- The problem
- 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."
- The 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.
- The fix
- 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.
Vehicle safety record
2017 Mini Cooper S Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2017 Mini Cooper S with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (1) and the brakes (1). Those complaints describe 1 crash and 1 injury. It is covered by 3 recalls, the latest in March 2017 for the brake lights. For comparison, the 2016 has 0.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical Cooper S year, for its age
#279 most complained-about 2017 vehicle
- Complaints
- 4
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2017 Mini Cooper S problems
Share of all 4 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2017 Mini Cooper S recalls 3
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mini 4-Door Cooper, Cooper S, Mini 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and 2016 BMW 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, M5 and 535d vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat- mounted side air bag inflator initiators that may fail to ignite during a crash.
- The risk
- If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
- The fix
- BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
- The problem
- 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."
- The 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.
- The fix
- 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.
What owners say
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4 complaints about the 2017 Mini Cooper S
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
Hi, the component is the water seals around the trunk lid of the rear boot; this results in water intrusion. Yes, it is available for inspection upon request. Water has been collecting on the interior car body, including electrical components related to rear lights (brakes, turn signal, reverse) as well as resulting mold growth. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by Weatherford BMW, and despite there being a service bulletin open (MINI TSB SI M51 05 16) for a design flaw, BMW/MINI is refusing to fix the issue...
Read the full complaint
outside of warranty. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Only by the manufacturer. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Water intrusion caused the left taillight to short, and I received a warning light for this.
While driving in the rain, the ABS engages, slowing the front right tire dramatically causing the car to skid and lurch to the right. After some internet research, it appears that this is not an isolated incident. Mini Cooper owners also discovered that when driving in dry conditions and the windshield wiper is turned on, the front right tire slows, causing the car to skid and lurch to the right. European Automotive verified that this was the case on my vehicle. This started without any warning and was...
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terrifying. I told both the local mechanic and the dealer that I would not drive the car until it was repaired. There were no warning lights. The local mechanic and the dealer were unable to find any fault codes. The dealer is 3 hours away. Before we knew what the problem was, I towed the car to the dealership and they were unable to replicate the problem. All test drives were done in dry conditions. They replaced the cruise control sensor and the steering wheel and then delivered the car to me saying it was repaired. While driving the car back from out of town, it began to rain, when the windshield wipers came on, the front tire slowed dramatically, lurching the car to the right. This is a terrifying experience, especially in the rain. It seems this is not an isolated incident and may have already caused serious accidents. The car is less than 50,000 miles old and has been used for work only. I have not driven the car out of fear of an accident and have parked it in my driveway waiting for some type of resolution with the dealer.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 mini cooper s. While driving and attempting to stop, the vehicle accelerated. The vehicle was towed to freeport mini cooper (280 sunrise hwy, freeport, ny 11520, (516) 665-1246) to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and had a specialist examine the vehicle; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The failure mileage was 15,000.
I was hit head on last night and air bags did not deploy. I had slowed to approx 10 mph while vehicle that hit me was traveling approx 20-30mph. Vehicle the hit me was a mid 200's trail blazer. *Bf *tr
Mini Cooper S: every year compared
All Cooper S years2017 Mini Cooper S vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Mini Cooper S | 4 | 3 | D | |
| 2017 Mini Clubman | 23 | 3 | D | Compare |
| 2017 Mini Clubman ALL4 | 23 | 0 | - | Compare |
| 2017 Mini Cooper | 18 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 2017 Mini Hardtop | 10 | 0 | C | Compare |
| 2017 Mini Convertible | 10 | 0 | D | Compare |
| 2017 Mini Countryman | 7 | 2 | C | Compare |
| 2017 Mini JCW | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
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.
Questions about the 2017 Mini Cooper S
Does the 2017 Mini Cooper S have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2017 Mini Cooper S: brake lights (March 2017); air bags (December 2016); retractor (October 2016). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Mini Cooper S?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (1), brakes (1), driver assistance (1).
How many complaints has the 2017 Mini Cooper S had?
4 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 10, 2018 and the latest on March 27, 2025. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Is the 2017 Mini Cooper S a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 29 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Mini Cooper S 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 S years have the most complaints?
2004 (529), 2015 (71), 2010 (59). See every Mini Cooper S year compared.
What should I do if my 2017 Mini Cooper S 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