2021 Mini Cooper
Only 7 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 7 complaints on file — too few for a fair verdict. The data below is complete but unranked.
- Complaints
- 7
- Recalls
- 2
- Investigations
- 0
- Top problem
- —
Too few to rank
Campaigns on file for 2021
None on file
Not enough data
Complaints per year
2021: 7 complaints
View as data table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 187 |
| 2003 | 320 |
| 2004 | 282 |
| 2005 | 372 |
| 2006 | 200 |
| 2007 | 118 |
| 2008 | 116 |
| 2009 | 151 |
| 2010 | 92 |
| 2011 | 83 |
| 2012 | 66 |
| 2013 | 47 |
| 2014 | 34 |
| 2015 | 56 |
| 2016 | 28 |
| 2017 | 28 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 | 2 |
Known problem areas
Only 7 complaints on file for this model year — too few to rank by share. Raw counts only, below.
Electrical system
3 of 7 total reports mention: electrical system.
Show complaint excerpts
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.
NHTSA ODI report, 2022-12-29
Digital instrument cluster of electric Mini SE (includes speedometer and battery/range information) turns off without warning while driving and does not turn back on until car is powered down for over half an hour.
NHTSA ODI report, 2024-02-11
The night of October 24th, while I was driving my CID back screen went to black and there were messages displayed in white color.
NHTSA ODI report, 2021-10-26
Tires
1 of 7 total reports mentions: tires.
Steering
1 of 7 total reports mentions: steering.
Fuel/propulsion system
1 of 7 total reports mentions: fuel/propulsion system.
Show complaint excerpts
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.
NHTSA ODI report, 2024-12-10
Air bags
1 of 7 total reports mentions: air bags.
Show complaint excerpts
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.
NHTSA ODI report, 2022-11-10
Safety timeline
2 recalls · 0 investigations · oldest first
To check one car, enter its VIN on the NHTSA recall page. Check a VIN →
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R
2020-07-17Air bags20V283000 BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020 X1 xDrive28i, X1 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i and X2 sDrive28i, 2020 MINI Clubman Cooper S All4, 2021 MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and Cooper S E) and MINI Hardtop 4...
Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control unit, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
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2021-09-03Seat belts21V554000 BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 2 Series (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive), 330e, 330e Xdrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive) M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, BMW 4 Series Convertible (430i, M440i),...
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seat belt retractors (including the seat belts) and, if necessary, replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021.
Buy-smart checklist
2021 Mini Cooper — pre-purchase inspection
Inspect
- Electrical system: 3 reports on file for this year.
- Tires: 1 report on file for this year.
- Steering: 1 report on file for this year.
Verify these recalls were completed
- Recall 20V283000 · Air bags
- Recall 21V554000 · Seat belts
Other years of this model
See all years ranked →FAQ
- Is the 2021 Mini Cooper 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 2021 Mini Cooper?
- The most-reported component is electrical system, accounting for 43% of complaints on file.
- How many recalls does the 2021 Mini Cooper have?
- 2 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.