Representative model. Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2016 MINI Cooper recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2016 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 4
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 48
Latest campaign: Mar 31, 2017

Recall summary by component4

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Exterior lighting	1	Mar 31, 2017	17V222000
Seat belts	1	Oct 17, 2016	16V747000
Steering	1	Dec 30, 2015	15V887000
Air bags	1	Oct 7, 2015	15V628000

Safety recalls4

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Mar 31, 2017Latest campaign


Mar 31, 201717V222000	Exterior lighting: brake lights If the brake light does not illuminate when a turn signal is activated, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 17V222000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2016-2017 MINI Cooper Clubman, Cooper S Clubman and JCW Clubman vehicles. When the affected vehicles are braking and the turn signals are on, the inner, bumper-mounted, brake light will go out. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Risk If the brake light does not illuminate when a turn signal is activated, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy MINI will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the vehicle to correct the brake lighting, free of charge. The recall began May 22, 2017. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525. Filed under Cooper, Cooper S Campaign NHTSA 17V222000 · Mar 31, 2017
Oct 17, 201616V747000	Seat belts: front retractor In the event of a crash where heavy braking is applied, the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) may activate when the occupant is more forward in the seat, possibly… DetailsHide details for campaign 16V747000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, MINI Hardtop 4 Door Cooper, Mini Hardtop 4 Door Cooper S, MINI Cooper Clubman, and Cooper S Clubman, 2017 Rolls-Royce Ghost, and 2016 528i vehicles. The vehicle-sensitive locking mechanism of the seat belt Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) for the driver's seat may not lock as designed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies." Risk In the event of a crash where heavy braking is applied, the Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) may activate when the occupant is more forward in the seat, possibly increasing the risk of injury. Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's seat belt assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Filed under Cooper, Cooper S Campaign NHTSA 16V747000 · Oct 17, 2016
Dec 30, 201515V887000	Steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion) A gearbox malfunction may cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 15V887000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling one model year 2016 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door vehicle manufactured November 24, 2015, and one BMW X1 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) manufactured October, 19 2015. The steering gearbox may have been manufactured with incorrect parts. Risk A gearbox malfunction may cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash. Remedy BMW will replace the steering gearbox, free of charge. Affected vehicles are located in dealer inventory and will be remedied before customer retail. The recall began on December 28, 2015. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Filed under Cooper Campaign NHTSA 15V887000 · Dec 30, 2015
Oct 7, 201515V628000	Air bags: frontal passenger side In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger. DetailsHide details for campaign 15V628000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper two-door vehicles, 2015-2016 MINI John Cooper Works and MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper four-door vehicles and 2014-2015 BMW i3 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." Risk In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger. Remedy MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Filed under Cooper, Cooper S Campaign NHTSA 15V628000 · Oct 7, 2015

Merged from NHTSA model names: Cooper, Cooper S. Not every vehicle of a model year is affected by every campaign.

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Owner complaints by component48

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

48Complaints filed

4Involving a crash

2Involving a fire

6Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Engine	14	29	1	1	0
Exterior lighting	13	27	0	0	0
Power train	9	19	2	0	0
Electrical system	8	17	0	0	0
Service brakes	3	6	0	0	0
Seat belts	3	6	1	0	2
Unknown or other	3	6	0	0	2
Equipment	2	4	0	0	1
Structure	2	4	0	0	0
Steering	2	4	0	1	0
Air bags	2	4	2	0	3
Seats	1	2	0	0	0
Suspension	1	2	0	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	2	1	0	0

An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number, merged from NHTSA model names Cooper Hardtop, Cooper JCW Hardtop, Cooper S Hardtop.

Latest reports

Engine
“The Environmental Air Catalyst (EAC) Sensor on my 2016 MINI failed two years ago when I had only 25,000 miles on the car. (The car now has 30,200 miles on it; I do not drive it very much).”
Filed 11/19/2025 · ODI 11700391
Engine
“Front passenger side motor mount failed pretty terribly, the rubber completely slipped off the engine side mount leaving a severe engine vibration. The mount is very under engineered. Ours failed at 27,0000 miles.”
Filed 07/22/2025 · ODI 11675501
Exterior lighting
“The contact owns a 2016 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Left brake lamp and Tailgate light malfunction" was displayed and while depressing the brake pedal the driver’s…”
Filed 04/01/2025 · ODI 11652098

Other MINI Cooper model years

All years: 2026 · 2025 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020 · 2019 · 2017 · 2016 · 2015 · 2014 · 2013 · 2012 · 2011 · 2010 · 2009 · 2008 · 2007 · 2006 · 2005 · 2004 · 2003 · 2002

Other MINI models

All MINI models and years →

2016 MINI Cooper recall questions

How many recalls does the 2016 MINI Cooper have?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 MINI Cooper. The most recent, 17V222000 (reported March 31, 2017), concerns exterior lighting. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What is the most common complaint about the 2016 MINI Cooper?

Engine is the most-reported component, named in 14 complaints out of 48 filed with NHTSA (29%). Across all complaints, owners reported 4 crashs and 2 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2016 MINI Cooper?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer.

Check a specific MINI by VIN

Free · No signup · US-market vehicles, 1981+