31% of 120 verified Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2owners don't recommend it — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
For balance: 52% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score
“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.”— HesDeadJim_ on Reddit
“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)”— ganasdecomer on r/Dashcam
“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.”— ShiftyGingerBush on r/Dashcam
“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.”— Kitzira on r/dashcams
“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.”— GlitteringThing3570 on r/Dashcam
“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.”— omgitzdaniel22 on r/Garmin
“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.”— Serious-Nectarine509 on r/Dashcam
“I have a garmin mini 2 . It’s straight ASS and mine is defective after a year of usage. I have no recommendations except for DONT BUY IT. Sincerely, someone who spent $109 for it and cant get a refund.”— 18dwhyte on r/dashcams
“My Garmin mini 2 got the purple screen of death within 3 years, Garmin wants to charge $89 to replace it. Doesnt seem like the great brand they once were.”— damian001 on r/dashcams
“Pressing on my lens can still trigger the issue but it is better. Shouldn’t have trusted the brand, why is no one making reliable, long lasting dashcams??”— thaeyo on r/Dashcam
“mine did the same after less than 2 years, I bought Garmin because I believed in their quality But it seems am not the only one with this issue”— Sa77if on r/Dashcam
“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.”— arrowhead99 on r/Dashcam
Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.
“Sadly I didn’t set it to the best video quality so it took me a few tries to get the driver’s plate.”— emeraldvirgo on Reddit
“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.”— BlueCactusChili on r/Dashcam