2016 MINI Cooper Convertible
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › MINI › Cooper Convertible › 2016
These records cover every 2016 MINI Cooper Convertible. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 2016 MINI Cooper Convertible. Newest first.
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)…
Risk and remedy
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.
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…
Risk and remedy
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.
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 and remedy
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.
Owner complaints
13 complaints2 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- 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). NHTSA worked with MINI/BMW several years ago, and MINI extended a limited warranty for this sensor to 15…
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). NHTSA worked with MINI/BMW several years ago, and MINI extended a limited warranty for this sensor to 15 years/150,000 miles, but only for Cooper "S" models. Mine is not an "S". See Recall "S1 M01 05 20" The S has a BMW "B46M PZEV/SULEV " engine, which is covered by the extended warranty. My car - not the "S" model - has the BMW "B36M" engine. This is not covered by the extended warranty noted above. I have gone online and saw lots of complaints, as this appears to be a very common problem. A MINI dealer in Richmond, VA told me the same thing: the sensor fails, and you have to replace the entire radiator because the sensor is attached to it. I was quoted more than $2,000 to fix this problem. It seems to me that this defect is as common in the non "S" MINI Cooper's as it is in the "S" versions, and that MINI should extend the same warranty to vehicles with the B36M engines. Can you help?
- Exterior lighting
Rear brake lights..it comes with 3 small brake lights ...two on bumper & one on top scoop, all relatively small. The main two are much bigger but are only used for driving lights & turn signal. 'It makes no sense '. This needs to be corrected, right ?
- Service brakes
Brake pedal at same level as gas pedal at times ( they are close together) my shoe on the brake also hits the gas to excellerate pressing jarred in a panic will stop the car and I will put it in neutral city street or hi-way in motion
- Power train
Drivetrain malfunction light flashes for a few seconds and then goes away. Driving on I-85 s june 5, 2017 warning appeared for a few seconds then disappeared.
- Seat belts
Constant replacing of the seat belts. Currently back seat belt not working again serious saftey hazard . No longer receiving a response from the dealer. Cannot ride a certain amount of passengers in the rear. Have taken the car back multiple times
- Unknown or other
Base model blue tooth telephone interface without on-board voice control disables phone hands free function (e.g "siri" on iphone) inviting distraction to use phone functions. common also on similarly equipped BMW models. this was not the case with earlier year models with similar equipment.
- Unknown or other
We purchased this all-new model in march 2016 and have been unable to ascertain a crashworthiness rating through your administration or the iihs. I once assumed that these tests were conducted prior to the public sale of automobiles. How long must a consumer wait for a test to be conducted? The insurance companies seem to depend heavily on these evaluations when determining their rates.
- Equipment · Structure
After my car was involved in an accident I was made aware that the MINI vin number indicates that my MINI IS a 2 door model in most data resources for evaluation purposes. But I have the MINI 4 door hardtop model! How could that not be indicated with a 4D instead of the 2D in this models vin #? *tr
- Unknown or other
Twice since buying my car in may if 2016 I have badly burned my leg on the tailpipe while getting bags out of the trunk. I was not even reaching into the trunk particularly deeply. The tailpipe protrudes beyond the bumper and it IS very easy to inadvertently bump it with one's leg if wearing…
Twice since buying my car in may if 2016 I have badly burned my leg on the tailpipe while getting bags out of the trunk. I was not even reaching into the trunk particularly deeply. The tailpipe protrudes beyond the bumper and it IS very easy to inadvertently bump it with one's leg if wearing shorts. This IS dangerous to adults, but also especially dangerous for children helping their parents get things out of the car. I have photos of the burns if you need them.
- Exterior lighting
Please check the rear brake light photos (halfway down, this page: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/r55-clubman-talk-2008/293675-2016-clubman-13.html). I was following one of these cars the other day and in stop-and-go traffic the lower brake lights are simply not visible! The large…
Please check the rear brake light photos (halfway down, this page: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/r55-clubman-talk-2008/293675-2016-clubman-13.html). I was following one of these cars the other day and in stop-and-go traffic the lower brake lights are simply not visible! The large (turn signal) lights just below the rear window "look" they're supposed to be brake lights but, obviously, don't come on with braking. No question, this will result in collisions, some serious. Nhtsa needs to be proactive and force a corrective repair; this IS truly a public health.safety issue!!!
