A unidirectionally coupled system of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) resonators is investigated. Local bifurcations of both the single resonator and the coupled system are analyzed in the design of the coupled system. We discuss the behavior of the coupled system according to the change in the coupling parameter and the excitation force. Phenomena such as quasiperiodic oscillations and synchronization are shown by numerical simulations and studied analytically through perturbation methods. The coupled system shows oscillatory behavior without the excitation force. In the presence of the excitation force the coupled system exhibits complex behavior which can be beneficial in the design of the coupled system as a sensor. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.