All categories/Tech & Smart Home/Dash cams/Garmin/Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2
Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2

Scored on 120 verified owner verdicts, from 1,361 comments read across 5 communities
TL;DR
Owners love how tiny and discreet the Mini 2 is, hiding it completely behind the rear-view mirror, and most are happy with the video quality, easy install and low price. The big recurring complaint is reliability: a striking number of owners report the screen going purple or green and the camera failing within one to three years, often with both their front and rear units dying around the same time. When that happens many say Garmin only offers a paid replacement, and a few were burned by the camera recording nothing right when they needed it after an accident.

52% of 120 verified owners recommend the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

See the problems 37 owners report →

What 120 owners say
1,361 comments reviewed · scored on the 120 clearest verdicts
52%
Recommend
63 owners
17%
Neutral
20 owners
31%
Don't recommend
37 owners
Last 6 months:17% recommend(6 recent verdicts)↓ trending down 37pts vs older reviews
Source
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
53%
118
Other forumsFordtremor, Ram Trx
50%
2
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiowner comments
92%
12
Affiliate blogsipaid commission
100%
2
No clear verdictiSetup, tips & quirks
2

Affiliate blogs here say 100% recommend, while the owner-based score is 52%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.

The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube and Affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.

What owners like
  • Tiny and discreet, hides behind the rear-view mirror · 30 · 25%
  • Good video quality for its size · 18 · 15%
  • Easy to install and set up · 12 · 10%
  • Affordable price · 10 · 8%
  • Simple, user-friendly app and operation · 9 · 8%
What owners flag
  • Screen turns purple or green as the sensor fails · 18 · 15%
  • Stops working within one to three years · 12 · 10%
  • Garmin charges for replacement, weak warranty support · 6 · 5%
  • Flaky wifi, connection and app issues · 5 · 4%
  • Failed to record footage when needed · 3 · 3%
Who it's for
A great fit if
  • Drivers wanting the smallest, hidden-behind-mirror dash cam
  • DIY installers using the rearview-mirror USB port
  • Front-and-rear multi-camera setups
  • Those fine with no screen and app-based playback
Look elsewhere if
  • Buyers expecting multi-year reliability (sensor failures common)
  • Anyone needing above-1080p or distant plate detail
  • Those wanting a built-in battery or onboard screen

Synthesized from what Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 owners say — not a spec sheet.

How buyers rate it elsewhere

Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.

Top quotes, sourced

1,361 reviewed · 134 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I originally had the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 and another one with a screen (can't remember off the top of my head, but it had a screen) to have a front and back cam in my car. Both bricked after a couple of weeks.

Reddit— neutral

The Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2 works great and is super small. Downside is, obviously, no battery so if you don't have constant power it shuts off. It also has no display and requires a phone in order to fully utilize.

YouTube▲ recommend

This is an easy to use, affordable unit for sure! I love mine!

Reddit— neutral

What il love about it is that it's small enough to fit fully in front of my rear view mirror, so once I had it wired in, it is totally invisible from inside the car. And from outside you barely see it either due to its size, is really no bigger than a cigarette lighter USB charger. But the small size does mean that you have to use your phone to view clips, i

Reddit▲ recommend

Garmin dash cam mini 2 is what I have and like.

r/Dashcam▼ don’t recommend

Then at some point I power the car on and it just sits with a green light doing nothing. I have the official Garmin cable and a SanDisk card so it must be an issue with the camera.

Reddit— neutral

I have the Garmin dash cam mini 2 with the hardwire kit in my Gladiator. It's not the MOST feature-rich system, but it's a small form factor and it's been fine for my needs.

YouTube▲ recommend

It's a great camera

r/Dashcam▼ don’t recommend

the first one did this after about 16 months and I contacted Garmin and got a replacement only for it to happen exactly the same again just 9 months later ( now out of warranty)

r/Dashcam▼ don’t recommend

I had almost the exact same experience with a Mini 2 going green and it killed my trust in it too. I switched to a Viofo A119 Mini and it’s been way more solid for me so far.

Reddit▲ recommend

Right now I’m using the Garmin Dash cam mini 2. It’s small and hard for the other person to see. Doesn’t have a display but that’s not a big issue for me.

YouTube— neutral

The Mini 2 resolution is ok, but hard to make out license plates unless you are close. The plastic feels cheap all around

YouTube▲ recommend

It works far better than my previous dash cam

r/dashcams▼ don’t recommend

it's taking 2-3 minutes for it to boot up. The LED is blinking green for a good while leaving the neighbourhood before it goes steady red and actually starts recording.

Reddit— neutral

I've got the Garmin dash cam mini 2. Whilst it might not be the best it tick the categories.

Reddit— neutral

I'm using the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2. My mates got the 70mai which is a cheaper option, but has better quality than this.

r/Dashcam▼ don’t recommend

I had almost the same experience with Garmin and it killed my trust in them for dash cams. I switched to a Viofo A119 Mini 2 and it’s been way more reliable so far.

Reddit▲ recommend

I have a Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2. Honestly, I bought it for my last car, and at the time I just wanted a very small dash cam that's hard to see from the outside because smash-and-grabbers are becoming more common in my city. But it's perfect for the Crosstrek.

r/Garmin▼ don’t recommend

The Garmin mini dash cam sucks. I wish I would’ve seen this before I ever bought the thing. Even on high sensitivity it doesn’t capture hardly anything. Heavy traffic nothing sudden stops nothing.

Reddit▲ recommend

Garmin dash cam mini 2 has been great for me. I think it was $109

Reddit— neutral

Not the best thing ever. But I've not had any issues either. Bought it for the size. It's almost completely invisible, even from the front it's small enough to hide in plain sight.

Reddit— neutral

I have the garmin dash cam mini 2 in my kona. I bought two and just ran USB cables under the trim. The app isn’t great(but improving) they are inexpensive and easy to install

Reddit▲ recommend

The quality is really good and includes an option to record sound as well. I like that feature because you can read aloud license plate numbers

r/Dashcam▼ don’t recommend

went to pull the dash cam video and all I get is this....on all of the files from this morning to this evening. Is there any way to recover/ unscramble the video.

Showing 124 of 134

Common problems & things to know

Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.

Redditⓘ good to know

Sadly I didn’t set it to the best video quality so it took me a few tries to get the driver’s plate.

r/Dashcamⓘ good to know

The picture occasionally has a thin band of the "apocalyptic" coloring, but it just flashes before it corrects itself. Regardless, it's better than the entire picture being "apocalyptic" 24/7.