2018 MINI Cooper
Gas Compact car
The 2018 MINI Cooper is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car 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 air bags.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Convertible | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl turbo | 28 | 37 | 32 | $2,400 |
| Cooper Hardtop 2 door | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl turbo | 28 | 38 | 32 | $2,400 |
| Cooper Hardtop 4 door | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl turbo | 28 | 37 | 32 | $2,400 |
| Cooper Convertible | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl turbo | 27 | 35 | 30 | $2,600 |
| Cooper Hardtop 2 door | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl turbo | 27 | 35 | 30 | $2,600 |
| Cooper Hardtop 4 door | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl turbo | 27 | 35 | 30 | $2,600 |
| Cooper S Convertible | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 33 | 28 | $2,750 |
| Cooper S Hardtop 2 door | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 32 | 28 | $2,750 |
| Cooper S Hardtop 4 door | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 32 | 28 | $2,750 |
| Cooper S Convertible | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 32 | 26 | $3,000 |
| Cooper S Hardtop 2 door | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 32 | 26 | $3,000 |
| Cooper S Hardtop 4 door | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 32 | 26 | $3,000 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2018 MINI Cooper is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
Compare coverage →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. Data on this page is never influenced by that.
Recalls (0)
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2018 MINI Cooper. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
Owner complaints
8 complaints filed
3 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 3 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2018: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 1
Most-cited components
- Air Bags — 2
- Unknown Or Other — 2
- Electrical System — 2
- Structure — 1
- Service Brakes — 1
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.
Crash ratings
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other Cooper model years
2026 Cooper
1 recalls · 3 complaints
A2026 Cooper
1 recalls · 3 complaints
D2025 Cooper
4 recalls · 5 complaints
C2024 Cooper
2 recalls · 1 complaints
A2023 Cooper
0 recalls · 7 complaints
A2022 Cooper
0 recalls · 7 complaints
B2021 Cooper
2 recalls · 7 complaints
B2020 Cooper
2 recalls · 7 complaints
B2019 Cooper
2 recalls · 12 complaints
C2017 Cooper
3 recalls · 28 complaints
D2016 Cooper
4 recalls · 41 complaints
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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 39108, 39124, 39125, 39032, 39035, 39036, 39109, 39126, 39128, 39110, 39127, 39129). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.