2016 MINI Cooper S
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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These records cover every 2016 MINI Cooper S. 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 S. 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 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…
Risk and remedy
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.
Owner complaints
10 complaints1 involved a crash2 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system · Power train
On September 13, 2026, my vehicle experienced a failure of the internal Steptronic automatic transmission gear selector position-detection return spring (torsion spring). This mechanical failure triggered persistent dashboard safety warnings reading: "P Secure vehicle against rolling" and…
On September 13, 2026, my vehicle experienced a failure of the internal Steptronic automatic transmission gear selector position-detection return spring (torsion spring). This mechanical failure triggered persistent dashboard safety warnings reading: "P Secure vehicle against rolling" and "Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center." Even though the vehicle physically shifts into Park, the broken internal spring prevents the magnet from signaling the sensor. This creates an immediate safety hazard, confusion regarding vehicle state, and an increased risk of vehicle rollaway. MINI is aware of this systematic component failure and issued a 10-year/120,000-mile extended warranty (Service Bulletin SI M01 04 24) to cover it. However, I was denied coverage and forced to pay out-of-pocket for repairs because eligibility was arbitrarily restricted by vehicle production date, despite my vehicle (produced on 6/9/2016) experiencing the exact same mechanical defect, fault codes, and safety risks.
- 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.
- 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 side rear brake light failed to illuminate. Additionally, the left turn signal was…
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 side rear brake light failed to illuminate. Additionally, the left turn signal was blinking quickly while activated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the rear brake light bulbs, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the driver’s side brake sensor wiring harness was melted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V222000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 34,000.
- Engine
There have been thousands upon thousands of failures of the oil cooler/oil filter housing on all BMW/MINI B46/B48 2.0T engines. This problem dates back to 2014 when BMW issued a stop sale order and recall on the 2014 MINI Cooper with both the 1.5L I3 (B38) and 2.0L I4 (B48) engines. Since 2014, the…
There have been thousands upon thousands of failures of the oil cooler/oil filter housing on all BMW/MINI B46/B48 2.0T engines. This problem dates back to 2014 when BMW issued a stop sale order and recall on the 2014 MINI Cooper with both the 1.5L I3 (B38) and 2.0L I4 (B48) engines. Since 2014, the engine has been installed in over two million vehicles sold in the United States under the BMW, MINI, Karma, and Toyota brands. There is a defect with the oil cooler/oil filter housing that leads to coolant and oil leaks due to the plastic housing failing after being heat cycled a certain number of times. It has gotten so bad that numerous aftermarket metal replacement parts exist to try and prevent this issue from recurring. Due to the placement of the part on the engine, the repair costs up to $3000. Failures are occurring on vehicles with as little as 30,000 miles, but vast majority between 50,000-80,000 miles. Due to the loss of both oil and coolant, a fire risk exists. Coolant can come in contact with electrical components and cause a short, while the oil can begin to drip onto hot engine or exhaust parts. This is a dangerous hazard that should be recalled. BMW should refit affected engines with a more durable component. Below I have included a link to the original NHTSA stop-sale from 2014. [XXX] I’ve also included links to various forums and news articles about this issue. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] / [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Electrical system · Exterior lighting
While driving home thursday night I received left tail light malfunction waring on my dash panel with the turn signal blinking extremely fast. After arriving home I checked the light and found that the tail light inoperative and the turn signals were extremely dim. The next morning I called tucson…
While driving home thursday night I received left tail light malfunction waring on my dash panel with the turn signal blinking extremely fast. After arriving home I checked the light and found that the tail light inoperative and the turn signals were extremely dim. The next morning I called tucson MINI and told them the problem. The sa stated to bring the car in and they would check out the problem. Upon inspection they found that the l/h tail light ground connector and the bulb connector melted. I ask the sa what would cause this problem and she could not answer this problem. But she did make a comment that she had seen hundreds of these problems. Some which caused enough damage that required the whole tail light to be replaced. She also stated that I was luck that the damage to my car limited to only the ground connector and the light bulb holder. I did some research on the internet and found several instances where the same problem had occurred. In one case the person had to replace both tail lights. I believe this IS considered a safety hazard and could possibly cause a fire.
- Engine
TL* the contact owned 2016 MINI cooper s. Contact stated that while his wife was driving at 40 mph, without warning an smoke appeared on the front passenger side under the hood. The contact stated his wife pulled to the side of the road and exited the vehicle before the whole vehicle was engulfed…
TL* the contact owned 2016 MINI cooper s. Contact stated that while his wife was driving at 40 mph, without warning an smoke appeared on the front passenger side under the hood. The contact stated his wife pulled to the side of the road and exited the vehicle before the whole vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department extinguished the flames and a fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage lot and deemed a totaled lost. The manufacturer was contacted and sent a field inspector whom could not determine the cause of the failure. the dealer motor city MINI (29929 telegraph rd. Southfield, mi 48034) was contacted and informed the contact that fire was not covered under the warranty. The dealer did not inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximant 41,000.
