MajorCommonFluid Leaks

Mini Countryman: B38 1.5 / B48 2.0 oil filter housing gasket leak - oil and coolant loss

B38 1.5 / B48 2.0 oil filter housing gasket leak - oil and coolant loss is a common fluid leaks fault on the Mini Countryman on the 2017–2023 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $700 to $1,900 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 15 documented faults on the Mini Countryman.

Vehicle: Mini Countryman
Engine: B38 / B48
Years: 2017–2023
Fuel: petrol
System: Fluid Leaks

This page covers the Mini Countryman as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Mini Countryman faults15 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph for this fault yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of something else.

What goes wrong

The F60's B38 three-cylinder and B48 four-cylinder share a plastic oil filter housing that also carries coolant passages and the oil cooler. Its gaskets harden and the housing can crack, so the engine weeps oil onto the exhaust side and slowly loses coolant, often from around 90,000 to 120,000 km. A US class action filed in New Jersey over B46/B48/B58 oil filter housings named Mini Cooper, Clubman and Countryman among the affected models; there is no NZ or AU recall or extended warranty. Ignored, the coolant loss can lead to overheating and oil can soak the drive belt, which has been known to shred and get drawn into the front of the engine.

What you would notice

Smell of hot oil after a drive
Coolant level warning or a reservoir that needs topping up
Oily film on the front of the engine below the filter cap
Wisps of smoke from the engine bay when stopped after a run

How to check it

Where to look. Front of the engine under the bonnet, the oil filter housing and cap with the oil cooler beneath it

With the engine cold, open the bonnet and use a phone torch around the oil filter cap and the housing below it at the front of the engine: look for wet oil, crusty pink or blue coolant residue, or fresh cleaning of just that area. Check the coolant reservoir level against the marks. Look at the ground where the car has been parked for oil or coolant drips under the front of the engine. After the test drive, sniff for hot oil or sweet coolant smells and watch for smoke with the bonnet up. Ask whether the oil filter housing or its gaskets have been replaced and for the invoice. If a workshop inspection is possible: have the car put on a hoist to check the underside of the housing, the oil cooler area and the drive belt for oil contamination, and pressure-test the cooling system.

What it costs to put right

$700 to $1,900 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Has the oil filter housing or its gasket ever been replaced, and do you have the invoice?”
“Do you have to top up the coolant or oil between services?”
“Has the drive belt ever been replaced because of oil contamination?”

Now check the Mini Countryman you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

cars.co.za F60 Mini Countryman (2017-2024) Buyer's Guide - B38/B48 oil leaks from the filter housing
US class action (D.N.J.) over B46/B48/B58 oil filter housing leaks naming Mini Cooper, Clubman and Countryman (Autoblog, Law360 coverage)
BimmerWorld / Turner Motorsport B38/B48 oil filter housing and gasket kit listings for Mini F-series

Mini Countryman buyer questions

Is b38 1.5 / b48 2.0 oil filter housing gasket leak - oil and coolant loss serious on a Mini Countryman?

We rate it major and common on the Mini Countryman. The F60's B38 three-cylinder and B48 four-cylinder share a plastic oil filter housing that also carries coolant passages and the oil cooler. Its gaskets harden and the housing can crack, so the engine weeps oil onto the exhaust side and slowly loses coolant, often from around 90,000 to 120,000 km. A US class action filed in New Jersey over B46/B48/B58 oil filter housings named Mini Cooper, Clubman and Countryman among the affected models; there is no NZ or AU recall or extended warranty. Ignored, the coolant loss can lead to overheating and oil can soak the drive belt, which has been known to shred and get drawn into the front of the engine.

How much does it cost to fix on a Mini Countryman?

$700 to $1,900 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Mini Countryman years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2017–2023 Mini Countryman. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.