2016 Mini Cooper S
Only 10 complaints on file — too few for a fair verdict.
This verdict reflects complaint volume compared to this model's typical year. Recalls and safety issues below apply regardless of the verdict — always check them.
Only 10 complaints on file — too few for a fair verdict. The data below is complete but unranked.
- Complaints
- 10
- Recalls
- 3
- Investigations
- 0
- Top problem
- —
Too few to rank
Campaigns on file for 2016
None on file
Not enough data
Complaints per year
2016: 10 complaints
View as data table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 83 |
| 2003 | 217 |
| 2004 | 247 |
| 2005 | 314 |
| 2006 | 186 |
| 2007 | 249 |
| 2008 | 168 |
| 2009 | 119 |
| 2010 | 59 |
| 2011 | 31 |
| 2012 | 23 |
| 2013 | 24 |
| 2014 | 13 |
| 2015 | 18 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 |
Known problem areas
Only 10 complaints on file for this model year — too few to rank by share. Raw counts only, below.
Engine
4 of 10 total reports mention: engine.
Show complaint excerpts
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.
NHTSA ODI report, 2020-04-30
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.
NHTSA ODI report, 2025-07-22
There have been thousands upon thousands of failures of the oil cooler/oil filter housing on all BMW/MINI B46/B48 2.0T engines.
NHTSA ODI report, 2024-11-23
Power train
2 of 10 total reports mention: power train.
Show complaint excerpts
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.
NHTSA ODI report, 2019-08-19
On September 13, 2026, my vehicle experienced a failure of the internal Steptronic automatic transmission gear selector position-detection return spring (torsion spring).
NHTSA ODI report, 2026-10-22
Also filed under Electrical system
Exterior lighting
2 of 10 total reports mention: exterior lighting.
Show complaint excerpts
The contact owns a 2016 Mini Cooper S.
NHTSA ODI report, 2025-04-01
Electrical system
2 of 10 total reports mention: electrical system.
Steering
1 of 10 total reports mentions: steering.
Show complaint excerpts
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.
NHTSA ODI report, 2017-05-15
Safety timeline
3 recalls · 0 investigations · oldest first
To check one car, enter its VIN on the NHTSA recall page. Check a VIN →
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2015-11-25Air bags15V628000 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.
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.
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2017-05-19Exterior lighting17V222000 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.
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.
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2019-07-03Seat belts16V747000 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...
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.
Buy-smart checklist
2016 Mini Cooper S — pre-purchase inspection
Inspect
- Engine: 4 reports on file for this year.
- Power train: 2 reports on file for this year.
- Exterior lighting: 2 reports on file for this year.
Verify these recalls were completed
- Recall 15V628000 · Air bags
- Recall 17V222000 · Exterior lighting
- Recall 16V747000 · Seat belts
Other years of this model
See all years ranked →FAQ
- Is the 2016 Mini Cooper S reliable?
- There isn't enough NHTSA complaint data on file yet to give this model year a verdict.
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Mini Cooper S?
- The most-reported component is engine, accounting for 40% of complaints on file.
- How many recalls does the 2016 Mini Cooper S have?
- 3 recalls on file for this model year.
Data updated 2026-10-31 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.