Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 MINI Cooper, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system3
- Tires1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Air bags1
- Steering1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2021
27,601 new MINI Cooper cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2021; the largest markets were Germany (8,244), France (6,684), Spain (3,069).
- Average mass
- 1,285 kg
- Average CO₂
- 131 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 100 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 100%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Real-world fuel consumption
6,179 MINI Cooper cars first registered in Europe in 2021 report their fuel use through the on-board meter. Petrol versions use 7.1 l/100 km on the road against 5.7 in the WLTP test (+24%).
| Fuel | Cars | On the road | WLTP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 6,179 | 7.1 | 5.7 | +24% |
Litres per 100 km from the cars' own fuel meters (OBFCM), collected in 2024; the year is the year of first registration. All years together · European Environment Agency · CC BY 4.0
Engines
The most common engines in 2021 MINI Cooper cars on Dutch roads are the 1.5 petrol (100 kW, 134 hp), 2.0 petrol (131 kW, 176 hp) and 2.0 petrol (141 kW, 189 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 petrol | 100 kW 134 hp | 2,042 |
| 2.0 petrol | 131 kW 176 hp | 580 |
| 2.0 petrol | 141 kW 189 hp | 65 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
4,647 first registered in 2021 are on Dutch roads; 32% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €39,174.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,055
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld435
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht320
- Band beschadigd291
- Remslang schuurt langs enig deel261
- Band onvoldoende profiel232
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm222
- Bandenspanning op 1 as niet gelijk91
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
27,259 cars built in 2021 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 92 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,128 of these cars first registered in 2021 took their annual MOT test. 95% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2021 the figure was 91%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 1.8% | 3.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 1.2% | 2.9% |
| Visibility | 0.8% | 1.6% |
| Brakes | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Road Wheels | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0.2% | 0.3% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
44 of these cars first registered in 2021 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 43,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
10 2021 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 7.5–7.7 L/100 km (about 31 mpg US), CO₂ 176–180 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper 3 Door · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 8.4 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| Cooper 5 Door · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 8.4 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| Cooper 3 Door · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 8.8 | 6.4 | 7.7 |
| Cooper 5 Door · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 8.8 | 6.4 | 7.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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 sDrive28i, xDrive28i, 2 Series Gran Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i xDrive), M2 Competition Coupe, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, M3, M3 Competition, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, CooperS, JCW), X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X2 M35i, Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE), MINI Convertible (Cooper, Cooper S, JCW), MINI Clubman (Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW), MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), Rolls Royce Ghost, MINI Countryman (Cooper S E All4), Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Cullinan, and Toyota Supra vehicles. The passenger seat belt Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) may deactivate early, before the webbing fully retracts. As such, these assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
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 (Cooper and Cooper S) vehicles. Due to a problem with the rollover sensor within the air bag control unit, in the event of a rollover crash, the head air bag, seat belt pretensioners and other safety systems, may not activate.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What MINI told its dealers about the 2021 MINI Cooper: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11009006 | EVAP PURGE (VENT) VALVE EXT LTD WTY (ELW) 15 YEARS/150,000 MILES |
| 10252037 | During inspection and/or diagnosis there is noticeable dirt/grease buildup on the axles near the inner and/or outer CV boots. |
| 10245428 | Cavity protection applied to underside of the hood is leaking out onto the wheel arch trim and grille. |
| 10244507 | 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 reason, a battery replacement will permanently eliminate the problem only in the rarest of cases. The energy diagnosis test module helps to localize these causes. This document covers important information for the dealer on how to handle discharged battery complaints. Without performing the energy |
| 10242535 | ?The panoramic roof sunblind does not close, or jams while closing. |
| 10242534 | ?BMW AG has issued a Delivery Stop: REPLACE CHARGE AIR LINE. |
| 10238095 | Upon opening and closing the tailgate, a creaking/groaning sound can be heard from tailgate actuator. |
| 10236400 | Lights. |
| 10234353 | 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 production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, MINI Assistance and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice cont |
| 10234352 | The buttons on the gear selector switch (GWS) do not work, or the function indicator lighting has failed. |
| 10234351 | Oscillations in the electric drive can occur. As a result, the 12 V positive battery cable may rub against the battery box cover. |
| 10233170 | Ambient lighting changes color after the vehicle goes to sleep. |
| 10228447 | During the service life of the vehicle, the high-voltage battery may unexpectedly not provide power to the vehicle. |
| 10228446 | It is possible that the guide stem (aka rotational axis) on the wind deflector can break, upon removal and or during installation. |
| 10228445 | During a vehicle inspection and/or while addressing a customer's concern, the engine stabilizer bar/link appears to be worn. |
| 10225134 | Due to a production error, the telematics control units were delivered without an IMS configuration. The Connected Drive voice services (Concierge Call, MINI Assistance and emergency call voice) can no longer be used regionally in the US in vehicle with telematics control units ATM-1 and TCB-4G. Voice control of the vehicle and all other telephone (paired mobile devices) functions are not affected. Emergency call location data is unaffected. |
| 10214994 | Mist formation on the windscreen inner surface may occur at departure or after MSA (automaticstart/stop). Acoustic abnormality in the area of the recirculated air flap (recirculation flap closing and opening several times). The above may occur individually or in combination. |
| 10214993 | The following complaints may be noticed while slow maneuvering with a steering input of 80-100% (at or near full lock, e.g., parking lot maneuvers) or accelerating with a medium to large steering angle: Humming or creaking noises from the rear area; slight vibrations, also noticeable from the driver's seat; the vehicle may also jerk slightly. |
| 10214271 | The Check Control message "Door open" appears in the instrument cluster (Kombi) even though all vehicle doors are securely closed and locked. |
| 10212534 | Vehicles with total mileage below approx. 12,500 may experience premature wear of the left rear brakes. In some cases, there also may be visible damage due to thermal overload. |
| 10206757 | Any or all of the following CCM ID code 14/15/16/17 door open appear in the instrument cluster when the door is properly closed and locked. The locking operation of the door is not affected by the incorrect display. |
| 10206696 | New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models. The new wheel electronics are identified as Huf Generation 5. These new wheel electronics will need to be programmed using the new tool when replaced or when depressurized (0 psi) for more than 2 minutes. |
| 10206695 | When the vehicle is on a lift and wheels are manually spun, a clanking noise is heard from the transmission area. |
| 10206694 | In situations when the fuel tank vent line becomes blocked, the on-board diagnosis (OBD) may not detect the blockage. |
| 10204665 | The Headunit High (HU-H), also called NBT came in vehicles with option 609. This uses map North America NEXT. The Headunit High 2 (HU-H2), also called NBT-EVO, superseded the NBT HU and came in vehicles with option code 609. This uses map North America EVO. The ENTRY Media/Navigation (HU-B) is the low line business version of the navigation system and came in vehicles with option 6UM. This uses map North America ROUTE. The ENTRY NAV EVO (HU-B2) replaced Entry Media/Navigation as the low-line business version and came in vehicles with option code 609 or 6NP . This uses map North America WAY. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)