2005 MINI COOPER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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N/A

Safety Rating

440

Owner Complaints

13 Crashes 13 Fires

4

Recalls

ACTIVE RECALL

8

Service Bulletins

0

Investigations

Overview of the 2005 MINI COOPER

The 2005 MINI COOPER has received a total of 440 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 4 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM, AIR BAGS:FRONTAL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS. 8 technical service bulletins have been issued by BMW of North America, LLC for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Steering (268 complaints), Air Bags (41 complaints), and Electrical System (30 complaints).

Recalls for the 2005 MINI COOPER

NHTSA has recorded 4 recalls for the 2005 MINI COOPER, potentially affecting up to 222,279 vehicles.

Recall 15V660000 — STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

| 86,018 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

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. Interim notices were mailed to owners on December 10, 2015. Owners will receive a second notice when...

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Recall 15V205000 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

| 91,800 vehicles 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, and exposure issues, the front passenger seat occupant detection mat may not...

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.

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Recall 09E025000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

| 42,540 vehicles affected

Defect: DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Consequence: DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

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Recall 08E050000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

| 1,921 vehicles affected

Defect: K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

Consequence: WITHOUT THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTORS, THE LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY BE AFFECTED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.

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Owner Complaints for the 2005 MINI COOPER

440 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2005 MINI COOPER. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Most Recent Complaints

#11654543 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | 172,843 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that there was water accumulated on the passenger's side front floorboard. The contact stated that the heater was causing some undisclosed issues. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the sunroof drain tubes were clogged, the drain tubes were cleared, and an undisclosed reprogramming was completed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 172,843.
#11654543 | VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | | 172,843 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that there was water accumulated on the passenger's side front floorboard. The contact stated that the heater was causing some undisclosed issues. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V337000 (Electrical System). The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the sunroof drain tubes were clogged, the drain tubes were cleared, and an undisclosed reprogramming was completed. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 172,843.
#11650688 | STEERING | | 117,300 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (Steering). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 117,300.
#11524398 | ENGINE | | 160,000 miles Fire
The contact owns a 2005 Mini Coop S Hardtop. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the vehicle alarm activated inadvertently and the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that he lifted the hood open and noticed fire coming from underneath the engine. The contact extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
#11516631 | STEERING | | 99,000 miles
The vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed me that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure is NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V660000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall.

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Safety Rating for the 2005 MINI COOPER

NHTSA has not yet tested the 2005 MINI COOPER in its New Car Assessment Program.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2005 MINI COOPER

BMW of North America, LLC has issued 8 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2005 MINI COOPER. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

SIM-01-05-14 — EQUIPMENT

MINI: INFORMATION ON PARTS WARRANTY EXTENSION APPLYING TO PREVIOUS QUALIFYING REPAIRS AND NO IMMEDIATE REPAIR REQUIRED UNLESS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH CVT ASSEMBLY OR COMPONENT. MODEL 2005-2008 COOPER, COOPER S. *PE

720106 — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE

AIRBAG WARNING LAMP FOR OC3 SEAT MAT FAULT. AIRBAG WARNING LAMP (AWL) ILLUMINATES, TOGETHER WITH THE PASSENGER AIRBAG STATUS LAMP (POL). THE PROBLEM MAY BE INTERMITTENT. *TT

230105 — POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

RATTLING/GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION AREA WHEN IN NEUTRAL DURING A COLD START. MY '05 COOPER WITH 5-SPEED GETRAG. *TT

120705 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

SERVICE ACTION: INSPECT/REPAIR ENGINE HARNESS. *TT

170105 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS

SERVICE ACTION: REPLACE COOLANT HOSE. *TT

2320005 — POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION NOISE DIAGNOSIS. *SC

1220005 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DME FC 0136: 02 SENSOR BANK 1. *SC

120105 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

DME PROGRAMMING PROCEDURE. *SC

NHTSA Investigations for the 2005 MINI COOPER

There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.

Other Model Years of the MINI COOPER

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Other MINI Models

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