NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 2 complaints against the 2021 Mini Countryman. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2021 Mini Countryman complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2021 Mini Countryman has generated 6 NHTSA complaints and has 2 active recalls. If your 2021 Mini Countryman has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Mini pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
Fuel and propulsion system defects can cause stalling, fuel leaks, or power loss — all substantial impairments of use and safety. The 2021 Mini Countryman has generated 3 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. Owner reports include: “My 2021 MINI Cooper Countryman S model with John Cooper Works had to have a part replaced, a valve part, that allows the fuel tank to release air from the fuel tank. I had a message or symbol on the dash with an alert that would come on but then go away. I took it to the Sewell BMW MINI dealership in Plano, TX, on Spring Creek Parkway, and they diagnosed it and fixed it. The buildup of the air in the gas tank could have caused an explosion. Luckily, it was covered under my OEM warranty.” (NHTSA Complaint #11691003)
Advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) defects — including malfunctioning forward collision warnings, lane keep assist failures, and erratic automatic emergency braking — can create dangerous driving conditions. The 2021 Mini Countryman has 3 NHTSA complaints for this defect type. Owner reports include: “The vehicle brakes during turns in the road when it is inappropriate. Has led to braking almost to a stop on the highway in one incident and could possibly cause a rear end collision. It has done this around 30 times in the past year of owning the vehicle and has begun to cause anxiety on the road due to not knowing when it will activate. It also has not warned during near front end collisions when it should have. The software is faulty and I have brought it to the Mini of Dallas’ attention as well as the Mini of Arlington and the Mini/BMW N. America executive customer relations team which set up an appointment once for it to be inspected but then they said they couldn’t ‘recreate the road conditions’ and thus couldn’t do anything for me. Mini of Dallas said the same thing as well. No resolution even when having talked with the highest customer sales reps. Not really sure how to get this issue fixed. The mini of Dallas said it was the ‘computer just seeing ghosts in the screen’ and even though they recalibrated it or turned the sensitivity down it continues to do this random braking in bends of roads with no one on the road, oncoming traffic on the opposite side of the road, and other situations.” (NHTSA Complaint #11438163)
The following 2 recalls have been issued for the 2021 Mini Countryman by the NHTSA or Mini. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: SEAT BELTS
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: During a crash, a seat belt retractor that does not function as intended increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the seat belt retractors (including the seat belts) and, if necessary, replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417; 1-866-825-1525 (MINI); 1-877-877-3735 (Rolls
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM:TRACTION BATTERY
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: The debris could result in a short-circuit, increasing the risk of fire or injury.
Remedy: BMW will inspect and, if necessary, replace the battery module free of charge. The remedy is currently being developed. Until the remedy is completed, drivers are instructed to not charge their vehicles. Drivers are instructed to not drive in manual mode, sport mode, and to not use the shift padd
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2021 Mini Countryman:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Mini to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Mini must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2021 Mini Countryman qualifies as a lemon under California law, Mini may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Mini a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Mini dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Mini pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Mini a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Mini is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2021 MINI Countryman has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
Get a free case evaluation. Mini pays our fees if you win — you pay nothing upfront.
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