MINI bulletin M651226
What it saysActivation of MINI Personal Assistant is not possible via the Multifunction Steering Wheel (MFL) buttonand/or via the MINI Interaction Unit (MIU). NHTSA’s full summary ↓
MINI filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 21, 2026, received Sep 28, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 2 model years (2025). 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 communicationActivation of MINI Personal Assistant is not possible via the Multifunction Steering Wheel (MFL) buttonand/or via the MINI Interaction Unit (MIU). Intelligent voice control via the wake-up word “Hey MINI” is possible.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M651226 | Service bulletin | Sep 21, 2026 | 11037536 | PDF, 135 KB |
What the document itself lists
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 61 99 000 | Remote Software Upgrade performed (RSU status: Ready to be installed) (Plusposition… | 2 FRU |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (4 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches MINI’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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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.
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 2 model years this bulletin names have filed 25 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 9 of them name Electrical System — 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.
On May 29, 2026, my 2025 MINI Countryman SE (battery-electric) became completely immobilized when the charging connector locked into the vehicle's charge port and could not be released. With the connector locked in, the vehicle could not be moved, shifted to neutral, or driven. The defect is in the factory charge-port locking mechanism.
2025 MINI Countryman · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jun 26, 2026 · ODI 11746804
While lowering the convertible top on my Mini Cooper Convertible, the trunk partition was not fully in place. Normally, the vehicle will prevent the roof from operating or provide a notification if the partition is not correctly positioned. In this case, the safety interlock system failed to warn me or stop the roof from lowering.
2025 MINI Cooper · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Mar 18, 2026 · ODI 11725132
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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group56 other manufacturer communications filed against these MINI models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the MINI list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| M630426 | Service bulletin | Aug 21, 2026 | After programming the vehicle viaISTA/RSU to I-level …26-03-5xx, some ofthe interior ambient lighting strips (arrows)may begin to fail spora… |
| 0084390200 | Service campaign | Jul 10, 2026 | Once the Telematics Module (TCB2) enters sleep mode, a MINI Data Services trigger for Remote Services… |
| M651126 | Service bulletin | Jun 22, 2026 | If MINI Personal Assistant is active in the vehicle, once the customer exits the vehicle and a new key cyclestarts, the MINI Personal Assist… |
| 0099030300 | Emissions | Jun 19, 2026 | Due to an implementation error in various OBD diagnostics in the vehicle's control units, in very rare cases it may happen that stored fault… |
| M651026 | Service bulletin | Jun 16, 2026 | After a factory reset of the head unit, the navigation voice input cannot be activated or deactivated. |
| M610126 | Service bulletin | Jun 11, 2026 | During vehicle start-up the Secure Element (SE) of the BCP may fail causing communication errors. TheCheck Control message “Drive carefully.… |
| M650826 | Service bulletin | Jun 3, 2026 | The vehicle may experience various operational issues with Apple CarPlay Projected Modes such as: Dropped connections No automatic reconnect… |
| ReleaseNotes 03_26 MINI | Over-the-air update | Apr 13, 2026 | This communication contains the Release Notes for the MINI 2026-03 Remote Software Upgrade. |
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 M651226 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 M651226 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 M651226 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 2 model years: 2025 MINI Cooper, 2025 MINI Countryman. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.