What are the best years of the MINI Cooper S Hardtop?

None of the judged years of the MINI Cooper S Hardtop came out Worthy. Each one came out Maybe or Pass, from its owner complaints to NHTSA against a typical year of the MINI Cooper S Hardtop at the same age. Complaints are unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold.

Which MINI Cooper S Hardtop years should I avoid?

The 2011, 2013 and 2015 MINI Cooper S Hardtop are the years to avoid: Pass years come first, then the Maybe years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA against a typical year at the same age. 2015 came out Pass. 2011 and 2013 came out Maybe. Complaints are unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold. Have any car inspected before you buy.

How do you decide which MINI Cooper S Hardtop years are best?

Each model year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA are held up against a typical year of the MINI Cooper S Hardtop at the same age, never against another model. The typical year leaves out years that were high themselves, so a run of bad years cannot set its own bar. A year with at least 5 complaints and under 2 times a typical year (1.2 times when most are about costly parts such as the engine) is Worthy, unless its complaints about costly parts alone reach 2.5 times a typical year's, or the years on both sides of it came out Maybe or Pass. A Maybe or Pass on its complaints needs enough more of them to rule out chance. The best years named are the newer Worthy years with the fewest complaints for their age, never right next to a Maybe or Pass year, and the years to avoid are the Pass years first, then the Maybe years. The newest 2 model years are too new to judge. Complaints are unverified and not adjusted for how many cars were sold.

Best and worst MINI Cooper S Hardtop years

Every model year, judged against the others.

Best and worst Cooper S Hardtop years

Skip 2015. Careful with 2011 to 2013.

Best years

None of the judged years of the Cooper S Hardtop came out Worthy.

Years to avoid

Pass years first, then the Maybe years with the most owner complaints against a typical year at the same age.

From owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Only years old enough to judge. Still have any car inspected.

Every year at a glance

1Worthy
3Maybe
1Pass
1Not judged

2011, medium confidence, Maybe36

Lightest for their age

Worthy years with the fewest owner complaints against a typical year at the same age, none right next to a Maybe or Pass year. A year with few sales can look the same.

Every Worthy year of the Cooper S Hardtop sits right next to a Maybe or Pass year, or waits on years NHTSA did not answer for, so none is named here.

Think twice

Judged years that came out Maybe or Pass: more complaints than a typical year, more about costly parts, or inside a run of problem years.

Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.

How we judge a year

Each year’s owner complaints, held up against a typical year of the Cooper S Hardtop at the same age. Popular cars collect more complaints just by selling more, so a year is never compared with another model. The typical year leaves out years that were high themselves, so a run of bad years cannot set its own bar.

Worthy: At least 5 complaints, and under 2 times a typical year (1.2 if most are costly parts).
Maybe: 2 times a typical year or more, with at least 15 complaints. Or 2.5 times a typical year’s complaints about costly parts, with at least 25 of them. Or 1.2 times, with at least 25, most about costly parts. Too many to be chance each time. A year with a Maybe or Pass year on each side is Maybe too: it sits inside a run of problem years.
Pass: 3 times a typical year or more, with at least 25 complaints, too many to be chance.
Not judged: Too new (the newest 2 years), too few complaints, or too few to tell a real problem from chance.

Every rule, in full

Gathering every model year from NHTSA. The first look at a model can take a little while.

Best and worst Cooper S Hardtop years

Skip 2015. Careful with 2011 to 2013.

Best years

None of the judged years of the Cooper S Hardtop came out Worthy.

Years to avoid

Pass years first, then the Maybe years with the most owner complaints against a typical year at the same age.

From owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Only years old enough to judge. Still have any car inspected.

Lightest for their age

Worthy years with the fewest owner complaints against a typical year at the same age, none right next to a Maybe or Pass year. A year with few sales can look the same.

Every Worthy year of the Cooper S Hardtop sits right next to a Maybe or Pass year, or waits on years NHTSA did not answer for, so none is named here.

Year	Verdict	Owner complaints	Top problem area
2016	Worthy	9	Engine
2015	Pass	69	Engine
2014	Not judged	13	Transmission and drivetrain
2013	Maybe	69	Electrical
2012	Maybe	23	Electrical
2011	Maybe	36	Engine

Best and worst Cooper S Hardtop years

Best years

Years to avoid

Every year at a glance

Lightest for their age

Think twice

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Best and worst Cooper S Hardtop years

Best years

Years to avoid

Every year at a glance

Lightest for their age

Think twice