What 38 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Mini Cooper Hardtop

While driving straight on an Interstate highway at approximately 65 mph, the right front and left rear brakes momentarily locked up after the windshield wipers were turned on due to light rain starting to fall. This happened multiple times, only when the wipers were turned on. There were no warning lights illuminated in the instrument cluster or dash displays. This nearly caused a loss of vehicle control on several occasions and nearly caused an accident as well. The car has been routinely serviced to factory schedules including brake fluid time based changes. There appeared to be some occasional delay in the release of the brakes when starting from a stop. The brakes were serviced after this incident and the service center recommended completing a few panic stops to operate the ABS system. They could not explain how the wiper system can cause one circuit of the braking system to operate momentarily. A search of web forums for the F56 series MINI shows that this random locking of the RF & LR brakes with teh wipers in operation has happened to quite a few other owners of similar Mini Coopers. This problem creates a very significant safety risk.

NHTSA ODI 11614123

BRAKE PEDAL AT SAME LEVEL AS GAS PEDAL AT TIMES ( THEY ARE CLOSE TOGETHER) MY SHOE ON THE BRAKE ALSO HITS THE GAS TO EXCELLERATE PRESSING JARRED IN A PANIC WILL STOP THE CAR AND I WILL PUT IT IN NEUTRAL CITY STREET OR HI-WAY IN MOTION

NHTSA ODI 11046196

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE 2016+ MINI COOPER CLUBMAN MODELS. THE DESIGN OF THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS CAN NOT BE SEEN WHILE FOLLOWING THE VEHICLE AT A CARS LENGTH OF DISTANCE. THE LARGEST TAIL LIGHTS ON THE REAR HATCH OF THE VEHICLE ARE NOT THE ACTUAL BRAKE LIGHTS WHERE YOU ASSUME YOU WOULD SEE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE. INSTEAD THEY ARE ON THE BUMPER BELOW THE REAR DOORS. WHEN IN TRAFFIC OR FOLLOWING LESS THAN 2 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND THE CEHICLE THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN TELL THE VEHICLE IS EVEN STOPPING IS THE SMALL 3RD BRAKE LIGHT. PRIOR TO ANYONE BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED IN A REAR COLLISION I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE SUGGESTION THAT BMW AND MINI ILLUMINATE THE LARGE TAIL LIGHTS IF THE REAR BARN DOORS ARE CLOSED AND ILLUMINATE THE LOWER LIGHTS ONLY WHEN THE BARN DOORS ARE OPEN DURING DRIVING. I'VE MADE THIS FORMAL CLAIM ON RECORD IN CASE ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE IN THE FUTURE. I'VE INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS FOR REFERENCE: 1. FOLLOWING AT 2 CAR LENGTHS WITH BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED 2. FOLLOWING AT 1 CAR LENGTHS WITH BRAKES ILLUMINATED 3. SIDE VIEW OF DISTANCE WHEN BRAKE LIGHTS WERE COMPLETELY OBSCURED DUE TO LOCATION.

NHTSA ODI 10872609