2018 Mini Countryman problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Steering (3) · Service Brakes (2) · Engine (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Mini Countryman model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2018-08-23 · campaign 18V557000 · 9,953 vehicles
Defect: BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017-2019 MINI Cooper Countryman vehicles. These vehicles may be missing a crash protection plate near the high pressure fuel pump, which may result in a fuel leak in the event of a crash.
Risk: Without the crash protection plate, in the event of a crash, the fuel pump can become damaged, causing a fuel leak and increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will install a crash protection plate, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on October 22, 2018. Owners will receive a second notification when the repair is available. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.
Trailer Hitches 2017-09-17 · campaign 17E051000 · 166 vehicles
Defect: Curt Manufacturing LLC (Curt) is recalling certain Class 1 trailer hitches, part number 11451, sold for installation on 2016-2018 Mini Cooper Clubman and Countryman vehicles. The vehicles may have inadequate structure points for the trailer hitch mounting, causing the hitch to sag under to certain loads and possibly separate from the vehicle.
Risk: If the trailer hitch sags or separates from the vehicle, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: Curt will notify owners, and dealers will provide a replacement hitch, free of charge. The recall began on October 20, 2017. Owners may contact Curt customer service at 1-800-798-0813.
Service bulletins (14)
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.
Electrical System 2026-07-10 · M840226 · Service Campaign
once the telematics module (tcb2) enters sleep mode, a mini data services trigger for remote services(remote engine start, lock/unlock/climate conditioning) will not be able to reactivate the tcb2. due to this issue, remote services will not function in the vehicle when parked and locked.
Fuel/Propulsion System 2026-04-27 · M010324 · Warranty Program/Extension
evap purge (vent) valve ext ltd wty (elw) 15 yrs/150,000 mls
Engine 2025-08-01 · M010425 · Warranty Program/Extension
the electric auxiliary heater assembly limited warranty for defects in materials and / or workmanship has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the original first in-service / delivery date.
Power Train 2025-07-30 · M010424 · Warranty Program/Extension
the automatic transmission limited warranty for the vehicle selector lever magnetic shift interlock mechanism (gearshift lug assembly portion) has been extended to 10 years/120,000 miles, as determined by the vehicle’s original in-service date, when a gearshift lug repair kit installation procedure
Engine 2024-11-27 · M010524 · Warranty Program/Extension
the high-voltage (hv) battery assembly cell modules temperature sensors (internal ntc repair kit-specific) limited warranty for defects in materials or workmanship has been extended to 10 years / 120,000 miles as determined from the original in-service/first delivery date.
Fuel/Propulsion System 2024-10-07 · M010324 · Warranty Program/Extension
evap purge (vent) valve ext ltd wty (elw) 15 yrs/150,000 mls
Showing the 6 most recent of 14 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-03-31 · Steering · 19,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 mini cooper countryman. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. the contact stated that the steering wheel was excessively difficult to turn. there was no warning light illuminated. the vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. the v…”
2025-01-06 · Steering“while driving, the steering wheel gets stuck and very hard to maneuver. i have seen a recall for this car but when i entered by vin, it was not included on the recall. the problem had happened several times. there was a time when everything was working fine, turned off the engine to put gas and when i turned it on to drive, i had a hard time steer…”
2024-05-21 · Engine“my engine malfunctioned after the module under the back seat was wet from an unknown water leak in the vehicle. my vehicle lost power without warning until i came to a complete stop on the side of a very busy highway. i'm not sure if the repair center kept the faulty module or not i would have to check. i know leaks have been a problem with my m…”
2023-01-12 · Fuel/Propulsion System“fuel sensor failed and due to tank pressure that would not release properly, according to repair shop. among other safety issues, this caused me to not be able to open the gas tank to refill the gas tank. this has been ongoing. at first the gas flap was repaired (2x) and ultimately the fuel sensor was entirely replaced at my cost. all repairs were…”
2021-10-11 · Service Brakes“•what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? i had brake caliper repaired on front right wheel, on 5/5/20. had to have service on same brake caliper on 10/5/21 - revealed caliper froze causing excessive bakes wear. •how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? potential of brake f…”
2021-09-11 · Steering“steering is becoming stiffer. seems like there is new or added restistance when turning the steering wheel while the vehicle is going slower.…”
2020-06-23 · Engine · 24,000 mi“i was pulling into shopping center all dashboard light up warnings etc. started to head home because of prior incident with computer failure. car stopped mid intersection and went dead. put it in park restarted and drove home. headlights and electrical engine would not shut off. called service to tow to dealership repair. tow truck driver att…”
2019-07-24 · Unknown Or Other · 20 mi“vehicle's switch controlling headlights was left in the "parking lights on" mode inadvertently (it opened terminal 15 per mini). car would not start less than 12 hours later. mini reports that this "damaged the battery beyond repair" and said it was not subject to warranty replacement because the user had operated the switch. if this happened for m…”
2019-04-19 · Service Brakes · 8,000 mi“when stopped the brake pedal slowly goes to the floorboards. sometimes i have to repeatedly pump the brake pedal while at a stop light to prevent running into the car in front of me. took it to a dealership and they drove the car but couldn't fine any problems. the master cylinder leak down is getting progressively worse with time. i believe that i…”
2019-03-07 · Unknown Or Other“the vin [xxx] is not recognized on nhtsa or safecar website. manufacturer and dealership have my old address (not provided by myself) in their system. general helpline representatives told me to contact manufacturer. manufacturer referred me to dealership. i called your general number again last week and the woman disparaged me and laughed at m…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.