- Electrical system · Service brakes
This IS in regards to the rear brake lights on the 2016+ MINI cooper clubman models. The design of the rear brake lights can not be seen while following the vehicle at a cars length of distance. The largest tail lights on the rear hatch of the vehicle are not the actual brake lights where you…
This IS in regards to the rear brake lights on the 2016+ MINI cooper clubman models. The design of the rear brake lights can not be seen while following the vehicle at a cars length of distance. The largest tail lights on the rear hatch of the vehicle are not the actual brake lights where you assume you would see brake lights illuminate. Instead they are on the bumper below the rear doors. When in traffic or following less than 2 car lengths behind the cehicle the only way you can tell the vehicle IS even stopping IS the small 3RD brake light. prior to anyone being seriously injured in a rear collision I would like to make the suggestion that BMW and MINI illuminate the large tail lights if the rear barn doors are closed and illuminate the lower lights only when the barn doors are open during driving. I've made this formal claim on record in case anything happens to my family in this vehicle in the future. I've included the following photos for reference: 1. Following at 2 car lengths with brake lights illuminated 2. Following at 1 car lengths with brakes illuminated 3. Side view of distance when brake lights were completely obscured due to location.
- Exterior lighting
This car has terribly placed taillights. The lights are not placed in a visible line of sight. The MINI clubman I saw had very small lights below the large lights on the rear doors. These vehicles should be recalled and the large lights that appear to be taillights should be made functional. The…
This car has terribly placed taillights. The lights are not placed in a visible line of sight. The MINI clubman I saw had very small lights below the large lights on the rear doors. These vehicles should be recalled and the large lights that appear to be taillights should be made functional. The taillights on this vehicle are what appear to be rear fog lights at the very bottom of the car. This IS an awful safety issue as you cannot see the lights in traffic. I'm surprised there haven't been several additional complaints.
- Exterior lighting
Spotted new clubman in front of me on highway. Vehicle came to stop abruptly without apparent warning. Thankfully I was paying attention. Apparently taillights are not the large lights on the trunk, but these small lights placed directly at the bottom of the rear end, almost invisible in stop/go…
Spotted new clubman in front of me on highway. Vehicle came to stop abruptly without apparent warning. Thankfully I was paying attention. Apparently taillights are not the large lights on the trunk, but these small lights placed directly at the bottom of the rear end, almost invisible in stop/go traffic. I was under the impression taillights had to be placed higher up and would have been the large lights across the entire rear section of the car, but that was not the case with this car. I can see this model of car getting rear ended quite frequently when people unexpectedly miss the terribly placed lights at the bottom of the car. The large lights you expect to be brake lights actually are used as turn signals according to online research. I have no idea what genius developed this awful idea, but it IS extremely dangerous in stop and go traffic which plagues our highways. I don't think this should even be allowed to pass fmvs.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10166399RATTLE NOISE FROM SUNROOF WHILE DRIVING: A rattle noise is present from the sunroof while driving only with the sunroof glass in the closed position.
- 10166398SUNROOF WILL NOT OPEN: The sunroof does not move and the vehicle has no faults stored related to the sunroof. A software error in the FZD (Roof function center).
- 10166397NOISE DURING FORWARD/BACK SEAT ADJUSTMENT OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF TRAVEL: A loud screeching noise can be heard from the front driver's or passenger's seat during forward/back seat adjustment.
- 10166396RATTLE FROM FRONT DOOR: A rattle noise is present from the door while driving most commonly when driving over rough roads.
- 10165273SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR HEAD UNITS. Security patches for non-safety critical vulnerabilities in MINI head units Entry Nav Entry Media NBT and NBT EVO.
- 10165271LIN BUS COMMUNICATION FAULT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AIR CATALYST (EAC) SENSOR FC1B8302. The malfunction indicator lamp light is on (MIL) with the following fault code stored in the DME.
- 10165250SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR HEAD UNITS. Security patches for non-safety critical vulnerabilities in MINI head units Entry Nav Entry Media NBT and NBT EVO.
