MINI over-the-air update ReleaseNotes 03_26 MINI
What it saysThis communication contains the Release Notes for the MINI 2026-03 Remote Software Upgrade. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
MINI filed this with NHTSA as an over-the-air update dated Apr 13, 2026, received Apr 28, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 1 model year (2026). An over-the-air update is not a safety recall — there is no NHTSA campaign number and no federal requirement — but it is usually work the manufacturer pays for on the vehicles it names; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis communication contains the Release Notes for the MINI 2026-03 Remote Software Upgrade.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReleaseNotes 03_26 MINI | Over-the-air update | Apr 13, 2026 | 11031603 | PDF, 240 KB |
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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 2 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.
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 group51 other manufacturer communications filed against the MINI Cooper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| M651226 | Service bulletin | Sep 21, 2026 | Activation of MINI Personal Assistant is not possible via the Multifunction Steering Wheel (MFL) buttonand/or via the MINI Interaction Unit… |
| 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… |
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 ReleaseNotes 03_26 MINI a recall?
No. A over-the-air update 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 ReleaseNotes 03_26 MINI repair free?
A over-the-air update is usually paid by the manufacturer on the vehicles it names, within the terms and time limit the document sets; the dealer checks the VIN against the manufacturer’s list.
Which vehicles does ReleaseNotes 03_26 MINI cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2026 MINI Cooper. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.