- Power train
TL* the contact owns a 2016 MINI cooper s. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on a hill of a driveway, fifteen minutes later the vehicle shifted out of park and rolled away. As a result, the vehicle crashed through the contact's garage door. There was no police report filed and no…
TL* the contact owns a 2016 MINI cooper s. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on a hill of a driveway, fifteen minutes later the vehicle shifted out of park and rolled away. As a result, the vehicle crashed through the contact's garage door. There was no police report filed and no injuries reported. The vehicle was parked with the emergency brake applied. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,000. The vin was not available.
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2016 MINI cooper s. While driving 35 mph, the check engine and oil warning indicators illuminated. Also, the instrument panel alerted the contact to shut off the engine. The contact stated that the oil dipstick showed that there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was towed…
TL* the contact owns a 2016 MINI cooper s. While driving 35 mph, the check engine and oil warning indicators illuminated. Also, the instrument panel alerted the contact to shut off the engine. The contact stated that the oil dipstick showed that there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was towed to MINI of ft. Myers (located at 13880 s tamiami trail, fort myers, fl 33908, (239) 205-7816) where it was determined that the oil consumption was normal. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.
- Steering
I purchased this MINI cooper s on march 16, 2016 and it had 47,282 miles on it. I also bought a limited 90 day warranty offered by buddy's auto sales of springfield, mo. I trailered the car to phoenix where my son was to attend a motorcycle mechanic school in october. On october 07, 2016 we…
I purchased this MINI cooper s on march 16, 2016 and it had 47,282 miles on it. I also bought a limited 90 day warranty offered by buddy's auto sales of springfield, mo. I trailered the car to phoenix where my son was to attend a motorcycle mechanic school in october. On october 07, 2016 we unloaded it from the trailer and parked it at a hotel. The next morning my son (a certified mechanic) went outside to check on the car and the brake light was on. Assuming someone was in the car, he ran to it and found that it was full of smoke and smelled of melting wires/metal. He got a pair of pliers from the hotel and unhooked the battery before the car could burn itself to the ground. As soon as we could get a dealership on the phone, we had it towed there. They informed me that there was a large recall on BMW power steering pumps and they looked it up to see if mine would be covered. It wasn't. It cost $3,823.22 to get the car back and they had the vehicle until october 14, 2016, causing me to miss my flight home. If this IS a wide-spread problem, why wasn't my MINI covered? after having the power steering pump replaced on my MINI cooper s and finally receiving the car back after a week, I drove it from tempe to phoenix where I was staying and heard a loud pop noise as soon as I got it home. There was smoke coming out from under the hood and the car wouldn't steer. I called the dealership where I had just had it repaired and they said that I would once again have to pay the tow bill to get it back to them but that if they found that it was their fault for not fixing something, they would reimburse me for the tow bill. After receiving the car for the second time, they claimed that the power steering hose was an unrelated problem to the power steering pump. I had to pay the tow bill as well as the repair bill.
- Seat belts
Seat belt on driver side of the convertible was rolling up on one side and not providing adequate safe restraint. was told by dealership that I was pulling the seat belt out with my left hand and sitting too close and that I should be pulling the seat belt out with my right hand. owners manual…
Seat belt on driver side of the convertible was rolling up on one side and not providing adequate safe restraint. was told by dealership that I was pulling the seat belt out with my left hand and sitting too close and that I should be pulling the seat belt out with my right hand. owners manual did not provide this information. Contact with BMW of north america did not resolve issue. When I told the dealership service person that this was a design flaw if you can only use one hand to pull the seat belt and sit a certain way, she agreed that it was. I told BMW the same when I spoke to them today and told them I was filing a formal complaint with the nhtsa about the seat belt design.
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.
- 10244507MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. Breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can have various causes, most of which are not due to the battery itself. For this reason, a battery replacement will permanently eliminate the problem only in the rarest of cases. The energy diagnosis test module helps to localize these causes. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. Without performing the energy diagnosis test plan, the root cause of a discharged battery cannot be identified. In order to properly repair the vehicle the first time, it is very important that the diagnostic test plan is performed to completion; with all results taken into consideration.
- 10242535?The panoramic roof sunblind does not close, or jams while closing.
- 10242534?BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop: REPLACE CHARGE AIR LINE.
- 10234353The 3G network in the US has been shut down. This means that only the 4G network will be available. In the 4G network, voice calls will be transferred via Voice over LTE (VoLTE) function. For this purpose, the SIM card must perform an IMS registration in the mobile communication network. Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, MINI Assistance and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice control of the vehicle and all other telephone (paired mobile devices) functions are not affected. Emergency call location data is unaffected.
- 10234352The buttons on the gear selector switch (GWS) do not work, or the function indicator lighting has failed.
