Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Mini Cooper S owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
On 2/11/2016 I got home from work and I parked my 2005 Mini Cooper s (53,000 miles) on the driveway, turn off car and stayed with my kids & wife since they were waiting for me outside, my wife notice a sound & smoke coming from the car, the smoke were coming from the engine, I immediately open the hood & there was more smoke coming out, the headlights & all the lights turned on & stared flickering, also the wipers turned on, couple of seconds later the botom of the engine was engulfed in flames. My wife ran to get the water hose & I were able to put the fire out, we were lucky that I didn't walk inside the house like I always do, it could have been a horrible tragedy for me, my family and even our neighbors. …
2005 Mini Cooper s. Approximately 63,000 miles. October 22, 2009. I had just gotten home from work and parked in the garage. Going in the house I smelled something burning. After a couple minutes of investigating in the house, I decided to go back into the garage, and find that it is a little smokey. I open the garage door and back the Mini out onto the driveway. Now there is smoke streaming from under the hood. I can hear spinning/clicking noises coming from the engine compartment. I open the hood and see flames coming out of the back of the engine, below the exhaust manifold. I emptied 3 fire extinguishers into the engine bay and it was still burning. Called 911. By the time the fire department came, the fire had burned itself out. …
Driving to work in the am. I smell something in the car. When I look at my passenger side seat I saw smoke. Pull over and got a better look at it. I have a holes in my car seat and the two vest that I place on the seat. It appears the heated seat had a electrical failure. Took car to Mini dealer. They said it real odd this happen. They also nice to say I would have to paid to fix it. Look at many site on internet and seen BMW/Mini and other company have issues with heated seats. It do not seem to odd to me. I did not even had the heated seat on because no one was seating there.
Auto was parked in driveway after a 30 mile drive, turned off and keys removed. After some time being parked, car started billowing smoke from under the hood. Dash lights came on, parking lights came on spontaneously. No keys present in the vehicle. Before I was able to disconnect the battery the apparent short circuit had drained the battery. Vehicle was towed to Mini of peabody ma where it was determined the electro-hydraulic power steering pump had shorted out causing the wiring harness to be destroyed and also destroying the battery.
When adjusting the driver and passenger seats, the airbag light illuminated. After researching online, I conducted troubleshooting. I verified that the wiring harnesses and connectors for the airbag sensors under both seats had come loose, and certain wires de-pinned. The car was running, and parked when this occurred.
Battery light flashing, power steering cutting out intermittently while driving. Alternator and serpintine belt replaced but problem continues. Electric power steering seems to be draining electrical system.
2005 Mini Cooper s - engine fire a few days ago (7/27/2011) my 2005 Mini Cooper s caught fire in the lower rear engine compartment while parked in a business parking lot. It had been driven a short distance (about 6 miles) three hours prior with no indication of a problem. The car ignition was off and there was no key present in or near the vehicle. Fortunately, a co-worker spotted the car billowing smoke from beneath the hood and we were able to quickly extinguish the fire before any significant damage was done to the vehicle or surrounding property. According to the mechanic who diagnosed the car and subsequent electrical fire - the incident was caused by an overheating and eventual ignition of an electrical harness caused by a sudden failure of the power steering pump. …
Vehicle fire 5/2/2012. Car parked for 4 hrs. Returned to car & drove it <50 yards for ~2 minutes (moved it from street to parking lot). Turned it off and went in store. Returned ~4 minutes later, noticed smoke/exhaust smell; presumed it was adjacent car. Unlocked car. Car would't start (no lights/electrical at all). I then noticed white smoke coming from hood. Opened hood then noticed flame/fire inside engine compartment. Went in store, got fire extinguisher and put fire out. Invoice was >$3500 from Mini dealer. The dealer's assessment: "verified power steering pump has overheated to the point where it has burned up internally as well as externally (melting all three connectors and the wiring leading to them). Inspected power steering cooling fan and verified cooling fan is seizing up which very likely LED to the overheating and eventual failure of the power steering pump. …
Electrical complaints in other Cooper S years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 Mini Cooper S?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 Mini Cooper S, 6% of the model year's 375 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Mini Cooper S electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2005 Mini Cooper S, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Mini Cooper S electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 9 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.