2,606–2,895 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 MINI Cooper?

Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 MINI Cooper, most often about air bags, unspecified, electrical system. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 3 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 MINI Cooper?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 MINI Cooper is 7 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 MINI Cooper?

The manufacturer has filed 200 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 MINI Cooper, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-07-10. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2018 MINI Cooper do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 MINI Cooper failed the emissions check on 2.8% of first inspections — close to the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.3% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations12 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates12 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
RecallsnoneNHTSA recall campaignsNo campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it.
Owner complaints8NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratingsnoneNHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins200NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA12 fieldsNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWhat the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions7 fieldsTransport Canada, Canadian Vehicle SpecificationsLength, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipmentnoneManufacturer press kitWe have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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