U.S. public vehicle records

2006 Mini COOPER S: complaints, problems and recalls

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.

Examples from the source records

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

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 10151675 · 2006-03-03 (March 3, 2006)

BRAND NEW MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE (1 WEEK OLD). I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY IN THE LEFT MOST LANE. WHILE I WAS CHECKING THE POSSIBILITY TO CHANGE TO THE RIGHT LANE, THE FREEWAY CURVED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE CAR ENTERED SLIGHTLY INTO THE SHOULDER LANE ON THE LEFT. THE SPEED WAS 65 MPH. THE MOMENT PART OF THE CAR ENTERED THE SHOULDER LANE, IT LOST CONTROL AND HIT THE SHOULDER. AS A RESULT, THE CAR FLIPPED OVER AND DRAGGED FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. AS A RESULT OF THIS CRASH, I INCURRED SEVERE EYE INJURY AND SIGNIFICAN…

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10151675 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10156463 · 2006-04-30 (April 30, 2006)

WINDSHIELD CRACK APPEARED OVER NIGHT. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10156463 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10160436 · 2006-06-22 (June 22, 2006)

DEAR OFFICER, I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIANT ABOUT A DEFECTIVE 2006 MINI COOPER WINDSHIELD PROBLEM. I HAVE A BRAND NEW 2006 MINI COOPER FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS, BUT THERE WAS A COUPLE OF LINE CRACKS ON THE WINDSHIELD ALREADY. THE PROBLEM IS NOT EVEN CAUSED BY A ROCK CHIP AND I THINK IT IS A "STRESS" CRACK THAT MANY MANY MINI COOPER BUYERS HAS EXPERIENCED. I TOOK THAT TO THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM IF IT IS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY DENIED IT WAS CAUSED BY STRESS CRACKS AND REFUSED TO FIX IT. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE UNDER …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10160436 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10162102 · 2006-07-11 (July 11, 2006)

MINI COOPER, MINI COOPER S AND CONVERTIBLES, DATING 2002-2006. GLASS PITS AND CRACKS EASILY. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENS, MINI IS NOT CLAIMING THE GLASS HAS A PROBLEM AND YOU MUST REPLACE AT YOUR OWN COST OR THROUGH YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY. HAVE HAD 2 CARS, AND NUMEROUS FRIENDS WITH THESE CARS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10162102 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10162334 · 2006-07-13 (July 13, 2006)

I STARTED LEASING MY MINI COOPER IN 11/2005. I HAD LEASED CARS WITH MITSUBUSHI PRIOR TO THIS FOR 8 YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, I WAS COMING HOME FROM THE AIRPORT IN MY MINI COOPER. IT STARTED TO "CLUNK", SEIZED, I PULLED OVER - THEN BLACK AND GREEN FLUID STARTED POURING OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE ROADSIDE SERVICE SENT A TOW TRUCK TO PICK ME UP. I SAT IN 95 DEGREE HEAT ON I-95 FOR 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES WAITING FOR THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK CAME AND WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST BMW DEALER - THE DEALER I LEASED FROM - PRINCETON …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10162334 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10162357 · 2006-07-13 (July 13, 2006)

I SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT TODAY BUT WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT CONTACTED WITH MY INFORMATION. THANK YOU. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10162357 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10166739 · 2006-08-28 (August 28, 2006)

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE RECOMMENDED SPEED OF 65 MPH WITH MORE THAN SUFFICIENT SPACE BETWEEN MY CAR AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND A SMALL PEBBLE SMALLER THAN THE ERASER ON A PENCIL HIT THE TOP OF MY WINDSHIELD AND MADE A SMALL STAR CRACK - THIS CRACK IS SMALLER THAN THE HEAD OF A NAIL. THE CRACK CONTINUED TO GROW INTO AN L SHAPE, 5 INCHES LONG RIGHT BEHIND THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE MINI WINDSHIELD AND THE PROBLEM IS FIXED ONCE YOU REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WITH A THICKER GLASS. THIS COULD …

Owner-reported narrative. 2,860 miles reported. Look up ODI 10166739 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 ↗