2025 MINI Countryman

On May 29, 2026, my 2025 MINI Countryman SE (battery-electric) became completely immobilized when the charging connector locked into the vehicle's charge port and could not be released. With the connector locked in, the vehicle could not be moved, shifted to neutral, or driven. The defect is in the factory charge-port locking mechanism. The connector could not be freed by me, by a MINI master technician working remotely for about 45 minutes, by the tow operator, or by the dealership's own service manager, who tried for over two minutes using both the manual release and the key fob and could not release it (recorded on video). The vehicle had to be towed. Because the wheels were locked, the master technician issued a written instruction that it be transported on dollies. A dealership advisor said the cause was the charge-port locking mechanism and that the lock "wears out over time with use." If accurate, that indicates a wear-related design condition that could immobilize other vehicles of this make and model, and a manual release that did not function when the primary lock failed. An EV that locks its own charge connector and then cannot be released or moved presents a stranding and safety risk, especially away from home or where it obstructs traffic. As of June 26, 2026, nearly four weeks later, the vehicle still has not been successfully repaired. Its own charging data shows no successful charging session since June 3, 2026, and repeated charging attempts at a dealership on June 16, 2026 each delivered zero energy, consistent with the charge-port/connector-lock defect remaining unresolved. The failed component is available for inspection, and all supporting evidence (video, photos, charging data, communications) has been preserved.

NHTSA ID

11746804

Incident

May 29, 2026

My panoramic sunroof exploded while driving. Sounded like we were shot at. The vehicle is currently at MINI of Des Moines. It can be inspected. USAA is sending an appraiser to the shop to assess damages. This is a known issue. However, after a 7 year federal investigation they were unable to pinpoint an exact reason why this happens and unable to put a recall on this vehicle. The dealership gave me a loaner and told me it’s not covered under warranty but offered to pay my 1k deductible which I gladly accepted. No warnings. Just a spontaneous explosion.

NHTSA ID

11740515

Incident

May 23, 2026

Vehicle exhibits persistent, intermittent failure of Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Phone fails to pair, drops all connection mid-drive (all displays including speed, navigation, etc go dead), and disconnects active calls and navigation prompts during operation. Defect requires repeated manual re-pairing attempts that draw driver attention from the road. The same phone pairs reliably with all other vehicles and devices tested, including a more recent 2025 Countryman dealer loaner and personal home equipment, indicating the defect is in the vehicle's electronic architecture rather than the phone or user settings. Multiple service visits to an authorized MINI dealer have not resolved the issue. The dealership service team has stated verbally that "all the early 2025 Countrymen seem to have these issues." Dealer is now indicating that full head unit replacement may be required, with extended out-of-service time. The defect creates a documented driver-distraction risk and aligns with multiple existing NHTSA complaints and BMW Technical Service Bulletins for the 2025 Countryman platform. The sudden outage meant I had no information while driving on the interstate at speed and didn't know what was happening. I didn't even know if I was indicating to move over to the shoulder of the road. This happened at least 4 other times since I had had the car but thankfully only the once on an actual highway. Other times were in Atlanta city traffic and a couple of times in my driveway. Even more frustrating, I cannot get it to reliably pair with my iPhone 17 Pro. The lack of reliability increased markedly with the last MINI update which occurred about a week ago. I need to travel for work and cannot rely on this car to get me where I need to go and I actually avoid driving it now. The problem has been validated by the Dealer. The Service intake worker noted, "We have seen this in almost all of the early 2025 Countryman models." There was no warning at all when it happen

NHTSA ID

11735640

Incident

Jan 28, 2026

I was driving my 2025 MINI JCW on a partly cloudy day 42degrees Fahrenheit. I was diving between 35 and 40 mph when the sunroof exploded. There weren't other vehicles nearby, and I didnt hear any rock hit, it just exploded.

NHTSA ID

11731971

Incident

Apr 17, 2026

The vehicle experienced intermittent electrical failures, including screen blackouts/reboots during startup and while driving. These events affected visibility of vehicle information and settings. The drive mode selector malfunctioned, limiting the ability to select Eco, Normal, Sport, or Off-Road modes. Drive modes directly affect throttle response, braking behavior, and vehicle control. On multiple occasions, braking and acceleration behavior felt inconsistent with selected drive mode, creating safety concerns. The issue is intermittent and was reported to an authorized dealer. The dealer was unable to consistently reproduce the issue but did not dispute that the concern was reported. The vehicle remains available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11715345

Incident

Jan 4, 2026

The vehicle exhibits a persistent and repeatable service brake defect involving jolting/binding at complete stops, accompanied by uneven brake application and a failure of the friction surfaces to clear oxidation during normal operation. At low speeds and during final braking load, the vehicle produces a distinct clunk/release sensation, as if braking force is abruptly released just before stopping. This creates an unexpected weight-shift and inconsistent stopping behavior. The condition has occurred consistently since approximately 4,000 miles and has persisted through multiple dealer service visits. Physical inspection shows progressive circumferential rotor banding, pitting, and corrosion on all four wheels that does not clear with normal driving. This indicates the brake pads are failing to make uniform contact with the rotors, compromising the integrity of the vehicle's primary safety system. The dealer has acknowledged the symptoms but has declined Integrated Brake (IB) Module–related repair, stating the VIN is not currently flagged for recall. However, these symptoms are materially consistent with the failure modes described in NHTSA recalls 24V-104 and 24V-697 involving the Integrated Brake Module on this platform. Despite three documented repair attempts (October 2025 – December 2025), the manufacturer has failed to rectify the underlying mechanical defect. Due to the unpredictable braking behavior and visible degradation of the braking components, I have limited the vehicle’s use and do not consider it safe for highway or emergency braking situations.

NHTSA ID

11709327

Incident

Sep 25, 2025

Not even 2 months from vehicle being purchased had to replace 2 tires and then 5 months later tire comes completely of the axel while driving on a highway and caused an accident were vehicles was declared total

NHTSA ID

11702821

Incident

Oct 18, 2025

The center display and driver display shut off while car was in motion. There was no speed indication or any information about the car available to drive safely. The computer system is occasionally slow to load. There are no indications prior to the problem happening. It has happened twice while driving. The car has less than 6,000 miles. I have reported this problem to a dealer. There have been additional problems to the software systems, and the dealer service department did a complete software reload/reflash of the system. This problem has occured after the service.

NHTSA ID

11699042

Incident

Oct 13, 2025

The front interior reading light(s) (arrows) willrandomly turn ON and OFF while driving. The reading lights are normally activated bytouching the small icons (circled).

If MINI Personal Assistant is active in the vehicle, once the customer exits the vehicle and a new key cyclestarts, the MINI Personal Assistant is deactivated and no longer available.

Due to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases itmay happen that stored fault memory codes (DTCs) and the MIL (warning light) are not automaticallydeleted even though the underlying malfunction has already been rectified. This does not comply with the statutory OBD specifications.

After a factory reset of the head unit, the navigation voice input cannot be activated or deactivated.

The vehicle may experience various operational issues with Apple CarPlay Projected Modes such as: Dropped connections No automatic reconnection Display errors

Unfavorable software in Headunit 6 (HU-H6).