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Vehicle safety record

2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 38 complaints about the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop with NHTSA, most often about the lights (11) and the engine & cooling (9). Those complaints describe 2 crashes and 6 injuries. There are no recalls for it. For comparison, the 2015 has 53.

NHTSA data checked

CAbout as many problems as a typical Cooper Hardtop year, for its age

#149 most complained-about 2016 vehicle

Complaints
38
Recalls
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
6
Deaths
0

Most common 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop problems

Share of all 38 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

No recalls for the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop. Recalls can be announced at any time - this page updates daily.

What owners say

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38 complaints about the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 2.

Engine & cooling

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...

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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?

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11700391
Engine & cooling

Oil filter housing failure. MINI issued a recall for this part in 2014 when the third generation MINI Cooper S/JCW first launched. Unfortunately they did not fix the part and now as time goes on, the issue is occurring with high frequency on every BMW/MINI and Toyota Supra with the BMW B46/B48 2.0L turbocharged engine. The plastic oil filter housings crack causing oil and coolant to leak. In my case oil poured down the front of the hot engine which could have caused a fire. BMW/MINI dealers charge nearly $2500 to...

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repair this failure. The ODI should investigate this concern as it has been reported dozens of times on each model with this engine including the BMW X1 28i/M35, BMW X2 28i/M35, BMW X3 30i, BMW X4 30i, BMW 328i/330i, BMW 528i/530i, BMW 330e hybrid, BMW 530e hybrid, BMW Z4, Toyota Supra 2.0T, MINI Cooper S/JCW 3-door and 5-door, MINI Countryman, MINI Cooper S/JCW Convertible, etc. BMW is aware of this common failure. Thus far BMW has refused to issue a service campaign or recall for this problem which causes owners of these affected vehicles to be out of pocket thousands of dollars. If oil drips onto hot exhaust or into a wiring harness, it could easily cause a fire.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11639876
Transmission & drivetrainEngine & cooling

Drivetrain error occurred. I pulled codes and found P0015. I added oil, cleared code. The next day the drivetrain error popped back up. Pulled codes and found P0366. I took the vehicle to mechanic for diagnostics and to find the issue. They found faults: 130F11 and 120408. When replacing engine oil and filter, they found metal shavings in the oil; bearing material. They are recommending replacing the engine. Doing research, it appears this has been a common occurrence with these vehicles/engines. Is there a current...

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recall on some of these engines, or a possibility for a discounted replacement due to the issues being widespread? The car has less than 74,000 miles, and the mechanic said it looks like it may have been going on a while. I purchased this car from a used dealership less than 3 months ago, and have already encountered so many unexpected issues. I really expected more from the Mini brand. Thanks.

Filed Incident Power train · EngineNHTSA 11636617
Electrical systemBrakes

While driving straight on an Interstate highway at approximately 65 mph, the right front and left rear brakes momentarily locked up after the windshield wipers were turned on due to light rain starting to fall. This happened multiple times, only when the wipers were turned on. There were no warning lights illuminated in the instrument cluster or dash displays. This nearly caused a loss of vehicle control on several occasions and nearly caused an accident as well. The car has been routinely serviced to factory...

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schedules including brake fluid time based changes. There appeared to be some occasional delay in the release of the brakes when starting from a stop. The brakes were serviced after this incident and the service center recommended completing a few panic stops to operate the ABS system. They could not explain how the wiper system can cause one circuit of the braking system to operate momentarily. A search of web forums for the F56 series MINI shows that this random locking of the RF & LR brakes with teh wipers in operation has happened to quite a few other owners of similar Mini Coopers. This problem creates a very significant safety risk.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Service brakesNHTSA 11614123
Engine & cooling

Had recurring engine warning light which will only reset for one ignition cycle. Took to dealer to read code and result was "LIN bus communication fault for environmental air catalyst sensor". This is the same problem drivers of the Mini Cooper S model have reported and received an extended warranty from Mini of North America (15 year / 150000 mi) with replacement of sensor and radiator. However, talking with Mini of North America, the extended warranty does not apply to the base model 5-door Cooper because not...