- 10165248LIN BUS COMMUNICATION FAULT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AIR CATALYST (EAC) SENSOR FC1B8302. The malfunction indicator lamp light is on (MIL) with the following fault code stored in the DME.
- 10164019DIAGNOSTIC HINT: CATALYTIC CONVERTER INSPECTION AFTER LOSS OF CRANKSHAFT SIGNAL: In certain situations when the crankshaft position signal is lost while driving the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and an engine malfunction check control message (CCM #29) may be displayed. The engine may run roughly or with reduced power.
- 10163066Safety Systems HEAD UNIT NBT EVO (HU-H2) PROGRAMMING ABORT. During programming several aborts can occur in the head unit NBT EVO (HU-H2).
- 10163062EGS FAULTS STORED AFTER AISIN TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. Due to hardware changes in the AISIN GA6F21AW or GA8F22AW transmissions.
- 10161588Telematics control unit activation via dcsnet for MINI assist.
- 10161587BLUETOOTH CONNECTION IS LOST DURING A PHONE CALL. During an active call the call audio autonomously switching from the vehicle hands-free system to the phone. The Bluetooth connection returns after a vehicle sleep cycle (20 minutes).
- 10161585Service Information May 2019 Special Roofs M54 03 17 Technical Service CONVERTIBLE TOP WILL NOT COMPLETELY STOW This Service Information bulletin replaces SI B54 03 17 dated February 2019.
- 10161584CAVITY PROTECTION WAX LEAKING OUT OF HOOD. Cavity protection applied to underside of hood is leaking out onto wheel arch trim and grille.
- 10161583The Service Engine Soon (MIL) light is on with the following fault stored in the Digital Motor Electronics (DME). In the situation being described the fault is only stored during the cold winter months along with the use of winter fuel.
- 10159159PHONE CALL AUDIO AUTONOMOUSLY SWITCHES FROM VEHICLE TO PHONE. During an active phone call the call audio autonomously switches from the vehicle hands-free system to the phone.
- 10159158SAMSUNG SMARTPHONE WITH ANDROID 8 NO USB AUDIO PLAYBACK OR CHARGING FUNCTION. The Samsung Smartphone running Android 8.x does not support USB audio playback and/or charging of the device via the USB port.
- 10159157AIR BAG WARNING LAMP CC MESSAGE 'RESTRAINT SYSTEM' This Service Information bulletin replaces SI M65 01 17 dated February 2017.
- 10159155GROANING/SQUEAKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. A groaning and/or squeaking noise from the front axle occurs when turning at low speeds or idle. Plastic and elastic deformation of lower ball bearing shell in spring strut support bearing.
- 10159154N16 ENGINE IGNITION COILS: LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120000 MILES This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI M01 08 17 dated February 2018.
- 10159153B36M ENGINE - FUEL TANK VENT (PURGE) VALVE: LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/120000 MILEAGE. The vehicle's malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) lights up.
- 10154765Airbag indicator light remains on after seat occupancy mat replacement.
- 10154763CONVERTIBLE TOP WILL NOT COMPLETELY STOW. When attempting to stow the convertible top; it does not compress into a fully locked position on the left side; preventing the soft-top bow cover from moving forward into proper operating position.
- 10154762SERVICE ACTION PVC SEAM ON TAILGATE WATER CHANNEL COULD LEAK WATER; CHECK AND REWORK. Water may leak into the luggage compartment from inside the D-Pillar. Insufficient sealing of the D-Pillar sheet metal.
- 10154761ENGINE VIBRATIONS OR NOISE. One of the following complaints may be reported: The engine runs erratically; The engine causes vibrations when running; Grinding noise from the engine compartment when engine is running.
- 10153787AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT REMAINS ON AFTER SEAT OCCUPANCY MAT REPLACEMENT. The airbag indicator light illuminates after replacing the CIS (Capacitive Interior Sensing) mat.
- 10153785BLACK SPOT IN THE CENTRAL INFORMATION DISPLAY. A small black spot remains on the Central Information Displays (CID) illuminated screen which does not go away after a key cycle or sleep mode.
- 10153784CENTRAL INSTRUMENT PANEL LED SURROUND RING DOES NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN IGNITION IS TURNED ON. CAUSE Software error in the Automotive Pixel Link driver (APIX driver). APIX is the serial high-speed Gigabit multichannel link that connects displays such as the LED ring with vehicle control modules.
