Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

7 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
1

Most reports here involve fire.

fire 1
A recent report: After work, I started the car in a parking lot. Before leaving, a fire started under the hood behind the passenger side headlight. After using the jaws of life to take off the hood, the fire…
Read full complaint

After work, I started the car in a parking lot. Before leaving, a fire started under the hood behind the passenger side headlight. After using the jaws of life to take off the hood, the fire department contained the fire. No injuries. There was extensive damage to the right front. The contents were all smoke damaged. Neighboring cars were not damaged. The car has been totaled.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11499386 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
3

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 2fire 1
A recent report: No incident occurred. On October 18th we received a high voltage battery recall notice for this car. Apparently there were some thermal events (fires) and BMW has released software to help protect…
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No incident occurred. On October 18th we received a high voltage battery recall notice for this car. Apparently there were some thermal events (fires) and BMW has released software to help protect the car from such an event. We have been trying to get in touch with MINI, and just recently found that the dealer closed. They left their answering machine online for about a month after. The local BMW dealer says that they cannot perform the update (MINI USA requested we ask them). MINI USA now says that the car must be trucked 300 miles away to the closest dealer. The car cannot even be driven that far because it has about 100 miles of range, the roads are 75+, and there is limited charging infrastructure. We feel that this presents an undue time and financial burden since the dealer closed down, and this is a manufacturing defect. I have repeatedly been in touch with MINI but have received very little support or advice other than spending an enormous amount of money to have the vehicle shipped out of state.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11629967 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
2

Most reports here involve premature wear.

premature wear 1loss of steering 1
A recent report: The car completely lost steering in traffic. I brought it back to the Mini dealership, they informed me this is a known issue for Mini Coopers equipped with the click-and-play system, and they needed…
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The car completely lost steering in traffic. I brought it back to the Mini dealership, they informed me this is a known issue for Mini Coopers equipped with the click-and-play system, and they needed to re-wire the click-and-play to fix it. However Mini decided this should not be a recall. I strongly disagree with Mini's assessment considering losing steering on the road could cause severe accidents.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11519216 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
1

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

airbags not deploying 1
A recent report: On October 4, 2022, the Mini Cooper hardtop 4 door was hit in a head-on collision by a driver who was going at least 40 MPH, possibly more. The car that hit the Cooper was a Toyota Prius. All the…
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On October 4, 2022, the Mini Cooper hardtop 4 door was hit in a head-on collision by a driver who was going at least 40 MPH, possibly more. The car that hit the Cooper was a Toyota Prius. All the Prious' airbags deployed. No airbags deployed on the Mini Cooper hardtop 4 door. None. The Mini Cooper, after assessment, was considered to be a total loss.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11493154 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 7 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2021 and 2024, roughly 2 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.