KnownCarProblems2006 Mini Cooper Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 200 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Mini Cooper, most often about the air bags (56% of complaints, typically around 64,500 miles). It is 4th of 26 Cooper model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2006 Mini Cooper problems
Air bags
111 complaints · 56%Half of these problems showed up before 64,500 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, sensor.
The airbags light came on for no reason at all. Doing research I found there's a lot of people with the same problem! And apparently Mini USA is not taking responsibility for any of it.
The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that the front passenger side air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passenger seat air bag sensor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not…
Steering
53 complaints · 27%Half of these problems showed up before 76,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the power steering malfunctioned. The contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic test but could not diagnose the failure. The contact reviewed numerous complaints online regarding the power steering…
Car had a burning smell then the power steering went complety off while driving . Mini has an extended warranty for Mini r53 first generation 2002-2005 but the 2006 is also a first generation and the problem was not fixed .called Mini and and was told they couldnt help me and I believe they should warranty the 2006…
Transmission
20 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 72,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, clutch assembly, manual transmission.
I heard a whirring sound and a light came on the dashboard. Took it to the Mini Cooper dealership bob smith where I had the car serviced and where it was originally purchased. The technician did not pull any codes, just took the car for a ride. He pronounced that the transmission had to be replaced as it is a sealed…
The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle downshifted and stalled. The contact had to pull to the side of the road and shift into manual mode to shift the gears up and down. The contact also stated that the battery light illuminated while the vehicle was parked. The…
Engine
19 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, cooling system.
The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle downshifted and stalled. The contact had to pull to the side of the road and shift into manual mode to shift the gears up and down. The contact also stated that the battery light illuminated while the vehicle was parked. The…
The contact owns a 2006 Mini Cooper. While driving 70 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to nick alexander Mini (6201 alameda st, los angeles, ca 90001) where it was diagnosed that the power steering pump, alternator, and radiator cooling fan failed and needed to be replaced. The…
Seats
13 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 64,500 miles. Parts named most often: front assembly.
In addition to my previous post, more information on this situation, this note sent to miniusa.com, my 2006 Mini Cooper has the airbag light illuminated above the rear view mirror and is generating an error 71, passenger occupancy sensor fault. It is my understanding this is due to a faulty sensor mat under the seat.…
The right front occupant sensor for air bag appears to be defective. It had to be replaced. We have heard of several Mini Cooper's that have defective seat sensors. When this sensor fails, the air bags may not deploy as designed. This is a safety system failure. Cost to replace this sensor was over $1,400.00.
Electrical
10 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 88,000 miles.
I was driving on the freeway at 70mph in far left lane and the car just shut off. The brake and steering wheel got stiff and would not work right. The area of the freeway was crowded due to construction and it was impossible to get to the side. The car behind me was entirely to close and im surprised I was not hit.
From my research, the 2006 Mini has a faulty passenger occupancy sensor in the passenger seat bottom requiring a replacement at a cost of over $1000. Since 2006 was the first year for this requirement, I believe they did not properly test the device before releasing them into production as I have researched and read…
Seat belts
5 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles.
From my research, the 2006 Mini has a faulty passenger occupancy sensor in the passenger seat bottom requiring a replacement at a cost of over $1000. Since 2006 was the first year for this requirement, I believe they did not properly test the device before releasing them into production as I have researched and read…
The SRS light is on and the passenger airbag light is also on even with a passenger sitting in the seat. This is a known issue due to bad wiring harness under the seats but bmw, Mini is refusing to rectify the faulty problems for 2005 and 2006 models of the 1st generation Mini Cooper. 2004 and 2003 Mini coopers were…
Other or unspecified
3 complaints · 2%Loud and persistent whinning noise from power steering pump, intermittent power steering failure. Had past problems with the power steering fan (june 2011).
70k and on my third serpentine belt ,battery light goes on and incredibly hard to steer left or right and car dies. When the belt shreds or breaks the car dies and only moves at below 5 MPH ,only warning is a battery light ... People buying this car for teens dont ! Had to replace transmission at 30 k ... If you buy…
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 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
- What are the most common problems with the 2006 Mini Cooper?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (111 complaints, typically around 64,500 miles); steering (53 complaints, typically around 76,500 miles); transmission (20 complaints, typically around 72,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2006 Mini Cooper 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?
- It is 4th of 26 Cooper model years by number of complaints, with 200 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.