2016 MINI Countryman
The 2016 MINI Countryman is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 8 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Cooper Countryman, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 15 complaints, most often about the air bags.
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Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Countryman | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 26 | 32 | 29 | $2,850 |
| Cooper S Countryman | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 31 | 28 | $2,950 |
| Cooper S Countryman | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 26 | 32 | 28 | $2,950 |
| Cooper Countryman | Gas | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl | 25 | 29 | 27 | $3,050 |
| Cooper S Countryman All4 | Gas | AWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 30 | 27 | $3,050 |
| JCW Countryman All4 | Gas | AWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 30 | 27 | $3,050 |
| Cooper S Countryman All4 | Gas | AWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 30 | 26 | $3,150 |
| JCW Countryman All4 | Gas | AWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo | 23 | 30 | 26 | $3,150 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36660, 36662, 36663, 36566, 36665, 36671, 36664, 36670.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates| Configuration | Smog rating | Emission standard | Where it can be sold new | SmartWay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Countryman, Cooper S Countryman | 5–6 / 10 | Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | SmartWay |
| Cooper Countryman, Cooper S Countryman All4, JCW Countryman All4 | 5–6 / 10 | Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV | All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards | — |
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPICDimensions Exterior
| Body style | Crossover Utility Vehicle [CUV] |
| Doors | 4 |
| GVWR class | Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less) |
Engine Basics
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Displacement | 1.5 L |
Engine Output
| Horsepower | 121 hp |
Fuel Economy
| Fuel | Gasoline |
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper S ALL4). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada| Length | 161.8 in |
| Width (body, without mirrors) | 70.5 in |
| Height | 61.4 in |
| Wheelbase | 102.4 in |
| Track, front | 60.2 in |
| Track, rear | 61.4 in |
| Curb weight | 3,252–3,307 lb |
| Weight distribution, front/rear | 58/42 |
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: Cooper S ALL4 4-door SUV, John Cooper Works ALL4 4-door SUV. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2016 MINI Countryman is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
What to check before you buy →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 MINI Countryman. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Hear about a recall before the letter does
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 MINI Countryman, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
Parts & accessories for the 2016 MINI Countryman
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Find parts for this Countryman →Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 involved a crash · 4 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported
Filed per year: 2018: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 2
Most-cited components
In owners' own words
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
This complaint concerns my 2016 Mini Cooper Countryman S, All-Wheel Drive. About four months ago, I began experiencing wobbling and noise when making turns at low speed. I took the vehicle to multiple repair shops for diagnosis. The first shop recommended replacing the clutch pack assembly ($2,626 + tax).
Seat Belt retractors on both drivers and passenger side failed. At the time of failure, seat belt would become loose then the locking mechanism of the retractor would engage and not disengage again. Even once the seat belt was retracted all the way to its storage position, the locking mechanism will not release.
The contact owns a 2016 Mini Cooper S Countryman. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power; however, the contact was able to safely pull to the shoulder of the roadway.
The contact owns a 2016 Mini Cooper S Countryman. The contact stated that intermittently the “Passenger restraint system malfunction - Fault in passenger-restraint system affecting air bag - Consult Nearest Service Center" message was displayed while the seat was occupied.
Went to gas up my 2016 Mini cooper Countryman all4 s, after gassing I started the car and started pulling away from gas pump station when suddenly I felt the steering wheel was hard and heavy to steer then there's warning light on dashboard saying steering wheel assistance malfunction.
Our car was parked for approx. 10 minutes. The car was off and the key was with my wife. No one was in the car, nor was it in operation on any level. No flammable items were within the car and the car was not parked on anything flammable. My wife also does not smoke. The car caught on fire near the front of the engine compartment.
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications- 10 years or 120,000 miles · MINI warranty extension 2516900100For this vehicle, the automatic transmission limited warranty for the vehicle Selector Lever Magnetic Shift Interlock Mechanism (Gearshift lug assembly portion) has been extended to 10 years/120,000…
The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every BMW warranty extension (46) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →
Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Structure, Engine, Power Train.
- M010424 Warranty extension2024-08-12 · Power Train
- For the eligible vehicles listed above, the limited warranty for the vehicle’s Selector Lever Magnetic Shift Interlock Mechanism (Gearshift lug assembly portion) has been extended to: 10 years/120,000 miles as determined by the vehicle’s original in-service date, When a gearshift lug repair kit (item # 2) installation procedure is required to be performed to address a displayed Check Control messa
- M640116 Service bulletin2024-01-19 · Structure
- Customer complains of a musty odor or damp front footwell carpet.
