MINI bulletin M510916
What it saysCustomer inquires about tailgate opening process, mentioning: * Trunk/tailgate may open when vehicle is locked. * Trunk/tailgate may open while the vehicle is in motion. * Vehicle key trunk/tailgate button… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
MINI filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 1, 2018, received Nov 13, 2018, about the structure — 2 documents under this number. It names 8 model years (2016–2019). 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 communication?TAILGATE UNINTENTIONALLY OPENS. Customer inquires about tailgate opening process, mentioning: * Trunk/tailgate may open when vehicle is locked. * Trunk/tailgate may open while the vehicle is in motion. * Vehicle key trunk/tailgate button may accidentally be pressed, thus opening the tailgate.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M510916 | Service bulletin | Sep 1, 2018 | 10150060 | not found |
| M510916 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2016 | 10147584 | 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.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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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 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 133 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 1 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.
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 group12 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… |
| M540325 | Service bulletin | Sep 4, 2025 | The sunshade for the panoramic sunroof is sticking, discolored, and/or damaged. |
| M511616 | Service bulletin | Jul 16, 2025 | CAVITY PROTECTION WAX LEAKING OUT OF HOOD. Cavity protection applied to underside of hood is leaking out onto wheel arch trim and grille. Im… |
| M540225 | Service bulletin | Jul 8, 2025 | The convertible top will stop operating while the top is in progress of opening/closing, even with the user’s finger firmly on the actuator… |
| M520124 | Service bulletin | Aug 30, 2024 | When the driver and/or front passenger seat is folded forward, it does not move forward to the comfort entryposition. The seat backrest adju… |
| M640116 | Service bulletin | Jan 19, 2024 | Water Ingress In Footwell Area From A/C Condensate Drain This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI M64 01 16 dated March 2016.. Damp f… |
| M540123 | Service bulletin | Aug 1, 2023 | ?The panoramic roof sunblind does not close, or jams while closing. |
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 M510916 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 M510916 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 M510916 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years: 2017 MINI Clubman, 2019 MINI Cooper, 2018 MINI Cooper, 2017 MINI Cooper, 2016 MINI Cooper, 2018 MINI John Cooper Works and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.