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Mini lemon law
If your Mini keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, your state's lemon law may make the maker buy it back or replace it, and pay your lawyer when you win. Here is what Mini owners report to the federal government, and how to check your own car.
What Mini owners report most
| Problem area | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Wiring, battery, lights and electronics | 22 |
| Brakes | 11 |
| Automatic emergency braking and collision warning | 8 |
| Cruise control and unintended speed changes | 5 |
| Engine | 5 |
| Fuel system, or the battery and motor of an EV or hybrid | 5 |
A complaint can name more than one area. 12 complaints name none.
Models with the most complaints
- Countryman 25
- Cooper 24
- Cooper SE 6
- Cooper S 6
Latest Mini recalls
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic, July 1, 2026: 2025 Countryman S ALL4, 2025 Cooper S, about 428 vehicles.
“A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle. Additionally, malfunctioning ABS and/or DSC systems can cause a loss of vehicle control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V422000 - Seat Belts, October 21, 2025: 2026 Countryman S ALL4, about 1,024 vehicles.
“A damaged seat belt retractor may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 25V717000 - Seat Belts, September 17, 2025: 2025 Cooper, 2026 Countryman S ALL4, 2025 Countryman S ALL4, 2025 Countryman SE ALL4, about 1,571 vehicles.
“A damaged seat belt retractor may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 25V616000 - Structure, September 25, 2024: 2025 Countryman S ALL4, about 7 vehicles.
“A loose front body structure may not adequately protect occupants in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 24V711000 - Electronic Stability Control (Esc), September 18, 2024: 2025 Cooper, 2025 Cooper S, 2025 JCW Countryman ALL4, 2025 Countryman S ALL4, about 309 vehicles.
“A loss of brake power assist or rear brake function can result in extended stopping distance. A loss of ABS or DSC can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 24V697000
Check your own car by its VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at any Mini dealer.
Recalls, repairs and the lemon law
A recall alone does not make a car a lemon. What counts is a defect the dealer cannot fix: most states presume a lemon after 3 or 4 repair attempts for the same problem, fewer for a defect that could cause a crash, or about 30 days in the shop, inside the first one to two years. A recall repair for a defect that keeps coming back is a repair attempt like any other, so keep the repair order from every visit.
In California, Mini was not on the state's list of makers in the new lemon law process on October 26, 2026, so the older rules apply. The list
How a Mini lemon law claim and buyback work
Keep the repair order from every visit, then write to Mini, not only the dealer, at the customer relations address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, and ask for a buyback or a replacement. In a buyback Mini refunds the price, taxes and fees and costs like towing, minus a deduction for the miles you drove before the first repair, and pays off the loan.
The steps · Letter template · Buyback or cash and keep · Estimate a buyback
Mini lemon law in your state
The rules depend on the state where you bought or leased the car:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions about Mini lemons
How many complaints have Mini owners filed with NHTSA?
70 for 2021 to 2027 model years, received through October 22, 2026. The most reported area is wiring, battery, lights and electronics.
How many Mini recalls are there?
12 safety recalls cover 2021 to 2027 Mini models, for about 308,866 vehicles in all.
Is a recall enough to make my Mini a lemon?
No, not on its own. But if a defect keeps coming back after repairs, recall repairs included, each visit can count as a repair attempt under your state's lemon law. Keep every repair order.
How do I start a Mini lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, then write to Mini at the address for customer relations in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, asking for a buyback or replacement under your state's lemon law. Send it by a tracked method and keep a copy.
Does Mini have to buy back a lemon?
Yes, when your state's lemon law rules are met. The maker must buy the car back or replace it, and most states let you choose. The rules differ by state: see your state guide.
Did Mini opt in to California's new lemon law process?
Not on the state's list on October 26, 2026, so California's older lemon law rules apply to Mini cars.
About the data
From NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation files (complaints received 2020 to now, and recalls), counted for 2021 to 2027 model years and filed under the make MINI. Read on October 26, 2026. Complaints are what owners report, not findings, and big sellers get more of them: a count is not a defect rate, and it says nothing about your car. We keep no complaint text or personal details.
Is your Mini a lemon? Find out free
Free, about ten taps. You see what your state's law says first. If you want a lawyer, we find a lemon law firm in your state that takes cases like yours, and they contact you.
Your state: Ohio
What model year is it?
Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More