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enough complaints have been recorded. If more people report this issue, it could be covered just as the S-model is being covered. In the meantime, the car will not pass an emissions inspection with the light on, and Mini dealer wants $2000 to replace radiator and sensor. Car currently has about 70,000 miles on it, but engine light as been on for approximately 15 months (emissions inspection is required every 24 months). I have a decent code reader, but it only provides "U019D generic code" which is why I took it to Mini dealer.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11609588
Electrical systemLights

Rear passenger tail light casing/bucket had burnt connections. Replaced casing/bucket and bulb. Worked for short time, tail light failed a second time. Casing/bucket & bulb replaced, again worked for short time and then went out. Took vehicle to another mechanic after passenger side headlight failed. New mechanic checked casings/bucket - connections looked okay, however both wiring harnesses were severely burnt. Headlight harness was all bare wires. Mechanic unable to determine cause of the severe heat that would...

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lead to both the headlight & taillight wiring harnesses becoming burnt so severely. Mechanic was concerned of the potential for this issue to cause vehicle fire. Suggested to follow up with dealership to have lights & wiring harnesses on Driver side checked After research online regarding this year/make/model - I have found numerous other reports of other owners experiencing the same issues with burned wiring harnesses causing both front and rear light failure with no known causes.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Exterior lightingNHTSA 11605757
Engine & cooling

My Mini service adviser said the timing case cover is seeping and will continue to get worse until the seep becomes a leak and the oil starts dripping onto the manifold, potentially creating a fire. It is at the seepage stage now and therefore my extended warranty will not fix it. My Mini service adviser said she doesn't think it is dangerous yet but I have to keep an eye on it as this is a common problem on Minis. They quoted me a price of $934 to replace the timing case cover itself. I researched the problem online and found this is a common problem and will need my attention to ensure it doesn't get dangerous before I'm able to get it repaired.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11600982
Engine & cooling

Notes from Beckley Auto Service from 2-12-24. "Verified warning light on, retrieved one code for LIN bus communication fault for environmental air catalyst sensor. Checked and found technical service bulletin (TSB) from Mini Cooper M13 01 19. The chemical composition of the fan shroud contaminates the sensor. This repair involves the replacing of the radiator with each sensor and fan shroud. Should be covered under Mini Coopers emissions warranty. Called Mini Cooper of Des Moines(Jerimiah) and was advised...

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that this vehicle does not have and extended parts warranty/warranty extension on the environmental sensor. Would recommend contacting Mini Cooper Customer service or Mini Cooper North America for assistance." I did contact Mini Cooper customer service North America and was told my vin does not fall within this TSB. When asked why my vehicle with the identical engine and issues specified in the TSB is not covered I was told, "I don't know."

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11573298
Electrical systemLights

* Component/ system that has malfunctioned and failed - The Driver side tail light circuit board and pig tail malfunctioned. The connector has corroded and the plastic plug housing looks melted on the earth / brown wire. This in return damages the the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal the reverse light and the brake light inoperable on the effected side. YES, MY VEHICLE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AT ANY TIME. *A driver behind an affected vehicle could be confused which could...

