RoadVitals

2016 MINI Cooper Convertible

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Nov 19, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Mar 31, 2017
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
2 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 13 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 MINI Cooper Convertible, most frequently naming the exterior lighting, brakes and engine categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 251 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Exterior lighting433.3%
  • Brakes216.7%
  • Engine18.3%
  • Other / unspecified18.3%
  • Powertrain (other)18.3%
  • Body & structure18.3%
  • Seat belts18.3%
  • Electrical18.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
17V222000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

Mar 31, 2017
16,883 units potentially affected
The defect: 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 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, LLCView on NHTSA.gov
16V747000

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

Oct 17, 2016
15,455 units potentially affected
The defect: 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 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, LLCView on NHTSA.gov
15V887000

STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)

Dec 30, 2015
2 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: A gearbox malfunction may cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: 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.
BMW of North America, LLCView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 13
Engine
Filed Nov 19, 2025

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 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?

NHTSA ID
11700391
Incident
Oct 10, 2023
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 25, 2018

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 ?

NHTSA ID
11090194
Incident
Apr 25, 2018
Brakes
Filed Nov 15, 2017

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

NHTSA ID
11046196
Incident
Nov 13, 2017
Mileage
9,300 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 7, 2017

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.

NHTSA ID
10993700
Incident
Jun 5, 2017
Mileage
12,800 mi
Seat belts
Filed Feb 23, 2017

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

NHTSA ID
10956584
Incident
Jun 30, 2016
Filed Feb 8, 2017

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.

NHTSA ID
10950375
Incident
Feb 8, 2017
Filed Oct 23, 2016

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.

NHTSA ID
10918101
Incident
Oct 21, 2016
Mileage
6,000 mi
Body & structureOther / unspecified
Filed Oct 18, 2016

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

NHTSA ID
10916810
Incident
Oct 18, 2016

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

M540119

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

SUNROOF WILL NOT OPEN: The sunroof does not move and the vehicle has no faults stored related to the sunroof. A software error in the FZD (Roof function center).

M540219

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

RATTLE NOISE FROM SUNROOF WHILE DRIVING: A rattle noise is present from the sunroof while driving only with the sunroof glass in the closed position.

M510319

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR; STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

RATTLE FROM FRONT DOOR: A rattle noise is present from the door while driving most commonly when driving over rough roads.

M520119

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST

NOISE DURING FORWARD/BACK SEAT ADJUSTMENT OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF TRAVEL: A loud screeching noise can be heard from the front driver's or passenger's seat during forward/back seat adjustment.

M130119

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

LIN BUS COMMUNICATION FAULT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AIR CATALYST (EAC) SENSOR FC1B8302. The malfunction indicator lamp light is on (MIL) with the following fault code stored in the DME.

M650219

EQUIPMENT

SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR HEAD UNITS. Security patches for non-safety critical vulnerabilities in MINI head units Entry Nav Entry Media NBT and NBT EVO.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

MINI Cooper Convertible by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026110—
2025110—
2016Viewing133052.3
2009181037.0
2008910—
2007720—
2006271031.6
2005961250.6

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.