U.S. public vehicle records

2006 Mini COOPER S problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

186 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

55,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2006 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 161 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 65 of 186 complaints (34.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	51	27.4%
Transmission and shifting	18	9.7%
Electrical and battery issues	17	9.1%
Braking behavior	7	3.8%
Engine operation	6	3.2%
Fuel system concerns	5	2.7%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Steering

Electrical System

Power Train

Seats

Engine And Engine Cooling

Unknown Or Other

Visibility:Windshield

Air Bags: 65; Steering: 48; Electrical System: 21; Power Train: 18; Seats: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling: 12; Unknown Or Other: 9; Visibility:Windshield: 9

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 27; 25,000 to 49,999: 38; 50,000 to 74,999: 53; 75,000 to 99,999: 24; 100,000 to 149,999: 17; 150,000 and above: 2

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (53). 25 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2022

2006: 14; 2007: 12; 2008: 5; 2009: 2; 2010: 11; 2011: 20; 2012: 36; 2013: 16; 2014: 22; 2015: 27; 2016: 2; 2017: 5; 2018: 8; 2019: 3; 2020: 2; 2022: 1

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 51 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 18 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 17 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10357728 · 2010-09-26 (September 26, 2010)

AFTER PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND GOING INSIDE THE HOUSE FOR A FEW MINUTES - WE NOTICED A VERY CHEMICAL/PLASTIC SMELL. WE QUICKLY FOUND IT WAS COMING FROM OUTSIDE, ONLY TO FIND OUR 2006 MINI S SPEWING BLACK SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS A FIRE, FOUND TO BE CAUSED BY THE POWER STEERING COOLING FAN FAILING, AND CAUSING THE POWER STEERING PUMP TO OVERHEAT AND START ON FIRE. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS BLOGS AND COMPLAINT PAGES ON THIS PROBLEM. I HAVEN'T THE MONEY TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM AT THIS TIME, AND SO THE CAR STILL SITS. THIS SEEMS TO B…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10357728 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10358177 · 2010-09-29 (September 29, 2010)

2006 MINI COOPER S JCW GP FIRST TIME IN 2008 JUST NOTICED FAN WOULD COME ON MORE OFTEN AND POWER STEERING WHINED LOUDER. DEALER AT MAIN LINE MINI REPLACED. SECOND TIME IN 2010 STEERING WHEEL FELT LIKE IT LOST POWER BUT REGAINED DURING OCCASIONAL TURNS. DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS DUE TO AFTERMARKET PARTS (CAMBER PLATES) BUT THEN REPLACED IT ANYWAYS CAUSE MAIN MECHANIC DROVE IT AND NOTICED PLAY IN STEERING. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 39,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10358177 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10326155 · 2010-04-17 (April 17, 2010)

I PURCHASE MY 2006 MINI COOPER S NEW ALMOST 4 YEARS AGO. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SINCE I PURCHASED IT. IF YOU ARE GOING DOWN A HILL IT DOWNSHIFTS EXTREMELY HARD CAUSING A WHIPLASH EFFECT. CARS HAVE ALMOST HIT ME FROM BEHIND MANY TIMES. ADDITIONALLY WHEN GOING UP A HILL SUCH AS A FREEWAY ON-RAMP, THE CAR WILL JUST REFUSE TO ACCELERATE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY. I HAVE SPOKEN MANY TIMES TO MINI HEADQUARTERS AND THE CONSENSUS IS THAT IS HOW THE VEHICLE IS SUPPOSED TO OPERA…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10326155 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10440113 · 2011-12-15 (December 15, 2011)

PLETHORA OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. HEATED SEATS ARE A MAJOR CONCERN. THEY GO ON AND OFF BY THEMSELVES, SEEM HAUNTED. SOMETIMES, THEY GET SO HOT THEY LEAVE BURN MARKS IN MY LEGS. I AM AFRAID OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE HEATED SEATS GET SO HOT, THEY LEFT BURN MARKS IN MY SEAT. AISIN 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EQUIPPED WITH "LIFETIME" FLUID, BEGINS SLIPPING GEARS AT 70K THE SUPERCHARGER HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE "DESIGN" OF THE SUPERCHARGER IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED, I WAS FORCED BY BMWUSA TO PURCHASE A REMANUFACTURED SUPERCHARGER. I W…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10440113 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10244929 · 2008-10-09 (October 9, 2008)

