Mini Cooper Years to Avoid & Best Years (A Short Guide)

Mini Cooper is surely in many people’s minds when it comes to small and compact cars, and to be honest with you, it is definitely one of my favorite cars ever made.

Yet again, in this article, I will cover a darker era in Mini Cooper’s life, while mentioning Mini Cooper’s years to avoid.

Who is Mini Cooper? What years of it you should avoid and why? Which are the best years of this car? Stick to the end of this article, to find out everything!

Mini Cooper – General Overview

The first launch of the Mini Cooper car dates back to 1959 in Oxford, England! A car that could fit four adults with a small size and yet very powerful features.

Mini Cooper is known to be one of the most famous cars all around the globe and it is one of the first choices for many people.

There have been conspiracies on the fact that Mini Cooper is better than every other car you have in mind, and it is known as the European car of the century, which is quite appealing to think about.

Also Read: What Audi Q5 Years to Avoid

What Years of Mini Cooper Should You Avoid and Why?

After its first launch in 1959, Mini Cooper surely became quickly famous and the manufacturer made lots of sales until the year 1996, in this year Mini Cooper was acquired by BMW which is still the owner and manufacturer of Mini Cooper.

Honestly speaking, in the years before 1996, Mini Cooper was a beast in different fields, and its dark years started after the 2000s.

The years of Mini Cooper you should avoid include 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013. Still, I cannot leave it like that as there are some reasons you should know!

2002, 2003 and 2004

So, at the start of the 2000s, Mini Cooper did the launch of the 2001 model, and fans around were waiting for impressive and newer models after it.

However, Mini Cooper had some difficulties in the years 2002, 2003, and 2004; they are ranked as the years that should be avoided as much as you can.

The 2002 Mini Cooper had issues with the automatic transmission, and direction problems, and also the wheels couldn’t quite get the power from the clutch.

The 2003 model Mini Cooper inherited all the problems from 2002, plus there were shown signs of malfunction in the electric door locks.

Even though in 2004 Mini Cooper lovers waited for an extreme improvement, there was no change from the previous years and also, some people have dealt with the whole electric power not working.

2007 and 2009

Even though Mini Cooper in 2005 and 2006 brought up some of the greatest cars ever made, without any problem and nothing inherited from the previous years, it has been brought down by many Mini Cooper users in the years 2007 and 2009, as the 2008 version was quite good.

In the 2007 Mini Cooper’s main problem was the complete water pump failure, which led to overheating and damage to the entire vehicles of many users.

The 2009 model on the other hand was struggling with durability! How is that so? Well, after the launch in 2009, the manufacturer said that this model was the one that could last for many years but drivers noticed very quick damages in the inner parts of the car, especially on the radiator for water and antifreeze.

2012 and 2013

Another year, other struggles! There are two other mentions I want to do, and they are the model of 2012 and 2013, which were improved when compared to the older cars, but still, Mini Cooper in these two years has got too much criticism, and it was happening all around the world.

The 2012 and 2013 models of Mini Cooper had the same problems, and it was the whole electricity of the cars, which led to the complete shutdown of the engines.

Which are Mini Cooper’s Best Years?

When I mention the years of Mini Cooper that you should avoid, there is no doubt that the best purchases would be the years I didn’t mention, right? Yes, the best years of Mini Cooper have always been 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, and the years after 2013!

An honorary mention would be the 90s models of Mini Cooper as they are known to be some of the most perfect Mini Cooper cars one can use nowadays as well, and many people still choose them over the new models that have come from 2020.

Let’s wait for new models from this amazing brand and let’s see what they are up to, as indeed, Mini Cooper seems to improve itself after getting the criticism I mentioned in the article!

Also Read: What Ford Expedition Years to Avoid

Final Words

After everything I mentioned above, Mini Cooper is indeed one of the most amazing and most used compact cars all around the world, and there are many fans it has, including me!

It is interesting how you notice that many years of these car models are known as the dark ones and not the best to purchase, but still, the important thing is to avoid them, of course as long as you don’t want to spend the money while trying to do everything better!

I hope you liked what you read thus far, and I hope you found everything you needed to know regarding the dark era of Mini Cooper and the years to avoid! Good luck!