2023 Mini Cooper Hardtop Safety and Reliability

A Mini Cooper safety review has not yet been conducted by the NHTSA. However, the IIHS has conducted a Mini Hardtop review. It rated the 2023 two-door model as 'Good' in every evaluated crashworthiness category. Both the two- and four-door models received a headlight rating of only 'Acceptable' from the US authority, though.

Every Mini comes standard with dynamic stability control, tire pressure monitoring, ABS/EBD braking, and dynamic cruise control with a braking function. The combination of the Mini's small size, the rearview camera, and rear parking sensors mean that you're unlikely to ding cars or objects behind you. Other safety features include forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a complement of eight airbags. That includes side curtain airbags and knee airbags for both front occupants.

On the Signature trim and above, a parking assistant does the parking for you automatically but costs extra, not that most drivers would need assistance parking a Mini. Iconic models add a head-up display as standard.

Mini has also rejigged the optional Driver Assistance package for 2023. It now comes with both park assist and a head-up display. However, active cruise control has been separated from this package and is now a standalone option for Cooper S models with the automatic and the Signature Plus sub-trim.

With BMW's backing, the Mini is a well-built car that offers generally trouble-free motoring. At the time of writing, the 2023 Mini Cooper Hardtop had not yet been rated by J.D. Power. However, the 2022 model has a good overall rating of 82 out of 100, and the same rating for quality and reliability. There's more good news from the NHTSA, where the 2023 and 2022 Minis have so far not been recalled once. That said, last year's model was recalled twice for a passenger seat belt malfunction and for the possibility that the airbags may not deploy in the unlikely event of a rollover. The same airbag recall applied to 2020 models as well as an issue where crash pads were missing from the rear side trim panels. This could lead to increased injury risk for rear passengers in the event of a side crash.

Every Mini Cooper in the USA is sold with a four-year/50,000-mile limited and powertrain warranty, and complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered for the first three years or 36,000 miles.