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increase the risk of a crash. *The vehicle has been inspected by a licensed MINI Dealership. They failed to report two of the three nonworking rear lights that have failed due to the connector becoming corroded. The corroded plastic plug housing becomes melted on the earth / brown wire. This in return damages the the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal and brake light inoperable on the effected side. In this case it is the rear driver side. *There was/ is no warning until long after the first second and/ or third rear light(S) were not operable. Intermittently (sometimes) a warning will popup when turning on the vehicle. The vehicle will not warn the driver about and and / or all three lights each and every time the vehicle is turned on. ALSO while the vehicle is in drive or in reverse , the driver will not have any warning what so ever that the three lights 1. The driver side rear break light 2. The driver side rear reverse light 3. The driver side rear turn signal are not working due to a malfunction. * note that there is a very strong burnt/melted smell that comes from the connector as well. I could smell it on my fingers after removing the connector so I could check the rear bulbs for replacement. Please note the 1st photo-this is how the dealership left my connector after their assessment. Additional photos are of the connector/ pig tail/ circuit board corrosion. Intermittent warrnings for some of the nonworking lights.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Exterior lightingNHTSA 11569727
Electrical systemLights

There is a design issue resulting in failure of the connector for the rear tail light assembly. The connector corrodes and the plastic plug housing melts. This damages the ground connection for the tail light rendering the turn signal and brake light inoperable on the effected side. This has happened on the right rear of our Mini Cooper JCW hardtop. Searching on the web shows this to be a common problem for the F55, F56 & F57 MINIs. As this failure makes the car brake light system non-compliant with FMVSS lighting requirements, there should be a recall to address this issue.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Exterior lightingNHTSA 11562935
Transmission & drivetrain

Error signal "Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped" Mini dealer says "common problem" with Mini transmissions and always due to fluid leaking thru shifter onto gear shift mechanism. Lots of forums stating this is common. Unclear why Mini not taking responsibility for this due to poor design. How many cars ever get a failure such as this? None that I can find except MIni and BMW with similar transmissions.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11561607
Equipment & accessories1 injury

*The condensation drain hose is not properly draining the condensate from the vehicle. The micro-filter is is absorbing condensate water from the evaporator housing. *After a while the water that sits, turns to mold. You dont know about it until it gets to that point. You breathe in mold, constantly until you figure out where it is coming from. *The problem has been confirmed and also confirmed that its a known problem to have with these cars *Yes the care has been inspected by the dealer. *There are no warnings at all

Filed Incident EquipmentNHTSA 11552298
Transmission & drivetrain

About two days ago I noticed my MINI started showing an error every time I got into the vehicle saying "Secure vehicle against rolling" I have seen numerous different discussions online but none seemed to come to a solution or single cause of this error. Everything still shifts completely fine in the car, the parking brake engages, and the car shifts into park fine. Seems to be a common problem, it's a shame MINI has not addressed it as a recall.

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11538855
Electrical systemLights

Rear tail lights have a bulb socket and a 6-pin connector that have a tendency to burn at the brown ground wire where the connector and bulb socket meet. Requiring replacement of both parts and disabling the rear tail light (brake, turn, and reverse lights). It requires rewiring the 6-pin connector and replacing the bulb socket. About $60 in parts. When this occurs it an alert comes on the dash of a malfunction to all three rear lighting functions. One or all three of the lights can be affected. However, due...

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to the complexity of the parts and labor required, it can be burdensome for people to diagnose and then afford to repair, if they don't know how to repair themselves. Web searches helped me diagnose the issue and find the burnt connections on our vehicle, with folks commenting of a known issue on MINIs and BMWs for this type of connection, surprised it hasn't been part of a recall. An example can be found here: https://www.mini2.com/threads/solution-driver-side-tail-light-failure-melted-connector.361711/

Filed Incident Electrical system · Exterior lightingNHTSA 11516815
Transmission & drivetrain

"Secure Vehicle from Rolling" comes up in instrument cluster and millions of Mini/BMW's have this problem due to a faulty gear shifter selector knob going bad due to a spring in the gear selector box. Annoying because the part fails over time and dealer wants $3000 for the fix. Please help!!

