The Lemon Index

All cars · Mini Cooper · 2016

2016 Mini Cooper. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index40100 = average car
Complaints16NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold39,324U.S. model year
Per 100K sold41complaints
Complaint rank#8 of 16among the 16 scored Mini Cooper model years (2005–2022); #1 = fewest complaints per car sold, not the YouTube rank

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 6,000 and 43,000 miles. Median 12,800, from 8 complaints with a mileage.

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Lights25%
Brakes12%
Seat belts12%
Transmission & drivetrain12%
Electrical6%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
1611101

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 4

  • 17V222000 Mar 2017 Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights

    Defect. 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."

    Risk. 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.

  • 16V747000 Oct 2016 Seat Belts / Front / Retractor

    Defect. 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."

    Risk. 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.

  • 15V887000 Dec 2015 Steering / Gear Box (Other Than Rack And Pinion)

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. 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.

  • 15V628000 Oct 2015 Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module

    Defect. 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."

    Risk. 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.

Manufacturer communications 357

Mini filed 357 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • KAFAS (CAMERA-BASED DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS) LIMITATIONS: KAFAS camera-based assistance…
  • For this vehicle, the automatic transmission limited warranty for the vehicle Selector Lever…
  • For the eligible vehicles listed above, the limited warranty for the vehicles Selector Lever…

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Mini Cooper Countryman 5 HB FWDnot ratednot ratednot ratednot rated
Mini Cooper Hardtop 5 HB FWDnot ratednot ratednot ratednot rated
Mini Cooper Hardtop 3 HB FWD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★☆

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardOptionalNo

Engines and drivetrains 4

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
1.5L 3-cyl turboManual 6-spdFWD28 / 38 / 32Premium$2,400
1.5L 3-cyl turboAuto (S6)FWD27 / 36 / 30Premium$2,600
2.0L 4-cyl turboAuto (S6)FWD25 / 33 / 28Premium$2,750
2.0L 4-cyl turboManual 6-spdFWD23 / 33 / 27Premium$2,850

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

YouTube repair topics

200 videos about the 2014–2024 Mini Cooper, 38.7M views.

TopicVideosViews
Gauges, lights & wiring4485K
Infotainment, battery & electrical2238K
Oil changes & service2158K
Transmission & shifter176K

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
2013231345,177Electrical
2014723033,467Transmission & drivetrain
2015592441,828Engine
2016401639,324Lights
2017361332,239Lights
201930722,123Transmission & drivetrain

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data

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