U.S. public vehicle records

2005 Mini COOPER S CONVERTIBLE: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

61 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

69,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2005 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 55 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 37 of 61 complaints (60.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	38	62.3%
Electrical and battery issues	7	11.5%
Transmission and shifting	6	9.8%
Engine operation	3	4.9%
Braking behavior	2	3.3%

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.

Steering

Air Bags

Power Train

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering:Electric Power Assist System

Structure:Body

Electrical System

Engine

Steering: 37; Air Bags: 15; Power Train: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Steering:Electric Power Assist System: 2; Structure:Body: 2; Electrical System: 1; Engine: 1

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: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 16; 50,000 to 74,999: 16; 75,000 to 99,999: 13; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 0

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (16). 6 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.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

2026

2011: 15; 2012: 9; 2013: 12; 2014: 7; 2015: 10; 2016: 1; 2017: 5; 2019: 1; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 38 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 7 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 6 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 10381349 · 2011-02-09 (February 9, 2011)

2005 MINI COOPER 'S' CONVERTIBLE. THE POWER STEERING WILL OCCASIONALLY STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER. IF YOU SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTART THE CAR IT RESETS AND WORKS AGAIN. IT NORMALLY HAPPENS WHEN SLOWING FOR A STOP OR MAKING A TURN, WHICH YOU DON'T NOTICE UNTIL YOU START MOVING AND FIND YOU ARE UNABLE TO TURN THE CAR. LUCKILY I HAVEN'T PULLED OUT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS PROBABLY THE PUMP AND THEY WOULD REPLACE IT FOR APPROXIMATELY $680. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10381349 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10383987 · 2011-02-22 (February 22, 2011)

POWER STEERING QUIT UNEXPECTEDLY. I WAS IN A PARKING LOT, JUST STARTED THE CAR, AND HAD NO POWER STEERING. I DROVE IT A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD TO A GAS STATION, TURNED IT OFF, AND WHEN TURNED BACK ON AGAIN IT WORKED FINE. ORIGINALLY HAPPENED ON 2/12/11 AND HAS NOT RECURRED AS OF 2/22/11. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 105,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10383987 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10384371 · 2011-02-24 (February 24, 2011)

I OWN A 2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE & NOTICED MY POWER STEERING STARTING TO MAKE NOISE ABOUT A WEEK AGO. NOW IT IS WORKING VERY INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE NOTICED IN DOING SOME RESEARCH THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AN THEY WANT TO REPLACE MY POWER STEERING PUMP WHICH IS GOING TO BE VERY COSTLY. I AM TO SAY THE LEAST A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT A CAR WITH THE BMW NAME ON IT IS HAVING THIS MANY COMPLAINTS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10384371 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10392650 · 2011-03-23 (March 23, 2011)

2005 MINI COOPER S CONVERTIBLE - PENDING A SECOND REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP/COOLING FAN ASSEMBLY DUE TO FAILURE - THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED 18 MONTHS AGO AND THE REPLACEMENT FAN HAS ALREADY STOPPED RUNNING, CAUSING A SEVERE LEAK OF PS FLUID (TWICE FOUND COMPLETELY EMPTY) AND RESULTANT POWER STEERING FAILURE. FIRST FAILURE SUMMER 2008, REPEAT FAILURE WINTER 2010. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 98,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10392650 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10393690 · 2011-03-30 (March 30, 2011)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE S. THE CONTACT STATED THAT COOLANT BEGAN TO LEAK FROM THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT WHICH HE FOUND TO BE FRACTURED. LATER, THE CONTACT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE FAILURES WITH THE REAR BRAKES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS AND LATER, THE CONTACT BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN ABNORMAL RATTLING FROM THE CLUTCH. THE DEALER THEN ADVISED THAT THE CLUTCH AND FLY WHEEL WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT THERE…

Owner-reported narrative. 28,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10393690 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10397518 · 2011-04-26 (April 26, 2011)

THE CAR ( 2005 MINI COOPER) WAS COMPLETELY DEAD OVERNIGHT. WE CHARGED THE BATTERY AND A FAN WOULDN'T TURN OFF WHICH MUST HAVE CAUSED THE DRAIN. WE HAD IT FIXED. IT WAS A FAULTY RELAY IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP, WHICH HAD ALSO BEEN LEAKING ONTO THE ENGINE. READ ON THE INTERNET THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS VERY ISSUE. WE SPENT $1,000 TO FIX THIS ON A CAR WITH 40,000 MILES! *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10397518 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10398618 · 2011-05-02 (May 2, 2011)

POWER STEERING FAILURE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 46,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10398618 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10401227 · 2011-05-17 (May 17, 2011)

BOUGHT MINI COOPER USED FROM DEALER JUST PRIOR TO GOING TO FLORIDA FOR 2 WKS. WHEN ALMOST HOME FROM FLORIDA POWER STEERING WENT OUT. MY 3000 MILE USED CAR WARRANTY HAD JUST RAN OUT SO CHECKED ON RECALLS, FOUND NONE. BUT I DID FIND OUT THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS. CONTINUED TO DRIVE VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY AND FOUND THE STEERING SOMETIMES WORKED AND AGAIN WOULD CUT OUT WITH NO WARNING, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER WHEN NOT EXPECTED. THEN ONE DAY I CAME HOME AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF BUT THE STEERING PUMP WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. I HAD TO DISC…

Owner-reported narrative. 69,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10401227 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

15V205000 · Air Bags:Frontal

Reported: 2015-04-06 (April 6, 2015)

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2005-2006 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to November 28, 2006, and 2005-2008 MINI Cooper Convertible and Cooper S Convertible vehicles manufactured January 5, 2005, to July 31, 2008. Due to manufacturing, installation, and exposure issues, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat may not function properly and, as a result, the front passenger air bag may not deploy in a crash.

Consequence: An improperly functioning mat may cause the passenger frontal air bag to be inactive when the seat is occupied, and in the event of a crash, the air bag will not deploy, increasing the passenger's risk of injury.

Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat occupant detection mat, free of charge. The recall began on October 12, 2015. Owners may contact MINI customer service at 1-866-825-1525.

NHTSA campaign record ↗