RecallRepo

2005 MINI Cooper Convertible Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2005 MINI Cooper Convertible has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 91,800 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

AIR BAGS 15V205000 2015-04-06 91,800 affected
Defect

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,…

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.

Complaints by component

STEERING
75
2crashes3fires2injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
7
2fires
AIR BAGS
5
POWER TRAIN
5
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
4
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
2
1crashes1injuries
ENGINE
2
1fires
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LOCK
2
SEATS
2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
Total complaints115

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The contact owns a 2005 mini cooper convertible. The contact stated that she noticed a leak coming from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a power of steering hose leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to…”

STEERING · reported 2023-03-07

“The contact owns a 2005 mini cooper convertible. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v660000 (steering). The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed. The dealer was made aware of the recall but informed the…”

STEERING · reported 2021-12-17

“My son drives this car and the power steering went out twice on him while driving. I need to get the pump replaced via the recall, but the nearest location is 200 miles from me. It is not safe to drive this car that far and I would have to drop it off and make another trip to pick it up. Towing…”

STEERING · reported 2021-11-29

“The transmission will cycle first through third and when it tries to go into 4th it slips and will not operate higher gears it caused me to lose my forward drive momentum as I was switching lanes and the car I was getting in front of almost ran into me.”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2021-09-05

“Power steering pump stop working while driving turning in a city street”

STEERING · reported 2021-04-28

“The car stopped steering correctly. It is very difficult to turn the wheels. The power steering is gone. I started noticing the difference in the steering and then the steering progressively got worse. I called the service department of the dealership to ask if there should be a concern because…”

STEERING · reported 2017-12-08

“Tl* the contact owned a 2005 mini cooper convertible. The contact stated that while driving at 5 mph after exiting his driveway, he suddenly lost power steering without warning. As a result of the failure, the contact lost complete control of the vehicle as the vehicle veered off the road and into…”

STEERING · reported 2017-05-02

“Power steering issues: mini cooper convertible 2005. The first evidence of my problem was when the electrical system seemed to be faulty. I replaced the alternator, and that fixed the car for about two weeks. At that point, I noticed a fan running a lot, and then found the battery dead on several…”

STEERING · reported 2016-11-19

Defect investigations

Investigation EA11005 Opened 2011-05-04 · closed 2016-01-05

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…

Investigation EA11005 Opened 2011-05-04 · closed 2016-01-05

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…

Investigation EA11005 Opened 2011-05-04 · closed 2016-01-05

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…

Investigation EA11005 Opened 2011-05-04 · closed 2016-01-05

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…

Investigation PE10038 Opened 2010-09-24 · closed 2011-05-10

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…

Investigation PE10038 Opened 2010-09-24 · closed 2011-05-10

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…

Investigation PE10038 Opened 2010-09-24 · closed 2011-05-10

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…

Investigation PE10038 Opened 2010-09-24 · closed 2011-05-10

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…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2005 MINI Cooper Convertible as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.