Model year record

2016 MINI Cooper Convertible recalls & problems

The 2016 MINI Cooper Convertible has 3 safety recalls and 13 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is exterior lighting (4 complaints).

Recalls3safety recalls

Complaints13filed by owners

Crashes · fires0 · 0reported in complaints

Injuries · deaths2 · 0reported in complaints

Safety recalls

Exterior lightingMar 31, 2017

Brake lights

Recall 17V22200016,883 vehicles

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."
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.
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.

Seat beltsOct 17, 2016

Front › Retractor

Recall 16V74700015,455 vehicles

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."
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.
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.

SteeringDec 30, 2015

Gear box (other than rack and pinion)

Recall 15V8870002 vehicles

Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

Cooper Convertible

30mpg combined

City / highway	27 / 36 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

1.5 L · 3 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,750/year to fuel

Cooper Convertible

30mpg combined

City / highway	27 / 36 mpg
Fuel	Premium Gasoline

1.5 L · 3 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,750/year to fuel

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

Problem area	Complaints	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Exterior lighting	4	0	—
Unknown or other	3	2	—
Service brakes	2	0	—
Electrical system	1	0	—
Structure	1	0	—
Equipment	1	0	—
Seat belts	1	0	—
Power train	1	0	—
Engine	1	0	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner 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 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…
Oct 10, 2023
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 ?
Apr 25, 2018
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
Nov 13, 2017 · 9,300 miles
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.
Jun 5, 2017 · 12,800 miles
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
Jun 30, 2016
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.
Feb 8, 2017
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.
Oct 21, 2016 · 6,000 miles
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
Oct 18, 2016

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.