MINI Complaints
View complaints related to MINI. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.
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2025 MINI COUNTRYMAN- Decatur, GA
Vehicle exhibits persistent, intermittent failure of Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Phone fails to pair, drops all connection mid-drive (all displays including speed, navigation, etc go dead), and disconnects active calls and navigation prompts during operation. Defect requires repeated manual re-pairing attempts that draw driver attention from the road. The same phone pairs reliably with all other vehicles and devices tested, including a more recent 2025 Countryman dealer loaner and personal home equipment, indicating the defect is in the vehicle's electronic architecture rather than the phone or user settings. Multiple service visits to an authorized MINI dealer have not resolved the issue. The dealership service team has stated verbally that "all the early 2025 Countrymen seem to have these issues." Dealer is now indicating that full head unit replacement may be required, with extended out-of-service time. The defect creates a documented driver-distraction risk and aligns with multiple existing NHTSA complaints and BMW Technical Service Bulletins for the 2025 Countryman platform. The sudden outage meant I had no information while driving on the interstate at speed and didn't know what was happening. I didn't even know if I was indicating to move over to the shoulder of the road. This happened at least 4 other times since I had had the car but thankfully only the once on an actual highway. Other times were in Atlanta city traffic and a couple of times in my driveway. Even more frustrating, I cannot get it to reliably pair with my iPhone 17 Pro. The lack of reliability increased markedly with the last MINI update which occurred about a week ago. I need to travel for work and cannot rely on this car to get me where I need to go and I actually avoid driving it now. The problem has been validated by the Dealer. The Service intake worker noted, "We have seen this in almost all of the early 2025 Countryman models." There was no warning at all when it happen
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2014 MINI COOPER- Carlsbad, CA
The "Passenger Airbag Off" light is illuminated, meaning the primary safety restraint system is disabled. The failed component is the "Occupancy Classification System (OCS) / OC3 Sensor Mat." I purchased a very well-maintained 2014 MINI in March 2026 and the failure occurred shortly after the 10-year warranty window expired. BMW Group has similar BMW models using the very same technology, and they received 15-year extensions, not 10. BMW Coverage: Has extended the warranty for the OC3 mat to 15 years/Unlimited miles for specific "eligible US-specification" models like the 3 Series, 5 Series, and Z4. MINI Coverage: Currently caps the warranty extension at 10 years/120,000 miles for its eligible vehicles.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2025 MINI COUNTRYMAN- anchorage, AK
I was driving my 2025 MINI JCW on a partly cloudy day 42degrees Fahrenheit. I was diving between 35 and 40 mph when the sunroof exploded. There weren't other vehicles nearby, and I didnt hear any rock hit, it just exploded.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2016 MINI CLUBMAN- GREENVILLE, SC
REAR BUMPER BRAKE & TAIL LIGHTS OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY. UNINSTALLING AND REINSTALLING BUMPER LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND BULBS MAY TEMPORARILY SOLVE THE ISSUE. LIGHT ASSEMBLY IS UNDAMAGED AND WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR IS CLEAN. POWER AND GROUND ARE TESTED OK. VEHICLE HAS 50,000 MILES AND IS PARKED IN A COVERED AREA. NEVER DRIVEN IN SNOW OR SALTED ROADS.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2011 MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN- Vineland, NJ
The contact owns a 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal burning odor inside and outside the vehicle. The vehicle then stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted after several hours. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a cracked water pump, which caused the engine to overheat. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
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2026 MINI JCW COUNTRYMAN ALL4- Yonkers, NY
The vehicle onboard screen is very slow to connect to our Android phones. This has been an issue from the very beginning. A drivetrain fault message appeared on 04/01 (NOT a joke!!) and the car was not responsive to going in reverse gear. The transmission stopped responding and we were barely able to make it to the dealership. The car wouldn't go past 40mph. We've had the car since mid-December and it only has a little over 1200 miles.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2016 MINI CLUBMAN- Miami, FL
I have 2016 Mini Clubman S with 109,000 miles on it , I got a check engine light with a Code U019D. I went to dealer to check and was told the radiator would need to be replaced at a cost of $ 3,700 dollars. After researching it is a common issue due to defect in materials, there was an extended warranty offered by bmw up 15 years or 150,000 miles to cover this defect. I was told that since I am in Florida it doesn't cover it and I believe this is wrong. If there is defect in materials and it is covered for some, why not all. Th ecompany has already stated it is a defect in materials, see below. SIM 13 01 19 Lin Bus Communication Fault for Enviromental Air Catalyst (EAC)Sensor FC1B8302. It States that the chemical compositon of the fan shroud contaminates the EAC sensor. Since this is a know defect from manufacturer I believe they should be replacing the defective material under warranty terms .
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2012 MINI JCW- Mount Kisco, NY
A little scary, it just got released from my hospital.From having cancer just wanna have my recalls repaired
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2018 MINI COUNTRYMAN- Cincinnati, OH
The contact owns a 2018 Mini Cooper Countryman. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that the steering wheel was excessively difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with ECM failure. The contact was informed that the ECM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact was advised that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle while using the Click and Drive device. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 19,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2013 MINI CLUBMAN- Zebulon, NC
Vehicle: MINI Cooper Clubman (Model R55) VIN: [XXX] Recall: NHTSA 23V-337 Dealer: Flow MINI of Raleigh, NC 1. COMPONENT FAILED: The Junction Box Electronics (JBE) failed due to moisture/water intrusion, producing electrical fault codes across all core systems including airbags, brakes, and a JBE communication fault. The vehicle is located at Flow MINI of Raleigh and is available for inspection. 2. SAFETY RISK: Recall 23V-337 identifies that moisture intrusion into the JBE can lead to corrosion, short circuit, and in rare cases a thermal event (fire). My vehicle's carpet is wet, confirming active water intrusion into the footwell where the JBE is installed. Airbag and brake faults appear exclusively when it rains or when the vehicle is washed, directly and unambiguously linking all symptoms to water intrusion. The vehicle is currently unsafe to operate. 3. DEALER CONFIRMATION: Flow MINI of Raleigh confirmed moisture/water intrusion is causing the JBE faults — directly reproducing the failure during a dealer-performed wash. The dealer declined the recall repair solely because [XXX] is not listed among covered states. 4. MANUFACTURER RESPONSE: MINI USA denied coverage exclusively on the basis that North Carolina is not included in the recall's geographic region. The defect itself has not been disputed. 5. BASIS FOR COMPLAINT: The recall's geographic restriction was established based on road salt usage. North Carolina roads do receive road salt treatment during winter weather events. The recall documentation (RCRIT-23V337-7125.pdf, Page 4, Item 12) explicitly names the JBE as a covered component. I request that NHTSA: (1) treat this as urgent given confirmed airbag and brake faults, (2) review whether NC should be included in the recall's geographic scope, and (3) compel MINI USA to perform the recall repair on VIN [XXX] at no cost. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE