The British Automaker That Was Recently Dead Last In Reliability Is Now One Of The Most Dependable Brands, Says JD Power

British automakers make some great cars, but none of them are exactly known for having great reputations when it comes to reliability (ask me how I know). For a time, Mini, the British automaker known for making small hatchbacks, was stuck in that camp. Back in 2009, it was famously ranked dead last in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, which surveyed owners for the number of problems they experienced in their first 90 days of ownership. In that survey, Mini owners experienced 165 problems per 100 vehicles, a huge jump from the industry average of 108 problems.

That year, Mini didn’t fare much better in J.D. Power’s Dependability Study. This study surveys tens of thousands of owners, asking them how many problems they’ve experienced after three years of ownership. In 2009, Mini was placed solidly in the lower half of the reliability spectrum, sandwiched between Dodge and Saturn with 205 problems reported per 100 vehicles (the industry average that year was 170 problems per 100 vehicles).

But over the past decade and a half or so, something happened with the BMW-owned Mini brand that I’m not sure has ever happened with a British automaker: It got more reliable. Fast-forward to 2026, and Mini ranks among the highest in the Dependability Study, losing out only to Lexus and Buick. Has the curse of the British-built car finally been broken?

Here’s How Mini Did It

For this year’s Dependability study, Mini owners reported just 168 problems per 100 vehicles over three years of ownership. That beats out every German brand, including parent company BMW, as well as the only other British brand on the list, Land Rover, which unsurprisingly ranked third to last. For individual model awards, the Mini Countryman snagged second place for most dependable small SUV, losing out only to the Subaru Crosstrek.

Since Mini’s revival in the early 2000s, it’s been run by BMW. While German cars don’t have a reputation for reliability that’s much better than British cars, at least they tend to address problems rather than cover their ears and ignore them for years. That’s how Mini managed to turn its woes around, according to Automotive News:

Mini, on the other hand, has been more proactive in fixing issues that dragged quality down. In 2009, Mini was dead last on JD Power’s Initial Quality Survey. Mini raised its quality in two ways: fixing parts that are not holding up in service and working closer with BMW, spokesman Andrew Cutler says.

“Even though the current generation is new, it is based on substantial parts of the previous generation architecture and the components that go along with that,” Cutler said of the latest Cooper hardtop and convertible. “That also has given us the opportunity to enhance those components using real-world data on potential issues that show a pattern.”

Cutler also told Autonews that working more closely with BMW has helped Mini’s reliability goals, pointing out that the X1 and the Countryman are both built on the same line in Germany. The company’s most iconic model, the Cooper hatch, is still built in Oxford. You could argue that, at this point, Mini is a German brand that happens to build most of its cars in the United Kingdom. While that’s a gross oversimplification and not entirely correct, it’s not not correct, either. Either way, it’s a net positive for the brand.

There Are Still Improvements To Be Made

This year’s Initial Quality study hasn’t come out yet, but last year’s wasn’t so hot for Mini. In 2023 and 2024, the company placed pretty well, sitting solidly in the upper third of the industry, and well below the average. But in 2025, the brand saw a sharp dip, going from 182 problems per 100 vehicles to 218 problems.

While J.D. Power didn’t specify why Mini fell so far down the list, it did point out that more problems emerged from new-model car launches and model-year changeovers. In 2024, the company launched the new Cooper and the new Countryman, so it’s possible that teething problems caused new owners to report more problems than usual for the brand. Theoretically, things should be back to normal for the 2026 study. But that doesn’t come out until June, so we’ll have to wait and see to find out.

Either way, Mini seems to know what it’s doing. In addition to upping quality, it’s added a new entry-level Oxford Edition trim to the Cooper and Countryman lineups, giving buyers budget-minded options at a time when affordability is on everyone’s minds. The base 2-door Cooper Oxford Edition starts at $26,675 including destination, while the 4-door is just $1,000 more. The bigger Countryman Oxford Edition, meanwhile, starts at $36,075.

Perhaps Jaguar-Land Rover can learn a thing or two from Mini when it comes to dependability. But Jaguar should probably worry about selling cars again first before it looks into that.

Top photo: Mini