Mini Cooper Convertible

Where it stands out against its peers

• Exterior lighting: more complaints than 96% of 2016 cars — 23% of its 157 complaints, where an ordinary 2016 car has 4%.
• Seat belts: more complaints than 94% of 2016 cars — 7% of its 157 complaints, where an ordinary 2016 car has 2%.
• Equipment: more complaints than 98% of 2016 cars — 4% of its 157 complaints, where an ordinary 2016 car has 0%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• ENGINE — 29 owners reported this, 5 involving a fire
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 19 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 16 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN — 16 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• AIR BAGS — 7 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — 6 owners reported this
• SEAT BELTS — 6 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — 5 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 4 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this, 2 involving a fire
• EQUIPMENT — 3 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 3 owners reported this
• STEERING — 3 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE,EQUIPMENT — 3 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE,SEATS — 3 owners reported this
• SUSPENSION — 3 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE — 2 owners reported this, 2 involving a fire
• STEERING,POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE — 2 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

62% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 16V747000

  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.

  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.

• 16V914000

  If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 17V222000

  If the brake light does not illuminate when a turn signal is activated, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.

  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.

• 18V465000

  A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began September 6, 2018. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

• 19V601000

  A broken steering tie rod would lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

  BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace the tie rods and ball joints as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

• 19V634000

  Without a crash pad, rear seat passengers would have an increased risk of injury in the event of a side impact crash.

  MINI will notify owners, and MINI dealers will install crash pads, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2019. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

• 20V283000

  If the safety systems do not deploy as intended in a roll over crash, it may increase the risk of injury.

  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.

• 23V337000

  An electrical short-circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

  Dealers will inspect the sunroof drains, interior footwell area, and FRM and, depending upon the results of the inspection, certain components will be replaced. Owner notification letters were mailed May 13, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

2 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• BMW Safety Act Violations

  Audit query, opened September 2015, closed October 2017.

• International Autos, Inc. / Mini Recall

  Audit query, opened August 2015, closed August 2016.

• Engine compartment fire

  Preliminary evaluation, opened October 2011, closed June 2012.

• Loss of power steering assist

  Engineering analysis, opened May 2011, closed January 2016.

• Loss of Power Steering Assist

  Preliminary evaluation, opened September 2010, closed May 2011.

• Exhaust pipe burns

  Engineering analysis, opened August 2008, closed January 2009.

• Exhaust pipe burns

  Preliminary evaluation, opened April 2008, closed August 2008.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Mini filed 14 bulletins about the 2026 Cooper Convertible.

• Electrical system: 10
• Structure: 2
• Seats: 1
• Service brakes: 1

• During vehicle start-up the Secure Element (SE) of the BCP may fail causing communication errors. TheCheck Control message “Drive carefully. Driving stabilisation.” will appear. In addition, the… · July 2026
• This communication contains the Release Notes for the MINI 2026-03 Remote Software Upgrade. · April 2026
• Customers may report issues with the alarm system not functioning correctly. These concerns may includeone or more of the following: Missing confirmation sound (function cannot be selected or… · March 2026
• BMW AG is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Recall (effective March 11, 2026) on certain Model Year 2025- 2026 MINI vehicles that were produced between February 28, 2024, and September 9, 2025. CAUSE… · March 2026
• The tailgate locks only on one side or has difficulty closing, which may cause a check control message stating "Tailgate Open." Additionally, a “rattle” noise may be heard while driving over rough… · February 2026
• Vehicle may experience various operational issues with the MINI Interaction Unit (MIU) such as: Intermittent black screen Permanent black screen Intermittent head unit functions not displayed (i.e.,… · January 2026
• Vehicle may experience various operational issues with the infotainment system such as: Resets of the head unit (HU-H6) Delayed start-up of the head unit (longer than 30 seconds) Failed start-up of… · January 2026
• In some situations, an emergency call may be triggered in the vehicle without either the customer pressing the SOS Call button, or an airbag deployment event. In some cases, the customer may not even… · October 2025

6 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.