- M511616 Service bulletin2023-11-02 · Structure
- Cavity protection applied to underside of the hood is leaking out onto the wheel arch trim and grille.
- M610607 Service bulletin2023-10-25 · Electrical System
- MINI electrical systems have continued to develop over the past few years. As a result, the demand on the batteries has increased. Breakdowns due to an empty battery or problems in the vehicles electrical system can have various causes, most of which are not due to the battery itself. For this reason, a battery replacement will permanently eliminate the problem only in the rarest of cases. The
- M360119 Service bulletin2021-12-01 · Wheels
- New RDC wheel electronics will be introduced with future generation MINI models. The new wheel electronics are identified as Huf Generation 5. These new wheel electronics will need to be programmed using the new tool when replaced or when depressurized (0 psi) for more than 2 minutes.
- M010218 Service bulletin2019-04-01 · Engine And Engine Cooling
- N18 THERMOSTAT WITH THERMOSTAT HOUSING: LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/ This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI M01 02 18 dated May 2018.
- M010218 Service bulletin2019-04-01 · Equipment
- N18 THERMOSTAT WITH THERMOSTAT HOUSING: LIMITED WARRANTYEXTENSION TO 10 YEARS/ This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI M01 02 18 dated May 2018.
- M230108 Service bulletin2018-11-01 · Power Train
- "MANUAL TRANSMISSION - STIFF DIAGONAL GEARSHIFT LEVER MOVEMENT. The customer may complain of a ""stiff diagonal shift"" (e.g., N-R, R-N, 2-3/3-2 or 4-5/5-4). Also, in some cases, gears cannot be selected, or the selector gear does not go into the neutral position. CAUSE 1. The deflection lever circlip of the gearshift mechanism is damaged or missing. 2. Possible corrosion at the gearshift mechanis
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMVIn New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 MINI Countryman failed the emissions check on 3.9% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.91% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%).
failed emissions
662 initial inspections of 642 vehicles.
| Measure | The 2016 Countryman | Every 2016 vehicle | Behind it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the emissions check | 3.9% | 4.2% | 661 |
| Failed the safety inspection | 0.91% | 2.2% | 662 |
| Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit | 0.15% | 0.27% | 662 |
| Miles driven a year | 8,127 | 10,028 | odometer at inspection |
| Average odometer | 83,574 | 103,109 | odometer at inspection |
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Countryman by model year
all years, side by side →Common questions about the 2016 Countryman
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsDoes the 2016 MINI Countryman have any recalls?
No NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2016 MINI Countryman. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them, and a clean sheet on a recent model year often just means the vehicle is new.
How safe is the 2016 MINI Countryman?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2016 MINI Countryman yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it A (100/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2016 MINI Countryman?
Across the 8 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 MINI Countryman, the best EPA combined figure is 29 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2016 MINI Countryman?
Transport Canada measured it at 161.8 in long, 70.5 in wide (body, without mirrors), 61.4 in tall, on a 102.4 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,252–3,307 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2016 MINI Countryman?
Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 MINI Countryman, most often about air bags, electrical system, engine. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 4 a fire. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2016 MINI Countryman?
The EPA smog rating for the 2016 MINI Countryman runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, LEV-II ULEV — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2016 MINI Countryman?
The manufacturer has filed 35 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 MINI Countryman, most often covering equipment, electrical system, structure. The most recent is dated 2024-08-12. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2016 MINI Countryman do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 MINI Countryman failed the emissions check on 3.9% of first inspections — close to the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 0.91% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
| Data | Held | Source | What it covers — or what empty means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy & configurations | 8 configurations | EPA certification records | Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures. |
| Emission certificates | 8 configurations | EPA emission certificates | Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new. |
| Recalls | none | NHTSA recall campaigns | No campaign has been filed. Because the register is complete, an empty row here means there is nothing to find — not that we are missing it. |
| Owner complaints | 15 | NHTSA complaint database | Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold. |
| Crash ratings | none | NHTSA NCAP | NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe. |
| Service bulletins | 35 | NHTSA manufacturer communications | Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall. |
| Investigations | none | NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation | No defect investigation has been opened. |
| Driver-assist crash reports | none | NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01 | No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like. |
| Specifications filed with NHTSA | 7 fields | NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns | What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder. |
| Measured dimensions | 7 fields | Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications | Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions. |
| Trims, pricing & equipment | none | Manufacturer press kit | We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind. |
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.