2017 Mini Cooper S problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (2) · Vehicle Speed Control (1) · Engine (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mini Cooper S model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (3)
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights 2017-03-31 · campaign 17V222000 · 16,883 vehicles
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.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags 2016-12-20 · campaign 16V914000 · 3,506 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2017 BMW 640i, 640i xDrive, 650i, 650i xDrive, M6, 535i, 535i xDrive, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive28i, i3, i8, Rolls-Royce Dawn, Mini Clubman Cooper, Clubman Cooper S, Cooper All4, Cooper S All4, Mini 4-Door Cooper, Cooper S, Mini 2-Door Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and 2016 BMW 528i, 528i xDrive, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i, 550i xDrive, M5 and 535d vehicles. The affected vehicles have seat-
Risk: If the air bag inflator initiator fails to ignite, the seat-mounted air bag will not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Seat Belts:front:retractor 2016-10-17 · campaign 16V747000 · 15,455 vehicles
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 (F
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.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (226)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Suspension 2024-03-04 · M310424 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
during inspection and/or diagnosis there is noticeable dirt/grease buildup on the axles near the inner and/or outer cv boots.
Electrical System 2023-10-25 · M610607 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
mini electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. as a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can have various causes, most of which are not due to the battery itself. for this rea
Structure:body:roof And Pillars 2023-08-01 · M540123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
?the panoramic roof sunblind does not close, or jams while closing.
Communication:manufacturer Telematics 2023-08-01 · M110323 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
?bmw ag has issued a delivery stop: replace charge air line.
Structure:body:tailgate 2023-05-01 · M510123 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
upon opening and closing the tailgate, a creaking/groaning sound can be heard from tailgate actuator.
Electrical System 2023-03-01 · M840322 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the 3g network in the us has been shut down. this means that only the 4g network will be available. in the 4g network, voice calls will be transferred via voice over lte (volte) function. for this purpose, the sim card must perform an ims registration in the mobile communication network. due to a pr
Showing the 6 most recent of 226 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-23 · Service Brakes“i am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding unprompted, sudden, and uneven vehicle braking that occurs exclusively when the windshield wipers are turned on. while driving in wet conditions with the windshield wipers active, the vehicle intermittently and violently applies the brakes on its own without any input on the brake pedal. this creates …”
2026-03-09 · Engine · 101,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 mini cooper s. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was vibrating abnormally. there was no warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the passenger’s side engine mount needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that the pass…”
2025-03-27 · Unknown Or Other“hi, the component is the water seals around the trunk lid of the rear boot; this results in water intrusion. yes, it is available for inspection upon request. water has been collecting on the interior car body, including electrical components related to rear lights (brakes, turn signal, reverse) as well as resulting mold growth. yes, the proble…”
2024-09-18 · Service Brakes“while driving in the rain, the abs engages, slowing the front right tire dramatically causing the car to skid and lurch to the right. after some internet research, it appears that this is not an isolated incident. mini cooper owners also discovered that when driving in dry conditions and the windshield wiper is turned on, the front right tire slo…”
2019-05-24 · Vehicle Speed Control · 15,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2017 mini cooper s. while driving and attempting to stop, the vehicle accelerated. the vehicle was towed to freeport mini cooper (280 sunrise hwy, freeport, ny 11520, (516) 665-1246) to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and had a…”
2018-01-10 · Air Bags · 17,200 mi · 💥 crash“i was hit head on last night and air bags did not deploy. i had slowed to approx 10 mph while vehicle that hit me was traveling approx 20-30mph. vehicle the hit me was a mid 200's trail blazer. *bf *tr…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.