2021 MINI Cooper Problems
- Complaints
- 7filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- —no mileage reported
- Recalls
- 2campaigns on record
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
- NHTSA crash rating
- —no overall rating published
- EPA fuel economy
- 30 mpgcombined, 1.5L 3-cyl FWD · 26 city / 37 hwy
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2021 MINI Cooper (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error
NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2021 MINI Cooper. The part named most often is electrical system, with 3 complaints (43% of the total), followed by air bags (1) and fuel system (1). Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 46 technical service bulletins for this model year. Electrical system complaints overlap with 15 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Air bags complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the curtain filed under the same part.
This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Electrical system3 43%
- Air bags1 14%
- Fuel system1 14%
- Steering1 14%
- Tires1 14%
Example complaints
Electrical system: “The night of October 24th, while I was driving my CID back screen went to black and there were messages displayed in white color. Bootloader 11.035.000/ FFW 1.8.3 Dec 5 2017 Next line is displayed HWEL:42E5 2.1.5 Followed by a large white bar This display stays on even after lock the car. The morning of October 25th, There are warnings came on “ Battery discharged start engine” and “Increased Battery drain while stopped” After a while, I’ve noticed the instrument panel light were off. I had a day time running lights on, but lights weren’t on, only the fog lights. …”
NHTSA complaint #11438250, filed 2021-10Air bags: “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. No airbags deployed on the Mini Cooper hardtop 4 door. None. The Mini Cooper, after assessment, was considered to be a total loss.”
NHTSA complaint #11493154, filed 2022-11Fuel system: “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. We have been trying to get in touch with MINI, and just recently found that the dealer closed. They left their answering machine online for about a month after. The local BMW dealer says that they cannot perform the update (MINI USA requested we ask them). MINI USA now says that the car must be trucked 300 miles away to the closest dealer. …”
NHTSA complaint #11629967, filed 2024-12Steering: “The car completely lost steering in traffic. I brought it back to the Mini dealership, they informed me this is a known issue for Mini Coopers equipped with the click-and-play system, and they needed to re-wire the click-and-play to fix it. However Mini decided this should not be a recall. I strongly disagree with Mini's assessment considering losing steering on the road could cause severe accidents.”
NHTSA complaint #11519216, filed 2023-04Complaints by year filed
Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
Fuel economy and running cost
EPA ratings for each 2021 MINI Cooper version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).
| Version | Engine | Transmission | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Convertible FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl | 7-speed automatic | 28 | 37 | 31 | $2,650 |
| Cooper Convertible FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl | 6-speed manual | 26 | 37 | 30 | $2,750 |
| Cooper Countryman FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl | 7-speed automatic | 26 | 33 | 29 | $2,850 |
| Cooper Countryman All4 AWD | 1.5L 3-cyl | 8-speed automatic | 23 | 32 | 27 | $3,050 |
| Cooper Hardtop 2 door FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl | 7-speed automatic | 28 | 37 | 31 | $2,650 |
| Cooper Hardtop 2 door FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl | 6-speed manual | 26 | 37 | 30 | $2,750 |
| Cooper Hardtop 4 door FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl | 7-speed automatic | 28 | 37 | 31 | $2,650 |
| Cooper Hardtop 4 door FWD | 1.5L 3-cyl | 6-speed manual | 26 | 37 | 30 | $2,750 |
Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.
Recalls and investigations
- 21V554000Jul 21, 2021Seat beltsCovers: MINI Cooper 2021, Toyota Supra 2021, BMW 230I 2021 +22 more
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), BMW X1…
- 20V283000May 20, 2020Air bags › Side/window › CurtainCovers: MINI Cooper 2020–2021, Cooper S 2020–2021, BMW X2 2020 +3 more
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 Door…
Recall details for the 2021 MINI Cooper → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 46 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 11035405Jul 10, 2026Electrical system. 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…
- 11031884Apr 27, 2026Fuel system. Evap purge (vent) valve ext ltd wty (elw) 15 yrs/150,000 mls
- 11009006Oct 8, 2024Fuel system. Evap purge (vent) valve ext ltd wty (elw) 15 years/150,000 miles
- 10252037Mar 4, 2024Suspension. During inspection and/or diagnosis there is noticeable dirt/grease buildup on the axles near the inner and/or outer CV boots.
- 10245428Nov 2, 2023Body and structure. Cavity protection applied to underside of the hood is leaking out onto the wheel arch trim and grille.
- 10244507Oct 25, 2023Electrical system. 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…
- 10242535Aug 1, 2023Body and structure. ?The panoramic roof sunblind does not close, or jams while closing.
- 10242534Aug 1, 2023Other or unknown. ?BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop: REPLACE CHARGE AIR LINE.
- 10238095May 1, 2023Body and structure. Upon opening and closing the tailgate, a creaking/groaning sound can be heard from tailgate actuator.
- 10234353Mar 1, 2023Electrical system. 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…
Other model years of the MINI Cooper
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 | 500 | 0 | — | 31 | — | Too new |
| 2022 | 6 | 8,025 | 0 | — | 31 | — | Not enough data |
| 2021 | 7 | — | 2 | — | 30 | — | Not enough data |
| 2020 | 7 | — | 2 | — | 31 | — | Not enough data |
| 2019 | 12 | 70 | 2 | — | 30 | — | Not enough data |
| 2018 | 8 | 3,500 | 0 | — | 28 | — | Not enough data |
| 2017 | 28 | 7,972 | 3 | — | 30 | 49 · Typical | Rising |
| 2016 | 28 | 70,430 | 1 | 4 | 29 | 0 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2015 | 56 | 23,500 | 6 | 4 | 29 | 78 · More | Falling |
| 2014 | 34 | 9,000 | 7 | 4 | 30 | 82 · More | Rising |
| 2013 | 47 | 37,000 | 1 | — | 30 | 0 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2012 | 66 | 53,500 | 1 | — | 30 | 28 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2011 | 83 | 65,000 | 1 | — | 31 | 40 · Typical | Rising |
| 2010 | 92 | 51,000 | 2 | — | 31 | 63 · Typical | Rising |
| 2009 | 151 | 65,000 | 1 | — | 32 | 62 · Typical | Rising |
| 2008 | 116 | 60,000 | 1 | — | 32 | 51 · Typical | Stable |
| 2007 | 117 | 64,845 | 1 | — | 31 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2006 | 200 | 69,000 | 1 | — | 28 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 372 | 70,000 | 2 | — | 28 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 282 | 72,841 | 2 | — | 28 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 320 | 74,651 | 2 | — | 28 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 187 | 58,000 | 3 | — | 25 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2001 | 6 | 70,562 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
All MINI Cooper model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2021 MINI Cooper have?
NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2021 MINI Cooper as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2021 MINI Cooper is reported most often?
Electrical system is named most often, in 3 complaints (43% of the total), followed by air bags with 1.
Has the 2021 MINI Cooper been recalled?
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2021 MINI Cooper get?
The EPA rates the 2021 MINI Cooper (Cooper Convertible, 1.5L 3-cyl) at 30 mpg combined, 26 city and 37 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,750 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.