2016 MINI Cooper S problems

Filed Oct 22, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · TX

On September 13, 2026, my vehicle experienced a failure of the internal Steptronic automatic transmission gear selector position-detection return spring (torsion spring). This mechanical failure triggered persistent dashboard safety warnings reading: "P Secure vehicle against rolling" and "Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center." Even though the vehicle physically shifts into Park, the broken internal spring prevents the magnet from signaling the sensor. This creates an immediate safety hazard, confusion regarding vehicle state, and an increased risk of vehicle rollaway. MINI is aware of this systematic component failure and issued a 10-year/120,000-mile extended warranty (Service Bulletin SI M01 04 24) to cover it. However, I was denied coverage and forced to pay out-of-pocket for repairs because eligibility was arbitrarily restricted by vehicle production date, despite my vehicle (produced on 6/9/2016) experiencing the exact same mechanical defect, fault codes, and safety risks.

Filed Jul 22, 2025 · Engine · IL

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.

Filed Apr 1, 2025 · Lights · 34,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2016 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Left brake lamp and Tailgate light malfunction" was displayed and while depressing the brake pedal the driver’s side rear brake light failed to illuminate. Additionally, the left turn signal was blinking quickly while activated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the rear brake light bulbs, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the driver’s side brake sensor wiring harness was melted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V222000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 34,000.

Filed Nov 23, 2024 · Engine · NC

There have been thousands upon thousands of failures of the oil cooler/oil filter housing on all BMW/MINI B46/B48 2.0T engines. This problem dates back to 2014 when BMW issued a stop sale order and recall on the 2014 MINI Cooper with both the 1.5L I3 (B38) and 2.0L I4 (B48) engines. Since 2014, the engine has been installed in over two million vehicles sold in the United States under the BMW, MINI, Karma, and Toyota brands. There is a defect with the oil cooler/oil filter housing that leads to coolant and oil leaks due to the plastic housing failing after being heat cycled a certain number of times. It has gotten so bad that numerous aftermarket metal replacement parts exist to try and prevent this issue from recurring. Due to the placement of the part on the engine, the repair costs up to $3000. Failures are occurring on vehicles with as little as 30,000 miles, but vast majority between 50,000-80,000 miles. Due to the loss of both oil and coolant, a fire risk exists. Coolant can come in contact with electrical components and cause a short, while the oil can begin to drip onto hot engine or exhaust parts. This is a dangerous hazard that should be recalled. BMW should refit affected engines with a more durable component. Below I have included a link to the original the federal safety agency stop-sale from 2014. [XXX] I’ve also included links to various forums and news articles about this issue. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] / [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Feb 15, 2021 · Electrical, Lights · 67,000 miles · AZ

While driving home thursday night I received left tail light malfunction waring on my dash panel with the turn signal blinking extremely fast. After arriving home I checked the light and found that the tail light inoperative and the turn signals were extremely dim. The next morning I called tucson mini and told them the problem. The sa stated to bring the car in and they would check out the problem. Upon inspection they found that the l/h tail light ground connector and the bulb connector melted. I ask the sa what would cause this problem and she could not answer this problem. But she did make a comment that she had seen hundreds of these problems. Some which caused enough damage that required the whole tail light to be replaced. She also stated that I was luck that the damage to my car limited to only the ground connector and the light bulb holder. I did some research on the internet and found several instances where the same problem had occurred. In one case the person had to replace both tail lights. I believe this is considered a safety hazard and could possibly cause a fire.

Filed Apr 30, 2020 · Engine · 41,000 miles · MI · fire

Tl* the contact owned 2016 mini cooper s. Contact stated that while his wife was driving at 40 MPH, without warning an smoke appeared on the front passenger side under the hood. The contact stated his wife pulled to the side of the road and exited the vehicle before the whole vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department extinguished the flames and a fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage lot and deemed a totaled lost. The manufacturer was contacted and sent a field inspector whom could not determine the cause of the failure. The dealer motor city mini (29929 telegraph rd. Southfield, mi 48034) was contacted and informed the contact that fire was not covered under the warranty. The dealer did not inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximant 41,000.

Filed Aug 19, 2019 · Transmission · 18,000 miles · CA · crash

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.

Filed Feb 25, 2019 · Engine · 43,000 miles · FL

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.

Filed May 15, 2017 · Steering · 57,085 miles · KS · fire

I purchased this mini cooper s on march 16, 2016 and it had 47,282 miles on it. I also bought a limited 90 day warranty offered by buddy's auto sales of springfield, mo. I trailered the car to phoenix where my son was to attend a motorcycle mechanic school in october. On october 07, 2016 we unloaded it from the trailer and parked it at a hotel. The next morning my son (a certified mechanic) went outside to check on the car and the brake light was on. Assuming someone was in the car, he ran to it and found that it was full of smoke and smelled of melting wires/metal. He got a pair of pliers from the hotel and unhooked the battery before the car could burn itself to the ground. As soon as we could get a dealership on the phone, we had it towed there. They informed me that there was a large recall on bmw power steering pumps and they looked it up to see if mine would be covered. It wasn't. It cost $3,823.22 to get the car back and they had the vehicle until october 14, 2016, causing me to miss my flight home. If this is a wide-spread problem, why wasn't my mini covered? After having the power steering pump replaced on my mini cooper s and finally receiving the car back after a week, I drove it from tempe to phoenix where I was staying and heard a loud pop noise as soon as I got it home. There was smoke coming out from under the hood and the car wouldn't steer. I called the dealership where I had just had it repaired and they said that I would once again have to pay the tow bill to get it back to them but that if they found that it was their fault for not fixing something, they would reimburse me for the tow bill. After receiving the car for the second time, they claimed that the power steering hose was an unrelated problem to the power steering pump. I had to pay the tow bill as well as the repair bill.

Filed May 9, 2017 · Seat belts · KY

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 federal safety agency about the seat belt design.