- 10234351Oscillations in the electric drive can occur. As a result, the 12 V positive battery cable may rub against the battery box cover.
- 10233170Ambient lighting changes color after the vehicle goes to sleep.
- 10228447During the service life of the vehicle, the high-voltage battery may unexpectedly not provide power to the vehicle.
- 10228446It is possible that the guide stem (aka rotational axis) on the wind deflector can break, upon removal and or during installation.
- 10228445During a vehicle inspection and/or while addressing a customer's concern, the engine stabilizer bar/link appears to be worn.
- 10216790Comfort Access Restricted Check Control Message is Displayed
- 10216789Hissing noise from speakers when radio volume IS turned down. Software in hk hifi amplifier.
- 10216788Sporadic failure of different audio channels. Intermittently, different speakers may be inooperative during an entire drive cycle until the vehicle enters sleep mode and the vehicle IS restarted.
- 10216786NBT and Entry Head Unit Software Update for Improved Satellite Radio Reception
- 10216785False Alarms of the Anti-Theft Alarm Sysstem - NBT and Entry Head Unit Software Update for improved satelite radio reception.
- 10216784XM Satellite Radio Recekption - Audio, Navigation, Monitors, Alarms, SRS
- 10216783Air Conditioning Regrigerant R1234yf Introduction
- 10216781Designates changes to this revision - Foul Odor when switching oin A/C
- 10216780Water Ingress In Footwell Area From A?C Condensate Drain
- 10216779SERVICE ACTION: CBS INCORRECT AFTER INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REPLACEMENT - The Clock in the Instrument Cluster Loses time.
- 10216778Service action: cbs incorrect after instrument cluster replacement
- 10216772Cracking noise coming from the area of the front axle when driving over rough road surfaces, railroad crossings and speed bumps
- 10216767Engine will not start (no crank). The engine will not crank or the engine loses power while driving, followed by a no crank situation.
- 10216709MINI crankshaft guide bearing service action (update 2)
- 10216708Mini parts logistics TEC 26 turbo charger return
- 10216707Mini parts logistics TEC 25 wishbone return
- 10215030MIL Active - EME FC 222F96 - lMalfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) IS ILLUMINATED.
- 10215022MINI Engine oil: repair order invoicing procedure - For covered repairs, effective with repair/claim dates on or after August 1, 2017 Warranties will only reimburse in exact quantities - the 1/10 liter "billing part numbers" for the applicable bulk engine oil (tanker or drum) that is needed after the completion of an engine repair (partial or full) or when an "Engine oil" maintenance service task is performed.
- 10214994Mist formation on the windscreen inner surface may occur at departure or after MSA (automaticstart/stop). Acoustic abnormality in the area of the recirculated air flap (recirculation flap closing and opening several times). The above may occur individually or in combination.
- 10214271The Check Control message "Door open" appears in the instrument cluster (Kombi) even though all vehicle doors are securely closed and locked.
- 10212534Vehicles with total mileage below approx. 12,500 may experience premature wear of the left rear brakes. In some cases, there also may be visible damage due to thermal overload.
- 10206757Any or all of the following CCM ID code 14/15/16/17 door open appear in the instrument cluster when the door is properly closed and locked. The locking operation of the door is not affected by the incorrect display.
- 10206696New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models. The new wheel electronics are identified as Huf Generation 5. These new wheel electronics will need to be programmed using the new tool when replaced or when depressurized (0 psi) for more than 2 minutes.
- 10206695When the vehicle is on a lift and wheels are manually spun, a clanking noise is heard from the transmission area.
- 10206694In situations when the fuel tank vent line becomes blocked, the on-board diagnosis (OBD) may not detect the blockage.
- 10204665The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT came in vehicles with option 609. This uses map North America NEXT. The Headunit High 2 (HU-H2), also called NBT-EVO, superseded the NBT HU and came in vehicles with option code 609. This uses map North America EVO. The ENTRY Media/Navigation (HU-B) is the low line business version of the navigation system and came in vehicles with option 6UM. This uses map North America ROUTE. The ENTRY NAV EVO (HU-B2) replaced Entry Media/Navigation as the low-line business version and came in vehicles with option code 609 or 6NP . This uses map North America WAY.
- 10204664Different air temperatures are felt from left to right out of the front fresh air grilles (air vents).
- 10201152Different air temperatures are felt from left to right out of the front fresh air grilles (air vent). The following fault code is saved in the IHKA (integrated automatic heating/air conditioning system) control unit: 801189 - Engine mixed air right: Initialization fault.
- 10200492SERVICE ACTION 0041080200: MINI F54 RIGHT FRONT DOOR: Due to a fault in the press shop, there may be a crack in the inner door panel of the front right door in the area of the window frame.
- 10200491Creaking Noise When Cornering: A creaking noise is heard from the front end of the vehicle while cornering (predominantly left turns)
Every MINI Cooper S model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.