2016 Mini Cooper S: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 9 owner complaints on record; most reports concern engine.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Mar 2017
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 9 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Front passenger side motor mount failed pretty terribly, the rubber completely slipped off the engine side mount leaving a severe engine vibration. The mount is very under engineered. Ours failed at 27,0000 miles.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2025
“Tl* the contact owns a 2016 mini cooper s. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on a hill of a driveway, fifteen minutes later the vehicle shifted out of park and rolled away. As a result, the vehicle crashed through the contact's garage door. There was no police report filed and no injuries reported. The vehicle was parked with the emergency brake applied. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,000. The VIN was not available.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 2016 mini cooper s. While driving 35 mph, the check engine and oil warning indicators illuminated. Also, the instrument panel alerted the contact to shut off the engine. The contact stated that the oil dipstick showed that there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was towed to mini of ft. Myers (located at 13880 s tamiami trail, fort myers, fl 33908, (239) 205-7816) where it was determined that the oil consumption was normal. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2018
Show 1 more owner reports
“Seat belt on driver side of the convertible was rolling up on one side and not providing adequate safe restraint. Was told by dealership that I was pulling the seat belt out with my left hand and sitting too close and that I should be pulling the seat belt out with my right hand. Owners manual did not provide this information. Contact with bmw of north america did not resolve issue. When I told the dealership service person that this was a design flaw if you can only use one hand to pull the seat belt and sit a certain way, she agreed that it was. I told bmw the same when I spoke to them today and told them I was filing a formal complaint with the NHTSA about the seat belt design.”Owner report · Seat Belts · May 2016
When filing, owners marked a crash in 1 of these complaints and injuries in 0 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
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."
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, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper two-door vehicles, 2015-2016 MINI John Cooper Works and MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper four-door vehicles and 2014-2015 BMW i3 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the passenger frontal air bag may not deploy properly in a low speed crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy: MINI and BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on November 25, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525 and BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.
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."
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.
How other years compare
Check your exact Cooper S by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Mini Cooper S reliable?
NHTSA has 9 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Mini Cooper S. The most complained-about area is engine.
Does the 2016 Mini Cooper S have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning seat belts:front:retractor. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.