2016 MINI Cooper S Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 20%of 10 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 18,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2016 MINI Cooper S, 20% of the 10 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 18,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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. As a result, the vehicle crashed through the contact's garage door. There was no police report filed and no injuries reported. The vehicle was parked with the emergency brake applied. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,000. The VIN was not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11245046, filed 2019-08, 18,000 miles“On September 13, 2026, my vehicle experienced a failure of the internal Steptronic automatic transmission gear selector position-detection return spring (torsion spring). This mechanical failure triggered persistent dashboard safety warnings reading: P Secure vehicle against rolling and Transmission: Secure vehicle with parking brake when stopped. Consult service center. Even though the vehicle physically shifts into Park, the broken internal spring prevents the magnet from signaling the sensor. …”
NHTSA complaint #11773087, filed 2026-10Related service bulletins
- 10206695Dec 1, 2021When the vehicle is on a lift and wheels are manually spun, a clanking noise is heard from the transmission area.
- 10190871Mar 1, 2021REPLACING THE CELL MODULE OF HIGHVOLTAGE BATTERY: During the service life of the vehicle, the high-voltage battery may unexpectedly not provide power to the vehicle.
- 10176383May 1, 2020TANK VENTILATION AND MIXTURE CONTROL FAULTS STORED IN THE DME: The Engine Malfunction Warning is illuminated and one or more of the following faults are stored in the DME. All…
- 10163062Jun 1, 2019EGS FAULTS STORED AFTER AISIN TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. Due to hardware changes in the AISIN GA6F21AW or GA8F22AW transmissions.
- 10152680Nov 1, 2018"MANUAL TRANSMISSION - STIFF DIAGONAL GEARSHIFT LEVER MOVEMENT. The customer may complain of a ""stiff diagonal shift"" (e.g., N-R, R-N, 2-3/3-2 or 4-5/5-4). Also, in some cases…
- 10143573May 1, 2018JCW ENGINE TUNING KIT - ENGINE LOSS OF POWER IN STOP-AND-GO DRIVING: The engine may lose power if the vehicle is decelerated, in gear, to a near stop and then accelerated again.
- 10134994Feb 1, 2018Aisin automatic transmisison: right side output shaft seal replacement
- 10146662Apr 1, 2017?SERVICE ACTION: PROGRAM CONTROL UNITS (DME). Due to an error in the OBD diagnostics of the DME software, a marginal catalytic convertor or post catalyst oxygen sensor may not be…
- 10146614Mar 1, 2017? MIL IS ON WITH FAULT CF0486 STORED IN THE EGS MODULE . The Service Engine Soon (MIL) light is on. The following fault is stored in the AISIN EGS module: ? CF0486: EGS,PT-CAN2…
- 10146800Dec 1, 2016Service Action: B38 Engine - Check and Replace Crankshaft Guide Bearing. The upper crankshaft guide bearing may wear out prematurely. The wear on the guide bearing can cause the…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1 | 20% |
| 2016 | 2 | 20% |
| 2015 | 1 | 6% |
| 2014 | 6 | 46% |
| 2013 | 2 | 8% |
| 2012 | 1 | 4% |
| 2010 | 5 | 8% |
| 2009 | 16 | 13% |
| 2008 | 9 | 5% |
| 2007 | 26 | 10% |
| 2006 | 22 | 12% |
| 2005 | 13 | 4% |
| 2004 | 2 | 1% |
| 2003 | 8 | 4% |
| 2002 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2016 MINI Cooper S
4 complaintsElectrical system
2 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaintsSeat belts
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2016 MINI Cooper S
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology