Recalls (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2016 Mini Cooper. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Listed for 2016 Mini Cooper. Not checked against your VIN.
Turn Signal Deactivates Inner Brake Lamp/FMVSS 108
Exterior lighting · brake lights
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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."
- Consequence
- If the brake light does not illuminate when a turn signal is activated, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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.
98.2% repairedof 16,883 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 17V222000
Listed for 2016 Mini Cooper. Not checked against your VIN.
Seat Belt may Not Lock/FMVSS 209
Seat belts · front · retractor
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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."
- Consequence
- 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.
- 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.
89.7% repairedof 15,455 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V747000
Listed for 2016 Mini Cooper. Not checked against your VIN.
Steering Gearbox Malfunction
Steering · gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- A gearbox malfunction may cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.
- 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.
100% repairedof 2 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 15V887000
Listed for 2016 Mini Cooper. Not checked against your VIN.
Passenger Frontal Air Bag May not Deploy Properly
Air bags · frontal · passenger side · inflator module
Official NHTSA text
- Summary
- 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."
- Consequence
- In the event of a vehicle crash, an air bag that does not deploy properly increases the risk of injury to the front seat passenger.
- 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.
93.2% repairedof 6,073 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA
or ask a dealer to check campaign 15V628000
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (41)
41 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The exterior lighting is mentioned most often.
2involved a crash
0involved a fire
6injuries reported
0deaths reported
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 41 |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 12 | 29.3% |
| Engine | 11 | 26.8% |
| Electrical system | 9 | 22% |
| Power train | 7 | 17.1% |
| Unknown or other | 4 | 9.8% |
| Service brakes | 3 | 7.3% |
| Air bags | 2 | 4.9% |
| Equipment | 2 | 4.9% |
| Seat belts | 2 | 4.9% |
| Structure | 2 | 4.9% |
How 2016 compares with other Cooper years
Best and worst Cooper years →201275
201351
201434
201556
201641
201728
20188
201912
20207
20217
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 75 | 1 |
| 2013 | 51 | 1 |
| 2014 | 34 | 7 |
| 2015 | 56 | 6 |
| 2016 | 41 | 4 |
| 2017 | 28 | 3 |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 |
| 2019 | 12 | 2 |
| 2020 | 7 | 2 |
| 2021 | 7 | 2 |
This year (2016)Other yearsStill collecting reports
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Looking at a 2016 Cooper for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2016 Mini Cooper FAQ
How many recalls does the 2016 Mini Cooper have?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns: 17V222000 (brake), 16V747000 (seat belt), 15V887000 (steering), 15V628000 (air bag). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2016 Mini Cooper problems?
Owners filed 41 complaints with NHTSA. Exterior lighting (12), Engine (11), Electrical system (9) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
How does the 2016 Cooper compare with other years?
Among the 2012–2021 Mini Cooper model years at least five years old, the 2020 drew the fewest complaints (7) and the 2012 the most (75). The 2016 drew 41. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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