The Countryman is a compact crossover SUV that is produced by German automaker BMW under their Mini Cooper brand. Similar to its Mini Cooper cousin, this sports utility vehicle seems spacious despite its small stature. As much as Mini fans like the Countryman, produced from 2011 up to the present, they are not without maintenance problems.
Some owners of the Countryman SUV have experienced a frustrating issue with the rear hatch of their vehicles. Occasionally, the hatch will become stuck and will not open. Despite the interior rear hatch light giving the indication that the hatch is open, it is in fact still closed. The rear windshield wiper also fails to function.
It is possible that there may be a foreign object lodged somewhere in the mechanism that is responsible for releasing the hatch. This might be visible without having to remove any parts. It has also been noted that when the button to unlock the hatch is pressed, a sound can be heard that would seem to indicate that the hatch lock mechanism has been released, but again, the door will not open. While there may be no apparent danger from the failure of the rear hatch to open, it is not safe to drive in any vehicle where all of the doors are not fully operational. For this reason, you should not put off having this mechanical failure investigated fully.
If you are experiencing this, or any other mechanical problem with your Mini Countryman, you should consider bringing the vehicle in for an evaluation by a specialized German auto mechanic.
Search for a local, independent Mini Cooper repair shop with Mini Cooper mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.