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Model file · MINIUpdated · 15 sources

Selling a junk or broken MINI Countryman

The newest Countryman already has the thickest NHTSA file. Owners filed 19 complaints on the 2025 model year by October 10, 2026, more than on any older year, and NHTSA lists six recall campaigns for it. Across every year, the Countryman has just 106 complaints, so a few reports move the picture a lot.

A white first-generation MINI Countryman with a black roof and black wheel-arch trim, parked in a lot beside a red car
Photo: M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years in EPA data
2011-2027
Complaints to NHTSA
106
Year with the most complaints
2025 (19)
Recall campaigns
12
Powertrains in EPA data
Gasoline, plug-in hybrid, electric
Built in
Graz, Austria; Born, Netherlands; Leipzig, Germany; plus plants in India, Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia

Whether yours is an early 1.6-liter car, a plug-in hybrid or a crashed late model, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

The Countryman's NHTSA record

The Countryman counts below come from owners writing to NHTSA, taken from the October 10, 2026 file. They are not a reliability rating. A 2025 has had a year or two on the road; a 2014 has had a decade to gather reports. The file holds no Countryman complaints before the 2014 model year, though EPA data starts at 2011. A single recall can show up under several model years, so the recall column overlaps.

Model yearComplaintsReport a fireRecall campaignsNamed most
20141610Electrical system (8)
20151320Engine (3)
20161540Air bags (4)
2017721Electrical system (2)
20181101Steering (3)
20191102Engine (3)
2020602Engine (2)
2021-20247 in all02 (all on 2021)Unknown or other (3)
20251906Electrical, service brakes (5 each)
2026102Unknown or other (1)

Three generations, three sets of trouble

First generation (R60): electrical and fire complaints

Wikipedia lists the first Countryman as built from 2010 to 2016 for North America, by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. The base engine was a 1.6-liter four. A John Cooper Works version went on sale in autumn 2012 with 218 PS. In 2012, 21,012 of the 102,000 Countrymans sold worldwide went to US buyers.

The 2014-2016 cars hold 44 complaints. On the 2014, half of them (8 of 16) name the electrical system. Seven of the Countryman's nine fire reports sit on these three years, four on the 2016 alone. NHTSA lists no recall campaign for 2014-2016 in this file.

Second generation (F60): the plug-in hybrid battery

The second Countryman was built from 2016 to 2023. Wikipedia says it has been assembled at VDL Nedcar in Born, the Netherlands, since November 2016, and lists plants in India, Indonesia and Malaysia as well. Per Wikipedia, the Countryman came as a Cooper with a 1.5-liter turbo three, a Cooper S and JCW with a 2.0-liter turbo four, and a plug-in hybrid. Gearboxes included a 7-speed dual-clutch and an 8-speed Aisin automatic.

The 2017-2024 model years hold 42 complaints. The recalls matter more here:

  • 18V557: some 2017-2019 Countrymans may be missing a crash protection plate near the high-pressure fuel pump, which could mean a fuel leak in a crash. Dealers fit the plate. 9,953 vehicles.
  • 20V490: loose welding beads may form a conductive path between hybrid battery cells on the 2020 Countryman SE ALL4. The 713 vehicles also include BMW 330e, X5 xDrive45e and X3 xDrive30e plug-ins.
  • 20V601: battery modules on 2020-2021 Countryman All4 SE cars, inspected and replaced if needed. The 4,509 vehicles include several BMW plug-in hybrids.
  • 21V554: seat belt retractor inspection on 2021 models, in a 21,537-vehicle campaign that is mostly BMWs.

Third generation (U25): brakes on the 2025

Wikipedia dates the third generation from November 2023, built at BMW's Leipzig plant, with a 7-speed dual-clutch and a 66.4 kWh battery in the electric versions. Its 2025 model year has 19 complaints, and service brakes tie the electrical system at 5 each.

Three 2025 campaigns deal with the integrated brake system: 24V104 (266,716 vehicles across BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce), 24V697 (309, mostly BMWs) and 26V422 (428, also mostly BMWs). The rest are small: 24V340, a rear armrest bracket on 9 cars never sold from dealer stock; 24V711, front structure bolts on 7 vehicles; 25V616, front seat belt retractors on 2025-2026 cars (1,571 across BMW and MINI); and 25V717, rear belts on 2026 models (1,024).

Worth fixing?

Whatever the year, the question is the same: does the repair quote outrun what the car is worth once it runs?

  • Run your Countryman's VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup before anything else. Plug-in hybrid owners should ask a dealer about 20V490 and 20V601.
  • Hybrid battery trouble outside a recall? The hybrid battery guide explains the choice.
  • Crash damage on a newer car? If the insurer paid out, see wrecked or totaled.
  • Old R60 with a pile of faults? Get a written quote, then price a running R60 of the same age.

How to sell the Countryman whole

  1. Note your Countryman's VIN, its mileage, and if it's gas, plug-in hybrid or electric.
  2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Say where the Countryman sits, if it rolls and steers on four wheels, and if it's an ALL4. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  4. Leave the battery, wheels and converter on the car. Say if anything is missing.
  5. Find the title; the driver also checks a photo ID. After you sell covers plates and insurance by state.

Other MINIs: the Cooper, Clubman, Paceman and the full MINI list.

Questions people ask

Which Countryman model year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2025, with 19 of the 106 complaints filed as of October 10, 2026. The 2014 (16) and the 2016 (15) come next. Older years have had longer to collect complaints, so the 2025's lead after so little time stands out.
Are there recalls on the Countryman plug-in hybrid battery?
Yes, two. Recall 20V490 covers the 2020 Countryman SE ALL4, where loose welding beads may form a conductive path between battery cells. Recall 20V601 covers 2020-2021 Countryman All4 SE cars, with dealers inspecting and, if needed, replacing battery modules. Both campaigns also include BMW plug-in hybrids.
Will you buy a Countryman with a dead engine or a bad battery?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US. Tell us if it's a plug-in hybrid or electric, and whether it rolls.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. EPA fuel economy data: MINI Countryman model years and versions fueleconomy.gov
  2. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 18V557: fuel pump crash protection plate nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 20V490: plug-in hybrid battery cells nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 20V601: plug-in hybrid battery modules nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 21V554: seat belt retractors nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 24V104: integrated brake system nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 24V697: stability control module nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 26V422: integrated brake system nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 24V340: rear armrest bracket nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 24V711: front structure bolts nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 25V616: front seat belt retractors nhtsa.gov
  14. NHTSA recall 25V717: rear seat belt retractors nhtsa.gov
  15. Wikipedia: Mini Countryman (generations, engines, plants, sales) en.wikipedia.org