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11514968
Lights

Tail light assembly including brake light and turn signal failed due to burnt electrical socket and connector. This is caused by a faulty grounding point that is very clearly a manufacturing issue but wasn't considered as a recall for some odd reason. This issue is prominent in several BMW 3,4, and 5 series models

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11509134
Transmission & drivetrain

I purchased this vehicle on 9/03/2019 with 29,871 miles. I had to replace the clutch on 5/11/2020 at 39,690 miles. I am now having to purchase yet ANOTHER clutch on 10/17/2022 with 58,850 miles. Two clutches within 3 years is just unacceptable!

Filed Incident Power trainNHTSA 11489667
Engine & cooling

Transmission-get message when opening car door to put parking brake on to secure vehicle from rolling... Car does not roll, goes into gear with no problem... on the mini message board a lot of owners getting the same message....

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11487381
Body, doors & structureSeats & seat belts

Seat back mechanism failed. Could not latch in place. Failed with no warning while driving. Motor mount broken with milage only at 56,000 miles.

Filed Incident Structure · SeatsNHTSA 11470154
Lights

Left side headlight has needed to be replaced three different times at a cost of $1400 each time.

Filed Incident Exterior lightingNHTSA 11467068
Suspension

Car only has 48000,00 miles and tie rods need replaced This is not normal ware for a car. My Ford Fusion has 98000.00 and just now needs tie rods. This has to be a defect

Filed Incident SuspensionNHTSA 11438591
SteeringTransmission & drivetrainEngine & cooling

The harmonic balancer aka crank damper went on my 2016 4dr hardtop 1.5L Mini Cooper. Has 73,000 miles on it. It has been sitting at a garage now for almost a month waiting for bmw to have the part in stock (tentative date avail. Sept.20, making it 2months wait time) tried every possible 3rd party parts dealer & not 1 harmonic balancer is to be found. I was told this part had already needed to be upgraded & modified making it a faulty part to begin with. Was told by garage it's a common part to go on these cars. ...

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1st my warning light came on saying the battery wasn't holding a charge. Beings that I was 2 blocks from my house I drove there & as I was getting to my house another warning came on saying "carefully pull over & let engine cool" so I parked it & had it towed to garage to avoid any other issues.

Filed Incident Steering · Power train · EngineNHTSA 11430245
Engine & cooling

Check engine light comes on. The vehicle is giving code 1b8302. This code is for environmental air sensor BUS communication error. There is an extended warranty issued by Mini for other models for the exact same issue. Dealership/Mini will not cover the cost to repair my vehicle as it has been excluded from the extended warranty. I would like to highlight again that the warranty was issued for the same issue I am experiencing. I have the same engine and the vehicle was manufactured during the same years the warranty was issued for. My vehicle has less than 44,0000 miles on it. There is clearly a defect. I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can provide in holding Mini accountable.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 11418894
AirbagsCrash1 injury

Tl* the contact called on behalf of her son who owned a 2016 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 45 mph, another vehicle ran a stop sign and crashed into the driver's side door sending the vehicle 10-15 feet head-on into a tree. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated that her son sustained a dislocated right ankle, the right heel was fractured in 5 places, the l3 and l5 vertebrae were fractured, his left collar bone was fractured...

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requiring extensive medical attention and surgery. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to from the scene to a tow lot. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure and a case was filed. The approximate failure mileage was 43,500. ## Vin passed ## mini 2016 ##

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11375919
Electrical systemLights

Rear light connector over heating, melting and shorting.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Exterior lightingNHTSA 11361203

Mini Cooper Hardtop: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
201638020LightsC
201553030Engine & coolingC
201433012Engine & coolingB
201347010Electrical systemC
201274019Electrical systemD
All Cooper Hardtop years

2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop

Does the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop have any recalls?

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop right now. Recalls can be announced at any time, and this page checks NHTSA every day. You can also check your exact vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the lights (11), engine & cooling (9), transmission & drivetrain (7).

How many complaints has the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop had?

38 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on February 4, 2016 and the latest on November 19, 2025. Of these, 2 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 6 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 52 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Mini Cooper Hardtop year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Mini Cooper Hardtop years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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