Most common 2005 Mini Cooper S problems
Share of the 375 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mini Cooper S complaints by model year
Best Cooper S years: 2017, 2016, 2021. Years to avoid: 2005, 2007, 2004, 2006, 2003. Compare all years →
2005 Mini Cooper S recalls (2)
Steering › Electric power assist system
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 MINI Cooper and Cooper S vehicles and 2005 Cooper and Cooper S Convertible vehicles. The affected vehicles may experience temporary or permanent loss of the electro-hydraulic steering assistance.
Remedy: MINI will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the electro-hydraulic power steering system, replacing the components and wiring, as necessary, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal
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.
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 defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2005 Mini Cooper S:
Loss of Power Steering Assist
ODI has received 339 complaints alleging an unexpected loss of power steering assist while driving the vehicle.When the power steering assist stops working, drivers experienced difficulty in steering and/or controlling the vehicle.According to BMW drivers may experience either a temporary or permanent loss of power steering assist.BMW further advised that a temporary loss of power steering assist may be due to a…
Loss of power steering assist
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) originally opened the investigation of loss of power steering assist in model year (MY) 2004 and 2005 Mini Cooper as Preliminary Evaluation PE10-038.The investigation was upgraded to Engineering Analysis EA11-005 in May, 2011.During EA11-005 the scope was expanded to include MY 2002 and 2003 vehicles that use the same steering system.The subject vehicles now include MY 2002,…
What 2005 Mini Cooper S owners say
Steering all 249 →
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the vehicle had lost power steering assist. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that a software update was performed on the back over prevention camera. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 175,830.
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact also stated that he was advised by the dealer that he had to pay out of pocket for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Air bags all 86 →
2005 Mini Cooper s was traveling 50mph when it hit icy bridge spun around and rolled 3 times driver was wearing a seatbelt and passenger was not and got ejected and died.no airbags deployed. Hwy 299.
The passenger seat occupancy mat was replaced by recall on 10/28/2016. On 10/2018 I noticed that when there is a passenger in the seat with their seat belt on the air bag was off, in 1 weeks time the passenger side seat belt light was on all the time and the air bag is off all the time with or without someone occuping the seat. Reguardless if the car is idiling or going down the rode. At least before the recalled mat sensor was replaced the seat mat sensor worked most of the time. Now it does not work at all. I took it to the dealership and they tested the oc3 mat (passenger side mat sensor) and said there are multiple codes for the oc3 mat and they found internal faults and it requires replacement again. They said this recall is no longer under warrenty and I need to pay over 1500.00 to have it replaced. …
Electrical system all 24 →
I got home from work parked car and heard a whining noise under hood I could see smoke and buring smell coming from steering cooling fan the fan stayed on and went into extreme high speed and continued to smoke and wiring burning ,I was fortunate enough to be able to disconnect battery which stopped fan and electrical burning I have car parked in drive way and contacted my insurance to file a claim ,I am afraid to start car and need to have car repaired
Earlier in the day I took the car on a day trip to lake tahoe driving a combination of interstate and mountain pass road. 3 hours later, my wife had taken the car to run an errand and came home and parked the car in the garage completely off and locked. 10-15 minutes later we hear the car alarm going off. We opened the door to the garage and saw white smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was high pitched wining also. When I opened up the door the put in neutral, the lights on the instrument panels were all on with no keys in the ignition. Opened the garage and moved the car to the driveway and away from the house. Called the fire department and I used an extinguisher underneath where orange glow was visible. The glow of the flames were toward the back part of the engine compartment and low. …
2005 Mini Cooper S engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl supercharged | 6-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 29 / 24 |
| 1.6L 4-cyl supercharged | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
EPA ratings. Class: Subcompact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Mini Cooper S a good car?
Based on 375 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Cooper S rates avoid: 6.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Cooper S at the same age. It is one of the Cooper S years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Mini Cooper S?
The steering — 249 complaints, 66% of all complaints for this model year, most often about electric power assist system. Next are the air bags (86) and electrical system (24).
How many recalls does the 2005 Mini Cooper S have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2005 Mini Cooper S, the most recent from October 15, 2015 (electric power assist system). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mini Cooper S?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2017, 2016 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005, 2007, 2004, 2006 and 2003. See the full Mini Cooper S years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Mini Cooper S problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 66,000 miles; 22% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.