KnownCarProblems2006 Mini Cooper S Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 186 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Mini Cooper S, most often about the air bags (36% of complaints, typically around 56,000 miles). It is 5th of 21 Cooper S model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2006 Mini Cooper S problems
Air bags
67 complaints · 36%Half of these problems showed up before 56,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, sensor.
The car is a 2006 Mini Cooper S coupe. The car has less than 57,000 miles. The airbag sensor light remains on even with a passenger in the seat which shows the airbag is not employed. The dealer cost to repair was $900 as quoted on 1/3/11. The airbag light goes on and off randomly. It is not clear that the airbag…
Air bag failure lamp light on. 2006 jcw Mini cooper. On startup, lamps all go through startup illumination then go dark. Airbag failure lamp relights 1 second later and remains on. No interior wiring done, car is as was received new from dealer.
Steering
48 complaints · 26%Half of these problems showed up before 62,000 miles.
I had issue with the steering wheel pump a year ago, and I replaced it. But last night when I was driving home, the steering wheel wouldn't turn and I almost got into a car accident. Luckily traffic was slow and I was close to my house. Unfortunately, it was extremely hard for me to make any turn. I had to call a…
2006 Mini Cooper S: power steering failure intermittent failure of power steering--at first. Very frightening experience. Very dangerous. Now there is no power steering. I've never had such an experience in any automobile. I investigated this experience online and find a number of similar experiences. I'm very…
Electrical
23 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 69,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel.
I have a 2006 Mini cooper. Recently, complete power to the vehicle has been lost while the vehicle is in operation. This has occurred twice over the past month. The vehicle was being operated on a paved city street at speeds of approximately 20-25 miles per hour when the power failures occurred. The vehicle was…
The o2 sensor failed on my car. Mini issued an extended warranty on 2006 models but my VIN was not included. This is ridiculous that I have the exact same issue but my VIN is not included.
Engine
22 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 52,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system.
2006 Mini Cooper S. Makes horrible engine noise and upon investigation Mini found that the AC compressor is out and needs to be replaced. The car has only 44k miles and has been Mini maintained. The cost of the repair is close to 4k which is absurd for a part that should last.I found a mechanic ( not Mini) that can do…
Plethora of electrical problems. Heated seats are a major concern. They go on and off by themselves, seem haunted. Sometimes, they get so hot they leave burn marks in my legs. I am afraid of an electrical fire. The heated seats get so hot, they left burn marks in my seat. Aisin 6 speed automatic transmission, equipped…
Transmission
22 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 63,500 miles. Parts named most often: manual transmission, clutch assembly, automatic transmission.
My Mini Cooper S 2006 has been randomly banging into gear and was diagnosed by northwest Mini as needing a transmission replacement for $8361.00 (before tax). Problem causes car to loose acceleration and power.
2006 Mini Cooper S with 66000 miles had a transmission failure that resulted in unsafe driving condition due to loss of forward propulsion while driving on highway.
Seats
15 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 59,500 miles.
On my 2006 Mini Cooper S coupe, the passenger airbag off sensor light on the roof came on as well as the airbag sensor light in the center console indicating that the passenger seat could not detect the weight of a person in the passenger seat and therefore would not alert the airbag to turn on. My husband and I have…
Airbag light is on full time, after a period of intermittent activity. There are hundreds of similar complaints on the web. The high cost of repairs seems to have resulted in a thriving business selling replacement "emulators" that imitate the sensor pad electrical characteristics. This is the same passenger seat…
Visibility and wipers
11 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 10,000 miles. Parts named most often: windshield.
Overnight a stress fracture appeared on the drivers side lower windshield. Temperatures were around 60 f so would not have contributed. There was a small junk of glass blown out of crack, but no impact marks along crack.
: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, the windshield sustained a small, hairline fracture. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined a possible road hazard was the cause. The vehicle was taken to another dealer for further inspection who determined the windshield fractured from…
Other or unspecified
9 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 53,000 miles.
Upon starting my car, after being in a store, the passenger airbag light came on while a passenger was in the seat. The indicator stayed on after turning the car off and back on. I researched to see if there were any recalls for a faulty passenger airbag covering my year, make and model, and found NHTSA campaign…
While driving the airbag warning light came on and passenger air bag light turned off. At the same time the seat belt light came on. Had both checked and when car was returned both lights were out. Passenger seat bottom was replaced. I was told that this is common problem with the seat bottom. No problem noted for the…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2006 Mini Cooper S recalls
Air bags: frontal
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
Questions about the 2006 Mini Cooper S
- What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mini Cooper S?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (67 complaints, typically around 56,000 miles); steering (48 complaints, typically around 62,000 miles); electrical (23 complaints, typically around 69,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2006 Mini Cooper S have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from April 6, 2015 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2006 a bad year for the Mini Cooper S?
- It is 5th of 21 Cooper S model years by number of complaints, with 186 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.