MINI bulletin M510123
What it saysUpon opening and closing the tailgate, a creaking/groaning sound can be heard from tailgate actuator. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
MINI filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated May 1, 2023, received Jun 26, 2023, about the structure. It names 9 model years (2017–2022). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationUpon opening and closing the tailgate, a creaking/groaning sound can be heard from tailgate actuator.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M510123 | Service bulletin | May 1, 2023 | 10238095 | not found |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 9 model years this bulletin names have filed 98 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 3 of them name Structure — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
I was approaching a red light on a road that is 35mph. As I was coming to a stop my passenger side window shattered out of nowhere. There were no people around outside the vehicle and as I mentioned I was going so slow, I can't imagine any rock kicked up would have done this. There was glass everywhere in my car.
2022 MINI Cooper · Structure · filed with NHTSA Aug 27, 2026 · ODI 11760003
Certain 2019 MINI and BMW models are equipped with older evaporators that are not lined correctly to prevent aluminum corrosion from the new R-1234yf refrigerant, causing premature leaks of the refrigerant into the cabin while driving.
2019 MINI Cooper · Structure · filed with NHTSA Feb 17, 2026 · ODI 11718564
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the structure
Source: same model, same component group20 other manufacturer communications filed against these MINI models under the same component group (structure), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the MINI list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| M510126 | Service bulletin | Mar 18, 2026 | While driving on rough roads, a “cracking” sound is heard coming from the headliner area. |
| M510525 | Service bulletin | Jan 23, 2026 | The tailgate locks only on one side or has difficulty closing, which may cause a check control message stating "Tailgate Open." Additionally… |
| M540125 | Service bulletin | Nov 11, 2025 | Contamination on the outer track(s) of the sunroof cassette. This can occur on either one or both side of the sunroof cassette. |
| 0051180600 | Service campaign | Nov 6, 2025 | Due to changes in the opening mechanism of the tailgate’s latch, it is possible that the tailgate may not completely lock after closing. |
| M510425 | Service bulletin | Oct 15, 2025 | Front door power windows (left and/or right side) do not function. If the window(s) do operate, a grinding sound can be heard while opening… |
| M540325 | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2025 | The sunshade for the panoramic sunroof is sticking, discolored, and/or damaged. |
| M510224 | Service bulletin | Aug 20, 2025 | While opening the door, a “groaning” sound is heard from the door brake. Doors open and close stiffly. |
| M610725 | Service bulletin | Jul 22, 2025 | The washer fluid reservoir (filler neck circled)may be leaking, and drains out through the wheel well liner. When the vehicle is parked, a p… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for MINI, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is MINI M510123 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the M510123 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every BMW warranty extension on file lists the ones BMW has filed.
Which vehicles does M510123 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 9 model years: 2022 MINI Cooper, 2021 MINI Cooper, 2020 MINI Cooper, 2019 MINI Cooper, 2018 MINI Cooper, 2017 MINI Cooper and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.