The 2017 MINI Cooper S has 3 safety recalls and 6 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is engine (2 complaints).
Recalls3safety recalls
Complaints6filed by owners
Crashes · fires1 · 0reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths1 · 0reported in complaints
Safety recalls
Exterior lighting › Brake lights
NHTSA recall 17V222000 · Mar 31, 2017 · 16,883 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.
Air bags
NHTSA recall 16V914000 · Dec 20, 2016 · 3,506 vehicles
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.
Risk: If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
NHTSA recall 16V747000 · Oct 17, 2016 · 15,455 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.
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 S Hardtop 2 door
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 32 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,950/year to fuel
Cooper S Hardtop 4 door
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 32 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,950/year to fuel
Cooper S Convertible
28mpg combined
City / highway
25 / 33 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,950/year to fuel
Cooper S Clubman
27mpg combined
City / highway
23 / 33 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,050/year to fuel
Cooper S Countryman
27mpg combined
City / highway
23 / 32 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S8) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,050/year to fuel
Cooper S Clubman All4
26mpg combined
City / highway
22 / 31 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive · about $3,150/year to fuel
Cooper S Convertible
26mpg combined
City / highway
23 / 32 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,150/year to fuel
Cooper S Hardtop 2 door
26mpg combined
City / highway
23 / 32 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,150/year to fuel
Cooper S Hardtop 4 door
26mpg combined
City / highway
23 / 32 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,150/year to fuel
Cooper S Countryman All4
26mpg combined
City / highway
22 / 31 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (S8) · All-Wheel Drive · about $3,150/year to fuel
Cooper S Clubman
25mpg combined
City / highway
22 / 31 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,300/year to fuel
Cooper S Clubman All4
24mpg combined
City / highway
21 / 30 mpg
Fuel
Premium Gasoline
2 L · 4 cyl · Manual 6-spd · All-Wheel Drive · about $3,400/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.
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Sep 13, 2023Service brakes I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding unprompted, sudden, and uneven vehicle braking that occurs exclusively when the windshield wipers are turned on. While driving in wet conditions with the windshield wipers active, the vehicle intermittently and violently applies the brakes on its own without any input on the brake pedal. This creates a sudden deceleration and causes the vehicle to pull erratically, posing an immediate risk of a rear-end collision or a loss of vehicle control.Research into the vehicle's engineering reveals that this is a severe malfunction of the Automated Brake Drying / Dry Braking feature embedded in the ABS/DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) module logic. While…
Mar 9, 2026 · 101,000 milesEngine The contact owns a 2017 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was vibrating abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the passengerâs side engine mount needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the passengerâs side engine mount had been replaced five years ago, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
Mar 15, 2025Unknown or other 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 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…
May 17, 2024Service brakes 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 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…
May 23, 2019 · 15,000 milesEngine 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.
Jan 9, 2018 · 17,200 miles · crash · 1 injuryAir bags 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
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.