- 10153782ENGINE STALLS AFTER STARTING OR WILL NOT START. The engine stalls right after starting (when stationary).
- 10153781SERVICE ACTION: LOCK THE DME FAULT MEMORY. The fault memory lock in Digital Motor Electronics (DME) control unit was not activated. This lock should prevent the manual deletion of permanent fault codes. The DME fault memory lock has not been set.
- 10153721XM Satellite Radio Reception. INFORMATION Currently Satellite Radio is provided by SiriusXM for MINI customers. SiriusXM is the only company currently broadcasting Satellite Radio in North America. Satellite radio was broadcast from two different sets of Satellites using different earth orbits. XM uses geosynchronous (GEO) satellites located roughly above the equator. This means that the satellite signal to some parts of the United States can come in at an angle as low as 32 degrees to the horizon. This is different than Sirius Satellites in a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) which came in to the vehicle at a higher angle to the horizon. As of April 2016 Sirius equipped head units moved to the XM Satellites constellation and now show the same location based cutouts.
- 10153719SPLIT REAR DOOR ONLY OPENS ON ONE SIDE. When the key button is pressed to open the rear split doors.
- 10153718GROANING/SQUEAKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. A groaning and/or squeaking noise from the front axle occurs when turning at low speeds or idle.
- 10153717Fault 118002 - mixture too rich sets during winter with cold ambient temperatures.
- 10152680"MANUAL TRANSMISSION - STIFF DIAGONAL GEARSHIFT LEVER MOVEMENT. The customer may complain of a ""stiff diagonal shift"" (e.g., N-R, R-N, 2-3/3-2 or 4-5/5-4). Also, in some cases, gears cannot be selected, or the selector gear does not go into the neutral position. CAUSE 1. The deflection lever circlip of the gearshift mechanism is damaged or missing. 2. Possible corrosion at the gearshift mechanism (shift cables or transmission gearshift unit)"
- 10152338Door Open Message Displayed, Even Though Door Is Closed. The customer complains that while driving, a CCM (check control message) indicates the doors are open, even though they are closed. Also, sometimes the gong will sound and the interior lights will go on and off. Unspecified FRM (footwell module) door lock status due to voltage variations
- 10152336"Delivery Stop: Remove Engine Oil Label. Affected vehicles in dealer inventory must not be retailed or delivered until this issue is corrected. Vehicles at ports of entry will be remedied prior to dealer delivery. On affected vehicles, there is an incorrect label regarding the appropriate engine oil. Affected vehicles can be identified with a ""Vehicle Comment"" in the DCS Warranty Vehicle Inquiry or ISPA Light. The text on the label does not conform to legal regulations."
- 10152334The manual transmission gear shift knob easily comes off the shift rod with minimal upward force. The retaining tabs on the shifter knob do not hold securely to the shifter rod.
- 10152330B38 and B48 Engines: Rough Running and Various Faults for Camshaft Sensor Signal and VANOS Control Stored in the DME. The engine runs rough and the malfunction warning is illuminated. One or more of the following faults are stored in the DME: 130104 Variable camshaft timing control, intake: Control fault, camshaft jamming 130108 Variable camshaft timing control, intake: Control fault, position not reached 130304 Variable camshaft timing control, exhaust: Control fault, camshaft jamming 130308 Variable camshaft timing control, exhaust: Control fault, position not reached 130E11 Intake camshaft sensor, plausibility: Signal implausible 130E20 Intake camshaft: Angle offset with respect to the crankshaft lies outside tolerance range 130F11 Exhaust camshaft sensor, plausibility: Signal implausible 130F20 Exhaust camshaft: Angle offset with respect to the crankshaft lies outside tolerance range 131401 Variable camshaft timing control, exhaust, cold start: Cannot be controlled 131501 Variable camshaft timing control, intake, cold start: Cannot be controlled 131808 Variable camshaft timing control, exhaust, cold start: Position not reached 131908 Variable camshaft timing control, intake, cold start: Position not reached CAUSE DME software error and/or a mechanical failure of the VANOS actuators, camshafts and the VANOS central bolt valves.
Every MINI Cooper Convertible model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.