MY 2006 BMW MINI COOPERS PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT IS SHOWING THAT IT IS DEACTIVATED REGARDLESS IF THERE IS A FULL SIZED ADULT OR NO ONE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS. IT APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM IN THE SEAT SENSOR OR WIRING BECAUSE IT WILL GO OUT AT TIMES WHEN I HIT A BUMP OR MOVE THE SEAT THEN IT WILL COME BACK ON. THIS HAS BEEN A ON GOING PROBLEM/CONCERN WILL MY PASSENGERS BE PROTECTED IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH SINCE THE AIR BAGS ARE SHOWING THAT THEY ARE SHUT OFF WILL THEY STILL WORK? *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 49,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10244929 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10398440 · 2011-05-01 (May 1, 2011)

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND THE CHARGE CIRCUIT LIGHT CAME ON AND I SMELLED A HEATED ELECTRICAL SMELL. THE POWER STEERING HAD CUT OUT, SHORTLY AFTER, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE BEGAN TO RISE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON AND DROVE HOME. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT THIS MODEL MINI COOPER HAVE POWER STEERING PUMPS THAT FAIL AROUND 70,000 MILES. I DROVE TO MY JOB ON SUNDAY, AND THE CAR MADE THE ROUND TRIP, EXCEPT JUST BEFORE GETTING HOME, THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR TO A MECHANIC YET. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 70,668 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398440 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10148982 · 2006-01-30 (January 30, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER MODEL S. THREE DAYS AFTER PURCHASE AT 130 MILES THE VEHICLE STALLED AND OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL OUT COMPLETELY, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE. AFTERWARDS, THE CONTACT WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH BRAKE PRESSURE APPLIED, THE ENGINE ROARED AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD AND STRUCK A TREE. THE POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR …

Owner-reported narrative. 180 miles reported. Look up ODI 10148982 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10170687 · 2006-10-12 (October 12, 2006)

I WAS DRIVING MY BRAND NEW MINI COOPER S, HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON THE INTERSTATE, I WAS CUT OFF BY A SPEEDING CAR WHEN I WAS TRYING TO CHANGE LANES. I BEGAN TO BRAKE AND TRIED TO GO BACK IN MY LANE (I DID NOT OVER-CORRECT), AND MY CAR BEGAN FISH TAILING WILDLY AND PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I COULD NOT CONTROL MY CAR FROM PULLING TO THE RIGHT, AND MY BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AT ALL. I FOUGHT THE CAR, BUT I INEVITABLY WAS FORCED ACROSS THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH INTO A TREE, AND SLID UNDER A FENCE. I WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED, BUT I WAS BRUISED AN…

Owner-reported narrative. 86 miles reported. Look up ODI 10170687 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10375059 · 2011-01-07 (January 7, 2011)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MINI COOPER S. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 7 MPH THE LOW OIL PRESSURE SENSOR ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND THE CONTACT ADDED OIL TO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP AND UPON RESTART THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A SMALL LEAK WITHIN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND C…

Owner-reported narrative. 74,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10375059 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10174282 · 2006-11-26 (November 26, 2006)

THE PLASTIC GAS TANK OF THE 2006 MINI COOPER WAS PUNCTURED BY DEBRIS ON RT 3 NEAR CHELMSFORD, MASSACHUSETTS. SEVERAL GALLONS OF GASOLINE WERE LOST DUE TO THE PUNCTURE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 23,805 miles reported. Look up ODI 10174282 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10447690 · 2012-02-12 (February 12, 2012)

BRAND NEW VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN FOR REPAIR AT 7,308 MILES 1/27/10 VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE DUE TO MISFIRES 1/27/810. MINI SERVICE CLEANED FUEL SYSTEM AND PROVIDED "COURTESY" FIRST TIME INJECTOR SERVICE. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME AND BROUGHT BACK THE NEXT DAY FOR THE SAME MISFIRE FAULTS 2/2/10, HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND FUEL RAIL WAS REMOVED. 7,318 MILES, 10 MILES LATER... THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN AGAIN FOR COMBUSTION MISFIRES 24,491 MILES 8/12/11 BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR STRANGE NOISE, MINI SAID IT WAS NOTHING TO WOR…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,308 miles reported. Look up ODI 10447690 at NHTSA ↗